Explore Orlando

Orlando’s quiet beginnings as heart of the Florida citrus industry, with its vast unpopulated acres of sunny groves, are what inspired its current incarnation as one of the world’s most popular resort and amusement capitals. It was the very expanse of unregulated, undeveloped land within a few hours easy drive of populated cities which most attracted Walt Disney, Hollywood movie studios and other mega entrepreneurs to build their largest dreams here. What is most remarkable about Orlando is that most of what you see is completely man-made, deliberately engineered for tourism, yet situated on otherwise undeveloped land, pockets of which remain in their original natural state, ironically protected and preserved from civic encroachment for all time. The ability to explore the quiet lagoons and forests of old Florida with their wildlife and exotic flora in their original condition, or alternatively to revel in a human-engineered contemporary paradise of state-of-the-art high-tech amusement, both within easy reach of each other, is what makes Orlando one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world.

Metro Orlando

Orlando existed as the quiet, commercial center of Florida’s citrus industry, long before the surrounding resorts that now make it famous, and has its own distinct personality. The small, peaceful Lake Eola, around which Orlando was built, is now a park encircled by a few small-town houses and buildings, some of which are the preserved originals, where you still can feel the relaxed, sunny and Southern spirit of the town as it was before its discovery. Out from this lake, a sprawling metropolis has grown, but within it you can still find lots of antique shops, older cafes and nightlife venues that will take you back to Orlando’s earlier days as a typical, fun to explore, small Florida town.

Lake Buena Vista

Lake Buena Vista is home to Walt Disney World, and is a few minutes drive southwest of metropolitan Orlando. The Walt Disney World resort area is a world unto itself, and there are plenty of publications produced by the resort and others which fully describe the many activities and environments one can enjoy there. The surrounding community of Lake Buena Vista provides many lodging, dining and nightlife alternatives to those found inside the main resort complex, often at lower prices.

International Drive

Bordering Lake Buena Vista’s northeast corner and extending to the southern edge of metropolitan Orlando, is the popular shopping and nightlife area of International Drive. Universal Studios, SeaWorld, the Orange County Convention Center are all located on this strip between Disney World and downtown Orlando, as are some of Orlando’s classiest shops and nightclubs. International Drive is Orlando’s most commercial area, with a multitude of small, tourist-oriented businesses coming and going all the time, alongside the larger and more established shops and amusement parks.

Kissimmee / St. Cloud

Directly south of Orlando, and a few minutes drive southeast of Lake Buena Vista, are the communities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud. These communities provide examples of everything you will find in the larger metropolitan area, but on a smaller scale with less traffic congestion and commotion. Visitors interested more in exploring the undeveloped and preserved nature of old Florida than in the highly engineered environment to the north will find the Kissimmee / St. Cloud area more to their liking. Alternatively, for those whose primary interests are the larger resorts and amusement parks, the Kissimmee / St. Cloud area provides many low-cost lodging alternatives within easy reach of everything the greater Orlando area has to offer.

Winter Park

Directly north of Orlando is the community of Winter Park, where the wealthy founders of Florida’s citrus industry and their heirs came to settle after Orlando’s commercial boom. Consequently, the most upscale and exclusive shopping and dining options in the greater Orlando area are found here, as well as small historical museums, art galleries and other cultural options. After exploring the primitive wilds of old Florida, or the engineered heights of man-made amusement, you may really appreciate the spiritual relief provided by the civilized, upscale and normal American environment offered by Winter Park.