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Central Florida
The central region of Florida, which includes Orlando, is home to an enormous number of theme parks, entertainment facilities, resorts, movie studios and water parks. It is the face of Florida that most people recognise instantly. But Central Florida has another side, seen in the majestic Ocala National Forest and peaceful Lake County.
CLIMATE: Central Florida has warm sunny days and mild nights. The average monthly temperature is 24°C (75ºF) in the winter and 35°C (95ºF) in the summer. The average rainfall is 50 inches.
Orlando
Orlando is the one-stop vacation spot that offers more than 88,000 hotel rooms, 3000 restaurants and 66 attractions which have established it as one of the world’s favourite holiday spots. Orlando’s attractions include hair-raising rides, nail-biting adventures and heart-pounding suspense. Thrill-seekers can experience the terrifying attack of a Great White shark on the Jaws Ride at Universal Studios, Florida, or take a helicopter ride to watch polar bears, walruses and beluga whales play at Wild Arctic, SeaWorld Orlando’s newest attraction.
Walt Disney World Resort is the biggest, and arguably the best, amusement park in the world. It contains four sections: the Magic Kingdom, with seven theme regions; Epcot Center, a science and world exhibition centre; Disney MGM Studios, a movie and theme park and Animal Kingdom, an adventure and safari park featuring wild animals, exotic landscapes and thrill rides. Popular attractions include a 13-storey free-fall plunge on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at MGM Studios; Epcot’s Honey I Shrunk the Audience, which features an innovative new realm of 3-D entertainment; and the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter at Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom.
Blizzard Beach, Disney’s third and largest water park, is set in a faux snow-capped mountain range featuring Florida’s only chairlift, which carries guests to the tip of ‘Mount Gushmore’. Nineteen water slides challenge visitors, including Summit Plummet, the tallest, fastest water slide in the world. Another nine high-speed rides can be found at Typhoon Lagoon. River Country, in Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, is a relaxing water park where holidaymakers can relax and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings.
SeaWorld Orlando, 19 minutes southwest of Orlando, is one of the country’s largest marine parks and features whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals and otters. The most popular shows are the ones starring the killer whales, Baby Shamu and Baby Namu.
Pleasure Island is a high-energy, night-time entertainment complex featuring seven themed nightclubs, stage shows and live concerts, plus a giant New Year’s Eve celebration every night of the week. It is located in an area known as Downtown Disney, along with such restaurants as Wolfgang Puck, House of Blues and the Cuban-style Bongo’s Café.
Cultural attractions include the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, which boasts the world’s largest collection of Louis Tiffany glass. Cornell Fine Arts Museum, located at Rollins College, houses one of the largest and most distinguished art collections in Florida. Other popular sights include Eatonville, just north of Orlando, which is home to the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts; the Maitland Art Center; Orlando Museum of Art; Orange County Historical Museum, which includes a renovated 1926 Orlando Firehouse; and the Albin Polasek Galleries.
Other attractions in and around Orlando include Cypress Gardens, with botanical gardens, water-ski shows, a butterfly conservatory and children’s rides; World of Orchids, the first permanent indoor display of its kind in the world; Church Street Station, a block-long entertainment complex in the heart of central Orlando; Gatorland, in nearby Kissimmee; Wet ’n’ Wild, a water park offering numerous adventurous water activities.
SPECIAL EVENTS: Feb 2003107th Silver Spurs Rodeo, Kissimmee. Mar Kissimmee Kiwanis Bluegrass Festival. Apr St Cloud Spring Fling & Florida State Offshore Boat Championships, St Cloud; Spring Fiesta in the Park, Orlando; Arts in April (month-long arts festival), Orlando. Oct Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, Orlando; Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Studios. Nov-Dec Epcot Holidays around the World (traditional event featuring daily tree-lighting cermony, themed storytellers, and culminating in a candlelit processional). Dec Kissimmee Holiday Extravaganza.
TRAVEL: Orlando International Airport (MCO) (website: www.state.fl.us/goaa) is located within 24km (15 miles) of the major attractions and central Orlando.
Sandford Orlando Airport (SFM) is located 56km (35 miles) north of Orlando and handles a number of charter airlines. Shuttle buses and vans, taxis, limousines and rental cars are available from both airports.
ELSEWHERE: Located in the central highlands north of Orlando, Lake County boasts more than 1000 lakes offering fishing, boating and swimming opportunities. The area is noted for its scenic beauty of gentle hills dotted with orange groves and quiet country roads and parks framed by antique brick streets. Major attractions include the Lakeridge Winery and Vineyard which is open for tours and tastings all year round. The House of Presidents Wax Museum features the White House in Miniature exhibit. Other popular sights include the Florida Citrus Tower, Uncle Donald’s Farm, Trout Lake Nature Center and Wekia Falls Resort in Sorrento. Recreational activities include water-skiing, in-line skating, swimming and cycling. Seminole Lake is home to the largest glider teaching school in Florida and is open to visitors who want to experience the joys of soaring.
The northern boundaries of Central Florida are engulfed by a national forest so large it needs to be administered by two separate ranger districts. The Ocala National Forest covers 378,178 acres, divided into three divergent recreation areas linked by a 106km (65-mile) trail. The town of Ocala boasts a 19th-century historic district, a major art museum and 400 horse farms.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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