When most people think about Orlando, Florida the first things that pop into their minds are the well-known theme parks. However, if you are planning to visit the greater Orlando area there are numerous other attractions and places to visit that will keep you happily occupied. Here is a list of just some of the ways to enjoy your time in the Orlando area.

1. You can cool off in Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.
2. Enjoy the scented flowers at the Harry P. Leu Gardens.
3. Ride in an old fashioned paddlewheel boat on the rivers near Cocoa Beach.
4. Explore nature with a peaceful boat ride on the Rivership Romance on Florida’s St. John’s River.
5. Find out what it was like to be on the titanic by visiting Titanic: the Experience.
6. Get into water skiing and related pursuits like wakeboarding, wake-skating and knee-boarding at the Orlando Watersports Complex.
7. See the original Florida at the Tibet-Butler nature preserve in Orlando.
8. Take in a ballet performance at the Orlando Ballet Company, located at Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center.
9. Race in NASCAR cars at the Richard Petty Driving Experience.
10. Swim or wade with dolphins by taking a special getaway tour to the Florida Keys.
11. Enjoy go carts, coasters and more at Orlando’s Funspot Amusement Park.
12. Escape the Florida heat at the Wet ‘n Wild water park.
13. Glide on a parasail several hundred feet high at Sammy Duvall’s Watersports Centre.
14. Fly in a World War II vintage training aircraft at Warbird Adventures in Kissimmee.
15. Go for a picnic at Turkey Lake Park, which is just a short distance from the Universal Resort.
16. Test your golf skills at Pirate’s Cove or Congo River.
17. Take a getaway and spend some time in the Everglades National Park.
18. Solve a mystery and have dinner at Sleuth’s Dinner Show.
19. Rush down a 300 foot slide into a lagoon with dolphins at Sea World’s Aquatica Water Park.
20. Watch a sea turtle complete her nesting and watch hatchlings make their way into the world on a turtle watching tour.
21. Take in a family-friendly comedy show at SAK Comedy Lab.
22. Go for a night out at the Arabian Nights Dinner Show.
23. Enjoy a round of golf on one of the elite golf courses in the Orlando area.
24. Learn about Florida’s history at the Orange County Regional History Center.
25. Visit the World of Orchids, a 22,500 square foot conservatory filled with orchids and exotic plants from around the world.
26. Meet Florida’s oldest “resident,” a 3500 year old cypress tree at Big Tree Park.
30. Watch a free display of fireworks any night of the summer at Disney World.
31. Check out the 20th-century works of Albin Polasek at the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park.
32. Visit the Keila Glassworks Gallery in the historic Dr. Phillips building and view the hand-blown glass of Charles Keila.
33. Visit the Cornell Fine Arts Museum on the Rollins College campus.
34. Get up close to the gentle manatees at Blue Spring State Park on the St. John’s River.
35. Enjoy the nightlife at Disney’s Pleasure Island or Universal’s CityWalk.

These are just a few of the ways to enjoy your vacation in the Orlando area. There are lots more attractions in this area which I will cover in another article.

Author Bio: Janice McSherry writes frequently about Florida tourism. She is the proprietor of www.floridavacationsvillas.com . Visit her website for great deals on Florida Vacation Villas

Category: Travel
Keywords: Orlando, Orlando tourism, things to do in Orlando, theme parks, Florida