Main Attractions

Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau (the official tourist office for the city) reckons that it would take more than 65 eight-hour days to visit all of the entertaining offerings in Orlando so there should be plenty to keep you amused!

Magic Kingdom:
Thisistravel.co.uk recommends that Magic Kingdom is the best place to start. It is the original and most traditional park as well as being the smallest out of all the four big Disney Parks (the others are Disney's Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios). It's home to the all important Mickey Mouse and Cinderella's Castle so is popular with the very young. Wild ride fanatics should make an appointment to ride Splash Mountain, one of the steepest, most exhilarating flume rides in the world.

Other classics include Space Mountain and ‘It's a Small World'. New attractions include Stich's Great Escape and Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D Show. For a dazzling end to your day, catch one of the Magic Kingdom parades around Main Street USA.

Our tip: Make sure you see the character parade.

Disney- MGM Studios
A Brits Guide believes that MGM Studios has the best spread of attractions that appeal to all different age groups. The main attractions are Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show and Star Tours to name but a few.

Our tip: If you brave the Tower of Terror, don't expect to be able to use your hotel lifts for the rest of the holiday!

Epcot
Visit Florida recommends that with its geographical and futuristic focus, Epcot naturally fits ‘tweens, teens and adults best'. The park consists of two parts, Future World and World Showcase (the latter of which usually opens and closes later than the former).Thisistravel.co.uk expands by saying that the nightly 'IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth' firework extravaganza is a fantastic son et lumière show that takes place just before the park closes for the evening. Also worth catching is the excellent Honey, I Shrunk The Audience 3-D show, which is suitable for all the family and Body Wars, the simulator which takes you on a journey inside the body.

Our tip: New ride Soarin' is a favourite at the Disney California theme park so should be worth it here too.

Universal Orlando Resort
Thisistravel.co.uk recommends the new Revenge of the Mummy, one of the world's fastest indoor roller coasters where you will face fireball, scarab beetles and a warrior of mummies. Another new and favourite attraction is the Shrek 4D show where Shrek, Fiona and Donkey are on another honeymoon adventure.
And if this is your kind of entertainment, then make a beeline for one of the old favourites, Back to the Future... the Ride and Men in Black Alien Attack. (This is Travel)

Our tip: Spiderman at Universal's Islands of Adventure is still one of the best rides around, don't miss it!

SeaWorld Adventure Park
SeaWorld is firmly established as one of the most popular parks with British visitors, claims the Brits Guide, for it's more peaceful and naturalistic aspect and the change of pace it offers. The Polar Expedition provides close-up of the penguin and bear environment, the Shamu show is still one of the most amazing sites and the Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island show is a hilarious 25 minutes performance of watery stunts and gags.

Our tip: If you're a rollercoaster fan, don't miss Kraken.

Discovery Cove
Thisistravel.co.uk also recommends Discovery Cove, which is the sister attraction of Sea World. If swimming with dolphins is your dream then it can be fulfilled here. This limited-admission park is a recreation of a Caribbean resort, complete with a lagoon, coral reefs and a sandy beach. Your 30-minute swim with the dolphins will be the highlight of your day (available to over-6s only). Discovery Cove is open daily 9-5.30pm.

Our tip: In the peak summer holiday times, this fills up quickly so book your place as early as possible. It also now offers Twilight Discovery in the evenings, which is also great.

Wet 'n Wild
Wet ‘n Wild is the most well known of all the water parks and Thisistravel.co.uk explains why. Be the most frightened you can be in a bathing suit at Wet 'n Wild's extreme slide ride, the Black Hole, which involves hurtling along a 500-ft, completely dark twisting tunnel in a two-man raft. Daredevils should also try The Bomb Bay, a 76-ft almost vertical free-fall water chute. The aptly named 'thrill rides' have height restrictions - usually three or four feet - meaning they aren't suitable for younger children.
But every taste is catered for here, and the Kids' Park offers scaled-down versions of the park's most popular rides for the under four-footers, with lifeguards in attendance. Or there's Lazy River, for adults and children who want to take it easy, where you can float downstream in a large inner tube. Open daily, until 11pm in summer. Pools are heated in cooler weather.

Our tip: Brits tend flock here on the first day of their holiday - something to do with the sunshine! If you are on a package holiday and have arrived at the same time as lots of other British holiday makers, don't make this your first theme park as everyone will have the same idea.

Busch Gardens
It's Africa, but in Florida... 500 exotic animals roam the park's Serengeti plain, while visitors thrill to white-knuckle roller coaster rides in this African zoo/theme park combination. Thisistravel.co.uk highly recommends Busch Gardens where you can take a safari tour in a jeep, see gorillas in the Myombe Reserve rainforest, watch 22 elephants take a dip in a huge pool and then have the life frightened out of you on the terrifying 60 mph, 4000-ft long Montu inverted roller coaster. Open daily, 9.30-6pm (though closing hours vary depending on season).

Our tip: It's worth getting the 5 park Orlando FlexTicket to include this, do not be put off by the Tampa location.

Kennedy Space Centre
Visit Florida boasts that you can experience the past, present and future of space exploration at the family-friendly Kennedy Space Center. The space complex offers guests an opportunity to meet their favorite astronauts, tour full-size replicas of shuttles and space stations and watch stirring films in the larger-than-life IMAX Theater. Educationally stimulating for adults and teens, most exhibits can also be enjoyed by the youngest of children.

This is the spot from which Apollo 11 was launched in 1969, thisistravel.co.uk explains, fulfilling President Kennedy's dream of landing a man on the moon. It is also the home of the modern space shuttle, which is launched from the Space Centre up to eight times a year. You may even be lucky enough to see a launch.

The Rough Guide to Florida states that highlights include 'Astronaut Encounter', the chance to meet a real-life astronaut for question and answer sessions, an exhibition detailing the history of space exploration, and the chance to go inside a full-size replica of the Explorer shuttle. Open daily, 9am until dusk.

Our tip: There is a new train to be an astronaut experience available. It's not available to young children but great for older teens who dream of working for NASA. Not many operators have this ticket, you'll need a real Florida expert to find this one.