Spooky In Orlando

This weekend see Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend is a three day event that takes place in Orlando, FL, and celebrates all things horror. The event includes celebrity autograph signings, live music, tattooing, film festival, video gaming, costume contest, Q&As, and seminars. Spooky Empire is ready for their seventh year and have an excellent show in store once again! They've lined up some of the freshest new guests to appear at Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend, being held this year on October 9-11, 2009 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive.

Some of the guests to appear so far are The Masters of Horror - George Romero "Dawn of the Dead", John Landis "American Werewolf in London", and Herschell Gordon Lewis "2,000 Maniacs", Adrienne Barbeau "The Fog", Linda Blair "The Exorcist", and Fairuza Balk from "The Craft". From Alfred Hitchcock's legendary film "The Birds" Tippi Hedren will be appearing, as well as Sid Haig and Bill Moseley of Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects".

There will be a "Jason" Reunion with special guests Derek Mears, Kane Hodder and. C.J. Graham. Come and meet the daughter of the legendary movie monster Boris Karloff - Sara Karloff. Also come and meet special guest Brian Krause, best known as Leo in the "Charmed" television series and Stephen King's "Sleepwalkers", this is his first convention appearance.

Other guests include Jason London from "Dazed and Confused", "Creature from the Black Lagoon" Ricou Browning, and from "Night of the Creeps" Jill Whitlow and Jason Lively. There will also be a "Halloween II" reunion with the original cast.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

2 men are Orlando's worst red-light runners caught on camera

If you drive on Orlando roads, you might look out for a silver Jeep Liberty and a red Nissan pickup — especially at intersections. The owners of those two vehicles are tied for the title of Orlando's biggest red-light scofflaw. Each has received six citations for ignoring red lights at intersections equipped with automatic cameras.

Records reviewed by the Orlando Sentinel show that a Nissan truck registered to Joseph Bowie and a Jeep SUV registered to Carlos Mendes have been caught by Orlando's traffic cameras running more red lights than anyone else. Both have the same favorite intersection: All 12 infractions were at the intersection of Conroy and Vineland roads.

Bowie and Mendes could not be reached for comment.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do In Orlando : Animal Kingdom

Disney’s 500-acre Animal Kingdom is the newest Disney theme park in Orlando themed entirely around animal conservation. Natural-habitat exhibits are home to more than 1,700 animals representing 250 species. The promotion of the nurture and care of these animals is a major objective of the park. The excitement begins at the Oasis. In this beautiful area of lush fauna and tumbling waterfalls, guests can observe several amazing animals such as the giant anteater, exotic boar, and Hyacinth Macaw.

Guests can also explore several different paths leading to fun and excitement and cross the bridge to Discovery Island. Discover Island is the center of the Kingdom where guests can enjoy more animals as well as a variety of adventures. These animals in their natural habitats and the attractions creatively created around them make Animal Kingdom an exciting learning adventure for the entire family.

Major Attractions

You will find several major attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You can explore Africa through the Kilimanjaro Safaris and Pangani Forest Exploration Trail or you can get a good taste of Asia by experiencing the Expedition Everest and the Kali River Rapids. Rafiki’s Planet Watch attractions include Affection Section, Conservation Station, Discovery Island Trails, and Habitat Habit demonstrate the kingdoms commitment to conservation awareness..

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Summer Of Rock For Orlando

It's summer time and though the living may be easy, the rocking will be full-tilt and long lasting thanks to many blasts from the retro-past heading out on the road in Orlando this summer. And many of summer's biggest names are playing a venue near you, or no further than an hour or two at the most away. Ready to celebrate major anniversaries and feelin' just peachy keen, the Allman Brothers Band returns June 5-6 to Live Oak, where they will headline the Wanee Festival's two days of vibes after sitting out last year due to Gregg Allman's bout with Hepatitis C.

They'd rather eat a rotten peach than miss this year: Traditionally headlined by the Allmans, the Wanee spree marks its fifth anniversary with next weekend's fest. And the band itself will celebrate 40 years of whipping musical posts around the world by playing its blend of Southern-brewed rock, blues, jazz and country on both nights at the festival.

Wanee is an Allman family affair, of course: Guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks are doing double duty again with their respective other bands (Gov't Mule in Hayne's case), and the midnight appearance by Trucks' band on Friday will likely feature his wife Susan Tedeschi, who also appears in the lineup on her own right.

