Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. 6700 Forum Drive #100 Orlando, FL 32821 (407) 363-5872 (407) 370-5000 (fax) Population 164693 Time Zone Eastern Latitude/Longitude 28.53° /-81.37° Today's Forecast HIGH: 95 LOW: 75

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Attractions

Just down the road from Orlando, Disney World includes the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Disney-MGM Studios, the Disney Institute, three water theme parks, a zoological park and a growing number of resorts, golf courses, and campgrounds.

Universal Studios Florida is a combination theme park and movie studio that uses state-of-the-art special effects to give visitors the feeling that they are actually in a film. Major rides include Back to the Future--The Ride; E.T. Adventure, which takes visitors to E.T.'s home planet; Kongfrontation, featuring an attack by you-know-who; Earthquake, excitement that rates an 8.3 on the Richter scale; The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera; and Terminator 2 3-D, a virtual-reality adventure where you and Arnold Schwarzenegger fight side by side in one of the greatest cyber-wars of all time. The park also offers shows and tours that take you behind-the-scenes to see how movies are made.

Sea World of Florida, a popular marine life park, features shows, attractions, educational exhibits, and rides. For instance, Key West at Sea World features naturalistic habitats where visitors can see bottlenose dolphins, stingrays, and sea turtles up close. Wild Arctic begins with a simulated helicopter flight to the frozen north. After disembarking, visitors encounter polar bears, walruses, beluga whales, and harbor seals.

For a different type of aquatic experience, there is Wet 'n Wild. This water park offers many different rides in the wet, including the Bubba Tub; The Knee Ski; Black Hole, a raft ride in total darkness; Lazy River; and the Fuji Flyer, an in-line toboggan ride propelled by blasts of water.

For more water excitement, visit Gatorland where you can feed thousands of meat-eating alligators and crocodiles. Visitors enjoy the action from all-weather covered walkways. Gatorland also offers three different shows: Gator Jumparoo, Snakes of Florida, and Gator Wrestlin'.

The Orlando Museum of Art presents a fine collection of American art, featuring works by John Singer Sargent, Georgia O'Keeffe, Morris Louis, Jules Olitski, April Gornik, John Chamberlain, and sculpture by Malcolm Morley; pre-Columbian artifacts from over 30 different cultural groups; and African ceremonial and utilitarian artifacts from a number of West African cultures.

Among the plants featured in the Harry P. Leu Gardens are camellias, azaleas, roses, flowering trees, orchids, and perennials. A turn-of-the-century Florida farmhouse, the Leu House Museum is situated on 50 acres near a lake. Tours of the house and gardens are available daily.

For dining and shopping, visit downtown Orlando's historic Church Street Station [210000261. Collectibles, live entertainment, and the Historic Railroad Depot are featured attractions of this complex.

Sports fans will want to check the game schedules for the Orlando Magic (basketball), Rays (baseball), Predators (arena football), Jackals (roller hockey), and Solar Bears (hockey).

Orlando's central location also makes it easy to plan day trips to other Florida attractions, such as Busch Gardens, Cypress Gardens, and the Kennedy Space Center.

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