Theme Parks, Orlando

One of the best things about Disney is how the FastPass system can really work to your advantage.

Although getting to the parks early is always best if you want to avoid the crowds, it's always a good idea to have a quick look & the park map & plan which attractions you want to hit first - go & ride one, & get a fastpass for the other......so when you're busy on the first ride, you've still got a slot for another lined up - without having the queue along with everyone else, which takes up more of your day.

We'd always get a new fastpass as soon as we could - you usually have to wait 1 hour after getting 1 fastpass before you can get another, but it's definitely worth doing! All you do is insert your park pass into booths near busy attractions & you get a little ticket with a time when you can enter the fastpass queue, which is alot shorter than the regular line!

Disney have a free FP system - Universal did, but have now decided to go with the 'Express Plus' system - very similar, but you have to pay for the priviledge.

And parents - if you don't want to ride something, but your kids do....use all your tickets, so they can have more than one go :D

This theme park offers you a tour of the country of China. It has all the famous, ancient sights of China in miniature models or replicas. This includes the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terra Cotta Warriors, and many more. The park also offers live performances of acrobatics, which is just unbelievably spectacular. These are top entertainers from China.

This park is for everyone, especially those who are interested in the history and culture of China. If you have children, they may find this park a little boring compared to Walt Disney World. But they definitely won't be bored with the shows. But I enjoyed this place a lot, and the admission price is cheap.

UPDATE: This park is now closed.

This is one of my favorite places to visit. My sister and I went last year; our first time in 10 years. It's funny, the majority of it has not changed but it's always a fun time. Technology, 3D, energy and dinosaurs are the themes of some of the different exhibits you can visit. Most rides are slow and are accommodating to all people. The best thing about this place is the way your imagination can carry you away.

This is the best theme park in Orlando if not anywhere. All the rides are extremely brilliant! The 3D spiderman ride is awesome, we went on it about 6 times and never got bored! the Hulk ride (apparantly- i am too scaredy to go on it!) Is outta this world! I don want to give away too many secrets of the rides cos half the fun is finding out for yourself! Jurrassic park is a surprising stomach lurcher
And... the best ride DUELLING DRAGONS its fantastic, now I did go on this one but never managed to open my eyes - but it felt great!
Apparantly some guy lost his artificial leg on this ride, so make sure your stuff is secure befor going on!
This beats Disney and universal studios itself, dont miss out!
Theres also a Dr Seuss bit if you have any little ones.

This is the fourth of the major Disney theme parks. I visited here only once, unfortunately in the summertime, which I would strongly advise against. Animal Kingdom is an interesting park to visit once, preferably in conjunction with some other parks.

Perhaps it was the heat, but there was little here that appealed to me. The dinosaur ride was interesting as were the exhibits. The water rapids ride was a welcome relief on a hot July day and much better than the boat cruise. The safari is one of the most popular attractions, but I didn't find it particularly fascinating. There is an impressive collection of wild animals, but even those imported from the warmest regions of Africa were not liking the Orlando heat too much. We did catch a show about insects, but I found it more creepy than entertaining.

After having visited all the other parks umpteen times as a child and a teenager, its possible that the theme park experiences have become repetitive to me which has likely influenced my opinion of this place. Still, I wouldn't recommend the Animal Kingdom to anyone with only one day to spend in the theme park region. Its worth a visit in the cooler months of the year, but only for about 3/4 of a day at most.

MGM Studios is Disney Park #3. Before the opening of Universal Studios, this park was Disney's answer to the Universal theme park in Anaheim. Oddly enough, MGM Studios more resembles Universal in Anaheim than the Orlando version of Universal Studios.

The park has a tram tour which passes some of the sets used in movies and popular tv shows and has effects such as the stunt scene with fire and flooding. The Chinese Theatre experience is the best attraction in the park, again in my opinion. There is a roller coaster and the Tower of Terror Ride, which I went on mistakenly one time thinking it didn't actually free fall 50 feet. In case you're wondering, it does. That is also the entire purpose of the ride. So if you don't like the feeling of your stomach rising to the top of your chest, you may want to skip this one. There are also a couple of 3D movies and a simulated ride attraction in addition to some shows and the usual assortment of shops and restaurants.

This is a park worth visiting at least once. Its a toss up as to which is a better bet, MGM or Universal, if time allows you to choose only one. Since the theme parks sell most of their tickets in multi day passes these days, your best bet is to visit this one if you've purchased a multi day Disney pass.

Epcot was the second of the Disney parks to open in the area. It is divided into two sections: Futureworld and World Showcase.

Futureworld is a series of rides and exhibits organized into separate pavilions which each have a theme: space, the land, the ocean, energy and the human body. All have a theme park style ride or simulated attraction inside. Futureworld also contains two rides geared more towards kids and adventure seekers: Journey Into Imagination and Test Track.

World Showcase is a World's Fair of different countries which circle the lagoon and is designed to recreate certain aspects of each country being represented. The United States is found at the center and the World Showcase is supposed to represent a league of friendship among the nations. Cast members who work in each section dress in costume, music is played and most have a short film which either tells the history of the country or shows photos of the landscape. Mexico and Norway also each have a boat ride. You won't leave the World Showcase with the feeling of having actually visited any of countries (although, sadly, some visitors feel that they have), but the World Showcase does strive to be authentic in its models of certain landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, its depiction of the streets of Germany and the recreation of the Mexican marketplace. Most of the food is unimpressive and highly Americanized, although the French pastry shop has some great desserts.

The park is more for adults and older children, although the imagination pavilion has a 3D movie and exhibits that are more child-friendly. In the evenings, there is a laser light show across the lagoon followed by fireworks, which is worth seeing at least once.

If you need to choose between Universal Studios or Island of Adventure, don’t be afraid and chose the second one…..They have two fantastic coasters there: Hulk and the Dragons one….it’s awesome!!!!!
If you only have one day, buy the combo ticket for the 2 parks….But go to the Island first!!!!!!

The Holy Land Experience is very near Orlando. There are plenty of hotels close by in the area. For people who might enjoy visiting the Holy Land, this is a chance to spend a day in the sights and sounds of Israel while enjoying the comforts of Orlando, Florida.
They have restaurants at the park that serve food that is reflective of the Middle East.

This is by far the most thrilling indoor attraction at all of Disney's theme parks.

The equipments are state-of-the-art and the instructions, space-crafts, feeling when you are in the space craft simulates the real thing!

The good part is, you get a sense of how it must be like for an astronomer going through training and going in a rocket through space.
The bad part though, is it is one hell of a nasty experience! Most people come out feeling dizzy and nauseous. I was told it was due to the simulations of pressure they exert on you when you were inside the space-craft.

But if you can't stand the ride, you can always go to the "entertainment room" of this Space Center and send "Space Videos" for free to your family/friends! It's a totally cool feature! And you get to place computer space games too! This is the place for people who still want an experience of space but can't stand the actual ride itself.