Also, blues guitarist Buddy Guy has recently joined this year's 22-act bill, which also includes The Doobie Brothers, Little Feat, Umphrey's McGee, Arc Angels, The Wailers (performing the "Exodus" album), Dead-man drumming Bill Kreutzmann, former Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tune guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and others.

Speaking of jazz-rock, country-rock and jam-band psychedelia, the down-the-road St. Augustine Amphitheatre will be a shrine to all three '70s sounds this summer with a quadrophenia of ear-appealing shows.

Whenever age-old bands hit the road, it's easy to crack that they're paying for new manses in the Hills, but Steely Dan has beaten us to the punch with its "Rent Party '09" tour, which will pay the bills in St. Augustine on June 18 (and in Orlando at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre on June 15).

The spirit of the granddaddy of jam-rockers, the Grateful Dead, is alive and well with Bob Weir & Ratdog when the former Dead guitarist brings his solo band to the amphitheater on July 17. And Jackson Browne will show that time can conquer all for retro rockers when his "Time the Conqueror" tour (named after last year's album of the same name) plays the amphitheater on Aug. 7.

But the coup that will make virtually the entire summer shine for the coastal venue comes when Crosby, Stills & Nash roll out the sound of Woodstock at the amphitheater on Aug. 23 - exactly 40 years and six days after they played the real thing

Not to be outdone, Judas Priest and Whitesnake will crank it up to 11 at the amphitheatre on Aug. 15, and filling in the cracks in St. Augustine this summer will be The Offspring on July 17, Counting Crows with Michael Franti & Spearhead on Aug. 14 (with tickets on sale 10 a.m. Friday) and O.A.R. on Aug. 28.

To the northeast, country and folk are holding sway in Jacksonville with Toby Keith playing the Veterans Memorial Arena on June 28 (and Tampa's Ford Amphitheatre June 26), and Rascal Flatts with guest Darius Rucker doing similar double duty at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on July 23 (with tickets on sale 10 a.m. Saturday) and the Ford Amphitheatre on July 25.

The Tampa/Orlando rock belt will keep the retro sounds going all summer long as well, with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Kid Rock teaming up again at the Ford Amphitheatre on June 27, and pop-rocker crooners Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald working their hits July 2 at Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall. The big sound, big hair (and big beards in one case) will romp forth the rest of the summer at the Ford in Tampa, where Aerosmith and ZZ Top will blow their fans' top if not their cochlea on July 11; Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick will do the same on Aug. 14; and Motley Crue searches for the Aqua Net on Aug. 28.

Lastly, the Ford will say so long to summer with Depeche Mode's "Tour of the Universe" on Sept. 4. The date will presumably allow plenty of time for singer Dave Gahan to recuperate from an illness that has canceled several shows this month on the tour in Europe.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Free Movies In Orlando

Go to the movies for free in Orlando. Regal Theaters is once again offering their Free Family Film Festival. Started back in 1991 Regal Theaters offers free G and PG movies, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10am during the summer. Starting June 9 and ending August 5, it's nine weeks of fun free movies When you visit the Regal Theaters link you will find the participating theaters, the movies they are showing, and the show times for Florida.

In the Orlando area there are four theaters you can choose from; The Loop Stadium 16, Waterford Lakes Stadium 20 & IMAX, Oviedo Stadium 22, and Winter Park Stadium 20.

The movies vary from theater to theater so if there is one you want to see and can't make it on the date it is being shown at one theater check the other theater listings. Chances are you will be able to catch it at one of the other Regal Theaters. Seating is first come, first served, limited to theater capacity so plan on getting to the theater early.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do In Orlando : Discovery Cove

One of the most amazing things you can do whilst in Orlando is the Dolphin Swim Experience - Make a friend that will live in your heart forever when you experience the highlight of your day, a one-on-one dolphin encounter. Learn about dolphin behavior and communication. Wade into the dolphin lagoon. Come nose to bottlenose with one of these fascinating and intelligent animals, take hold of its dorsal fin and hold on for the ride of a lifetime.

