Orlando attractions

Universal’s Islands of Adventure™, set inside Universal Orlando Resort™, is slightly larger than the neighboring Universal Studios Florida™. The 120-acre (49-hectare) park is divided into several themed “islands”— Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, the Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing—where thrill rides stand front and center as heroes and monsters from the big screen come to life.

Universal’s Volcano Bay™ water park is a tropical-themed attraction located at Universal Orlando™. Attractions draw on South Pacific influences, and the centerpiece of the park is a towering 200-foot (61-meter) volcano called Krakatau™, which is the base for thrilling water slides. Other rides include an aqua coaster and a body plunge.

Universal CityWalk™ in Orlando is where daytime fun and nighttime excitement meet. Located right by Universal's Islands of Adventure™ and Universal Studios Florida™, this dining, shopping, and entertainment hub makes a convenient stop between rides, as well as a spot to spend a balmy evening. Plus, its restaurants serve up a range of cuisine, from burgers to Mexican food to sushi.

Universal Orlando Resort™ combines three of Orlando’s top theme parks with dining and entertainment options, all in one convenient location. Heroes and villains from blockbuster movies and TV shows—Harry Potter,Transformers,The Simpsons, andMarvel to name a few—come alive at Universal Studios Florida™ and Universal’s Islands of Adventure™, and park-goers can cool off from the Florida heat at the third theme park: Universal’s Volcano Bay™ water park.

Go back in time to the night of April 14, 1912, when the “unsinkable” ship sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. With full-scale room replicas, hundreds of objects recovered from theTitanic, and immersive interactive exhibits, Orlando’s Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition offers a real-world connection to a defining moment in history.

As one of the four theme parks that make up Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney’s Hollywood Studios® is all about experiencing movie magic in real life. The park doubles as a working movie studio where animation and motion pictures are made, and the attractions and rides are all inspired by Hollywood films, television shows, and the best of musical theater.

Walk down the red carpet for an afternoon at Madame Tussauds in Orlando. Here, guests are able to find out how they measure up against sports icons, strike a pose with a pop princess, shake hands with a smiling Barack Obama, and take a selfie with Einstein. The museum poses TV and film stars next to music legends, along with well-known pop culture personalities.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park is one of the four parks that make up Walt Disney World® Resort. This park combines characteristics of a zoo and a theme park to provide visitors with a unique and memorable experience. Once there, guests can discover exotic animals, witness enchanting new worlds like Pandora—The World of Avatar, and take a magical ride on the rapids of a river.

Filled with species from across the world—as well as those native to Florida—the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens are home to everything from leopards and alligators to butterflies and ferns. Take pictures of the majestic animals and delicate plants, or get into the action by feeding a giraffe or meeting a rhino.

Not to be confused with Sea World, 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away, SEA LIFE Orlando is a separate aquarium in the ICON Park entertainment complex. As part of the largest family of aquariums on the continent, SEA LIFE Orlando is an educational tourist attraction and a facility providing marine health care.

Conveniently located between Orlando and Tampa, LEGOLAND® Florida Resort is one of Central Florida’s most imaginative theme parks. Opened in 2011, the resort comprises a theme park, water park, and a botanical garden, and is home to more than 50 rides, sideshows, and restaurants.

Set on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is best known for its population of West Indian manatees. The park is primarily a rehabilitation center for the creatures, which swim in the freshwater spring while they are treated. On land, native Florida wildlife thrives in the dense surrounding forest.

Magic Kingdom® Park is one of the four theme parks that make up Walt Disney World® Resort, featuring a plethora of enchanting displays such as fireworks, musical parades, and close-up encounters with Disney characters. It’s home to the iconic Cinderella Castle and Space Mountain roller coaster, and it includes different magical lands such as Frontierland®, which emulates America’s Wild West with cacti and geysers

Orlando’s Amway Center hosts some of Florida’s biggest sporting, music, and entertainment events. Home of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, the 875,000-square-foot (81,000-square-meter arena boasts a variety of restaurants, bars, kid zones, and retail shops for visitors of all ages. With space to accommodate almost 20,000 guests, the venue serves as a major gathering place in downtown Orlando for both visitors and local residents.

Known as the Econ River for short, Econlockhatchee flows from Lake Conlin through three counties in central Florida. Its name originated from “river of many mounds,” named for the Indian mounds located along its waterfront.The area has a unique, densely forested landscape. Water levels vary based on rainfall, but there’s usually plenty of wildlife to see. The upper section of the river is swampland, and resident alligator sightings tend to be frequent. Canoe and kayak padding is a common way to enjoy the natural beauty of the river.Other wildlife that calls the river home includes bald eagles, sandhill cranes, ospreys, and other wildfowl, as well as deer, turkey, and river otters. The river was deemed an Outstanding Florida Waterway and is one of few unspoiled rivers in Central Florida. Flowing through moss-covered cypress and palm forests, it comprises some of the state’s most beautiful natural scenery.

Despite the dozens of indoor and outdoor malls in Central Florida, The Florida Mall stakes its claim as the largest. Nearly 2 million square feet (609,600 square meters) of space is dedicated to shopping, dining, and entertainment. The Florida Mall attracts more than 20 million visitors annually—quite the feat, considering that’s more foot traffic than some theme parks in the area receive.

