The Other Orlando: Attractions Beyond Walt Disney World

Millions of people from all over the world visit the Orlando making it one of the most visited vacation destinations on earth. Of course, most of those visitors come for Walt Disney World and its theme parks, but outside of the 43 acres that make up Walt Disney World, there are some other great theme parks, adventures, and roadside attractions that are worth a look.

Universal Studios Florida - An actual working studio, Universal Studios Florida features some amazing rides and shows set amongst the street sets (such as New York City, San Fransisco, and Hollywood Boulevard). The movie themed rides included The Mummy roller coaster, The Simpsons virtual reality ride, and the E.T. themed attraction where riders bicycle across the sky in an effort to return E.T. home.

Unversal Studios Islands of Adventure - Located next to Universal Studios Florida, this separate theme park is comprised of several different and distinct themed "islands," each of which contains rides and shows based on the islands theme. For example, you can ride the Hulk roller coaster or ride along with Spider man to catch villains on the Marvel Superhero Island. Board a boat for a ride into a real life Jurassic Park on Jurassic Park Island. If whimsical is your thing, join the Cat in the Hat at Dr. Seuss Landing.

Sea World - While a mouse named Mickey may reign at Walt Disney World, the star here is a killer whale (Orca, to be more correct) named Shamu. And several times daily, you can watch Shamu and his family interact with trainers at Shamu stadium. Besides Shamu, there are shows featuring sea lions and dolphins. There are also two of Orlando's best roller coasters at Sea World; Kracken, a floorless roller coaster, and Manta, a roller coaster in which riders lay flat simulating flying.

Gatorland - "The Alligator Capital of the World" as it bills itself, Gatorland first opened its doors in 1949; more than 20 years before Walt Disney World. This 110 acre attraction features, what else, alligators, in addition to crocodiles, snakes, and birds. Visitors can watch the alligators in action with alligator wrestling and jumping shows. For a chance to catch a bit of "old Florida" this is an attraction you'll not want to miss.

Wet 'n Wild - Long before Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks opened, Wet 'n Wild was the place to cool down on a hot summer day. While Wet 'n Wild may be short theming on compared to Disney's water parks, it's long on thrills. High speed water rides such as Der Stuka, Mach 5, and the Storm provide visitors with a days of cool thrills under the warm Florida sun.

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