Shereen Shabnam
Orlando is home to a thriving holiday scene, with exciting options for those looking to extend their fun beyond the theme parks. With world-class restaurants, theme parks and high-energy dance clubs providing entertainment all day, Orlando’s playful energy kicks it up a notch more once the sun goes down.
Orlando has so much to offer but we will start with Universal’s Islands of Adventure. “Skull Island: Reign of Kong” which honours one of the most monumental figures in movie history, King Kong. Guests can board large vehicles and explore ancient temple structures while encountering hostile natives and fending off unspeakable terrors.
SeaWorld Orlando also thrills with Mako, a brand new 200-foot-tall coaster. Named after one of the ocean’s fastest known sharks, it is one of Orlando’s tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster, reaching speeds of 73 mph as it races along 4,760 feet of steel track.
Then there is Busch Gardens Tampa, a new family thrill ride called Cobra’s Curse. This spin coaster features a vertical lift, taking riders on a whirlwind adventure of exciting explorations. Key features of the ride include an 80-foot snake icon, a trek over the park’s Serengeti Plain and the mysteries of an Egyptian archaeological excavation.
Walt Disney World Resort also has shops, restaurants and other venues for guests to explore, with more than 150 establishments. Enjoy Star Wars shows at Hollywood Studios. A nightly celebration, “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular” includes fireworks, pyrotechnics, special effects and video projections that will turn the nearby Chinese Theater and other buildings into the twin suns of Tatooine, Starkiller Base plus other Star Wars destinations.
Not to be missed is LEGOLAND® Florida Resort showing “The LEGO® Movie™ which uses elements such as wind, water, smoke and special lighting effects. The larger-than-life experience brings the film’s main characters, Emmet and Wyldstyle, back together with their friends for another awesome adventure.
Find time to visit Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has Heroes and Legends which features the U.S Astronaut Hall of Fame and showcases the heroism of America’s early space pioneers by inviting guests to vicariously experience the thrills and dangers of America’s earliest missions through high-tech elements and special effects, including simulated holograms and augmented reality.
The Crayola Experience has Rockin’ Paper which brings personalized paper creations to life. Guests will start by decorating paper creatures, then watch as they come alive and rock out in a show all of their own, complete with lights and music. Each new set of paper stars will dance to a different song, for a new experience every time.
For food lovers, located within close proximity to Orlando’s world-famous theme parks and a short drive from the Orlando Orange County Convention Center, is “Restaurant Row,” one mile (1.6 kilometers) stretch of Sand Lake Road with exquisite restaurants. Recently expanded with new venues, Universal CityWalk is also a great place for guests to grab a quick snack, relax over dinner, mingle over cocktails, see an electrifying concert or dance the night away.
From internationally renowned Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s first-ever Pan Asian restaurant to a home-grown venue specializing in takeout charcuterie, Orlando is a destination where the culinary possibilities are both fresh and seemingly endless. Whether locally owned or part of expanding franchises, many of the Orlando’s newest restaurants serve American cuisine, farm-friendly menus and simple food with regional accents.
Shopping in Orlando is fun. From Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton to a pair of Mickey Mouse ears or a Harry Potter wand, the diversity and quality of shopping in Orlando is like no other destination with luxury malls to top-notch outlets and theme park shopping.
Orlando’s blossoming locavore scene includes the new East End Market, weekly farmers’ markets and a farm worth a visit. Plus, an expanding neighborhood of Vietnamese, Korean, Thai and Chinese restaurants and storefronts known as Mills 50 bring authentic Asian cuisine and shopping to adventurous visitors.
Holidays in Orlando offers unforgettable experiences for visitors from around the world with top accommodations, services and personalized opportunities. Attractions offer unique and private experiences available to discerning guests of Orlando’s world-famous theme parks and beyond.
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