Orlando is one of the world's top theme park destinations. Walt Disney World is the centrepiece — a small city of parks including Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, plus two water parks and a shopping district. Universal Orlando runs a close second, with Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, and the 2025-opened Epic Universe together making it a multi-day destination with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter split across two halves.
International Drive is the tourist corridor connecting the parks — a strip of hotels, outlet malls, and secondary attractions that functions as a self-contained ecosystem. Beyond the theme park cluster, SeaWorld offers a mix of marine exhibits and serious roller coasters, and Gatorland is the most Orlando-original thing you can do — alligators, zip lines, and cypress swamp for a fraction of the big-park price. The Kennedy Space Center is an hour east on the Atlantic coast and earns a full day.
Downtown Orlando has its own separate character: Lake Eola Park with its Sunday farmers' market, the Orange County Regional History Center in the restored courthouse, and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for Broadway touring productions and concerts. Park tickets are expensive and the parks are vast — pick your days carefully to avoid spending most of your time in queues.