Family travel destinations attractions and things to do with kids in orlando

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

Orlando is one of the most exciting places in the world for vacationing children. With its sunny skies, friendly residents and exciting attractions, this wonderful city is the foundation for many cherished memories - for kids and those who are kids at heart. If youve never been to Orlando and are unfamiliar with the territory, then these suggestions will help you design a fun-filled itinerary for your next family vacation.

First and foremost, Orlando is the home of Walt Disney World C the most exciting attraction in the eastern portion of The United States - containing four theme parks, three waterparks and a treasure trove of activities. Magic Kingdom is filled with thrilling amusement park rides that will delight young and old alike. One of the highlights of this section of Disney World is Space Mountain C a colossal rollercoaster type of ride that hurls its riders through the darkness of space. Splash Mountain is also available, which offers a watery log ride that culminates in a five-story plunge. Other rides and attractions include Mad Tea Party, Pirates of the Caribbean, Snow Whites Scary Adventures, The Haunted Mansion, Swiss Family Treehouse, Jungle Cruise, The Timekeeper and a multitude of others. For the little ones, theres Cinderellas Golden Carousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, The Enchanted Tiki Room, Peter Pans Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and much more. Disneys Animal Kingdom Park C another of the four theme parks within Walt Disney World C is the home of Dinosaur, an exciting ride that gives guests just a few minutes to come to the aid of a lost dinosaur C with lots of adventures along the way. Other rides and attractions include Primeval Whirl, Kilimanjaro Safaris, The Tree of Life, Affection Section and Maharajah Jungle Trek. The younger ones will enjoy The Boneyard, Wildlife Express Train, Dino-Sue and TriceraTop Spin, to name a few. Epcot offers Mission: Space, Maelstrom, Body Wars, Spaceship Earth, The Living Seas and a vast number of themed pavilions, as well as numerous other attractions. Disney-MGM Studios is also on the premises, offering entertainment that includes The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Muppet Vision 3D, The Great Movie Ride and The Backlot Tour, in addition to a great number of other attractions. Also located within Walt Disney World are two waterparks C Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon C that will provide hours of fun for vacationing families. Parades, shops, restaurants, strolling Disney characters and so much more is available to visitors C you have to live the Disney experience to believe it.

Discovery Cove is a thrilling water-themed attraction that offers a variety of unique activities. Among the many experiences that the Cove provides is Dolphin Swim. The children will especially be delighted by this opportunity to swim with real bottlenose dolphins. Guests are given 30 minutes to interact with them in their natural environment, after a brief orientation which describes appropriate behavior, body language and safety guidelines for visitors to practice in order to enjoy the best possible experience with these gentle creatures. The enjoyment begins at Dolphin Lagoon, where youll be able to get acquainted with one of the dolphins through a variety of interactive behaviors. After this get to know each other phase, youll have the opportunity to swim with your marine friend. At Coral Reef, family members will don snorkel gear and join the tropical fish as they venture through the reefs and the remains of lost ships. This lively attraction offers no time limit, in contrast to the Dolphin Swim, so guests can feel free to take their time and truly enjoy their exploration of the colorful depths. Tropical River is a wonderful place to spend a peaceful day in the great outdoors, as you float lazily around the lagoon. If youre interested in a bit more excitement, you can take a tube ride down the river and enjoy a variety of backdrops. Among these are an underwater cave, waterfalls and a rain forest. Youll also have the opportunity to enjoy some time to lie on the beach, if you prefer to soak up some sun on land rather than taking part in the water fun. Ray Lagoon allows guests to snorkel and swim among the many cow-nose and southern rays, which can grow up to four feet in diameter. These are very playful, peaceful creatures, soft to the touch, and kids will love the chance to swim and play with them C and sometimes just spend a few moments petting these affectionate little guys. The Aviary is a bright, colorful place where family members can interact with more than 30 species of birds. This free-flight environment is home to upwards of 250 tropical birds, as well as gorgeous scenery. Youngsters can feed the birds, climb over bridges and explore catacombs. Beaches and waterfalls are a grand complement to this breathtaking site.

