Name the capital of amusement parks. Ask this to anyone, and you would find the same answer. It’s none other than Orlando, Florida. Surprisingly, kids and adults love the amusement parks in Orlando. Based on the feedback of travelers, who booked
flights to Orlando with Cheapfaremart, here is a curated list of top 10 amusement parks which you would love to add to your things-to-do in Orlando list.
#1. Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World, FL)
Opened on October 1, 1971, Magic Kingdom was initialized by Walt Disney and designed by WED Enterprises. The park draws in inspiration from the fairy tale castle seen in the 1950 film – Cinderella Castle. In 2018, attracting 20.859 million visitors, the theme park became the most-visited park in the United States, a title which it has retained for the thirteenth consecutive year.
Owner: Walt Disney
Location: The Magic Kingdom lies more than a mile away from its parking lot, on the opposite side of the human-made Seven Seas Lagoon.
How to reach: Use the Walt Disney World Monorail System, ferryboats, or Disney Transport buses. Upon arrival, guests are taken by the parking lot trams to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), which sells admission into the parks and provides transportation connections throughout the resort complex.
#2. Universal Studios Florida
Places for fun or amusement often gain the traction of the entertainment industry, and Universal Studios in Florida is the best testimony to that. Opened on June 7, 1990, Universal Studios Florida is a theme park as well as a production studio.
The studio has been featured in several movies (e.g., Psycho IV: The Beginning), television series (e.g., Nickelodeon), commercials, music videos. It has several attractions, mostly rides like E.T. Adventure and was a creative consultant for Back to the Future: The Ride, Twister…Ride it Out, An American Tail Theatre, Jaws, Men in Black: Alien Attack and Transformers: The Ride – that are part of most of the films developed by it.
Meet famous Hollywood characters like Marilyn Monroe, Betty Boop, Lucy, and Ricky Ricardo and Woody and Winnie Woodpecker.
Owner: NBCUniversal
Location: Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, U.S.
How to reach: Transportation options include LYNX, SunRail, Amtrak, Brightline (intercity express train) and Dockless Bike Share. Universal Studios is 10 miles or 16 km from Orlando city center.
#3. Discovery Cove
How does it feel to encounter bottlenose dolphins and other marine animals? Discovery Cove is the perfect place to experience it all – talk, touch, play, and swim with the creature. Discovery Cove has a coral reef, where you can swim with thousands of tropical fish, Sting Rays up to 4 feet across and an underwater shark and tigerfish tank located behind protective glass. It’s also home to around 250 tropical birds including parrots, toucans, and over 30 other species of exotic birds.
Owner: SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Location: Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando, Florida, U.S.
How to reach: Transportation options include LYNX, SunRail, Amtrak, Brightline (intercity express train) and Dockless Bike Share. Universal Studios is 10 miles or 16 km from Orlando city center.
#4. Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Universal’s Islands of Adventure is situated along with CityWalk, as part of an expansion that converted Universal Studios Florida into the Universal Orlando Resort. Embark on an adventure to visit a series of themed islands. The park has got eight themed islands including Port of Entry, Marvel Super Hero Island, Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, Jurassic Park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Lost Continent, and Seuss Landing.
Owner: NBCUniversal
Location: Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando
How to reach: Transportation options include LYNX, SunRail, Amtrak, Brightline (intercity express train) and Dockless Bike Share. Universal Studios is 10 miles or 16 km from Orlando city center.
#5. SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park and marine zoological park. It features many live shows and attractions, including rides and animal exhibits. Many of these attractions, such as Manta and Wild Arctic, combine exhibits and rides both. It has venues exhibiting live shows of marine animals at Shamu Stadium (six killer whales and recently introduced 4 Pilot Whales), Dolphin Theater ( dolphins, macaws, a marabou stork), The Sea Lion and Otter Theater (Clyde and Seamore – sea lions), among others.