The highlight of a visit to Discovery Cove is the opportunity to swim with a bottlenose dolphin during a 30-minute interactive adventure. Accompanied by a trainer, groups of six to eight guests wade into shallow water and become acquainted with their dolphin through hugs, kisses and rubdowns. Then, taking the adventure one step further, guests interact with their dolphin in deeper water for an exciting dorsal fin tow ride back to shore.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Orlando Attractions : The Manta

The Manta flying coaster creates a new level of immersion into the animal world -- in a way only SeaWorld Orlando can do -- enveloping riders in a sensation of oneness with the ocean's most powerful and graceful creature as they soar, dive and plummet through the air.. and at times within inches of the sea. The journey begins the second guests enter a mythical village filled with artisan-created engravings and artwork that celebrate ray legend and lore. No ordinary queue line - the attraction starts with the first step inside.

Anticipation builds as guests wind through caverns adorned with ray-inspired art in marble, jewels, and mosaics, all hand-created and left behind by artists who were moved to pay tribute to the beauty, grace and intrigue of these animals.

Whether guests choose to ride or not, the attraction is a world unto itself. Floor-to-ceiling windows create mesmerizing face-to-fin encounters with 300 rays, as well as thousands of fish and mysterious creatures native to oceans all over the world. Shark rays, spotted eagles rays, leopard rays, cownose rays, and oscillate river rays float past guests with fluidity and grace in a view new to SeaWorld. Enhancing the feeling of awe, elaborate lighting, sound and rushing waterfalls further submerge guests into this underwater universe.

The experience then evolves from seeing ... to being.

Inspired by the underwater flight of these powerful creatures, guests will fly face-down, in a horizontal position, underneath the belly of a coaster train shaped as a giant manta. With a wing span of 12 feet, the giant manta will soar over sea and sky in the most graceful flying coaster ever created.

Gliding, swooping and diving up to nearly 60 mph, through four inversions on 3,359 feet of track, riders will feel as if they are a ray, taking flight effortlessly from sky to sea -- so close at times that the Manta's wings skim the waves.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do In Orlando : GatorLand

Florida is well known for beaches, theme parks and entertainment. Many who travel to Florida have also found themselves attracted to GatorLand, better known as the “Alligator Capital of the World”. Of all the places there are to visit in Orlando this has become a very popular attraction among both tourists and locals. This natural habitat features, not only various local and international wildlife such as crocodiles and alligators, it also features a water park area that is fun for both children and adults of all ages.

GatorLand has fast become a highly popular park to visit in Orlando, Florida. For those who plan on taking their vacation in Orlando and visiting theme parks such as Disney World or Universal Studios, keep in mind that GatorLand is only a few minutes away and all of the animals and staff are just waiting to entertain you, your family and your friends.

GatorLand is located just a short distance away from the most popular theme parks such as Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. Featuring 110-acres of wildlife and adventure, this park sits ideally close to the Kissimmee border. Family entertainment has been this parks main feature since opening in 1949 by featuring displays of crocodiles straight out of the jungles of Asia, Africa, South America, and of course, or locally loved crocs and gators as well.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do In Orlando : Aquatica

ising up in Orlando is a whimsical, one-of-a- kind water park only SeaWorld could create – Aquatica. Opened in March 2008, Aquatica blends up close animal experiences, waters from serene to extreme, high-speed thrills and wide, sandy beaches.

“SeaWorld is famous for immersing guests in the mystery of the sea and its animals,” said Jim Atchison, executive vice president and general manager of SeaWorld Orlando. “Aquatica takes this immersion to a new level, inviting guests to play in, over, and under the water itself.”

Setting foot into Aquatica, guests immediately experience the vastness of nearly 60 acres of lush landscape inspired by the vivid color, stunning flora and carefree personality of the South Sea Islands. Reminiscent of the rugged beauty of New Zealand, Australia and New Guinea, the landscape of Aquatica is striking. Crystal-blue rivers wind through hidden grottos and refreshing waterfalls, while rich greenery and bright flowers adorn towering rock formations.

Peeking through this verdant landscape, brightly colored, quirky buildings topped with swooping, pitched roofs create an uplifting, carefree setting. Colorful, whimsical animals – derivative patterns from New Zealand’s Maori culture – adorn carved totem poles and interactive fountains.

Live animals from lands all over the world including Commerson’s dolphins, brilliant macaws and colorful fish bring to life the park’s playful, high-energy nature.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do In Orlando : Wet n Wild

You’ll see one of the park’s most popular attractions from the street. The Black Hole is a massive structure made of twisting black tubes that looks like a huge spacecraft. 1,000 gallons of water per minute flow through the tubes to propel your two-man raft through 500 feet of twists and turns in thirty seconds. You shoot through the tubes in complete darkness for a ride that’s really out of this world.