Get your adrenaline pumping and put yourself in the driver’s seat at I-Drive NASCAR Indoor Kart Racing. Located in Orlando, I-Drive offers plenty of activities to keep the whole family occupied, with state-of-the-art electric go-karts, an arcade area, a bowling alley, pool tables, and full-service bar and restaurant.

Orlando may be known as the land of magic thanks to a mighty kingdom, but just down the street you'll find a massive complex for shoppers known as the Orlando International Premium Outlets. Home to more than 180 stores, from high-end fashion to name-brand favorites like H&M and Saks, this retail destination offers up plenty of deals on the sale racks.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Orlando is no normal attraction. Filled with bizarre exhibits and mesmerizing optical illusions, Ripley’s includes life-size Terracotta Warriors, a real shrunken human head, and a 2-headed dog skeleton.

Located near downtown Orlando, the Orlando Museum of Art showcases a wide range of art in its collection of more than 2,400 items, in media such as painting, sculpture, and photography. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum offers a rotating series of temporary exhibits, traveling exhibitions, and educational programs.

The former resort town of Winter Park, Florida, exudes charm and encourages relaxation, showcasing some of the best natural scenery in central Florida. Nature lovers flock to this suburban city in Orange County to enjoy more than 70 parks. For those still looking for a resort feel, Winter Park also has top-notch golf courses and a popular shopping district.

Step back in time to the 11th century—the era of kings, queens, and knights—at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Orlando. Watch a jousting tournament, sword fights, horsemanship, and falconry while eating a 4-course medieval style feast inside a European-style castle, complete with armor, artifacts, and coats of arms.

Express your creativity at the LEGO® Store Disney Springs, the largest LEGO store in the US. Located in Orlando, the store features a huge selection of LEGO products, including individual bricks, kits, apparel, larger-than-life models of Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters, and indoor and outdoor build and play areas.The Basics Wonder at life-size models of characters such as Cinderella, the Hulk, and BB-8 made from LEGO bricks. Build your own mini car and race other cars in the outdoor play area, which has a DUPLO area for toddlers. Inside the store, find bricks of all sizes and shapes at the Pick-A-Brick Wall, or score that hard-to-find kit. If LEGO makes it, it's probably here. Let your imagination run wild at store's many build and play areas.Things to Know Before You Go The LEGO Store is ideal for families with kids and LEGO lovers. There’s no fee to enter the store or use its build and play areas. Don’t forget your camera to take photos with the many characters. Disney passholders get discounts on certain items.How to Get There The LEGO Store is located inside the Disney Springs entertainment complex. The shop is easily reached by car, and free parking is available. Disney offers free transportation from Disney resorts and parks, including water transportation from select Disney resorts.When to Get There The LEGO Store is open daily. Expect crowds on weekends and public holidays. It's air-conditioned, so it makes for a cool option when summer temperatures soar. The store also holds LEGO meetings and Minifigure swaps from time to time.Disney Springs Formerly Downtown Disney, Disney Springs is a large outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment destination. There are more than 100 shops and more than 60 restaurants. Entertainment options include a movie theater, bowling alley, carousel, and live performance venues.

With its movie memorabilia, video walls, sing-alongs, and a celebrity chef–designed menu, the Disney Springs™ outpost of this world-renowned restaurant chain is the place to eat American comfort food while enjoying tributes to Tinseltown. Visitors can plan on seeing movie montages, music videos, and regularly performing live music acts.

Located within Central Florida’s Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park first opened in 1989. According to the fun and fictitious legend, this once tropical paradise was hit by a huge storm, which is why you’ll find features like a shipwrecked shrimp boat perched atop Mount Mayday. The park also boasts the largest inland wave pool in North America.

Please note that the Holy Land Experience is closed right now with no current plans to reopen.A Christian-based theme park in Orlando, Florida, the Holy Land Experience features full-size re-creations of Biblical scenes that bring the Holy Land to life. Here you’ll find a Jerusalem street market, the Great Temple, the House of Judea, the Calvary’s Garden Tomb, and Esther’s Banquet Hall, as well as entertainment and story-telling.

Spread across nearly 50 acres (20 hectares), Orlando’s Harry P. Leu Gardens offer a tranquil escape from the city’s frenetic theme parks. The urban oasis was founded in 1935 by Harry and Mary Jane Leu along the banks of Lake Rowena. Visit to see the camellias, a butterfly garden, a formal rose garden, and more.

House of Blues is a live entertainment venue and restaurant with 10 locations, including one in the Disney Springs shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. The restaurant’s indoor and outdoor dining area have a seat for all ages and appetites, while the adjacent venue rocks the stage by hosting local acts and global sensations.

Hard Rock Cafe Orlando is inside the Universal Orlando Resort City Walk dining, shopping, and entertainment complex. It opened in 1990 and includes the namesake restaurant and a 3,000-person live music venue. Local bands, global acts, and other live events fill the venue’s calendar. The restaurant is open all year for patrons.

Soar high above Orlando and enjoy a unique vantage point on The Orlando Eye (formerly the Wheel at ICON Park.) Towering 400 feet (122 meters) above the ground, the biggest observation wheel on the United States East Coast treats passengers to 360-degree views of the Central Florida landscape—day and night.