Top 5 Theme Parks of Orlando

A trip to Florida is not complete without a thorough experience of its vibrant theme parks. After all, they call Orlando, the theme park capital of the world for a reason! Be it adrenaline-fuelled rides, a tempting watery experience, a delicious tryst with speed, an amazing multi dimensional world, animals, tropical experience, education through lots of fun and so much more, I don’t think any place can match the theme park experience of Orlando.

As the summer holidays are here, the theme parks of Orlando make for a fantastic family getaway. If you are planning a trip to Sunny Florida, here are my choice of top 5 theme parks from Orlando. Hopefully, this will help you plan on where you should spend your hard-earned money for a special Orlando holiday.

1) Universal Orlando Islands of Adventure



If you are a Harry Potter lover, this theme park is for you. The Universal Orlando Islands of Adventure is home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Amazing Adventures of Spider Man, Marvel Super Hero Island and many more such mini worlds where you can interact with your favorite characters. You could wander through the world of Hogwarts, ride past dinosaurs, get wet in Toon Lagoon, fly over your super heroes and experience the epic adventures of the Lost Continent.  The newest rides that are worth indulging in are the Dragon Challenge, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and the Flight of the HippoGriff. Just keep an eye out for deals on Universal Studios resort tickets to make the most out of this amazing theme park.

2) Magic Kingdom Park



One of the earliest of Walt Disney’s theme parks, the Magic Kingdom is the place where you can come in close contact with your favorite characters from Donald to Goofy and from Jack Sparrow to Cinderella. But, that’s not it, this is the place for diversity in joy. From the fantasyland of Cinderella castle to interactive haunted mansion, from the classic Jungle Cruise to the stage shows of Mickey’s Philhar Magic and from the slow ride of Peter Pan’s flight to the thrilling faster rides of the Barnstormer and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Magic Kingdom is bound to delight children of all ages.

3) Aquatica Orlando



Aquatica Orlando is an aquarium, zoo, water park and amusement park all rolled into one. From the incredible Dolphin Plunge to the Omaka Rocka water slide and from the wave pools of Cutback Cove and Big Surf Shores to the wacky Tassie’s Twister rides, the Aquatica Orlando is 84,000 acres of pure fun. Whether you are relaxing on the white sandy beach, enjoying the luxurious cabanas or giving yourself an adrenaline rush through rapids, half-pipes and bullet-fast water chutes, this is a special theme park to experience in Orlando. 

4) Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park



If you want a rich and educational wildlife experience that is so much more than a zoo, then Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the place to go. With more than 2,000 animals across 300 species, Animal Kingdom takes you on an adventure with exotic animals across 6 different themes that include a wild Africa trek, fascinating jungle trails, night time experiences, broadway-style musicals and so much more.

5) Legoland Florida



While most of the theme parks are designed for slightly older kids, LEGOLAND is perfect for those families with kids who fall in the the 2 and 12 year age group. This interactive theme park offers more than 50 rides, shows and attractions that include a Water Park and newly opened toy line based Heartland city. Do make sure that you indulge yourself in some shopping here and carry some LEGO magic back home with you. The largest LEGOLAND park in the world will surely keep the young kids entranced all throughout.

Note: The photographs in this article have been borrowed from wikipedia.org under the Creative Commons license. Each photograph has been linked to its host page on wikipedia.

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Best Trips for Comic Fans

Three unique styles of comic, three completely different cities… What do the following comic book experiences have in common? For a start they are all in must see destinations, and furthermore visiting them can be made easier with the travel money services of Caxton FX.

As capital of the European Union and headquarters of NATO, Brussels could strike one as a rather serious place. But the Belgian capital is really a rather friendly city and this will have been helped in no small part by a historic and successful place on the comic book scene, with some of the country’s best loved creations continuing to provide fun and escapism in a city of treaties and summits.

By far the best known Belgian comic character is Tintin, the youthful adventurer and reporter created in 1929 by Hergé. The character is much loved in the city and the building near the Grand Place that houses a gift shop devoted to him bears a massive wall mural on its gable end. In Brussels itself you can visit some of the landmarks that inspired locations in The Adventures of Tintin, and a half hour journey out to the town of Louvain-la-Neuve and its Hergé Museum is a must.