Other tubing attractions include The Fuji Flyer, a 6-story toboggan ride and The Surge, one of the longest and fastest water tube rides in the Southeast.
Another hot attraction at Wet n’ Wild is the Hydra Fighter. This fun attraction places you in a swing that is equipped with water cannons. By manipulating the direction and pressure of the water cannon, you can control the velocity of the swing. This is a new attraction to Wet n Wild, so be prepared to wait.

If all these rides sound too wild, there are plenty of more sedate options. You can take an inflated tube ride around the park in The Wild One or splash around in the playground. There’s even a video arcade for land-lubbers.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do In Orlando : Islands Of Adventure

The most amazing piece of this world class facility is now open. Creative consultant Steven Spielberg has put together the most thrilling and technologically advanced rides and attractions ever made at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Your journey begins at the exotic Port of EntrySM and takes you through five uniquely themed islands. - Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon and Marvel Super Hero Island.

Islands of Adventure is home to roller coasters, water rides, shows, and Dr. Seuss land. You can even do both parks in one day, especially with the use of Universal Express. This additional option allows you to jump to the front of the line. Creating a better use of your time in the parks since you would not have to wait as long in line.

Island of Adventures includes the Incredible Hulk Coaster, which accelerated me and turned my body every imaginable way in a matter of moments. Hold onto your hats because they will blow off this exciting coaster. Doctor Doom’s Fearfall tests your fear of heights and uses it to conquer the Universe. I think he sucked some fear out of me. Spiderman is high tech 3-D and the ride of your life. Dueling Dragons is a coaster that flips and twists and just goes all over the place. There are two coasters for the same line, which is nice because it makes the line move very quickly. Each coaster is different. Watch out, they might crash together. Plenty of rides to get soaked on, make sure to take a tour of the dinosaurs at Jurassic Park, they are real. Finally, visit Seuss Landing no matter what age you are, it is sure to brighten up your day.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do On Your Florida Vacation : Silver Springs

Silver Springs is located on highway 40 off of Interstate 75. This park is home to animals, natural springs, and Wild Water water park. 2 parks in one are the appeal of the park. Enjoy natural Florida wildlife and the thrill of choosing to get wet!

Welcome to Silver Springs. There are plenty of different ways to tour the park: two boat rides, a Jeep safari, and walking around the park. These different tours offer additional adventure to the park. These rides allow you to view additional wildlife. There is a variety of wildlife in this park. There are plenty of alligators to view and watch. Some of them were pretty active, especially if you went during the feeding time. Local Florida wildlife, such as: black bears panthers, birds, and deer. They also had a large assortment of African wildlife, including giraffes, monkeys, llamas, zebras, speckled deer, long horned sheep, and sloths. There was a petting zoo for the kids, shows held throughout the day, and plenty of opportunities to view certain wildlife up close.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do On Your Florida Vacation : Cypress Gardens

Enjoy a variety of daily shows at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, including comedy, song and dance, magic and more. The water ski capital of the world lives on, as skiers take to the water and sky in an explosive show that will leave guests laughing as well as gasping in wonder at gravity defying feats. Water of the frozen sort is the stage of choice at the Royal Palm Theater as Cypress Gardens on Ice skates to life. The Southern Belles are back to grace the gardens, Jubilee Junction comes alive with music and visitors can discover the enchantment of the Living Garden.

With more than three dozen rides, screams of joy are now as common as the flower blossoms at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park. The park offers a great selection of children’s favorites, fun for the whole family attractions and heart-pounding thrill rides, including 4 coasters and the world’s tallest spinning rapids ride. Discover two adventure zones filled with exhilarating attractions. Rides in Paradise Pier are set along a boardwalk in the style reminiscent of old-style amusement parks and Adventure Grove offers excitement set amongst a backdrop of the park’s natural beauty.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do On Your Florida Vacation : Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens is located just North of Interstate 4 on Interstate 75, right outside of Tampa. Busch Gardens is located about 1 hours from Orlando, FL. Busch Gardens contains wildlife and wild rides. Soar at 60 mph on the world’s two tallest inverted roller coaster, then trek the plains of Africa, escape from fiery volcanoes, or cool off on unforgettable white-water adventure rides.

