Orlando

Welcome to the ultimate family destination!

With its many theme parks, water parks and shows, Orlando is sure to dazzle young and old alike.

Just like in Las Vegas, visitors often feel like they have arrived in an unreal, imaginary world...
 

Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort, the city's biggest attraction, includes among others 4 theme parks and 2 water parks, each of which creates its own universe.

There is so much to do and see that special training sessions are even offered in some countries to ensure that future visitors don't miss out on anything! To make the most of your time and money, it is strongly recommended that you plan your stay before you go by carefully studying the maps of each park and having a good idea of the attractions, character visits and other activities that interest you.

Here is a summary of what to expect:

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom Park is divided into 6 themed "lands":

• Main Street USA: the look and feel of small-town America at the turn of the 20^th century.
• Adventureland: welcome to the jungle and the world of Pirates of the Caribbean and Aladdin.
• Frontierland: find yourself in the heart of the Far West between 1790 and 1880.
• Liberty Square: this reproduction of a public square in the days of American independence pays tribute to the 13 American colonies, the Liberty Tree in Boston, and Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania.
• Fantasyland: home of the iconic Cinderella Castle. Step into a fairy tale world and immerse yourself in the magic of Disney.
• Tomorrowland: depicts a fantastical view of the future.
   

Must-see attractions include Pirates of the Caribbean, Big thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Mickey's PhilharMagic (3D movie), Space Mountain and much more.

When it comes to shows, be sure to catch Let the Magic Begin parades, and the Disney Enchantment firework in the evening and the new Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade.

1180 Seven Seas Drive, Orlando (Exit 64 on Interstate 4).
 

Epcot

Epcot Theme Park is divided into two sections:

• Future World, where avant-garde technology meets Disney creativity to create an imaginary world of tomorrow.
• World Showcase, which features 11 pavilions representing different countries such as Canada, France, Norway, Germany, China, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Italy, Japan and the U.S.
   

Must-see attractions include Soarin' Over the World (a unique hang-gliding adventure over famous places around the world), Mission Space (mission to Mars), Test Track (buckle your seatbelt for a fast-paced car ride), The Seas with Nemo and Friends (an adventure to find Nemo) and Frozen Ever After (for fans of Frozen).

In the evening, don’t miss the Harmonious fireworks show.

200 Epcot Center Drive, Orlando (Exit 67 on Interstate 4)

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Lights... Camera... Action!

Hollywood invites you on the red carpet for an unforgettable experience filled with excitement and entertainment with its different sections: Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Animation Courtyard, Commissary Lane, Pixar Place, Grand Avenue, Toy Story Land and Star Wars:Galaxy's Edge.

You won't want to miss Toy Story Mania (enter the Toy Story Midway Games play set to battle 3D objects), Slinky Dog Dash (new family roller coaster), Alien Swirling Saucers (take a trip into space on board a toy rocket with the aliens from Toy Story), Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy (a oneof-a-kind show that will put you in the middle of the Disney and Pixar Cars universe), Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (a high-speed roller coaster ride to classic Aerosmith tunes), The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (take an elevator to the 13^th floor before plummeting to the ground), Star Tours: The Adventure Continue (make a jump to hyperspace to the world of Star Wars), and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Join the Resistance in an epic battle against the First Order).

In the evening, you can choose between Fantasmic, a show that will take you into Mickey's imagination as he dreams that he is a sorcerer's apprentice, featuring an array of Disney villains, heroes and princesses, or the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular with stage shows, action and adventure.

351 South Studio Drive, Orlando (Exit 65 on Interstate 4)

Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom, the largest theme park in the world, will transport you to the heart of fascinating animal realms with its different themed areas: Oasis, Discovery Island (with the famous Tree of Life at the centre), Dinoland USA, Asia, Rafiki's Planet Watch (a wildlife conservation station and veterinary centre), Africa, and Pandora: The World of Avatar (based on the hit motion picture).

The park's main attractions include Kilimanjaro Safaris (a realistic safari in the heart of the African savanna), Expedition Everest (ride Disney's highest roller coaster to the top of Everest), Dinosaur (travel back in time in a Time Rover on a perilous prehistoric race to rescue a dinosaur), Avatar Flight of Passage (fly on the back of a mountain banshee over the unique landscapes of Pandora), Na'vi River Journey (navigate deep into Pandora's magnificent magical forest).

2901 Osceola Pkwy, Orlando (Exit 65 on Interstate 4)
 

And there's more…

Other parks and services at Disney World include:

• Disney's Typhoon Lagoon:
  
  This water park, which opened in 1989, offers a white sand beach, a large wave pool in which you can even take a surf lesson, several types of water slides, a 640-metre-long river that you can float down on an inner tube, and a saltwater lagoon where you can swim with the sharks, rays and tropical fish. Visit disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/destinations/typhoon-lagoon for more 'information.
  
