Orlando

	Other Packages:

Orlando

There wasn't much to Orlando until a famous little man living in California started buying up property at the city's southwestern edge in the 1960s. That famous man was Walt Disney, and the property he bought became Disney World in 1971. Since then, waterslides, roller coasters, fairy tale palaces and costumed characters have made Disney World one of the world's most visited tourist attractions. Before Orlando became an extension of Disney Corp's expansionist dreams, it was known as the 'city built on the peel of an orange.' In other words, citrus was at the turn of the century what mouse ears are today. The citrus boom straddled railroad and real estate booms, but none of these compare to the well-honed tourist boom in full swing today.

Orlando is the fifth-ranking US destination of overseas travelers - after San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles and New York City - and it claims the second highest number of hotel rooms in the US, lagging just behind Las Vegas in the bedroom stakes. The city has also established itself as part of Florida's high-tech corridor, boasting not only the space technology industries, but a healthy dose of bits and bytes makers as well. Orlando is the vacation capital of the world, and in December it’s the warmest place in the continental United States. Walt Disney World lets you relive your childhood at Magic Kingdom, and tour the world and learn about state-of-the-art scientific breakthroughs at Epcot Center.

The Magic Kingdom is where you can meet your favorite Disney movie characters, climb the Swiss Family Robinson's tree house, see American folk culture shows, and ride some exciting rides. Space Mountain (an indoor roller coaster in the dark) is fun for any age. EPCOT is really two parks in one. The "World of Tomorrow" is the first. It features "state-of-the-art" technology in a variety of fun presentations. It is all indoors, so if there is rain in the forecast, you may want to bypass that and head to the second area, "World Showcase" before it rains. Many of the attractions there are outdoors. You will be thrilled with the breathtaking 360-degree movies, rides, shops, food, and cultural exhibits from 10 different countries.

The Space Center, located on Cape Canaveral, offers you a guided bus tour where you can see the actual launch sites and an exciting hands-on spacecraft exhibit. We will also view "The Dream is Alive", an IMAX (5-story screen) movie filmed partly from the space shuttle itself. Astronauts say it is the next-best thing to actually being in space! Inside the space center there are reasonably-priced restaurants, cafeterias, and an ice cream shop. Another day of sightseeing brings you the choice of one of the other three big attractions (MGM Studios, Universal Studios, or Sea World). You’ll spend Christmas Day with an American family, and a half-day conference in our host church will explain the true meaning of this exciting holiday.

Bed and Breakfast

International Drive

Lake Buena Vista

Kissimmee

Home of the Orlando Convention Center and Universal Studios.

The Lake Buena Vista area features all the Disney Hotels and Restaurants.

Southeast of the Disney resort area, Kissimmee offer travelers numerous Hotel options.