Top Things to Do in Orlando

Mickey's still king of the hill: or rather, of the very flat land. Spread over an area the size of Boston are: 4 theme parks (Magic Kingdom, best place with little kids; EPCOT; Disney's Hollywood Studios; and Animal Kingdom); two water-parks (see below); 22 themed resorts that are fun in themselves; and more. Make sure you have a game plan, before you enter the World! See tips.

Disney World is much more than "rides". At no extra charge, guests can enjoy PARADES in the day-time at several parks, and beautiful night parade in Magic Kingdom; IllumiNations, unique spectacle at night at Epcot, followed by fireworks; more FIREWORKS, at Magic Kingdom; LIVE STAGE SHOWS, including a stunningly imaginative staging of Finding Nemo. CHARACTER MEALS are a splurge but worth it: for ex., the Crystal Palace restaurant has a giant buffet and Winnie the Pooh characters sing, dance, and pose for pix.

Wacky in their theming, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are both (a) tons of fun, and (b) lovely tropical places to spend a day. Arrive early; stake out a shady bower; then enjoy the lazy rivers, giant water slides, and family raft rides each park offers. Blizzard Beach is known for a crazily steep waterslide "ski jump" on "Mt. Gushmore". Highlights at Typhoon Lagoon are a giant surf pool, and a snorkel over a (usually crowded) coral reef. Admission to both waterparks is included in a Park Hopper pass.

Orlando's other multi-park destination is Universal Orlando, with two theme parks, extras such as character meals, CityWalk public area for entertainment and shopping, and Blue Man Group shows (see below.) The Islands of Adventure theme park has a top zone for little kids: the 10-acre Seuss Landing, based on the beloved books of Dr. Seuss. It's a bit odd to see The Lorax (with its anti-commercial message) in a theme park, but kids will love the Seuss characters, The Cat in the Hat ride, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish ride, and more. And during the Holiday Season there's Grinchmas too, (while the Universal Studios Orlando theme park has daily Macy's Parade -- see Orlando Christmas.)

Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure theme park is also great for teens and 'tweens who want to scream. The Hulk and Dueling Dragon coasters are guaranteed to thrill. Also not to be missed: The Spiderman "ride", not a coaster but an amazing 3-D simulator experience plus a 4th dimension of surprise sensations. Sister park Universal Studios Orlando has the Revenge of the Mummy and many other great rides based on favorite shows: Shrek, Men in Black, ET, Jaws, the Simpsons, and more.

The pace at theme parks can be grueling, especially for little kids. Many a parent has said, "All [child] wanted to do was play in the pool at the resort." So give the kids a day to do just that. All the Disney Resorts have fun themed pools, and many other properties in Orlando are in the fun-for-kids biz. NickHotel, for instance, has two waterparks; and theming, pool games, and evening entertainment by Nickelodeon (a giant in kids' tv). Universal Orlando has three great resorts, with fun pools; other top Orlando Resort choices have a lazy river pool, or 1500 acres with nature trails and horse-riding, or an annual winter event with ice sculptures, ice slides, ice caves...

So you've spent a day relaxing at your resort... evening comes and you want somewhere fun, with no admission price. Downtown Disney is a shopping/ entertainment zone that takes up 120 acres in Disney World. Eat at the Rainforest Cafe, stroll past full-size lego figures outside the Lego Imagination store, buy chocolate at Ghiradelli's (free samples!) Money burning a hole in your pocket? Head to DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, or to the acclaimed Cirque de Soleil show.

Trapeze artists, jugglers, acrobats, phantasmagorical costumes - these words only hint at the Cirque du Soleil experience. Orlando is one of the few places where a Cirque du Soleil show plays at a permanent venue; the "La Nouba" show was created for this location in Downtown Disney.

You'll also find a shopping/ entertainment zone at Universal Florida: CityWalk, which has the advantage of actually adjoining its two theme parks. Much of CityWalk is geared to party-ers but kids will get a kick out of the theme restaurants, such as Nascar Cafe with game area; Hard Rock Cafe, with giant desserts, music videos, and fab rock memorabilia; and NBA City, with videogames and a giant screen showing basketball.

Blue Man Group is an indescribable mix of mime, percussion, and antics involving the audience. You can see performances in New York, Las Vegas, London, and elsewhere - and now, at a dedicated theater at Universal Orlando. Location is at one side of the Universal Florida theme park; performance-goers can enter directly from CityWalk without entering the theme park. Read more about Blue Man Group, and about seeing Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando.