Orlando is a city in Central Florida. The city is part of and namesake the Greater Orlando Metropolitan Area, which stretches across Orange County, Seminole County and Osceola County. The most important tourism factor in the Greater Orlando Metropolitan Area are the gigantic amusement parks in the southwest, some of which (Universal and SeaWorld) are still within the city limits of Orlando, others (Disney World) are already in the neighboring city of Lake Buena Vista.
Theme and amusement parks
Walt Disney World
The main
attraction of Orlando is Walt Disney World. The most visited
tourist attraction in the world (52.5 million visitors
annually). Located 20 minutes southwest of downtown, the
10,117-acre facility includes 4 theme parks, 2 water parks,
multiple theaters, 24 themed hotels, and the Downtown Disney
shopping and nightlife complex.
MagicKingdom. The oldest
park in the complex (opened in 1971). Designed for families with
younger children, the park is teeming with familiar Disney
themes. Among other things, you can see the famous Cinderella
Castle, a replica of the 1950 cartoon. The park consists of 6
areas: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland (themes from Disney
adventure films), Frontierland (themes from the Wild West),
Liberty Square (themes from American history), Fantasyland
(themes from classic Disney cartoons) and Tomorrowland (sci-fi
themes). The fireworks (“Wishes Firework”) held in the park
every evening are considered the best attraction of the entire
Disney World complex. Price: Day ticket $95 (children 3-9 years
$89).
EPCOT. Amusement park with scientific and technical
themes. Opened in 1982, EPCOT Park (short for "Experimental
Prototype Community of Tomorrow") is twice the size of the Magic
Kingdom. IllumiNations: Reflection of Earth, a combination of
fireworks, lasers, water, fire and light, is presented nightly
in the park and is considered one of the best in the city.
(Wikipedia). Price: Day ticket $90 (children 3-9 years $84).
Disney's Hollywood Studios. Movie-themed park opened in 1989. A
6,900-seat amphitheater hosts the Fantasmic show, one of the
Disney World complex's most popular attractions, every night
after dark. (Wikipedia). Price: Day ticket $95 (children 3-9
years $89).
Disney's Animal Kingdom. The fourth park of the
complex, opened in 1998. With over 200 hectares it is the
largest park. Its theme is the preservation of the animal world
and the whole thing is a zoo or wildlife park with all kinds of
entertainment spectacles. (Wikipedia). Price: Day ticket $95
(children 3-9 years $89).
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park.
The older of the two water parks at Disney World.
Disney's
Blizzard Beach. The younger of the two water parks.
Downtown
Disney, 1490 E Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista. Shopping,
nightlife and entertainment district on the eastern edge of Walt
Disney World. The complex includes a theater that hosts the
Cirque du Soleil show La Nouba on a regular basis. According to
Tripadvisor, this is the best show in Orlando. (Wikipedia).
Price: Tickets from $67.10 (children 3-9 from $55.38).
Walt Disney World's direct competition is Universal Orlando.
which includes two theme parks (Islands of Adventure and
Universal Studios), a nightlife and entertainment complex
(Universal CityWalk) and three luxury hotels owned by the Loews
Group. The Universal parks include rides and elaborately made
pseudo-movie sets. According to Tripadvisor, the two parks -
particularly the Islands of Adventure - are even more
entertaining than Disney's; However, Disney offers the best
shows. The Universal complex is a good 10 minutes southwest of
downtown Orlando.
Universal's Islands of Adventure, 6000
Universal Blvd. Popular park with themes from well-known cinema
films. Price: Day tickets from $92 (children 3-9 from $86).
8Universal Studios. Entertainment park opened in 1990 with
themes from film and television. (Wikipedia). Price: Day tickets
from $92 (children 3-9 from $86).
Universal City Walk, 6000
Universal Blvd. Complex of restaurants, bars, clubs and music
venues that really comes alive in the evening.
The Seaworld complex is located 20 minutes southwest of downtown
Orlando off the I-4 freeway.
Discovery Cove, 6000 Discovery Cove
Way. Tel: +1 407 513 4600 . Small water park owned by the Seaworld
group. Modeled after a tropical island. Visitors can swim with dolphins
under the guidance of an instructor, or snorkel with rays and other
fish. The most attractive park in Orlando according to Tripadvisor, and
even better than Universal Orlando and Disney World. (Wikipedia). Price:
Day tickets (all inclusive) $259-319 (without Dolphin Swim $169-219).
Prior reservation required.
Sea World, 7007 Sea World Dr. Large
amusement park with marine mammals (whales, dolphins, walruses, etc.)
and many other marine animals, 11 rides and other entertainment
programs. Not worth the trip according to Tripadvisor, but people who
really enjoy looking at animals may have different opinions. Price: Day
tickets $82 (children 3-9 $77).
Aquatica, 5800 Water Play Way. Large
water park, only opened in 2008, with water slides, lazy rivers, wave
pools and other fun facilities. The main attraction is a transparent
tube with which you can slide through a lagoon with dolphins and other
aquatic animals. Price: Day tickets $46 (children 3-9 $41).
Gatorland, 14501 South Orange Blossom Trail. This special zoo, which
is particularly popular with families with children, is located in the
south of Orlando, where you can study the difference between a crocodile
and an alligator, among other things. Price: Admission $26.99 (children
3-12 $33.99).
Fun Spot, 5700 Fun Spot Way. This amusement park with
rides is about fifteen minutes southwest of downtown. The only plus
point of this attraction is that it is free to enter. You pay per trip.
There are 277 churches in Orlando. The Baptists are the most strongly
represented with 78 congregations. This is followed by the Protestant
church with 60 church buildings and then the Catholic parish with 2
churches and 1 chapel.
Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary,
Queen of the Universe, 8300 Vineland Avenue. Extremely popular modern
church with the Catholic community.
Orlando Science Center, 777 E Princeton St. Just north of downtown is this large technology museum, which is particularly interesting for families with children. Open: daily except Wed 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Price: Admission $19 (Children 3-11 $13, Seniors 55+ $17.
International Drive. In the southwest of Orlando you will find this 17 km long road, which, in addition to countless hotels and restaurants, is home to some of Orlando's main attractions. The drive begins 13 minutes southwest of Downtown Orlando at the Orlando Premium Outlets, twice intersects Universal Boulevard (which you can drive here instead because it bypasses the Universal Park complex), then touches the SeaWorld complex, and only turns off Vineland Avenue irrelevant. If you still haven't had enough, head over to the other side of I-4 where the Disney World complex begins.
Lake Eola Park, 195 N Rosalind Ave. The most beautiful park in town, and it's free.
Orlando Shakespeare Theater
iFly Orlando, 6805 Visitors Circle,
near Florida Center. In this facility you can try “indoor skydiving”, i.
H. Weightlessness above a large propeller.
AirHeads Trampoline Area,
33 W Pineloch Ave, 6 minutes south of downtown. Trampolining until you
drop. Admission and viewing costs nothing; if you want to hop, buy
special socks for $2.85 and pay $16.95 for a day.
By plane
Orlando International Airport (IATA: MCO), about 10 km
southeast of downtown Orlando, is one of the busiest airports in the USA
with numerous national and international connections. There are non-stop
Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt am Main.
Since most travelers
continue their journey by rental car or have a hotel shuttle pick them
up, the public transport system is underdeveloped. There is a city bus
to various destinations in Downtown Orlando and Disney World, as well as
taxis and commercial shuttle services. There is an overview here. A
railway connection is under construction and is scheduled to go into
operation in 2023.
A second, smaller airport in the region is
Sanford International Airport (IATA: SFB), which is mainly served by
national low-cost airlines. Sanford International is located
approximately 30 km northeast of Orlando. A car is recommended for
onward travel, as there are only a few bus connections.
By train
See also: Rail Travel in the USA The long distance trains Silver Meteor
and Silver Star each serve Orlando once a day on their journey from New
York (Penn. Stn) via Philadelphia (30th St. Stn), Washington DC (Union
Stn), Savannah on their journey to Tampa or Miami.
The Amtrak
Orlando train station is about two kilometers south of downtown Orlando
(1400 Sligh Blvd) and has the standard of a German suburban train
station (platform canopy, ticket office, toilet).
Florida Mall, 8001 S Orange Blossom Trail. Large shopping mall in
south Orlando with posh addresses such as Nordstrom and Saks Fifth
Avenue. Food court with some interesting options not found in other
malls.
Lego Store Disney Springs, Downtown Disney Marketplace, 1676 E
Buena Vista Drive. Large Lego specialist shop with play options. One of
the few places in Orlando where you can keep kids busy (at least in
theory) without spending any money.
Middle
Wasabi Modern Japanese Cuisine, 8001 S Orange Blossom
Trail, Florida Mall. The only sushi go-round in the region. If you're
blessed with kids who like raw fish, you can't avoid this restaurant.
Cheap
Motel 6 Orlando - International Drive, 5909 American Way.
Tel: +1 407 351-6500, Fax: +1 407 352-5481.
Motel 6 Orlando - Winter
Park, 5300 Adanson Rd. Tel: +1 407 647-1444, Fax: +1 407 647-1016.
(Universal Studios) Microtel Inn & Suites, 7531 Canada Ave. Tel: +1 407
226-9887, Fax: +1 407 226-9877.
Middle
Best Western Airport
Inn, 8101 Aircenter Ct. Tel: +1 407 581-2800, Fax: +1 407 581-2810.
Best Western MovieLand Orlando, 6233 International Drive. Tel:
+1.407.351-3900, Tel. toll-free: +1.800.327-2114, Fax: +1.407.363-5119.
Best Western Orlando East Inn, 8750 E Colonial Drive. Tel: +1 407
282-3900, Fax: +1 407 282-0416.
Best Western Orlando West, 2014 W
Colonial Drive. Tel: +1.407.841-8600, Tel. toll-free: +1.800.645-6386,
Fax: +1.407.843-7080.
Best Western Plaza International, 8738
International Drive. Tel: +1.407.345-8195, Tel. toll-free:
+1.800.654-7160, Fax: +1.407.352-8196.
Best Western Universal Inn,
5618 Vineland Road. Tel: +1 407 226-9119, Fax: +1 407 370-2448.
Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando International Drive, 7495 Canada Ave.
Tel: +1 407 351-7000, Fax: +1 407 351-0052.
Fairfield Inn & Suites
Orlando Near Universal Orlando® Resort, 5614 Vineland Road. Tel:
+1.407.581-5600, Tel. toll-free: +1.800.826-7045, Fax: +1.407.581-5601.
Fairfield Inn Orlando Airport, 7100 Augusta National Drive. Tel: +1 407
888-2666, Fax: +1 407 888-8464.
Fairfield Inn Orlando Lake Buena
Vista in the Marriott Village, 8623 Vineland Avenue. Tel:
+1.407.938-9001, Tel. toll-free: +1.877.682-8552, Fax: +1.407.938-9002.
Hawthorne Suites, 7450 Augusta National Drive. Tel: +1 407 438-2121,
Fax: +1 407 438-2275.
Hawthorne Suites, 7601 Canada Ave. Tel: +1 407
581-2151, Fax: +1 407 581-2152.
Hawthorne Suites, 6435 Westwood Blvd.
Tel: +1 407 351-6600, Fax: +1 407 351-1977.
Holiday Inn, 6515
International Dr. Phone: +1 407 351-3500.
Holiday Inn Express, 8686
Palm Pkwy. Phone: +1 407 239-8400.
Holiday Inn Express Hotel &
Suites, 8820 S Orange Blossom Trail. Phone: +1 407 851-8200.
Holiday
Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 7900 Conway Road. Phone: +1 407 581-7900.
upscale
Courtyard Orlando Airport, 7155 North Frontage Rd. Tel:
+1 407 240-7200, Fax: +1 407 240-8962.
Courtyard Orlando Altamonte
Springs/Maitland, 1750 Pembrook Drive. Tel: +1 407 659-9100, Fax: +1 407
659-9101.
Courtyard Orlando Downtown, 730 North Magnolia Ave. Tel:
+1.407.996-1000, Tel. toll-free: +1.800.574-3160, Fax: +1.407.996-1001.
Courtyard Orlando East/UCF, 12000 Collegiate Way. Tel: +1 407 277-7676,
Fax: +1 407 277-5710.
Courtyard Orlando International
Drive/Convention Center, 8600 Austrian Court. Tel: +1 407.351-2244, Fax:
+1.407.351-3306.
Courtyard Orlando Lake Buena Vista in the Marriott
Village, 8623 Vineland Avenue. Tel: +1.407.938-9001, Tel. toll-free:
+1.877.682-8552, Fax: +1.407.938-9002.
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 5555
Hazeltine National Dr. Phone: +1 407 856-0100.
Crowne Plaza Hotel,
7800 Universal Blvd. Phone: +1 407 355-0550. Feature: ★★★★.
Crowne
Plaza Resort, 12000 International Drive. Phone: +1 407 239-1222.
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 5905 Kirkman Rd. Tel: +1 407.351-3333.
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 8214 Universal Blvd. Phone: +1 407 581-9001.
Holiday Inn Select, 12125 High Tech Ave. Phone: +1 407 275-9000.
Holiday Inn Select, 5750 TG Lee Blvd. Phone: +1 407 851-6400.
Holiday
Inn Resort Orlando-Lake Buena Vista, 13351 St Rt 535. Tel: +1 407
239-4500.
Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club at Orlando, 7102 Grand
Horizons Blvd. Tel: +1 407 465-6100, Fax: +1 407 465-6267.
JW
Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, 4040 Central Florida Parkway. Tel:
+1.407.206-2300, Tel. toll-free: +1.800.576-5750, Fax: +1.407.206-2301.
Feature: ★★★★.
Marriott's Cypress Harbour, A Marriott Vacation Club
Resort, 11251 Harbor Villa Road. Tel: +1 407 238-1300, Fax: +1 407
238-1083.
Marriott's Grande Vista, A Marriott Vacation Club Resort,
5925 Avenida Vista. Tel: +1 407 238-7676, Fax: +1 407 238-0900.
Marriott's Imperial Palm Villas, 8404 Vacation Way. Tel: +1 407
238-6200, Fax: +1 407 238-6247. Feature: ★★★★.
Marriott's Royal
Palms, A Marriott Vacation Club Resort, 8404 Vacation Way. Tel: +1 407
238-6200, Fax: +1 407 238-6247.
Marriott's Sabal Palms, A Marriott
Vacation Club Resort, 8805 World Center Drive. Tel: +1 407 238-6200,
Fax: +1 407 238-6219.
Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites - Water Park,
14500 Continental Gateway. Phone: +1 407 387-5437
Orlando Airport
Marriott, 7499 Augusta National Drive. Tel: +1.407.851-9000, Tel.
toll-free: +1.800.380-6751, Fax: +1.407.857-6211. Feature: ★★★★.
Orlando Marriott Downtown, 400 West Livingston Street. Tel:
+1.407.843-6664, Tel. toll-free: +1.800.574-3160, Fax: +1.407.648-5414.
Renaissance Orlando Hotel Airport, 5445 Forbes Place. Tel: +1 407
240-1000, Fax: +1 407 240-1005. Feature: ★★★★.
Renaissance Orlando
Resort at SeaWorld, 6677 Sea Harbor Drive. Tel: +1 407.351-5555, Tel.
toll-free: +1.800.327-6677, Fax: +1.407.351-9991.
Residence Inn
Orlando Convention Center, 8800 Universal Blvd. Tel: +1.407.226-0288,
Tel. toll-free: +1.866.811-6530, Fax: +1.407.226-9979.
Residence Inn
Orlando East/UCF, 11651 University Blvd. Tel: +1 407.513-9000, Tel.
toll-free: +1.800.257-1562, Fax: +1.407.513-9001.
Residence Inn
Orlando International Drive, 7975 Canada Ave. Tel: +1.407.345-0117, Tel.
toll-free: +1.800.227-3978, Fax: +1.407.352-2689.
Residence Inn
Orlando Lake Buena Vista, 11450 Marbella Palm Court. Tel: +1 407
465-0075, Fax: +1 407 465-0050.
Residence Inn Orlando
SeaWorld/International Center, 11000 Westwood Blvd. Tel:
+1.407.313-3600, Tel. toll-free: +1.800.889-9728, Fax: +1.407.313-3611.
SpringHill Suites Orlando Airport, 7024 Hazeltine Drive.
SpringHill
Suites Orlando Convention Center/International Drive Area, 8840
Universal Blvd. Tel: 1.407.345-9073, Tel. toll-free: 1.866.811-6530,
Fax: 1.407.345-9075.
SpringHill Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista at
Marriott Village, 8623 Vineland Ave. Tel: +1.407.938-9001, Tel.
toll-free: +1.877.682-8552, Fax: +1.407.938-4995.
Staybridge Suites,
8480 International Drive. Phone: +1 407 352-2400.
Staybridge Suites,
8751 Suiteside Drive. Phone: +1 407 238-0777.
Towne Place Suites
Orlando East/UCF, 11801 High Tech Ave. Tel: +1 407 243-6100, Fax: +1 407
243-6111.
Geographical location
Orlando is located in the center of the
Florida Peninsula. Tampa is 120 km away, Jacksonville is 200 km away,
Miami is 350 km away and Tallahassee is 400 km away.
According to
the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of approximately
261.5 km² (101 mi²), of which approximately 242.2 km² (94 mi²) is land.
The urban area has a maximum west-east extension of 25 km and a
north-south extension of 30 km.
neighboring communities
Orlando borders the cities of Winter Park (to the north) and Belle Isle
and Edgewood (to the south).
city outline
The city is divided
into four boroughs, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest and Southeast
Orlando, which are bounded by the two major freeways through the city
(I-4 and SR 408). Downtown itself is located in the southwest of
Northeast Orlando.
The climate in the Orlando region has characteristics of a tropical
rainy climate, but is still described as a subtropical, humid east side
climate and is given Cfa in the Köppen climate classification. According
to the US Department of Agriculture, Orlando sits on the border of USDA
hardiness zones 9a and 9b. The weather is generally hot and rainy from
May to September (corresponding to the Atlantic hurricane season), while
it is comparatively dry and cool from late October to April. The area's
warm, humid climate is due in particular to its location at sea level
near the Gulf of Mexico and near the Tropic of Cancer.
During the
summer months, the maximum temperatures are between 32 and 36 °C, while
at night the values rarely drop below 21 °C. Due to the high humidity,
the actual temperatures almost never rise above 38 °C, but the perceived
temperature (heat index) rises to up to 43 °C. On September 8, 1921, the
highest temperature ever recorded was 39 °C (103 °F). In summer there
are thunderstorms almost every day, accompanied by short but sometimes
torrential rain showers.
