2011 Orlando Story Angles

What’s New 2011: Orlando’s renowned theme parks continue to delight and entertain guests with new experiences for the entire family. SeaWorld Orlando debuted “One Ocean,” an all-new Shamu show featuring high-energy whale performances and interactive stunts, at the end of April 2011. Discovery Cove announced the addition of The Grand Reef, which features multiple levels of underwater and beach exploration, opening June 2011. Walt Disney World Resort is breaking ground to vastly increase the size of Fantasyland, the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom. Gatorland’s Screamin’ Gator Zip Line, slated to open summer 2011, will carry riders along 1,200 feet (366 meters) of high-flying adventure.

Orlando By the Numbers: On track to be the first destination to reach 50 million visitors, Orlando ranked No. 1 as the most visited U.S. destination in 2010 with 49.8 million visitors. Of those visitors, 46.3 million are domestic and 3.46 million are international. Top international markets include Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico and Germany.

Visit Orlando’s New Website and Planning Tools: Visit Orlando unveiled a new VisitOrlando.com that provides a more comprehensive and user-friendly vacation planning experience. Featuring a fresh new look, enhanced planning tools and a booking engine through a partnership with Travelocity®, the new website is now the one-stop solution for researching, planning and booking vacations to Orlando. Enhanced planning tools include the “Trip Ideas Generator,” which provides a range of customized ideas based on areas of interest, and the “Trip Itinerary Builder” which allows travelers to browse through VisitOrlando.com and add accommodations, activities, and restaurants to a saved itinerary. To help travelers save money on their next trip, VisitOrlando.com has a discounts section that includes discounted attraction tickets, special online offers and “win a trip” opportunities. Another way Orlando visitors can save money is with the Orlando Magicard, available on VisitOrlando.com/Magicard. This discount card offers great savings on a variety of area attractions, restaurants and shopping. In addition to the new website, Visit Orlando also launched a mobile solution, VisitOrlando.mobi, that offers planning tools tailored to mobile devices.

Orlando Special Experiences: While every day spent in Orlando is unquestionably unique and unforgettable, an unparalleled array of memorable activities, tours and encounters show Orlando’s ability to ignite the imagination of travelers. SeaWorld Orlando offers special, interactive opportunities for guests to get up close and personal with the park’s marine life including the Trainer for a Day and Beluga Interaction Program. SeaWorld Orlando also offers numerous behind-the-scenes tours and indoor sleepovers. Universal Orlando Resort offers guests front of the line access and insider secrets to popular rides and attractions on VIP tours through both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Walt Disney World Resort allows guests to be part of the Magic with the Bibbidi Bobbodi Boutique and Pirates League makeover experiences and backstage tours. For special experiences outside of the theme parks, visitors can learn how to golf like a pro at Single Creek’s Brad Brewer Golf Academy, take the controls of an airplane soaring over Orlando’s skyline with Mauiva Air Tours, or have lunch with an astronaut at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Orlando: An Unexpected Shoppers Paradise: Shopping is a thrill ride of its own in Central Florida, where a wealth of fashion-forward stores, boutiques and outlets are a gold mine for visitors. In fact, according to The 2009 International Shopping Traveler Study, Orlando has been named the fourth most popular shopping destination in the entire country, encompassing 12 shopping malls and outlet centers within a 15-mile radius (24-kilometer). Considered Central Florida's signature shopping street, Park Avenue in Winter Park offers shoppers several blocks of trendy boutiques and brand-name stores. The Mall at Millenia, anchored by Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's, is home to such high-end stores as Dior, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, St. John and Cartier. The Florida Mall, Central Florida's largest shopping destination, rounds out the high-end department store offerings with Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom. Orlando Premium Outlets – International Drive and Orlando Premium Outlets – Vineland Avenue provide even more exposure to designer merchandise at discount prices, with stores like Barney's Outlet and Neiman Marcus Last Call.

Off-the-Beaten Tourist Path: Beyond Orlando's make-believe landscape, a little known booming and "blooming" residential community thrives. Winter Park, Central Florida's oldest community dating back to the 1880s, charms visitors with European-style tree-shaded avenues, magnificent homes and a window onto the world of Florida's past. The heart of Winter Park is a 10-block area anchored on one end by Rollins College, one of the top private liberal arts schools in the country, and on the other by the newly expanded The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art featuring the world's most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. In-between, trendy boutiques, upscale galleries and eclectic restaurants and cafes line the streetscape.

Downtown Renaissance: From a dramatically changing skyline and a newly developed arts district, to unique shopping experiences and contemporary dining options, downtown Orlando and its trendy Thornton Park historic district present a look inside the city of Orlando beyond the theme parks. The city's burgeoning "Cultural Corridor" includes the Orlando Museum of Art; the Harry P. Leu Gardens; CityArts Factory multi-use arts venue housing art galleries, classrooms and artist studios; the Grand Bohemian Gallery; the Orange County Regional History Center; Lake Eola Park and more. Recently revitalized Church Street features trendy new bars, restaurants and lounges including Baby Grands Dueling Piano Bar and Heat Tandoor & Lounge. Church Street is also the location of the brand new Amway Center, a state-of-the-art facility hosting Orlando’s professional basketball team, the Orlando Magic, as well as concerts and special events.

A Golfer’s Playground: Voted the “North American Golf Destination of the Year 2010” by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), Orlando is one of the few destinations that can confidently meet the needs of any type of traveling golf group. With 176 golf courses and golf resorts, 23 golf academies and home to some of the top tournaments and instructors, golfers of all levels, interests and budgets will find a fitting course in the city. For the all-inclusive, resort experience, golfers can tee off at luxurious courses at resorts like Waldorf Astoria Golf Club or Grand Cypress Resort. Golfers can also practice their swing at golf-only facilities like Timacuan Golf Club or take a break from the theme parks at one of the four championship-caliber courses at Walt Disney World Resort. And for those who like to look the part, Orlando also offers the world’s top golf shops – seven of which are listed in Golf Shop Magazine’s top 100 in the United States.

Orlando's Unique Extreme Adventures: Orlando is a virtual endless summer of outdoor fun - in the water, on land or in the air. With more than 2,000 lakes, springs and rivers, Orlando offers unlimited boating, canoeing, tubing, jet-skiing and water-skiing opportunities. Numerous eco-tours offer an insider's look at natural Florida, from cruises through the headwaters of the Everglades to bird- and gator-spotting excursions. To enjoy the City Beautiful from a higher perspective, visitors can soar through the treetops on a ziplining nature tour at Forever Florida, enjoy a breathtaking hot air balloon ride at sunrise, or hang glide at Wallaby Ranch Hang Gliding Flight Park, the first year-round hang gliding flight park in the world. More adrenaline-pumping activities include driving a 600-horse-power Nextel Cup race car at the Richard Petty Driving Experience or an ATV four-wheeler at Revolution The Off Road Experience. Adventure-seekers can also get up-close and personal with the sea's perfect predators during a Sharks Deep Dive Experience at SeaWorld Orlando or catch the “ultimate” indoor wave at Fantasy Surf, Orlando’s newest water attraction using the patented FlowRider system to simulate the look of surfing and wakeboarding.