Orlando is a relatively large metropolitan area in Central Florida. I chose Orlando as one of my picks for many different reasons. #1, it has to be a no-brainer. DISNEY IS HERE!!! I mean, come on, like you didn't know. If you've never been here, there are so many things to see and do, you cannot possibly do it all in ten trips. There is a long list consisting of: Universal Studios, Sea World, I-Drive, Point Orlando, Dreamworks, Church Street Station, and much much more. If you choose to visit Walt Disney World, call in advance at 1-407-W-DISNEY, and request a video tape so that you can choose what you would like to see and do while you are visiting Walt Disney World. If you can afford it, it is advisable to stay in a hotel on Disney property while visiting the Walt Disney World area as the Orlando-Kissimee area can be quite crowded and confusing to someone who doesn't know their way around. Especially around I-Drive which is short for International Drive. Which is where Universal Studios Escape and Sea World are located. If you intend to stay there, try not to vear far off of International Drive(I-Drive). As Orlando's traffic can be hectic at times. Most of the tourist area is relitivily seperated from the residential and industrial area of the city. If you choose, however, to explore outside of the Disney and I-Drive area, be sure to plan the night before, how to reach the destination you wish to visit. Word to the wise: if you are walking anywhere during your vacation across streets or intersections, be super careful! Orlando has the highest pedestrian death rate in the country. The Downtown Orlando area has a tourist district called Church Street Station. It has many shops and clubs to go to but other than the church street station area Downtown has little to offer in the way tourism . The Orlando Science center on Mills Ave is a wonderful facility for tourist and locals to go visit. It is one of the best science centers in the country they have a beautiful Dome-I-max that is relativly uncrowded and gives you a wonderful and magical learning experience you won't soon forget. If you have never been to a Dome-Imax dont miss visiting one while your here if time permits. A Dome-Imax beats a flat screen I-max hands down!!! You can get info for the the science center on my Orlando info page linked from my homepage just click Orlando!!! I will tell you to stay away from certain streets at night, such as Orange Blossam Trail. As many undesirables frequent the area at night. If you go to Orange Blossam Trail, the Florida mall is an excellent shopping area that is about to become the largest mall in the entire state of Florida and one of the biggest in the country it is worth seeing but go during the day and leave before nightfall to be on the safe side, as many undesirables frequent the area as I said a while ago. But you should have so much to do, you probably won't have time to go do anything else. If you have some extra time to blow, go down the Beeline expressway (tollroad) about 45 mins and check out Kennedy Space Center. Really amazing! Then take in nightfall on the beach with your family or that special someone. You will be glad you did. Very important, the Islands of Adventure theme park is open at Universal Studios Escape Florida with lots of coasters and unique rides that have never really been a part of the Orlando vacation scene. To be quite frank, the other Orlando parks need to wake up and smell the coffee because this park is going to compell the other parks like Disney and others to improve all aspects of their theme parks to meet and exceed the standards that have been set by this park. It is important to support the new theme parks in Orlando so that all your vacations to the area in the future will just get better and better every time. On a scale from 1-10 I give Orlando a "9" - Orlando just in the past year has really made some improvements and over the years will become the place to vacation I am willing to bet on it. Over 40 million tourists visit Orlando alone every year, that ought to tell you something. Hotel availability is great (MOST OF THE TIME) and there is a lot to do. But there are a few downfalls such as: traffic, the fact that you must have quite a bit of cash to part with to really enjoy yourself as there are not many free things to do in Orlando, and there are not many grocery stores near the tourist areas either. Eating and attraction tickets can become quite expensive. If you decide to go to Sea World or Universal Studios, stay on International Drive. Or if you're going to Disney but can't afford to stay on the grounds, try to stay on highway 192 or anywhere in the Kissimee, Florida area as this is a much closer destination to Disney than International Drive. You can also find some cheaper hotels to stay in on John Young Parkway and Sand Lake Rd. They are a short drive to the attractions but will save you some money and will allow you the ability to perhaps buy your food or beverages at a local grocery store or Wal-Mart which will help you save some money as well if you are coming for a week or so and are on a tight budget like I usually am!!!