Vacation Rentals in Orlando - Disney Area

Orlando - Disney Area is Florida's third most densely populated metropolitan region. The biggest city in central Florida, Orlando is rivaled only by the Twin Cities in the number of natural lakes to be found in its metropolitan area. The region Orlando is generally low-lying, the only exception being minor sand hills formed by wave action in earlier geological eras when sea level was higher. These are found primarily in the western sections of the metropolitan area, especially in Lake County. The Orlando area is home to 100+ lakes, the largest of which are Lake Apopka, Eustis, Griffin, Harney, Harris, Jessup, Monroe, Saint Cloud, and Tohopekaliga. The Orlando - Disney Area is also very prone to sink-holes due to the large number of underground limestone caverns that are located in the region. Many of the lakes started as sink holes in recent geologic history.

Orlando is considered to be in a subtropical climate zone. Summer high temperatures average in the mid-30s C° (low-to-mid 90s °F. Its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean in particular allow the Sea Breeze to cool it, but also keeping humidity high, keeping temperatures stable and making temperatures of 38 °C (100 °F) very rare. Winter temperatures are typically mild, with the jet stream bringing in frequent cold fronts. High temperatures typically fluctuate anywhere from 18 °C (65 °F) to 27 °F (80 °F). Below-freezing temperatures are uncommon, with snow almost a generational event. The average annual rainfall in Orlando - Disney Area is 48.35 in (1198 mm). June through September is its "rainy season", accounted for by its location at the center of the Florida Peninsula, with the Gulf Breeze off the Gulf of Mexico and the Sea Breeze off the Atlantic Ocean colliding over the city in the summer, creating "pop-up" thunderstorms. December through May is considered Orlando's "dry season", with wildfires a danger particularly in May.

Orlando's temperate climate make the Disney Area a year-round destination. Ideally, the best time to go to Walt Disney World is when the weather is moderate and the crowds are low. Unfortunately between vacation schedules and school-age kids, your options might be limited. There might be special activities at Walt Disney World that you would like see and do, so take a look at the events calendar. Our suggestions are January/early February (beautiful weather and low crowds), May (Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival), November (Epcot Food and Wine Festival), and December (Holidays Around the World). Orlando's weather from October to June rarely gets below 18°C (65°F) or above 32°C (90°F). Florida's hurricane season, which officially runs from June through November, lets budget travelers will enjoy lower costs and less crowded beaches, but just remember that one little hurricane can ruin your whole vacation.

