Fantastic places to visit

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

If you have experienced Disney already, or you and your children are a little older, then the Universal parks are for you. You can have just as much fun, if not more, at these parks than at The Disney Parks!Universal Studios® Movie Theme Park -- Go beyond the screen and Ride the Movies®! At this real working film and TV studio, an incredible array of rides, shows, movie sets and attractions put you right in your favourite scenes from your favourite movies. It's the number one movie studio theme park in the world!

Universal's Islands of Adventure - Experience unexpected adventure and innovative thrills as you take an unforgettable journey through the five islands - Seuss Landing™, The Lost Continent®, Jurassic Park®, Toon Lagoon® and Marvel Super Hero Island®!
http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/orlando/website/usf_attraction_landing.html?__dest=usf_attraction_landing.TOP

http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/orlando/website/ioa_landing.html?__dest=ioa_landing.TOP

SEAWORLD

http://www.seaworld.com/seaworld/fla/default.aspx

FANTASY OF FLIGHT

This is great day as an alternative to the theme parks and a must for those interested in aircraft. Kermit Weeks has a collection of over 100 aircraft ranging from war-birds to hot air balloon capsules. You get an insight into flying from the days of the pioneer aviator to the aircraft of the late 50’s.

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/

BUSCH GARDENS

This great family adventure park offers many attractions based on exotic encounters with the African continent. Busch has an unusual mixture of wildlife and wild and thrilling rides, claiming to be Florida’s premier roller coaster park. There are over 2,000 animals (the alligators have to be seen to be believed), live shows, restaurants, shops and games;Busch Gardens provides excitement for guests of every age. The Serengeti Railway runs around the Park with several station stops.
One tip -  if you fancy a ride on the cable car, - avoid the stop near the entrance to the park, as this gets very busy. Go to the other side of the Park and you can usually just walk on.You can also have fantastic fun on the water rides – but be warned – you will get soaked. A change of clothes is a good idea. If possible leave until late in the day, there will be fewer crowds and you can then change and ride home in comfort.

http://www.buschgardens.com/buschgardens/fla/default.aspx

THE HOLYLAND EXPERIENCE

Experience the settings that existed in the Holy Land two thousand years ago. The Garden Tomb, the Qumran Caves, The Plaza of the Nations, the Temple of the Great King, the Jerusalem Model and the Wilderness Tabernacle are intricately detailed, both inside and out. See also a display of old Bibles and manuscripts, a Bedouin tent where biblical personalities tell Old and New Testament stories.

http://www.theholylandexperience.com/home.html

KENNEDY SPACE CENTRE

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html

DAYTONA USA

DAYTONA USA is a massive interactive motor sports attraction that is the world-class showplace to soak in the history of America's fastest sport! Experience the heart-pounding thunder of bumper-to-bumper competition on the historic high banks of Daytona International Speedway, or the thrills and spills of high-tech motion simulators.

Speedway Tour
At DAYTONA USA you can also enjoy a 30-minute, guided tour of the Speedway.
The Speedway Tour takes guests on an open-air tram through Daytona International Speedway's garage area, pit road, and the world-famous 31-degree high banks. The tour is narrated and describes each area of the track as you ride past. The tour also makes stops at Pit Road and Gatorade Victory Lane, track activities permitting. See what goes on behind the scenes at the "World Center of Racing."

http://www.daytonausa.com/

GATORLAND

Gatorland houses thousands of alligators and crocodiles on its large site. Breeding pens, nurseries, and rearing ponds are situated throughout the park, which also displays snakes, toads, insects, turtles, and a Galápagos tortoise. Its 2,000-foot boardwalk winds through a cypress swamp and breeding marsh.
There are four shows: Gator Wrestlin' uses the old "put-them-to-sleep" trick, but it's more of an environmental awareness program. The Gator Jumparoo is a crowd-pleaser in which the big reptiles lunge 4 or 5 feet out of the water to snatch a hunk of meat from a trainer's hand. Up Close Encounters is a new show that features a variety of wildlife, including some venomous snakes and Jungle Crocs of the World showcases some of the world's toothiest carnivores. Younger kids will also enjoy the new train ride through the park.

