Orlando is the theme park capital of the world. Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando anchor a sprawling entertainment district south-west of the actual city, with SeaWorld, Gatorland, and a string of smaller attractions filling the gaps. On any given day there are more visitors inside the parks than there are residents of downtown Orlando.
The parks are why most people come, and they are unapologetically vast — Disney World alone spans four parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) and two water parks, and it is easy to spend a week without leaving the gates. Universal runs a close second, with Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, and the 2025-opened Epic Universe making it a multi-day destination in its own right. International Drive, the main tourist corridor between them, is a long strip of hotels, dinner shows, outlet malls, and a hundred lesser attractions.
Downtown Orlando is a different place altogether: a compact centre along Orange Avenue with bars, music venues, restaurants, and the lakes and oak-shaded neighbourhoods (Thornton Park, College Park, Mills 50) that give the city its local character. Lake Eola Park anchors the neighbourhood, and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts has given downtown a genuine cultural anchor. An hour east on the coast, the Kennedy Space Center is a reminder that Florida is also where people leave the planet.
Orlando is hot. Summers are humid and thunder-heavy; the parks are brutal in July. Visit between November and April if you can.