Featured Hotels Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort Liki Tiki Village Sheraton Vistana Resort Sheraton Vistana Villages Residence Inn by Marriott LBV Starwood's Oak Plantation Resort Clarion Hotel Maingate Country Inn and Suites Quality Inn Maingate East Adam's Mark Hotel Orlando Best Western Lake Buena Vista Doubletree Castle Hotel Hotel Recommendations Other Disney Resources Discount Walt Disney World Tickets Money Saving Tips Theme Park Information When to Visit More to Orlando than Disney Other links Email us		Theme Park Information When it comes to theme parks there is no better place in the country than Orlando. They have 8 major parks within an hour of the city and dozens of smaller parks and attractions. All of these attractions require tickets and they can be expensive. You can purchase your tickets ahead of time and save 10% or more on your attraction tickets. Here is a quick overview of the major theme parks: Walt Disney World: First of all, Walt Disney World is HUGE!!! It encompasses about 90 square miles which is the same size as San Francisco. The resort encompasses 4 major theme parks, 2 great water parks, dozens of hotels and resorts, golf courses, natural areas, shopping area, lakes, entertainment districts, and more. The 4 major parks are: Magic Kingdom: This is the park you think of when you think Disney. With popular attractions like Cinderella's Castle, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Pirate's of the Caribbean, and more this park is the most popular of the 4 Disney Parks. Epcot: Epcot is an adventure around the world. Explore different cultures and societies and also experience some of the greatest accomplishments in the history of the world. Disney / MGM Studios: Visit a working movie and tv production studio. As far as the Disney Parks are concerned, this park has the best thrill rides of the 4 parks. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith Rock 'n' Roller Coaster are great rides and shouldn't be missed. The Indiana Jones stunt show and other live shows will entertain as well. Animal Kingdom: Take a trip to Africa at Animal Kingdom. See the same animals you would see at an African game park and visit all your favorite Disney animal characters such as Timon and Poomba. Order your Walt Disney World tickets today and save money! Universal Studios: Universal Studios is more than just a theme park. It is a real, working studio producing movies, commercials, television shows, as well as providing pre- and post-production work for other shows. The rides and attractions are a bit more laid back than some of the other parks and are a good break from the gut-turning roller coasters. With rides, attractions, and shows based off popular movies such as Terminator 2, Twister, Jaws, King Kong, and Back to the Future you will get to experience the movies you have only seen on the big screen until now. Don't worry, they didn't forget the kids. At Production Central you and your children can catch a glimpse of a Nickleodeon show being filmed. Your kids can also explore Barney and Feivel's playlands, catch a live filming of Animal Planet Live, and ride Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster. You can also take in different live shows such as the Beetlejuice Rock 'n' Roll Review, the Wild West Stunt Show, and the Dynamite Nights Stuntacular which features water skis, motor boats and wave runners dashing and crashing about for your enjoyment, with explosions thrown in for good measure. Purchase Universal Studios tickets today and save $$$ Islands of Adventure: If you are looking for pure thrill rides, Islands of Adventure is the place for you. This theme park, by far, was my favorite in Orlando. From the rides to the layout to the food it seemed to have something for everyone. Even my mom who hates roller coasters and most rides had a great time there. They also had enough vomit-inducing rides that I had to go back a second day to get my fill. Islands of Adventure is basically divided into 5 seperate "islands", (Marvel Super Hero Island, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, The Lost Continent, and Seuss Land) each with a different unique theme. The rides are state of the art marvels of engineering. Even the lines that take you to the rides are interesting from the castle and dungeon at the Dueling Dragons to the newspaper office for Spider Man. The Incredible Hulk coaster and Spider Man are considered to be two of the best theme park rides ever made. Many of the rides are one of a kind and actually had new technology developed just to pull them off. They even had to develop new construction techniques to build some of the buildings. Buy your Islands of Adventure tickets ahead of time and save! Busch Gardens: Many people think of Busch Gardens as an afterthought when they are planning a trip to Orlando. This is a terrible thing to do!!! Busch Gardens provides a totally unique theme park experience by combining a world class zoo with some of the biggest, highest, and fastest roller coasters in the world. In the same day you can explore King Tut's Tomb, wander through an African village, go on a safari, and get your thrills on many different roller coasters and water rides. Busch Gardens features 9 different sections focusing on different sections of Africa and African culture. Explore deepest, darkest Africa in Stanleyville (named for explorer Sir Henry Stanley) and enjoy a street festival in Morrocco. Nearly every section of the park has various animals from elephants, giraffes, baboons, zebras, chimps, gazelles, and hippos to hundreds of birds, reptiles, fish, snakes and much more. You can also try out the 28+ rides located throughout the park. Experience all Africa has to offer without leaving the country. Save on your Busch Gardens tickets. Sea World: If you are looking for a great alternitive to Walt Disney World check out SeaWorld. SeaWorld allows you to combine an educational look a marine life with fun and excitement. SeaWorld offers an up close and personal look at marine life that you won't experience anywhere else in Orlando. The most famous attraction at SeaWorld would have to be Shamu Stadium, home to their most famous resident, Shamu the Killer Whale. Shamu Stadium allows you to watch great shows featuring Shamu and other orcas as they frolic, jump, and perform tricks in a giant tank. You can also watch performances by dolphins, penguins, and other marine creatures expertly trained by expert handlers and marine biologists. Save on your Sea World tickets. With other theme parks and attractions in Orlando you will never run out of things to do.