  1145 East Buena Vista Drive, Orlando (Exit 67 on Interstate 4)
   
• Disney's Blizzard Beach:
  
  The theme of this water park, which first opened in 1995, is that it is a former ski resort that was transformed into a watery wonderland when the snow melted. The park features Mount Gushmore, with one of the world's tallest water slides, a white sand beach, a river you can float down on an inner tube like at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, several water slides, and a fun play area for the little ones. See disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/destinations/blizzard-beach for more details.
  
  1534 Blizzard Beach Drive, Orlando (Exit 65 on Interstate 4)
   
• Disney Springs:
  
  Formerly known as Downtown Disney, this shopping and entertainment complex features one hundred shops, sixty restaurants and bars, and a variety of attractions. Take a flight over Disney Springs in the world’s largest helium balloon, hand-painted and created by Aerophile, or watch in wonder as the beauty of Disney animation blends with the thrilling spectacle of Cirque du Soleil in Drawn to Life (new), where drawings come alive with dazzling acrobatic performances!
  
  1486 Buena Vista Drive, Orlando (Exit 67 on Interstate 4)

Universal Studios Florida

Immerse yourself in the world of cinema at Universal Studios, which opened its doors in 1990 and was designed by none other than the great Steven Spielberg!

Covering an area of 180 hectares, the park is divided into several themed areas. Here are the different sections and their main attractions:

Production Central

This area is filled with sets worthy of the greatest movie studios. Must-see attractions include:

• Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, an unforgettable adventure with the famous Minions.
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, a high-speed roller coaster that lets you choose the music you want to listen to during the ride.
• Transformers The Ride-3D: join the Transformers to save Earth from des mains de Megatron and his Decepticons, who are out to annihilate the human race.

New York

Take a trip back to the classic New York of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The Race through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon attraction invites you onto the set of the famous Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and a wild race across the city.

The Revenge of the Mummy ride will take you on one of the most unique and thrilling roller coaster experiences at Universal Orlando... if you dare!

San Francisco

After New York, take a trip to the lovely city of San Francisco. Fast & Furious - Supercharged is a don't-miss attraction for Fast & Furious fans. 15 authentic Fast & Furious cars can be seen throughout the queue and even during the ride.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley

Immerse yourself in the fantastic world of Harry Potter and hop aboard the Hogwarts Express, the train that transports Harry to Hogwarts school of witchcraft every year (note that you need a Park-to-Park admission ticket to ride the Hogwarts Express). Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts will take you inside Gringotts Bank and deep into the vaults below, where you will face villains, trolls and other creatures alongside Harry, Hermione and Ron.

World Expo

World Expo was inspired by the great World's Fairs that took place around the world in the 1960s. Attractions include:

• Men in Black - Alien Attack: this attraction, based on the popular film series, will transport you to New York where, as a new MIB recruit, you must defeat a group of invading aliens.

Springfield: Home of the Simpsons

Yes, you are indeed in the land of the Simpsons!

In The Simpsons Ride, grab a seat with the Simpsons on a virtual reality roller coaster in Krusty the Clown's theme park, Krustyland, which is about to be sabotaged.

Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone

This area of the park is geared towards children. They will love the Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, a roller coaster designed especially for them! E.T. Adventure allows guests to board bikes and take off to the Green Planet to help E.T. save his home.

Hollywood!

While in the heart of Hollywood, take in the Universal Orlando's Horror Make-up Show, where you will learn how make-up and design is used to produce some of the scariest and realistic horror effects we see in movies and see props and memorabilia from some of the greatest horror films ever produced.

Universal Orlando Resort also has two other theme parks, namely Universal's Islands of Adventure, divided into six adventure-themed zones, and Universal Volcano Bay, a water park.

It is good to know that at Universal Orlando you can purchase a Universal Express Pass in addition to your theme park admission, which lets you skip the regular lines and use a special Express Pass line at most of the main rides and attractions.

Note that, like at Walt Disney World Resort, it is advisable to arrive early (30 minutes before opening) to make the most of your time and money. You can even purchase your tickets online (and take advantage of special offers) at www.universalorlando.com, which will also save you from having to wait in line when you get there.

6000 Universal Boulevard, Orlando

NEARBY

Legoland

Welcome to the world of LEGO! This interactive park has rides, attractions, shows and more, all inspired by LEGO brands and characters.

There is also a water park and LEGO-themed hotels. A LEGO-lovers' paradise!

1 Legoland Way, Winter Haven / 1-877-350-5346