Top places to visit in Orlando, FL
Orlando is an ideal vacation spot with its diverse attractions that cater to everyone’s preferences, making it one of Florida’s most frequently visited cities.
You can indulge in a relaxing beach vacation or adrenaline rush with thrilling rides at theme parks such as Walt Disney World® Resort and Universal Studios Florida.
Orlando offers many family-friendly activities you can enjoy with your kids, such as playing games at SeaWorld Orlando or experiencing an exhilarating water ride at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. However, deciding which activity to prioritize can be overwhelming with so many options available.
In addition to theme parks and family-friendly attractions, Orlando has a vibrant nightlife scene, fantastic shopping opportunities, and a rich cultural heritage. You can explore the city’s diverse neighborhoods, sample delicious cuisine, or attend a music or theater performance.
One of the most iconic landmarks in Orlando is Lake Eola Park, located in the heart of downtown. The park is home to a beautiful lake you can explore on a swan-shaped paddle boat. There are also walking paths, picnic areas, and a playground for kids.
If you’re a nature lover, you can visit the nearby Wekiwa Springs State Park or the Harry P. Leu Gardens, where you can take a stroll and admire the beautiful plants and flowers. For animal lovers, the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens offer an opportunity to see various animals up close and learn about their habitats.
Orlando is also a great base to explore nearby attractions, such as Kennedy Space Center, which is just an hour’s drive away. The space center offers a unique opportunity to learn about space exploration and see real-life rockets and spaceships.
Orlando truly has something for everyone, making it an excellent vacation destination. Whether traveling with family, friends, or solo, you will have an unforgettable experience in this vibrant city.
- Orlando is located in the heart of Florida, just a few hours’ drive from many major cities;
- Orlando can also be reached easily by plane or train;
- Orlando is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Florida;
- Orlando is great for a family vacation, either with your kids or other people;
- Orlando is also a great place to go on a romantic getaway;
- Orlando is also an excellent choice for group vacations and even solo vacations;
- Orlando has many adventure-based activities that can be done on vacation, including skydiving and zip lining, to name a few!
Top 15 things to do in Orlando, Florida
- Walt Disney World® Resort
- Magic Kingdom Park
- Universal Orlando Resort
- Epcot
- Universal Studios Florida
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- SeaWorld Orlando
- Universal CityWalk Orlando
- Universal’s Islands of Adventure
- Orlando Outlet Marketplace
- ICON Park
- Old Town
- Aquatica Orlando
- The Mall at Millenia
Places to visit in Orlando are filled with entertainment and sights for all ages.
Orlando is a great place to visit for all ages. The city has a range of attractions for all ages, including family-friendly activities and rides. There are also plenty of things to do when looking for something more exciting, such as seeing a concert or live performance.
Check out the Orlando theme parks if you’re looking for an adventure. There’s something for everyone at these parks, whether rides like the Space Mountain roller coaster or more traditional attractions like Universal Studios Hollywood.
Walt Disney World® Resort
Walt Disney World® Resort is the world’s largest theme park resort, comprising four theme parks (Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), two water parks (Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Blizzard Beach Water Park) and 27 themed resorts.
In addition, the resort includes Downtown Disney, a dining-and-shopping district adjacent to the four theme parks; ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex; golf courses; spas at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.
The Walt Disney World® Resort opened in 1971 with one park: Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Today it has over 24 attractions inside its gates, including several roller coasters: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad®, Splash Mountain®, Space Mountain®, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train™ (#1 Attraction In Orlando), Test Track® Presented by Chevrolet™ (#2 Attraction In Orlando) and more!
Magic Kingdom Park
You may be surprised that Magic Kingdom Park is not the biggest theme park in Orlando. Instead, it’s one of the smallest! But what it lacks in size, it makes up for with a strong sense of nostalgia and an unmatched level of excitement. The Magic Kingdom combines all your favorite Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse.
It is one of my favorite parks because there are many things to do here. This park has no shortage of fun, from catching a ride on Space Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to exploring Fantasyland and Tomorrowland (or both at once) this park has no shortage of fun!
Epcot
Epcot, one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort, is divided into two main areas: Future World and the World Showcase.
- Future World has many fun educational experiences for kids and adults alike. Some highlights include Journey Into Imagination with Figment (a lighthearted ride), Mission: SPACE (an intense simulation), and Ellen’s Energy Adventure (a live-action film starring Ellen DeGeneres). If you want to learn more about space travel or how our world works, this section will teach you all sorts of things.
- The other half of Epcot is the World Showcase which showcases 11 different countries from around the globe, including Norway, China, Morocco, Germany, and Japan. Each country has its pavilion with shops selling authentic food items unique to that region and cultural performances by native entertainers during meal times at restaurants throughout each country’s pavilion!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a Walt Disney World Resort theme park in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products division.
The park opened in 1989 as the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park and was the third of four theme parks built at Walt Disney World (the other three being Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom).
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is the largest Disney theme park in the world, covering 580 acres (230 ha).
This park is home to more than 2,000 animals from Africa, Asia, and other places around the globe. You can ride an elephant or take a safari excursion through the jungles of Asia. You’ll see tigers, rhinos, and many other animals, during this exciting adventure into one of nature’s most exotic habitats!