Universals Islands of Adventure is a collection of five exciting island attractions where adults and kids alike can enjoy thrilling rides and activities. Marvel Super Hero Island offers The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Doctor Dooms Fearfall, The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman and Storm Force Accelatron. During your visit, your favorite super heroes will mingle with guests as they stroll around the island, as visitors enjoy the many fun-filled attractions. Toon Lagoon provides lots of fun and laughter through its numerous amusement rides, including Toon Trolley Beach Bash, Popeye & Plutos Bilge-Rat Barges, Dudley Do-Rights Rip Saw Falls, and Popeyes interactive ship C Me Ship, The Olive. Stroll down to Kings Row and Comic Strip Lane, where youll get the chance to meet your favorite cartoon and comic strip characters. The island of Jurassic Park offers the thrills and excitement of Triceratops Encounter, Pteranodon Flyers, Jurassic Park Discovery Center and Jurassic Park River Adventure. In addition, kids can also enjoy a prehistoric playground, journey through mines and scale dinosaur nets. The fourth island C The Lost Continent C spices things up a bit through a series of exotic attractions which include Poseidons Fury, The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad, Dueling Dragons, The Mystic Fountain and The Flying Unicorn. Kids will really enjoy this fairytale themed island which allows them to visit a village and mingle with mythical creatures in an enchanted forest. Finally, theres Seuss Landing C host to The Cat in the Hat, If I Ran the Zoo, Caro-Seuss-el, The Circus McGurkus Seussian Sing-a-Long, not to mention One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Younger family members will particularly enjoy this island, as the magic of Dr. Seuss is brought to life through the various island attractions. These Islands of Adventure will treat the kids to wizards, dragons, dinosaurs, cartoon characters, superheroes and a magical day of fun-filled excitement that theyll never forget.

Universal Studios Florida is chock-full of thrills and excitement for those who dare to accept the challenge of the many activities that are available to visitors. Youngsters will delight in Shrek 4D, Jimmy Neutrons Nicktoon Blastoff, Revenge of the Mummy C The Ride, Twister...Ride it Out, Earthquake C The Big One, Nickelodeon Studios and much more. This movie theme park also offers a variety of rides that take their flavor from your favorite characters of the silver screen. Among them are Woody Woodpeckers Nuthouse Coaster C take a ride in Woodys personal coaster to explore his nut factory; Curious George Goes to Town C a childrens play area, filled with lots of colorful spongy balls and plenty of water; Fievels Playland - a fairytale playground, filled with giant-size attractions that emulate the world the way that a mouse might see it; and A Day in the Park with Barney C laugh, dance and play with Barney and his cast of characters, followed by a romp in Barneys playground. Theres also Beetlejuices Graveyard Revue C see Beetlejuice and the gang in a lively musical, complete with pyrotechnics; Universal Horror Make-Up Show C explore an exhibit of movie props and watch a demonstration of how some special effects are done; The Blues Brothers C enjoy a medley of Jake and Elwoods greatest hits; and Lucy: A Tribute C an entire collection of paraphernalia relating to Lucille Ball, including home movies, costumes and scripts, to name a few. Universal Studios Florida is an actual working movie studio which extends itself to visitors for their vacation entertainment. Youll find a multitude of shops at this site, such as Studio Sweets, Nickelodeon Kiosk, Its a Wrap, Aftermath, The Barney Store, Cyber Image, Silver Screen Collectibles and lots more. A wide variety of dining experiences are offered, as well, which include restaurants such as Universal Studios Classic Monster Caf, Chez Alcatraz, San Francisco Pastry Co., Caf La Bamba, Mels Drive-In and Beverly Hills Boulangerie, in addition to many more.

Take a hot-air balloon ride with Orange Blossoms Balloons and see Orlando from a birds-eye view. These exciting rides are safe and suitable for family members of all ages C and children under the age of nine ride for free with an accompanying adult. After a brief morning meeting with the pilot and crew to discuss procedures and ask any questions that you may have, youll witness the launching of a small balloon to track the wind direction in preparation for your flight. After the sites for launching and landing are determined, visitors will have the opportunity to assist in the inflation and preparation of their balloon. Once the balloon has been readied, youll board and prepare for launch. Just before take-off, the crew will take a picture of those aboard, as a memento of your trip. Then...lift-off! After the hot-air balloon is aloft, the pilot will give you a guided tour of the surrounding region, according to the flight path that will correspond with your landing site. Most trips include a flight over or around the various theme parks in the area, such as Walt Disney World, but cant be guaranteed, due to the wind patterns on the day of your flight. In addition to the parks, youll also see a number of other sites, such as citrus groves, forests and much more. After landing, guests are invited to join in the champagne toast with the pilot C a tradition with the ballooning folks C and be entertained with a tale explaining the history of ballooning and the champagne toast. Upon completion of the trip, all of the days balloonists will meet at a local restaurant for a scrumptious all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. Before breakfast wraps up, each passenger will be presented with a First Flight Certificate C signed by the pilot C as a souvenir of your ballooning experience. It should be noted that the balloons are taken up only once each day C at sunrise (6:00 a.m.), and that comfortable shoes should be worn, since youll be standing for the duration of the flight and may have to trek through muddy fields. Attire should reflect the season, keeping in mind that youll be approximately 6 to 8 degrees warmer during the time that youre in the balloon.

The city of Orlando is studded with numerous attractions and activities C just perfect for families who are in vacation mode. For further information on these and other attractions, contact the Department of Tourism or your local travel agent.