Where to soak up the world of American comic books? You might struggle to find a flight to Gotham or Metropolis, and in New York while you might be able to envisage Spider-Man swinging from building to building the closest you’ll come to web slinging action is seeing a guy in a costume on Times Square.

If you want to experience real action then head to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida. Spidey is represented there with the dizzying 3-D simulation experience The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. You’ll also find Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, The Incredible Hulk Coaster – which is incredibly exhilarating – and a slice of the X-Men with Storm Force Accelatron. Besides the rides you can pick up merchandise and have your picture taken characters in costumes that are somewhat more convincing than those on Times Square – and with no obligation to tip them.

If manga is more your thing meanwhile then head to the land of its birth, Japan. The Kyoto International Manga Museum houses around 300,000 items of manga related items, including modern works and historic materials from the Meiji period of the late 19^th and early 20^th century.

Being a fan of something can result in frequent expenditure – whether you’re picking up that last minute cuddly Snowy at Brussels Airport or upgrading your theme park ticket to join the express queues, make things easier with a travel money card.

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An Orlando Theme Park Experience

Orlando, in sunny Florida is popularly referred to as the theme park capital of the world. These theme parks offer a lot of interesting sights and activities that appeal to all kinds of travelers. Whether you are a family with kids, teenagers, school kids or young couples, these theme parks have enough oomph in them to keep you interested and sometimes make your jaws go wide open.


Walt Disney world, Universal Orlando, Discovery Cove, SeaWorld Orlando, Wet n Wild Orlando, Kennedy Space Center, Gator Land and WonderWorks are some of the top attractions here. A lot of these are water based theme parks to go with Orlando’s warm and sunny weather.


At Walt Disney world, one can indulge in a myriad of joyful experiences at its theme parks and water parks. At Magic Kingdom, one can delight in classical attractions, enchanting fireworks, musical parades and beloved Disney characters across 6 whimsical lands. At Epcot, one can see technological innovations and the culture and cuisine of 11 countries. At Disney’s Hollywood studios, movie magic comes to life, awash in the glitz and glamor of Hollywood’s golden age. And all these include intergalactic adventures, plummeting elevator rides, rollicking roller coasters and more that one can book at new Disney tickets. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park is one of the largest animal theme parks in the world and is home to more than 1,700 animals across 250 species. If water fun is on the agenda, then Disney Typhoon Lagoon Water Park offers the perfect getaway with its exhilarating waterslides, children’s play area, giant wave pool and more. At Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park, one can delight in exciting waterslides, family-style raft rides and a one acre wave pool.


If you are looking at Universal Orlando, then you can be a part of Harry Potter’s wizarding world at Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, experience cutting edge rides, shows and interactive attractions at the Islands of Adventure and great family water rides at Wet n Wild. These water rides include sand castle, soakers, water jets, cannons, waterfalls, hydra capsule, extreme tube ride, bubba tub, vertical slide and much more.

For snorkeling, marine adventure and more water based fun, Discovery Cove, Aquatica and SeaWorld Orlando offer a lot of options that are similar to Universals’ Wet n Wild and Disney’s water theme parks. For those space and astronomy geeks, the Kennedy Space Center offers great getaway avenues and if you want to get close to Florida’s famous alligators then Gator Land is the place to visit

Whatever your interest may be, Orlando’s theme parks will have something for you and your family. It is no wonder that that they are some of the best in the world. Go on and let yourself loose at these theme parks with your family.

Courtesy: All the photos in this post have been borrowed from wikipedia.org under the Creative Commons License. Each photograph has been linked to its respective photo page on wikipedia. 

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Top 4 Orlando Attractions for Family with Kids

Florida’s Orlando, a very popular tourist destination is known as the ‘Theme Park Capital of the World’. It draws more than 51 million visitors a year and suffers an embarrassment of riches when it comes to escapist options especially for families with kids. It has lots of theme parks, attractions and amusement options that are bound to go well with your kids. I have put together a list of the top 4 attractions in Orlando for families with kids. Pick yourself a favorite and go and enjoy these places.

Discovery Cove Orlando 
This place allows you to swim with an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, wade with playful rays, snorkel over a tropical reef amongst thousands of exotic fish, hand-feed tropical birds in a free-flight aviary and relax on pristine beaches. This waterpark is the perfect choice if you want to offer a tropical underwater experience to your kids. The Discovery Cove tickets in 2014 seem to have some interesting offers.