Orlando, the vacation station? Orlando for most people conjures up the image of theme parks, mainly Disney, but it has a lot more to offer than that. Make sure that you don't miss Downtown Orlando and charming Winter Park, Kissimmee, Clermont, Davenport, Southern Dunes. The Orlando area is home to a wide variety of tourist attractions, including the Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Orlando Resort. The Walt Disney World Resort is the area's largest attraction with its many facets such as the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach and Downtown Disney. SeaWorld Orlando is a large adventure park that features numerous zoological displays and marine animals alongside an amusement park with roller coasters and water park. Universal Orlando, like Walt Disney World, is a multi-faceted resort comprised of Universal Studios Florida, CityWalk, and Islands of Adventure theme park.
Other attractions in the Orlando area includes: Arboretum of the University of Central Florida; Space Coast beaches; Central Florida Zoological Park, located in Sanford on Lake Monroe. This 100 acre (400,000 m²) zoo is home to a butterfly garden, herpetarium, and numerous tropical animals. This zoo originally started as a collection in the Sanford Fire Department, but grew into a regional zoo in 1975. It is currently in the planning stages of expansion and renaming the facility to "Zoo Orlando at Sanford".
Cirque du Soleil, in Downtown Disney West Side, features its renowned blend of acrobatics and special effects with more than 70 artists from around the globe performing in a custom-designed, 1,671-seat theater; Discovery Cove, part of the SeaWorld Adventure Park complex. This attraction features tropical fish in a coral reef, snorkeling with stingrays, and interacting with birds in an aviary, as well as swimming and playing with dolphins during a half-hour dolphin encounter.
Gatorland is home to thousands of alligators and crocodiles. A few of Gatorland's residents have made wrangling appearances in movies, television shows and commercial spots. The 54 year old park combines a petting zoo, bird sanctuary, mini-water park, eco-tour and outdoor entertainment, including daily alligator wrestling. Jungleland, featuring 300 animals, including a pair of Himalayan bears born in 2002, plus leopards, tigers, lions, gator wrestling and a petting zoo. The seven acre (28,000 m²) zoo also has a path nearly a mile (1.6 km) long winding around a natural lagoon with black swans and white ibis.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is 45 minutes from Orlando and south of Daytona Beach. Visitors can tour launch areas, see giant rockets, "train" in spaceflight simulators, and much more. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is open every day except Christmas and certain launch days. Apart from the Astronaut Hall of Fame, Space Center bus tours run every 15 minutes with stops at an observation gantry and the Apollo / Saturn V Center. Other guided tours include NASA Up Close, Cape Canaveral: Then and Now, and Lunch With An Astronaut. Combo tickets offer maximum access admission, plus one guided tour.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando Odditorium is located in a building artfully constructed to appear as if it were collapsing to one side, along with a sly reference to central Florida's infamous sinkholes. Explore artifacts, collections, weird art/hobbies and interactive exhibits in 16 odd galleries. For more than 40 years, Robert Ripley traveled the globe collecting the unbelievable, inexplicable, and one-of-a-kind. His collections are housed in 27 museums in 10 countries.
International Trolley and Train Museum features 14 model railroad trains with sound and lighting traveling through an indoor garden with 12 foot (4 m) high mountains, waterfalls, and more than 30 trestles and tunnels. Also on display are toy trains from the 1920s to the present. Visitors can catch a ride in a California Victorian Style half open/half closed trolley or the 5/8 replica of an 1880 locomotive (a Mason Bogey) with its passenger cars. Orlando Museum of Art, which has ongoing exhibitions of American portraits and landscapes, American impressionist works, and art of the ancient Americas; Orlando Science Center, a 207,000 square foot (19,000 m²) hands-on learning center with hundreds of interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages. Images surround visitors on the giant screen of the Dr. Phillips CineDome. Other attractions include the Body Zone, teaching health and fitness, as well as an observatory.
Blue Spring State Park, which is the winter home of large numbers of Florida Manatees that come upstream from the St. Johns River to bask in the warm 72 °F (22 °C) waters of the springs. Canoeing, swimming and fishing are popular activities at Blue Springs; Wekiwa Springs State Park, which comprises around 700 acres (2.8 km²) of wild Florida. The springs pump out 42 million gallons of crystal clear water a day. Popular activities at the park include canoeing, swimming, picnicking and fishing.
World of Orchids, featuring thousands of blooms in an enclosed tropical rainforest. World of Orchids is a working greenhouse shipping orchids and other plants nationwide. A greenhouse covers nearly an acre (4,000 m²), and in this controlled climate of warm, humid air some 1,000 orchids are displayed in a natural jungle setting, with streams, waterfalls, and squawking parrots. World of Orchids also has a 1,000 foot (300 m) long boardwalk meandering off into nearby wetlands. Admission is free.
In recent years Orlando has come into its own as a world class shopping destination. In addition to the factory outlet shopping that is prominent is the Disney area, Orlando is also home to the upscale Mall at Millenia which includes Nieman Marcus and Bloomingdales among many expensive art galleries and stores. If you want to drop a half million dollars or more on art, stop by the Millenia Gallery. Not to be missed are the boutique shops on Park Avenue in Winter Park and the quirky artsy stores on Ivanhoe Boulevard near downtown. Also, the huge Florida Mall will expose you to many of the shopping choices that the USA has to offer. As is the case with most of the USA it has lots of opportunity for shopping, normally at cheap factory outlet prices. Belz Factory Outlet World and Orlando Premium Outlets are your best bets for factory outlet shopping. They are on the North and South ends of International Drive, respectively. Downtown Disney is a 120-acre entertainment, dining, and shopping complex at the Walt Disney World resort made up of three distinct sections: The Marketplace, Pleasure Island and the West Side A Disney shoppers' paradise, Downtown Disney features such diverse shops as World of Disney, Lego Imagination Center, the Art of Disney, and the enormous Virgin Records. Unique entertainment is also available at Cirque du Soleil, Disney Quest and the nighttime hot spot, Pleasure Island. There is no admission fee for the MarketPlace and West Side areas of Downtown Disney, but Pleasure Island does require paid admission when it opens at 7 p.m.

The wide variety of national origins and the USA’s relatively short history has resulted in numerous cultural and traditional customs living alongside each other. In large cities, people of the same ethnic background often live within defined communities. Shaking hands as the usual form of greeting. A relaxed and informal atmosphere is usually the norm in Orlando. As long as the fundamental rules of courtesy are observed there need be no fear of offending anyone of any background. Americans are renowned for their openness and friendliness to visitors. Gifts are appreciated if one is invited to a private home. As a rule dress is casual. Smart restaurants, hotels and clubs insist on suits and ties or long dresses. Smoking is often restricted in public buildings and on city transport. There will usually be a notice where no smoking is requested and many restaurants have smoking and non-smoking sections.
Tipping: Widely practiced, and service charges are not usually included in the bill. Waiters generally expect 15%, as do taxi drivers and hairdressers. It should be noted that a cover charge is for admission to an establishment, not a tip for service. Porters generally expect US$1 per bag.

Whether looking for quick bites with the kids or far more sophisticated fare, some 4,500 restaurants near the theme park capital of the world are proof positive that gastronomic diversity can lead to happiness for residents and visitors alike. Orlando cuisine ranges from American to the finest of French, Continental, Italian, Spanish and Japanese. Add to that Chinese, Cuban, German, Mexican and more. Down home Barbeque is easy to find, as are locations for Delicatessen, Pizzeria, Healthy - Natural foods, Seafood and fresh catch from nearby waters in Orlando - Disney Area. Dinner Show - Theatre dining is especially popular in Orlando, along with opportunity to eat outside year around.
Dining at Walt Disney World can be an experience in and of itself. From pot roast to pot luck, from luxurious fine dining to eating on the fly - Walt Disney World has it all. The meals are served several ways. Traditional buffet-style: available at most of the participating restaurants. Family-style: the server brings large bowls/plates/skillets of food and you serve yourself. Pre-plated meals: these meals areserved to each guest and each plate includes the same meal. Character Meals: where else but Walt Disney World can you dine with your favorite characters! The popularity of character meals has grown so much that you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with the characters.

Most visitors to the US require a visa. However, Canadians need only proof of citizenship. A reciprocal visa-waiver program allows citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland to stay up to 90 days without a visa if they have an onward ticket.