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Cypress Gardens
Despite a revamp in 2004-05, which added 39 small rides, a water park and new roller coaster, Cypress Gardens seems fairly dull, and expensive, in the realm of theme parks.
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Discovery Cove
Adjacent to its parent park SeaWorld, Discovery Cove is an innovative and elite attraction and is limited to only 1000 guests daily; make reservations well ahead. Private beaches and an exotic bird aviary are just a few of the diversions, and guests don't have to worry about a thing. All gear is provided and lunch is fantastic, filling and free.
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Disney-MGM Studios
The Disney-MGM Studios cater to the post-fairytale crowd and is also a working studio. Hands-down most exciting rides are the spooky and unpredictable hotel elevator in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, where your stretch limo races through the streets of LA after dark. And don't miss the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, a 35-minute show that looks a lot like the movie.
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Downtown Media Arts Center
Orlando has one of the coolest movie theaters in the Downtown Media Arts Center. Behind its green, gothic facade is one of the gems in downtown, whether you're a cinemaphile or just looking to catch an indie flick that may or may not ever hit the big screen.
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Fun Spot Action Park
This park has a Ferris wheel, go-karts and the awesome Zipper, as well as the opportunity to win giant stuffed animals. You can also purchase rides separately.
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Gatorland
With its goofy, gaping alligator jaws as the main entrance, Gatorland is the kind of attraction you'd imagine would be on Clark Griswold's National Lampoon's Vacation itinerary. But that's exactly what makes this mom-and-pop type attraction great! You won't find any fancy roller coasters or drenching log flumes here. Just gators as far as the eye can see - and plenty of 'em.
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Green Meadows Petting Farm
Green Meadows is no Animal Kingdom, but it's the kind of place you'd envision Old MacDonald living out his golden years. With more than 300 animals and a cute train ride, kids'll be entertained for a good half day, and there are blessedly few crowds here.
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Holy Land Experience
Did you ever wonder where Rod and Todd Flanders spent their vacation while the Simpson family, through a series of hilarious mishaps, ends up performing at Gay Day in the Magic Kingdom?
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International Train & Trolley Museum
Home to the most extravagant model train set you could imagine, the International Train & Trolley Museum is well worth the price if you're into that sort of thing. Toy trains dating from the 1920s to the present day are featured, and an elaborate garden of waterfalls, trestles and 13ft-tall mountains is home to 14 model trains. Among the more impressive machines are a custom-made California trolley and an authentic Mason Bogey with two passenger cars.
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Islands Of Adventure
The best theme park in Orlando, Islands of Adventure, has better characters than the Magic Kingdom, better rides than Universal Studios and better food than Holy Land. Go wild on the Hulk and Duelling Dragons rides, before finishing on the state-of-the-art Amazing Adventures of Spider Man.
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Lake Eola
A gathering point for the downtown community, complete with a waterfront amphitheater, cafés and restaurants, a children's playground and colorful flowers and trees, Lake Eola provides a pretty, shaded backdrop on a hot day. The lake is built on an 80ft sinkhole and, since its birth in 1888, has seen its grounds transformed from a zoo to a horse-race track to its current status as a slice of green in downtown.
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Magic Kingdom
The centerpiece of WDW and home of Cinderella's Castle. Pirates of the Caribbean has gotten some snazzed-up special effects with a dash of Johnny Depp, and Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain are still going strong. Mickey's Toontown Fair and Fantasyland are a hit with smaller kids, but anyone over 12 will want to keep walking. Fireworks displays light up the sky nightly and many nights end with a parade.
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Mennello Museum of American Folk Art
Small and bright, this collection features paintings by Earl Cunningham, a self-taught artist (and pilot, and anthropologist) with an eye for colour. Wonderful rotating exhibitions focus on other folk art themes; definitely check this place out.
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Old Town
Old Town brings the county fair back to life with a handful of fairway games and old-fashioned rides, including go-carts, a cool carousel and dry slides. There's also a tame miniature golf course, and the hair-raising Human Slingshot, which flings older kids straight up 365ft at 6Gs - not advisable on a full stomach.
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Orange County Regional History Center
Pre-mouse Orlando is featured at the Orange County Regional History Center in a series of permanent and traveling exhibits showcasing the region and its history.
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Orlando Museum of Art
Founded in 1924, this sprawling museum has a great collection of modern art, with a pronounced focus on female and minority American artists. Huge rooms lend themselves to dramatic installation pieces and highlight impressive collections of African and pre-Columbian pieces.
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Orlando Science Center
This well-put-together museum combines real science with special effects. Highlights include a nuclear reactor you operate and a dinosaur room with fossils, plus animatronic beasties that move and growl. There's also a small IMAX theater and planetarium, which are included in the ticket, and the observatory hosts night-sky viewing every Friday and Saturday nights.
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SeaWorld
A not-altogether-logical blend of marine animals and thrill rides, SeaWorld is home to both Shamu the killer whale and Kraken the floorless coaster. Journey to Atlantis tries to bring both concepts together: it's an oceanic water-coaster with a 60ft vertical drop. Feedings and shows take place at scheduled times, so plan out your day to make sure you don't miss out.
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Skull Kingdom
You can't miss the giant skull motif on this souped-up haunted house, at the corner of International Dr. It's not high-tech or anything, but some love went into this palace of horrors, and you are very likely to scream a few times; it's not recommended for children under 8. It's the by-product of the once-great, now-defunct Terror on Church St, which was one of the most remarkable haunted houses ever.
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The Epcot Center
An acronym for 'Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow,' The Epcot Center was Disney's vision of a high-tech city. It's divided into two halves: the sort-of-modern Future World, with corporate-sponsored journeys through not-very-cutting-edge technology, and the not-at-all futuristic World Showcase, which gives you an interesting toe-dip into the culture of 11 different countries.
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Thornton Park
Fashionable Thornton Park borders Lake Eola to the north, and is a perfect example of urban vitality. Remodeled cracker bungalows line its narrow brick streets, and giant Spanish oaks weave their gnarly branches into natural green canopies. The Washington St district is a popular thoroughfare for café lounging and window browsing at antiques and funky craft boutiques. It's also popular with the gay crowd for putting down roots.
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Titanic: Ship of Dreams
There are so many themed attractions, themed restaurants and themed hotels surrounding International Drive (I-Dr) that it's a quasi-theme park itself (with a theme of, well, themes). The stand-out attraction is Titanic: Ship of Dreams, where you take on the character of a real-life Titanic passenger for a poignant tour of replicas and relics.
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Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida has a Hollywood backlot feel and is, in fact, a working studio as well as theme park with celluloid-inspired rides. Don't miss the Back to the Future time-travel simulator, or the fun, new 4-D Shrek show.
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Walt Disney World
This is a self-contained city. Apart from the four main parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom), there are three water parks, a shopping district, 22 hotels, countless eateries, a police force, transport systems, medical centres, even kennels for the pooch. Watch out for the mouse.
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Wet 'n' Wild
Orlando's lack of surf beaches make water parks all the more desirable. Wet 'n' Wild is one of Florida's first water parks, and it gives Disney's two water parks a run for its money.
