Roller coasters and astronauts, Mickey Mouse and Shrek, – where else but in Orlando would you find such an exciting mix of fantasy and reality?

Thanks to the late Walt Disney, Orlando has grown from a small town into what is today considered the theme park capital of the world - visited every year by more than one million people. Since the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort in 1971, several other theme parks have opened around Orlando, making it the perfect destination for the young and the young-at-heart.

The Disney Resort itself boasts four major theme parks as well as two large water parks, and in its immediate vicinity, several other theme parks also offer the opportunity to forget about everyday life and enter into a world of joy: Busch Gardens at Tampa Bay – featuring exciting animal encounters along with wild coaster rides, SeaWorld with its dolphins, stingrays, and manatees, Universal Studios which provides a world of movie-magic, and Islands of Adventure which challenges the brave to enjoy knuckle thrill rides out of this world.

But don’t rule out Orlando as your holiday destination, just because you are not looking for a week or two of theme park adventures. The city, and its surrounding area, offers an array of business as well as leisure activity playgrounds: lots of state and public parks, shopping and entertainment venues, plenty of museums, a zoo, beautiful golf courses, convention centers, and exciting water safaris – all which makes for the perfect family, recreation or business oriented vacation.