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Orlando Destination Guide

Orlando

Orlando

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  1. Because Orlando’s cultural scene is fairly thin, you ought to book into a hotel that offers excellent distractions to help enrich your vacation. Try out the Ritz Carlton for its luxurious spa, or stay at the popular family spot, the Reunion Resort and Club for its golf course and small water park for the kids.
  2. Flat and landlocked, Orlando is primed for golf course and strip malls to thrive. Shopping options are endless and even themed here, like the shopping outlet, Festival Bay, a sprawling indoor mall with small ponds, fountains and anchor tenants like Ron Jon Surf Shop. Premium Outlets International has upmarket shops like Barneys, and outdoor shopping centre Pointe Orlando is home to boutiques like Keihls and Victoria’s Secret.
  3. Orlando’s main attraction is Disney World, which is typically packed out with families in the summer and over the Christmas holiday. A second good option is SeaWorld, where you’ll find enough wildlife shows and exhibits, restaurants and shops, and amusement rides and games to occupy an entire day.
  4. The City Arts Factory in downtown Orlando is a collective of five art galleries specialising in local and international painting and sculpture. Entrance is free and events here draw crowds from all over Florida and the southern United States, like the annual Neu America Fine Art Festival.
  5. One thing Orlando is not short on are chain restaurants, like TGIF and Applebees. Avoid the temptation of processed food in garish venues and check out places like the soul food institution, Johnson’s Diner, or check out one of the many dinner theatre locals here, like Capone’s Dinner and Show, serving up Prohibition-themed entertainment set in Chicago.

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