Owner: SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Location: 7007 SeaWorld Drive, Orlando, Florida, United States
How to reach: Transportation options include LYNX, SunRail, Amtrak, Brightline (intercity express train) and Dockless Bike Share. Universal Studios is 10 miles or 16 km from Orlando city center.
#6. Disney’s Blizzard Beach
Disney’s Blizzard Beach ranks as the third-most visited water park in the world, behind its sister park, Typhoon Lagoon. Most of the attractions of the beach are located on Mount Gushmore, an artificial hill with an elevation of 90 feet (27.4 meters). It has three sections – Green Slope, Purple Slope, and Red Slope, which are home to free-fall slide, series of rushing waterfalls, snow-banked mountain gully-body slide attractions, tube slides, and beyond.
Owner: The Walt Disney Company
Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Bay Lake, Florida, U.S.
How to reach: Transportation options include LYNX, SunRail, Amtrak, Brightline (intercity express train) and Dockless Bike Share. Universal Studios is 10 miles or 16 km from Orlando city center.
#7. Turtle Trek
Turtle Trek’s theater is the world’s first 360-degree dome theater to show a 3D film. It inspires and encourages visitors to save the environment and preserve the natural habitates. Designed by Falcon’s Treehouse and PGAV Destinations, Turtle trek has more than 1,500 saltwater fish and over a dozen sea turtles. Many of the manatees and sea turtles were rescued by the park’s animal team or were born at SeaWorld.
Owner: Falcon’s Treehouse
Location: SeaWorld Orlando
How to Reach: It’s a 20 minutes’ drive from Orlando city center. The driving distance is 14 miles (23 km). Rent a car or make use of cheaper transportation options like LYNX, SunRail, Amtrak, Brightline (intercity express train) and Dockless Bike Share.
#8. Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Spanning 135 acres of southwest Orlando, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a major theme park at the vast Walt Disney World in Orlando. Parks, Experiences, and Products of the studios are inspired by film, television, music, and theatre, drawing inspiration from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Meet characters from notable characters derives from Disney and other banners including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, and characters from the Goosebumps series by author R. L. Stine.
Owner: The Walt Disney Company
Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Bay Lake, Florida
How to Reach: It’s a 20 minutes’ drive from Orlando city center. The driving distance is 14 miles (23 km). Rent a car or make use of cheaper transportation options like LYNX, SunRail, Amtrak, Brightline (intercity express train) and Dockless Bike Share.
#9. Aquatica Orlando
Explore Aquatica’s water play areas made, especially for kids. Experience thrilling and extraordinary water rides for the whole family. Take a moment to relax on Orlando’s favorite beaches and more. The place has got ample shade area, plenty of places to eat, and plenty of restrooms. For fun, it has a selection of slides, and the rapids lazy river falls! Ask your kids to wear a life vest that helps them float without worrying.
Owner: SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment
Location: 5800 Water Play Way, Orlando
How to Reach: Aquatica is located just across the street from SeaWorld® on International Drive off the Beachline Expressway (FL 528), 10 minutes south of downtown Orlando and 15 minutes from Orlando International Airport. Rental car, LYNX, SunRail, Amtrak, Brightline (intercity express train) and Dockless Bike Share are some of the popular commuting modes.
#10. Epcot
Epcot is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. This is one of the most-visited Orlando Florida theme parks with exhibits inspired by technological innovation (Future World) and international culture (World Showcase). Besides, there is character-based entertainment, where you meet top Disney characters and watch live musical performances. In 2018, Epcot welcomed around 12.444 million visitors. It was ranked as the fourth-most-visited theme park in North America and the seventh-most-visited theme park in the world.
Owner: The Walt Disney Company
Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Bay Lake, Florida
How to Reach: Epcot is 23 miles (37 km) from Orlando city center. Transportation options include Rental car, LYNX, SunRail, Amtrak, Brightline (intercity express train) and Dockless Bike Share.