his park is ideal for any family. There are exciting rides for the thrill seekers and shows and wildlife for those who are not. The thing I loved the most about this park was the lack of waiting in line. Of all the amusement parks that I had the opportunity to attend, Busch Garden’s lines were the shortest. I had the opportunity to ride roller coasters twice in a row without having to wait more then a half an hour. There were 2 large steel roller coasters and 2 large wooden roller coasters. Other coasters in the park were made in the late 80’s and are fun, but not as impressive. If you are a roller coaster fanatic, be sure to ride the Montu. The Montu is a hanging coaster. This ranks in the top ten for longest roller coasters. It is full of loops and tunnels, flips, and goes 65mph, a must do.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do In Orlando : Visit Sea World

Sea World of Florida Orlando, the world’s most popular marine-life park, brings education, research and conservation together in an entertaining and fun-filled way. Your entire family can feed a dolphin, pet a stingray and learn about the animals inhabiting our oceans. Sea World of Florida has an impressive line-up of five new shows. Cirque de la Mer kicks off the line-up blending athleticism, acrobatics, comedy and dramatic music and effects in a non-traditional circus setting.

Sea World continues its rescue efforts in the new show, “Pets on Stage”, which features a cast of performing pets adopted from animal shelters.

To complete the exciting lineup, Sea World will soon be introducing three more new shows: “The Shamu Adventure”, with Jack Hanna as host; a water-ski show featuring daring new thrills and stunts, and “Clyde and Seamore Take Treasure Island”, which will star Sea World’s favorite sea lion team.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Things To Do In Orlando : Universal Studios

Universal Studios Escape in Orlando has developed into a vacation destination beyond your imagination. It will set the standard for entertainment well into the millennium. Universal Studios Escape is a combination of many world class and technologically unique facilities: Universal Studios Florida is the largest working film and television production studio outside Hollywood.

With more than 40 incredible rides, shows, movie sets and attractions, The No. 1 Movie Studio and Theme Park in the World is the only place on earth where you can Live The Movies! Universal Studios CityWalk is an unparalleled entertainment, dining and shopping complex featuring famous name restaurants and nightclubs. Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, with state-of-the-art rides and attractions, will carry us into the next millennium and beyond.

Universal Studios Escape is situated on more than 840 acres. It would take more pages than are in a Best Read Guide to tell you all about it, but follow through for a brief taste of the “Orlando Vacation Destination for the 21st Century”.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Golf Courses In Orlando Part 1

With more than 300 days of sunshine every year, you’ll want to spend some quality time outdoors on your Orlando holiday. Thankfully, with almost 200 golf courses within an hour’s drive of Orlando, you’ll find plenty of reasons to head outside for some fun in the sun.

Eagles, birdies and pars are filling the scorecards at the Orlando-area golf courses that are designed by famed architects such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Robert Trent Jones and Tom Watson. Signature holes designed by these pros ensure that you find just the right degree of challenge on Orlando’s links. If you don’t want to bring your clubs, don’t worry. Orlando’s award-winning pro shops can outfit you - from rental clubs to the latest golf fashions.

Here are a small selection of courses;

Hawks Landing Golf Club Par: 72 6,810 Yards
Robert E. Cupp. Jr. redesigned Joe Lee’s original layout at the Orland World Center Marriott into the exquisite course now known as Hawk’s Landing. At 6810 yards from the back tees, the course was stretched out another 500+ yards to meet championship length standards, while featuring large Tifdwarf Bermuda greens, water on 15 holes (including the entire back nine) and gently undulating fairways. The demanding 18th, a 565 yard par 5, has quickly become the signature of the course. The golf staff at Hawk’s Landing has been consistently recognized for exemplary customer service.

Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club - Par: 72 7,227 Yards
A truly unique layout, this award-winning course has been ranked among the Top 100 Courses in America by Golfweek and awarded four stars by Golf Digest. Steve Smyer’s design features imaginative bunkering and large sandy scrub areas that line dramatically rolling fairways. Unusual for Central Florida, the course has elevation changes of up to 100 feet and a series of huge dunes that give it even more character. Best of all, the Tidfward Bermuda greens are large, true and fast. This first-class club has added a great new golf shop.