Universal Studios Florida
With all its rides and shows, Universal Studios Florida is a great theme park for thrill seekers and fans of classic movies. While it has no roller coasters, it offers plenty to do for everyone—from the casual visitor to the most hardcore thrill-seeker.
Fans of Harry Potter will be especially pleased with what this theme park has to offer. And don’t miss watching a performance of the Blue Man Group, an interactive performance unlike anything else in Orlando.
The theme of Universal Studios Florida is the entertainment industry, with various attractions and shows based on movies, television shows, and music videos from the 20th century to the present day.
Universal CityWalk Orlando
- Universal CityWalk Orlando is a dining, entertainment, and shopping destination adjacent to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure.
- It has over 30 restaurants, 10 shops, and an AMC Theatre featuring stadium seating with added legroom. The AMC Theater is also home to the IMAX with a 4K laser projection system, which features true 1080p images on a screen eight stories tall! The theater is located in the heart of CityWalk, so guests can enjoy the latest movies while catching up on the latest news or sports scores thanks to its wall-to-wall 84″ flat screen monitors.
- Universal CityWalk Orlando opens daily from 11 a.m.-2 a.m., except Christmas Day when it closes at midnight (or earlier if business dictates).
Universal’s Islands of Adventure
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Seuss Landing, and The Lost Continent are just a few of Universal’s Islands of Adventure’s themed areas. On The Lost Continent, you’ll find the legendary Beavers Tooth Tavern, where you can enjoy a meal or drink while listening to live music.
Jurassic Park has many attractions, including the ride “Jurassic Park River Adventure, ” similar to Disneyland’s Splash Mountain. Marvel Super Hero Island has been voted one of America’s best theme parks by the USA Today Readers Choice Awards!
Universal Orlando Resort
The resort was officially formed as part of an expansion on May 15th, 1990, with the opening of Universal Studios Florida and its attached parking garage structure (to date, it is still the largest parking structure in the United States).
The park opened with its first themed area in New York City – 1890s Manhattan. It included attractions such as
- E.T.’s Pizza Planet Restaurant & Amblin Entertainment Store;
- a recreation of Columbus Circle featuring the Circle Theater;
- Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium;
- Sports Arenas with giant video screens showing NBA games or boxing matches from around the world;
- World Expo features a large model train display covering several acres featuring over 20 miniature trains running throughout it that you could view from above via monorail cars passing through tunnels built inside them (it was also possible for guests to drive their vehicle through tunnels).
SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando is the world’s largest marine life park, featuring 11 different themed areas and more than 5,000 animals.
The park is home to Kraken Unleashed, a thrill ride that shoots you into the water, blasting around turns and drops at up to 48 miles per hour, and Viking Fury: Escape from Helheim, a roller coaster that plunges you through ice caverns with 60-foot drops.
The park also has attractions for younger visitors in its Sesame Street Bay of Play area and Baby Shamu Nursery, where you can watch little ones swim or play with their parents.
There are plenty of things for adults, too: Aquatica water park offers an array of slides, including Summit Plummet, which sends riders down an 85-foot drop at speeds up to 60 miles per hour through looping curves before they splash into 5-foot deep waters.
Orlando Outlet Marketplace
The Orlando Outlet Marketplace is an outlet mall located in Orlando, Florida. It’s the largest outlet center in the Southeast, featuring more than 175 stores with various brands. The outlets include Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Banana Republic Factory Store, and Urban Outfitters.
The Orlando Outlet Marketplace has more than 1,000 parking spaces for guests and many hotels nearby that offer shuttle service to and from their properties (the Rosen Plaza Hotel & Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites Lake Buena Vista).
In addition to its retail stores, it also has restaurants like TGI Fridays! This place is an excellent option for anyone looking for an inexpensive shopping experience while on vacation!
ICON Park
ICON Park is a shopping, dining, and entertainment destination in the heart of Orlando. It features more than 100 retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues. In addition, the center is home to the Wheel at ICON Park Orlando.
This 400-foot observation wheel offers breathtaking views of Central Florida’s most popular attractions, including Walt Disney World® Resort and Universal Orlando Resort™.
You can also visit an array of shops at ICON Orlando, where you will find everything from apparel to cosmetics and electronics. The first phase opened in 2015 with over 50 retailers and restaurants and an outdoor amphitheater for live performances throughout the year.
In addition to all these perks, another exciting feature about this shopping center is that it was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry who also designed other famous buildings such as Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain.
Discover the best things to do in Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a great place to visit and is one of the best spots for families with kids. You can head to Disney World and enjoy its wide range of rides or go to Universal Studios if you want more action-packed experiences. Many friendly people in Orlando are waiting to help you have fun!
Orlando is also an excellent place for friends to get together because there are plenty of restaurants and bars where they can hang out after spending all day at the theme parks. The weather is hot during summertime, so ensure everyone brings plenty of water bottles—you don’t want anyone dehydrated!
Orlando is a city that offers something for everyone, and with so many things to do, it can be hard to know how to spend your time. Hopefully, this list of the top attractions has given you an idea of what’s available in Orlando and where we recommend going.