http://www.gatorland.com/

RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! ODDITORIUM

8201 International Dr

From I-4, take Exit 74A, Sand Lake Rd./Hwy. 528, and turn right on International Dr

Do you crave weird science? If you're a fan of the bizarre, here's where you'll find lots of oddities. Among the hundreds of exhibits: a two-headed kitten, a five-legged cow, a three-quarter-scale model of a 1907 Rolls-Royce made of 1 million matchsticks, a mosaic of the Mona Lisa created from toast, torture devices from the Spanish Inquisition, a Tibetan flute made of human bones, and Ubangi women with wooden plates in their lips. There are exhibits on Houdini and films of people swallowing coat hangers. If you love weird – this is the place for you!

TITANIC--SHIP OF DREAMS

The Mercado8445 International Drive Orlando, FL 32819 The If you are still fascinated by the history of this great ship and its compelling story, this 25,000-square-foot attraction is for you. On display are some 200 artefacts (a deck chair, life jacket, stationery, and so on), movie memorabilia, actors, and even a replica of the great ship's grand staircase and re-created rooms.

http://www.titanicshipofdreams.com/

WORLD OF ORCHIDS

2501 Old Lake Wilson Rd./Hwy. 545

Lovers of horticulture will enjoy touring this conservatory and showroom filled with thousands of orchids -- many of them rare -- that are magnificently abloom at all times and on display, as well as for sale. Streams, waterfalls, koi ponds, and birds enhance the grounds. There is also a very enjoyable nature walk through a wooded area, aquariums of exotic fish, and a small aviary to enjoy.

I would say this is not one for the kids!

http://www.aworldoforchids.com/awoohao/mainpage.html

THE JOHN AND MABEL RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART

Located on a 66-acre estate on Sarasota Bay, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art was established in 1927 as the legacy of John Ringling (1866-1936) and his wife, Mable (1875 to 1929). Recognized as the official State Art Museum of Florida, the Museum of Art offers 21 galleries of European paintings as well as Cypriot antiquities, Asian Art, American paintings, and contemporary art. The estate features the spectacular Cà d'Zan ("House of John"), a waterfront mansion that was restored in 2002.

The Museum offers numerous cultural and educational programs, including courtyard concerts, "Third Thursday" socials on Cà d’Zan's terrace, lectures, workshops, children’s programs, teacher training sessions, and public tours. The Museum also houses an art conservation laboratory, a 65,000 volume art library, and archives. Beginning in January, 2006, a series of new buildings will open, which includes the Circus Museum's Tibbals Learning Center celebrating the Circus, a Visitors Pavilion featuring the reinstalled Asolo Theater, new The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art was created in 1927 by John and Mable Ringling for the people of Florida. Having made a fortune through the family-owned circus and, later through real estate and railroads ventures, John Ringling amassed an art collection of over 600 paintings, sculptures, and various decorative arts including more than 25 tapestries. Actively collecting for the Museum over the period from 1924 to 1931, Ringling and his wife, Mable, gathered important works by Cranach, Rubens, Poussin, Hals, Van Dyck, Guercino and other major artists who worked primarily from 1500 to about 1750. The Old Master collection, now including approximately 750 paintings, is the most important area of the Museum's holdings. Within it are Italian paintings that are among the rarest and most celebrated in the United States. The Museum's art collection now consists of over 10,000 objects that include a wide variety of paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photographs and decorative arts from ancient through contemporary periods and from throughout the world. The bay front estate is located on the West Coast of Florida in the city of Sarasota (Sarasota County), just south of the city of Bradenton and the Manatee County lines.

http://www.ringling.org/index.asp