Florida is a state that is full of surprises, particularly if you wander off the well beaten tourist track for at least a day or two of your holiday. For example, ask anyone to name the biggest city in Florida and you'll most likely get Miami or Orlando as a reply. In fact Jacksonville in north East Florida is not only home to more people than both of those cities combined, it is the biggest city by area in the entire USA!
Florida can be divided into four distinct regions with most tourists visiting Central Florida and its theme parks, or South Florida, home to Miami, the Everglades and the Florida Keys. North Florida, home to Jacksonville, is further up the map and as you travel west around the Gulf Of Mexico you enter the Florida Panhandle, home of the state capital Tallahassee.
Florida is the home of the theme park, but another interesting fact - none of them are actually in Orlando! The world famous Disney World for example is 35 miles south in Lake Buena Vista.
Walt Disney World is a city in its own right, and is home to four theme parks - The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Walt Disney World also has the world's two most popular water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and the newer Blizzard Beach. Downtown Disney and Disney's Boardwalk are entertainment and shopping districts in their own right.
Obviously a day is nowhere near enough to experience the magic that Disney World has to offer. That's where a multi-day pass comes in handy.
A Five Day Premium Pass giving you five days unlimited admission to the four Disney theme parks over a 14 day period plus five visits to any combination of Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Pleasure Island in the Downtown Disney area, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park (excludes prize play games) and the Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex during the same 14 days is available for £241 for adults and children 10 and over and £210 for children aged 3-9. You can buy them before you go to Orlando and your 14 day period starts from the first day you use your tickets. For just a few pounds more, you can also get a Seven Day Premium Pass, a 14 Day Premium Pass or a 21 DAy Premium Pass.
Other theme parks near Orlando include Universal Orlando Resort with its Universal Studios Florida and Islands Of Adventure parks, Seaworld and its new water park Aquatica, Discovery Cove, Wet N Wild, Holy Land And Gatorland. Harry Potter fans will be delighted to hear that Islands Of Adventure are planning a new Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed land which is due to open in 2010.
If one of the things you want to do before you die is swim with dolphins, then a visit to Discovery Cove is a must. There, away from the queues and crowds, you can swim and play with bottle-nosed dolphins in their tropical lagoon. You can also head to the Ray Lagoon where you can snorkel, wade and play with hundreds of gentle southern and cownose rays. You must be over six years old to swim with the dolphins, but you do not need to be able to swim.
Only 1,000 people are admitted into Discovery Cove every day so it is essential you plan ahead. For the best value, get a Discovery Cove Ultimate Adventure Package which entitles you to 14 days unlimited admission to SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Aquatica. Again you can buy this before you travel. Including the swim with dolphins, it costs £233 (low season) and £259 (high season). Tickets for those wishing to accompany swimmers are also available.
If you have already swum with dolphins and want to try something a little more exotic, head for the Crystal River and an opportunity to Swim With Manatees. The package includes transport to and from Orlando, buffet breakfast, a leisurely boat ride on the Crystal River to see the manatee, loan of mask, snorkel and fins, a packed lunch, a 45 minute airboat adventure on the beautiful Homosassa River and entrance into Homosassa State Wildlife Park. During October to March, manatee numbers can reach several hundred so this is the best time to go (the population falls to below 80 during the summer months and contact with manatees isn't guaranteed then).
The Astronaut Training Programme at Kennedy Space Center, 45 minutes east of Orlando, is another fantastic day out. You need to be at least 14 years of age to take part in the four hour long experience that immerses you in Astronaut training and offers an exciting combination of hands-on training activities and simulation experiences designed to introduce you for the rigours of space flight. It costs £81.00 per person and operates on Saturdays throughout the year (shuttle launches permitting!).
If you want to get away from the madding crowds for an hour or so, how about a private hot air balloon ride for two over the Orlando countryside? Departing from several locations in the Disney area just before dawn, you'll have a bird's eye view over the Orlando area including theme parks, orange groves, forests and swamps. The price for a couple is £409, but the balloon can hold up to 14 people and you can add more people to your party if you wish to at an additional cost.
Another fantastic day away from Orlando is the Everglades And Miami Tour. After an early morning departure from Orlando, you head to vibrant Miami, with its heavy Cuban accent, palm fringed beaches and striking Art-Deco architecture. The tour then continues to one of America's greatest natural wonders and the largest remaining swampland in the world, the Everglades. Then it's all aboard for an exciting narrated airboat ride across the 'River Of Grass' where you’ll see alligators and turtles amongst other wildlife in this natural wetland habitat. After dinner you will board the Star Island boat ride for a glimpse of the homes of the rich and famous and then you'll be able to unwind for an hour and a half on a South Florida beach before being taken back to Orlando. The tour costs £84 per adult and £71 per child.