Orange County National: Panther Lake - Par: 72 7,295 Yards
Panther Lake, voted Golf Magazine’s Top 10 You Can Play in the United States in March 1998 and more recently awarded 4 Stars by Golf Digest’s “Places to Play” for 2000, was designed to showcase the native beauty of the Florida landscape. This 7,295 yard masterpiece is the first course ever to feature 18 signature holes, incorporating rolling hills, including 60-foot elevation changes, as it winds through natural oak hammocks, pine forests, scenic wetlands and glistening freshwater lakes. In addition to its natural beauty, Panther Lake offers numerous strategic options in its design, thus allowing all players to be fairly challenged.

Orange County National: Crooked Cat - Par: 72 7,277 Yards
Joining Panther Lake is her sister course, Crooked Cat. Also recently awarded 4 Stars by Golf Digest’s “Places to Play” for 2000, this 7,277 yard course has a distinct links flavor in its open, flowing design. This course features few trees, wide terraced fairways and native redtop heather grass in the rough giving it a Scottish feel. Although a slightly different breed from Panther Lakes, this course is just as dangerous and beautiful. Another must play while in Orlando!

Golden Bear Club - Par: 72 7,173 Yards
This Jack Nicklaus Signature course opened in July 1999 and has quickly proven that it belongs in the prestigious golfing community of Windermere. Not far from Walt Disney World, the course is located within the beautiful Keene’s Point development and is bordered by numerous lakes and majestic oaks. The layout will test your mettle, challenge your skills and reward your prowess. The club also features a luxurious clubhouse facility offering great views of the finishing holes.

Whatever your level of skill, if you are a beginner or an experienced golfer, Orlando has a course to suit your needs.

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.

Orlando Attractions Part 1

Orlando is a major city in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, located in Central Florida. Orlando is also the principal city of Greater Orlando. The Orlando-Kissimmee MSA is Florida's third largest metropolitan area, behind Miami and Tampa, and the 8th largest metropolitan area in the south. The city itself is the sixth most populous in Florida. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, which is the second largest university in Florida in student enrolment and has the fifth largest enrolment in the U.S..

The city is well known for the many tourist attractions in the area, in particular the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is located in Lake Buena Vista about 14 miles (23 km) south-west of Orlando city limits via Interstate 4. Other notable area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. The region sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year.

Walt Disney World opened on 1971 and Roy O. Disney dedicated the property and declared that it would be known as "Walt Disney World" in his brother's honor. He was quoted as saying "Everyone has heard of Ford cars. But have they all heard of Henry Ford, who started it all? Walt Disney World is in memory of the man who started it all, so people will know his name as long as Walt Disney World is here." After the dedication, Roy Disney asked Walt's widow, Lillian, what she thought of Walt Disney World. According to biographer Bob Thomas, she responded, "I think Walt would have approved."

Roy O. Disney died on December 20, 1971, just a short three months after the property opened.

Disney subsequently opened EPCOT Center in 1982, a theme park adapted from Walt Disney's vision for a "community of tomorrow". The park permanently adopted the name Epcot in 1996. In 1989, the resort added Disney-MGM Studios, a theme park inspired by show business, whose name was changed to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008. The resort's fourth theme park, Disney's Animal Kingdom, opened in 1998.

Each park is represented by an iconic structure: Magic Kingdom (the first and original theme park) - Cinderella Castle, Epcot - Spaceship Earth, Disney's Hollywood Studios - The Sorcerer's Hat and Disney's Animal Kingdom - The Tree of Life.

Disney's property includes five golf courses. The four 18-hole golf courses are the Magnolia, the Palm, Lake Buena Vista and Osprey Ridge. There is also a nine-hole walking course called Oak Trail, designed for young golfers. Additionally, there are two themed miniature golf complexes, each with two courses, Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland.

Catch-and-release fishing excursions are offered daily on the resort's lakes. A Florida fishing license is not required because it occurs on private property. Cane-pole fishing is offered from the docks at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Disney's Port Orleans Resort.

The May 2008 issue of trade magazine Park World reported the following attendance estimates for 2007 compiled by Economic Research Associates in partnership with TEA (formerly the Themed Entertainment Association): Magic Kingdom, 17 million visits (No. 1 worldwide), Epcot, 10.9 million visits (No. 6) , Disney's Hollywood Studios, 9.51 million visits (No. 7) and Disney's Animal Kingdom, 9.49 million visits (No. 8)

A wonderful gated community in Orlando. A fine selection of luxury vacation villas in Orlando Florida.