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Orlando has always been THE place for family fun, but now it is so much more. Fabulous nightlife can be found at the parks, as well as outside the parks. Thrilling adventure is yours while racecar driving, doing a simulated skydive, or floating above the city in a hot-air balloon. Superb shopping is everywhere with seven regional malls and more than 700 retail shops. And the options for dining are endless with nearly 4,000 restaurants throughout the city.

Learn more about what Orlando has to offer:

• Attractions
• Hotels
• Events
• Shopping
• Things You Should Know
• Dining/Nightlife

Attractions

There are literally hundreds of attractions in the Orlando area. Here are some of the newest happenings in town.

Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park - The "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It!" live show/attraction opened the spring of 2001 at Disney-MGM Studios. The attraction brings to life the energy and excitement of the hit ABC-TV game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire." The show will run continuously throughout the day in a 600-seat studio that recreates the thrills of the television blockbuster, from a replica of the famous high-tech set, down to the hot seat.

The Holy Land Experience - A portion of the $16 million, 15-acre "living Biblical Museum," theme park opens February 5, 2002. It recreates in elaborate and authentic detail the city of Jerusalem and its religious importance between the years 1450 B.C. and 66 A.D. It is a total sensory experience that is educational, historical, theatrical, inspirational, and evangelistic, blending sights, sounds, and tastes that transport guests more than 7,000 miles away and more than 3,000 years back in time.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - Visitors will be able to visit Mars without leaving Earth during the new, live stage show, "Mad Mission to Mars 2025." The show uses the comedic antics of Professor Pruvitt and his wacky colleagues, Kelvin, WE-4D, and Dr. Gimbal to virtually transport visitors to the Red Planet.

International Trolley & Train Museum - A very high "wow" factor awaits train enthusiasts and guests alike at the International Trolley & Train Museum. The exhibit area features 14 trains showcasing technology from the 1920s to the 1980s, sized to correspond with any G-gauge train track system. The exhibit also features three trolleys depicting the concept of "Transit Greenways," or pedestrian-friendly downtown transportation. A magical train ride around the museum also delight visitors.

Other top attractions and everyone's favorites include:

Walt Disney World
Universal Studios
SeaWorld of Florida
Discovery Cove
Wet n' Wild Water Park

Shopping

Shop 'til you drop - Orlando has everything from high fashion to factory outlet stores. Shopping malls include the Florida Mall, Orlando Fashion Square Mall, and West Oaks Mall. There are also numerous outlet centers including Quality Outlet Center, Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, Belz Factory Outlet World, and the 430,000-square-foot Orlando Premium Outlets. Other places to spend some time and some money include Downtown Disney Marketplace, The Mercado, and Pointe Orlando.

Dining/Nightlife

Enjoy the dining of your choice in more than 3,800 restaurants. There is casual dining through fine dining and from American cuisine through dishes from Zaire. There are also eight dinner theaters, including Arabian Nights and Medieval Time Dinner Adventure .

Two areas are jumping with great places to eat and have fun - Downtown Disney and Universal CityWalk . Downtown Disney has such favorites as Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Café , and the Wolfgang Puck Cafe , while Universal CityWalk serves up the Hard Rock Café, Motown Café Orlando, Nascar Café , and Emeril Lagasse's Emeril's Restaurant Orlando .

Orlando not only serves up fun at all these restaurants, the city also has two restaurants that have received top honors from Zagat in their latest restaurant survey. La Coquina and Louis' Downtown both received 29 out of 30 points. The Zagat survey also pointed out that Orlando is a bargain place to dine out compared to most other U.S. cities. Some well-rated restaurants by Zagat include 'Ohana at Papeete Bay , Bahama Breeze , Café Tu Tu Tango , Fish Bones , Grand Floridian Café , Kobe Japanese Steak House , Outback Restaurant , Pebbles , and Ming Court .

For a special evening, try the highly rated Haifeng , one of the best Asian restaurants in the area; Hemingways , a lovely seafood house with great dishes; or Vito's Chop House , an upscale favorite for steak lovers with an outstanding wine list.

Nightlife centers on Downtown Disney (comprised of the Marketplace, Pleasure Island , and the West Side ) and Universal CityWalk with dance clubs, live entertainment, and more.

Recreation

The Atlanta Braves come to Orlando every year for spring training. Numerous sports teams call Orlando home, including the NBA's Orlando Magic , WNBA Orlando Miracle , Orlando Solar Bears hockey, Orlando Predators Arena League Football, and the Orlando Rays AA baseball. For participatory sports there are more than 40 public golf courses to play in the Orlando area, greater than a thousand tennis courts, and numerous lakes to fish.

Events

Here are just a few of the events scheduled throughout 2002.
January - Citrus Bowl
February - Pleasure Island Mardi Gras, and Mardi Gras at Universal Studios Florida
March - Bay Hill Invitational golf tournament, Central Florida Fair and Kissimmee Bluegrass Festival
April - Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, Kissimmee Jazz Fest, and Orlando International Fringe Festival
May - Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
June - Florida Film Festival and Wet 'n Wild Water Park's Summer Nights
September - 20th Annual Night of Joy at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom and Universal Orlando's Rock the Universe
October - Disney's Celebration in the Park, Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Golf Classic at Walt Disney World, and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios
November - Epcot Holidays around the World
December - SeaWorld Orlando's Rockin' Holiday Nights
Year-Round - 100 Years of Magic at Walt Disney World

To learn more about things to do in the Orlando, check out World Vacations' Orlando guide .