Orlando

Orlando sits in the middle of Florida, well away from either coast, which surprises people who assume every Florida city is a beach town. Instead, Orlando's fame comes from something else entirely: it is home to some of the largest and most visited theme parks on the planet. Walt Disney World alone covers about 100 square kilometers, an area roughly the size of a small country, and it is only one of several major parks in the area. Beyond the parks, Orlando has grown into a proper city with its own downtown, lakes, and neighborhoods, though most visitors are drawn here for one reason above all others: the rides.

A bit of backstory

Before the theme parks, Orlando was a quiet farming town best known for citrus groves, and it stayed that way for most of its history after being founded in the 1800s. Everything changed in 1965, when Walt Disney quietly bought up huge amounts of land south of the city under different company names to avoid driving up prices once people realized who the buyer was. Walt Disney World opened in 1971, five years after Walt Disney himself passed away, and the park was built by his brother Roy and the rest of the Disney company in his honor. The area has barely stopped growing since.

A fact that often surprises visitors is just how much Orlando's population changed because of the parks. Before Disney arrived, the city had a population of around 88,000. Today, the greater Orlando area is home to well over two million people, and tourism supports a huge share of local jobs. Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990 as a direct competitor, followed later by Islands of Adventure, and the rivalry between the two theme park giants has pushed both to keep building bigger and more elaborate attractions over the decades, which is good news for anyone visiting today.

Don't miss these

Walt Disney World is actually four separate theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, plus two water parks and a large shopping and dining district called Disney Springs. Magic Kingdom is the classic, castle-centered park most people picture, while EPCOT focuses on innovation and has pavilions representing countries from around the world, complete with their own food and shows. Most families find they need at least four or five days to properly cover just the Disney parks, so it is worth planning ahead rather than trying to squeeze everything into a single visit.

Universal Orlando is the other major player, and its two parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, are connected by a water taxi and share the incredibly popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter, split across both parks with a train connecting the two halves. Universal tends to lean toward more thrilling, movie-based rides, which makes it a good complement to a Disney visit if you have the time for both. SeaWorld Orlando rounds out the big three, with a mix of marine life exhibits and roller coasters.

Outside the parks, Orlando has a genuine downtown worth a visit, centered around Lake Eola, where you can rent swan-shaped paddle boats and watch the city skyline reflect off the water in the evening. The Orlando Museum of Art and the Orlando Science Center are both good options for a slower-paced day, and the nearby town of Winter Park offers a quieter, more upscale alternative with tree-lined streets and boutique shopping.

Eat like a local

Given the heat, especially in summer, staying hydrated and pacing yourself in the parks matters more than people expect. Most theme park veterans recommend arriving right at opening time to beat both the crowds and the worst of the midday sun, then taking a break back at the hotel in the afternoon before returning in the evening when temperatures drop and the parks light up for their nighttime shows.

Traveler's cheat sheet

Renting a car is common in Orlando, especially if you plan to visit multiple theme parks or venture beyond the main tourist corridor, though many hotels near Disney and Universal also offer their own shuttle services to the parks. Within Walt Disney World itself, a free network of buses, monorails, and boats connects the parks and resorts, so a car is not strictly necessary if you are staying on Disney property.

The cooler months from November through February tend to be the most comfortable time to visit, with lower humidity and shorter lines in many cases, aside from the busy holiday weeks around Christmas and New Year. Summer brings intense heat and near-daily afternoon thunderstorms, so packing a light rain jacket is a good idea if you visit between June and September.

Beyond the major parks, Orlando has a handful of smaller attractions that are easy to miss but well worth the detour, including Gatorland, a more old-fashioned Florida attraction focused on alligators and reptiles that has been operating since 1949. For a break from the crowds, the natural springs scattered around central Florida, such as those at nearby state parks, offer a completely different experience, with crystal-clear, cool water that is a refreshing contrast to a hot day spent walking around a theme park.

The US dollar is the currency used throughout the city and the parks, and it is worth budgeting for tipping, generally around 18 to 20 percent at sit-down restaurants, as is standard across the United States. Given how much walking theme park visits involve, comfortable shoes matter more here than in almost any other American city on this list.

Orlando is really a city built around a single, very well-executed idea: making make-believe feel real for a few days. Whether that means racing through a roller coaster themed around your favorite movie or watching fireworks burst over a fairy tale castle, it is hard not to get swept up in it, no matter how old you are.