One word describes Orlando’s transformation in the last three decades: stunning. The city and its suburbs have gone through a Cinderella-like metamorphosis, where plain Jane has become a worldly beauty. Millions of tourists are seduced every year by sophisticated resorts, a wide range of theme parks, must-see attractions, happening nightclubs, and winning restaurants. Here are Orlando’s best of the best.
More on the Top 10 sights in Orlando (see Thrill Rides)-
The impulse-buy watches at Fossil are cheap, fun, and have a pop-culture aesthetic.
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If your favorite Village Person was the Cowboy, the Full Moon is for you. It’s a country and western club where hundreds of butch dudes in chaps and hats two-step their cares away. There’s also a large contingent of manly leather types. The club is big, the outside space is huge, and it’s considered a Sunday afternoon hot spot.
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This arcade-cum-amusement-park has something for everyone who has a little bit of the child in them. The park has four go-kart tracks, with corkscrew and banked turns, 30-degree descents, bridges, and more. In addition, there are bumper boats and cars, a 100-ft (30-m) Ferris wheel, 100 arcade games, and a kid zone that has swings, a train, spinning tea cups, and flying bears.
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Looking for life in the fast lane? The Fun Spot’s four giant go-kart tracks allow you to “vroom” at your own speed, buzzing around corkscrew turns to the finish line. There are also bumper cars and boats, a huge ferris wheel, and an arcade full of simulators to round off the package.
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Disney hosts a multitude of tour professionals in a week of golfing events.
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This is great for the last day of your trip as it is only a short drive from the airport. Touch an alligator, snake and watch live shows with the animals. also a petting zoo and some wet rides to keep all amused.
Total time for park - 3-4hrs
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Gatorland, Orlando’s original theme park, opened more than 50 years ago as a swampy roadside stand, and is now home to well over 1,000 alligators, crocodiles, and snakes. Its appeal? A chance to gaze, just steps away from these mysterious creatures, who remain curiously similar to their prehistoric relatives. Visitors can stroll along a boardwalk over lakes full of cranky gators and buy hot dogs to throw into their mouths. A bizarre and unique attraction.
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This park, which recently turned 50, is chock-full of around 800 lurking alligators, honking for mates, and sometimes performing tricks. The gators don’t sit up and beg, but they do jump for food – raw chicken, to be exact, dangled over their ponds by a brave employee. Two hundred or so crocodiles are here to add diversity, as are snakes and other reptiles. The gator-wrestling show is an impressive must-see.
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Gay Days is a week-long blowout of parties and theme park visits for more than 130,000 gay and lesbian guests. By day, gay and straight mix in the parks; at night, parks and clubs are rented for evening raves.
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Located on acres of beautiful gardens, this resort hosts five restaurants, two pools, two bars and three separate Florida-style residences. There’s a full-service spa and childcare center, and it’s well located for theme parks.
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Hotel price categories
For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
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