During the cooler months, humidity is
lower and temperatures are more moderate, but subject to greater
fluctuations. The average temperature in January is 15.7 °C, with night
frosts occurring on average 2.4 days a year. The lowest temperature
recorded was −8 °C (18 °F) on December 28, 1894, during what became
known as the Great Freeze. Since the winter climate is rather dry and
the coldest air only arrives after the cold fronts have passed through,
snowfall in the region is very rare. A special feature is the winter of
1977, in which Orlando had to report a closed snow cover for the first
time
Average annual precipitation in Orlando is 1,290 mm. Orlando
has an appreciable risk from hurricanes, although it is rated lower than
southern Florida and generally close to shore. Due to the distance to
the Gulf (70 km) or the Atlantic (120 km), the storms already lose their
greatest force before they arrive. Nevertheless, the city was hit
directly by several hurricanes, such as Hurricane Donna in 1960 and
Hurricane Charley in 2004, and was partly severely devastated.
Before the first European settlers arrived in 1836, the Orlando area
was sparsely populated by the Muskogee and other Native American tribes.
In 1842, shortly after the end of the Second Seminole Rebellion, more
and more settlers moved to central Florida. One of them, Aaron Jernigan,
founded the settlement of "Jernigan" near an old army camp, Fort Gatlin.
In 1857 the town, then consisting of just a few cabins and three to four
saloons, was renamed after US officer Orlando Reeves, who was killed by
the Seminoles in 1835. Livestock farming was still the dominant industry
in the 1850s and 1860s. In 1863 the first courthouse was built, which
was used as a school and church at the same time.
City founding
and upswing
In 1875, Orlando was officially granted city rights with
a population of 85. In 1881 the city was connected to the railway
network; the population of 200 was to increase rapidly in the following
years. Two devastating city fires in 1883 and 1884 led to the formation
of the Orlando Fire Department. In 1890, Orlando already had 10,000
inhabitants, benefiting from the development of the citrus industry. Due
to the favorable climatic location, Orlando became the center of lemon
cultivation par excellence. In 1894, most of the harvest was destroyed
by a frost, the so-called "Big Freeze", which set back the city's
development by decades. In 1895 only 2,481 inhabitants were counted. It
took 30 years for the population to reach 10,000 again. In 1896
Orlando's first City Hall was built. The 1930 census counted 27,330
inhabitants and 1950 51,826 inhabitants.
Orlando's upswing to
today's economic importance did not begin until 1964. Since the early
1960s, anonymous investors had successively and independently bought
swampland that was cheap to the outside world. It turned out that Walt
Disney wanted to build a new theme park on these 150 km² (15,000
hectares) of land. The successful role model Disneyland in Anaheim had
reached the limits of its growth potential because Disney had not bought
enough land there from the start. The Disney World Resort in Orlando
should have enough space to expand. The construction work for this
project was completed in 1971, so the park opened on October 1 of the
same year.
Disney's competitors saw the potential and didn't
hesitate. In the years that followed, other major entertainment
companies settled, and Orlando developed into an unprecedented
entertainment center. The reptile zoo Gatorland, located about 20 km
south of Orlando, was opened in 1949 under the name Florida Wildlife
Institute and renamed Gatorland in 1954.
According to the 2010 census, the then 238,300 inhabitants were
spread over 122,261 households. The population density was 983.9
inhabitants/km². 57.6% of the population identified themselves as White,
28.1% as African American, 0.4% as Native American and 3.8% as Asian
American. 6.9% stated that they belonged to another ethnic group and
3.4% to several ethnic groups. 25.4% of the population was Hispanic or
Latino.
In 2010, 28.5% of all households had children under the
age of 18 and 16.8% of all households had people aged 65 or over. 52.5%
of the households were family households (consisting of married couples
with or without children or one parent with children). The average
household size was 2.29 people and the average family size was 3.03
people.
24.5% of the population was under 20 years old, 37.5%
were 20 to 39 years old, 24.8% were 40 to 59 years old and 13.4% were at
least 60 years old. The mean age was 33 years. 48.6% of the population
was male and 51.4% female.
The average annual income was $55,462,
with 13.6% of the population living below the poverty line.
