Low Cost Flights - A Guide To Orlando

So I will share what we did with you: we had rented a car and made a plan which worked out quite well, I recently spent a week in Orlando with my husband and in-laws. So if you had your heart set on learning all about Disneyworld you may be a little bit disappointed, warning: This is the non-mouse version of visiting Orlando.

Make a plan before you leave home

You are interested in to get the most out of your day. So it's a good idea to figure out where you want to go ahead of time and what shows/rides etc, the entry into some of the theme parks can be quite expensive. And recreations such as mini golfing and go-karting, zoo/animal parks, theme parks, some suggestions include State/National/Local parks for hiking/picnicking/fishing/canoing. There is plenty of information out there on things to do in Orlando and the surrounding area depending on your interests.

Saving $10 a person at the gate ( they have other theme park tickets discounted as well ), we bought discounted Sea World tickets from the CAA before we left, also. We got maps from our local CAA/AAA auto club so we even knew which exit number to take off of the highway. Bookstore or online, you can get a travel guide from your local library.

A good site for info is the Official Orlando Visitor Centre site www.orlandoinfo.com When looking around online watch out for timeshare scams offering you discounted theme park tickets in exchange for going to their real estate pitch.

Visit the Official Visitor Centre when you get there

There were also varying discount coupons for the same restaurants and shows in different books. (We found coupons for less than half price mini-golf if you go before 4pm). This visit will help you finalize what things you might want to do. There are also many coupon books and magazine that you should pick up here. And helpful, friendly, the people at the official centre are unbiased. They are only trying to sell you tickets, be aware of other places calling themselves "tourist centres". Which is the main tourist strip, it's located on International Drive, visit the only Official Visitor Centre when you get there (see the address on the site above).

Sea World

There is also a children's area with a place to eat (they let you bring your own food into this park) and small rides. And a log-ride style of roller coaster called Journey to Atlantis, there is also a gigantic roller coaster called the Kraken. And the sea lion show, the dolphin and bird show, we especially enjoyed the Shamu show. Some of the full production shows are a must-see. The desk is to the left of the ticket gates once you're in, all you have to do is get your ticket validated before leaving the park on the first day. And it was worth it since they give you the second day free included with your admission, we both had an interest in this theme park.

Fully worth the price for 2 full days (parking is an additional $10 a day but a very short walk from the lot), all in all. The Shark Attack exhibit is also a must see. You can also see their Clydesdales and Dalmatians here. Another highlight is the Hospitality Center where the parent company Anheuser Busch lets every adult have a couple of generous samples of their beers!

Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure

Since they are in the business of entertainment I'd have to say that they really stepped it up with the attractions. Adults or children can spend a whole day here and be fully satisfied. Which is an all-out theme park, and the newer Islands of Adventure, there are 2 parts to Universal Orlando: The traditional part where they show you how movies are made with some theme rides.

Universal offers a limited number of Express Plus pass which allows holders to skip the bulk of the lines and fit in more rides--they can be bought throughout the park. But if you go at a busy time you may have to prioritize which rides are most important, the line ups weren't bad on the day we went. Seuss Trolly Train Ride. Other rides we really enjoyed were the Jurassic Park River Adventure and the Dr. Another must do is the Spider-Man 3D simulation ride--but it didn't feel like a simulation to me! The Hulk is actually one of the top 10 coasters in the U.S.--my husband saw it on a TV show. The two must do roller coasters are the Duelling Dragons and the Incredible Hulk, if you read my article about Overcoming Fear the other day.

Lake Kissimmee State Park

I also noticed that a lot of people were there fishing. But a nice view nonetheless! . . So you really only get a good view of some marshy land and a grassy field, there is a loop to a neat observation tower but keep in mind that this is Florida. And a few picnic areas, there are about 14 miles of hiking trails that we knew of. It is well organized and the staff are very proud to work there. It was about a 45 minute drive from where we were staying near Disney, we spent the day hiking at this lovely park.

Central Florida Zoo

But they will give you a CAA/AAA discount at the gate if you ask, they don't advertise it. So you could plan something else for that afternoon as well, you may be hard pressed to spend a whole day there. I think that this would be a great zoo if you have young children. And the Disney Animal Park they probably just wouldn't have been able to compete anyway, bush Gardens, but I'm just guessing that compared to Sea World, it is not as well developed as the other attractions in Orlando. It is a relatively small zoo with around 400 animals and a botanical garden. We spent a little over half a day at this zoo.

International Drive

There are also a lot of hotels and shopping malls nearby. Places to eat and entertain your family, many, tons of mini-golf and many, the Ripley's Believe It or Not attraction, we didn't have time to do these things but on this street were Wonderworks. So the Sonic Drive-Through was a novelty for us, we always like to eat at places we don't have in Canada. There is a lot to do here and you have the option of driving or using the well organized and inexpensive tram system to go up and down the road. This is one of the main tourist strips aside from Disney and downtown Orlando.

And Wet N' Wild (a popular water park), many state parks, the Orlando Science Centre (which is mostly for kids but has an IMAX theatre and special exhibits sometimes), busch Gardens at Tampa (which is a safari-based animal park with some pretty good roller coasters), other things to do in the Orlando area that we didn't go to include: Disney and its many theme parks.

Enjoy your holiday!