Walt Disney World

The Walt Disney World with its Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Magic Kingdom Park offers tough competition to all of Orlando’s theme parks. The Animal Kingdom theme park is one of the largest animal theme parks in the world where one can encounter exotic animals across 6 enthralling lands: Oasis, Discovery Island, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia and DinoLand, USA areas. While the Animal Kingdom is special, the Magic Kingdom park tries to make fairytale dreams come true for children of all ages with stunning fireworks, musical parades, space excursions, fantasyland and more.

Sea World Orlando

A tropical beach destination like Orlando is bound to have many water theme parks and in line with that, I have one more water special in my top 4 list and this time it is the Sea World Orlando. Here, one can get up close to dolphins, penguins, sharks, turtles, sea lions and the manta aquarium. And can also get a special arctic and Antarctic experience, but the special here is the Shamu express for a rushing water experience. Apart from great entertainment, the Sea World offers a great learning experience for kids.

Universal’s Islands Of Adventure

The Islands of Adventure by Universal Studios promises a once-in-a-lifetime thrill with its uniquely themed islands. In this islands, you and your family can be a part of cutting edge rides, shows and interactive attractions that bring your favorite stories, myths, cartoons, comic book heroes and children’s tales to life. The special here is the Wizarding World of Adventure where one can pass through the towering Hogwarts castle gates and explore the familiar passageways, classrooms and corridors.

Note: The photos in this post are courtesy of wikipedia.org under the creative commons license. Each photo has been linked to its source.

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Guest Post: Beyond the Horizon-Line

Orlando is one of the most majestic destinations I have ever visited and it fulfills many ideals that other places are lacking. The immediate facet that springs to mind is the weather. Glorious all year round! And then there is the entertainment… whether you want a whimsical regression to childhood by seeing Walt Disney characters, or having the adrenaline-fuelled sensation of flappy G-force-inflated cheeks on the rides at Busch Gardens, there is something for you all! But Orlando also has a rich arts and culture heritage that often gets eclipsed by other tourist attractions. There is:

- The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art which showcases the intricate work of decorative artist Louis Comfort Tiffany, who specialized in pottery, jewellery and stained glass. 

- The Orlando Museum of Art which showcases more contemporary and diverse exhibitions that feature installations, conceptual art as well as interactive art sessions with visiting groups. 

- Lots of theatres

Make 2012 the year where you take a Holiday to Orlando.

The Holiday Buffet!
Maybe you want to go further afield and explore more of America. You can sample a bit of everything that America has to offer with multi center holidays. Ocean Florida enables you to plan and customize your own tour of the U.S. So whatever you are looking for, whether it is stunning white sandy beaches of Miami, or the Technicolor slot-machine lined streets of Las Vegas, to the electric sunshine of Orlando or the Big Apple to party, there are a diverse number of things you can pack into your trip. The latest offers on the ‘holiday buffet menu’ consist of Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, New York, Orlando, Miami and San Francisco. The benefits of multi center holidays are:

- You get to do more sight-seeing and pack a lot more into your trip away.

- You save time and money. To go to several places anywhere separately would cost you several times as much money, and take several times longer in travelling time.

Accommodation Choices
A major factor to take into consideration when you go away is: What kind of habitat do I want whilst I am away? Hotel? Hostel? Tent? (The weather is warm enough for this to be a feasible option) You could take a vacation in a luxury Florida villa and enjoy the comfort you would have if you were at home. They are suitable for all people groups. Lone travellers, Newlyweds, People with pets (it’s only fair that your pet dog or cat gets to enjoy Florida sunshine as well!) They are also adapted for people with disabilities so Florida villas offer lots of freedom, convenience and privacy.

Many villas have recreation rooms that consist of pool and air hockey tables. I was particularly glad about the latter. I’m a mean contestant at air hockey but I can’t hold a pool cue to save my life! Externally, some have tennis courts, basketball courts and heated saunas and spas. It feels like everything, both in terms of recreation and leisure is at your fingertips.

If you’re looking for Holidays to Orlando then why not consider Florida villas for your accommodation? Ocean Florida has a range of beautiful villas for a range of budgets. Or if you want to visit other places in the U.S., then check out multi-center holidays 2012 with for a variety of destinations.

This article has been written by Carlos Rabanillo, a copywriter for Ocean Florida, an independent UK-based tour operator specializing in the USA.

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