In
2000, 75.43% of the population spoke English as their mother tongue,
16.60% spoke Spanish and 7.97% had another mother tongue.
The city council consists of a mayor-council government with six
directly elected city councilors and a directly elected mayor.
mayor
Democrat Buddy Dyer has been mayor almost continuously since
February 25, 2003. He replaced Republican Glenda Hood, who prematurely
accepted the office of Secretary of State under Governor Jeb Bush. In
the next mayoral election, which took place regularly in the following
year, he prevailed against his challenger Ken Mulvaney and was able to
narrowly avoid a runoff election. Subsequently, Dyer was accused of
voter fraud, whereupon an investigation was launched and charges were
brought against Dyer. In March 2005, Dyer was suspended from office and
Ernest Page installed as mayor pro tempore. Six weeks later, the charges
against Dyer were dropped, allowing him to return to office.
theatre
In Orlando there are the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, the
Mad Cow Theater and the Bob Carr Theater. The Orlando International
Fringe Theater Festival is held annually in May. In Orlando there is the
theater and concert hall Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Music
The music scenes of hip-hop, metal, rock, reggaeton and
latino can be found in the city. Rock and pop music in particular has
stood out since the 1990s. Among others, the Backstreet Boys (founded in
1993), matchbox twenty (1995), *NSYNC (1995) and O-Town (1999) come from
Orlando. In 2000 the metal band Trivium was founded and in 2004 the rock
band Alter Bridge. Finally, the bands Blood on the Dance Floor (2007),
Broadway (2007) and Sleeping with Sirens (2009) emerged.
parks
and recreation
There are 17 different city parks including Lake Eola
Park, Loch Haven Park and Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake. Festivals,
markets, concerts and other events are sometimes held there. The parks
can also be rented for private purposes.
Orlando acts as a
promotional vehicle for a number of well-known amusement parks. The Walt
Disney World Resort opened in 1971 and is located in Bay Lake and Lake
Buena Vista, about 20 km southwest of Orlando. Four theme parks and two
water parks cover a total area of around 101 km². The resort was visited
by almost 59 million people in 2019, making it the most visited theme
park resort in the world.
The theme parks at Universal Orlando
Resorts opened in 1990 and 1999, respectively, and welcomed a good 21
million visitors in 2019. Other parks are the theme parks of the
SeaWorld group, two amusement parks of the Fun Spot America group and
the Gatorland attraction. Except for Walt Disney World, all parks are
located along International Drive, a tourist thoroughfare that leads
from Oak Ridge Road in extreme southwest Orlando to World Center Drive.
Strictly speaking, despite the "Orlando" marketing, all theme parks are
outside of the Orlando metropolitan area, with the exception of
Universal Orlando Resort.
Founded in 1989, the Orlando Magic is a basketball team affiliated
with the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play in the
Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team's venue has been
the Amway Center since 2010, previously it was the Amway Arena since
1989.
Founded in 2011, the Orlando Solar Bears are an ice hockey
team of the third-tier East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). They play in the
South Division of the Eastern Conference. Their venue is also the Amway
Center. A predecessor team of the same name played in the International
Hockey League (IHL) from 1994 to 2001, which was then still based in the
Amway Arena. Later, from 2002 to 2007, the Orlando Seals existed
(renamed the Florida Seals in 2005), who were also active in various
professional leagues.
Orlando City is a soccer franchise that has
been playing in the USA's highest soccer league, Major League Soccer
(MLS), since 2015. In 2015, the club played its home games at the
Orlando Citrus Bowl. In 2017, the move to the new Orlando City Stadium
took place. Another franchise of the same name (see same article) played
in the United Soccer League (USL) from 2011 to 2014 and was based at the
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Celebration, about 25 km
southwest of Orlando.
Founded in 1991, the Orlando Predators are
an arena football team playing in the South Division of the American
Conference within the Arena Football League (AFL). Its current home is
the Amway Center. Other home venues were the Amway Arena and the CFE
Arena.