Vacation Guides | USA | Florida / Orlando
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Orlando Resorts - Activities & Attractions - Getting Around - Documents & Money - ClimateA whole month in Florida, especially Orlando, will not be long enough to see everything, which presents the problem of what to leave out for anyone with a mere two weeks or less to spend here. It's like facing a buffet; do you try a bit of everything or pick a few favourites and savour them and then go back for more? As the theme park capital of the world Orlando can be overbearing and the secret is to prioritise and plan ahead to avoid being cheated by the constraints of time. Activities and AttractionsHistoric Sites and MuseumsMuseumsCultural attractions include the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, which boasts the world's largest collection of Louis Tiffany glass. Cornell Fine Arts Museum, located at Rollins College, houses one of the largest and most distinguished art collections in Florida. Other popular sights include Eatonville, just north of Orlando, which is home to the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts; the Maitland Art Center; the Orlando Museum of Art. The Orange County Historical Museum, which includes a renovated 1926 Orlando Firehouse; and the Albin Polasek Galleries.
Night LifePleasure Island is a high-energy, night time entertainment complex featuring seven themed nightclubs, stage shows and live concerts, plus a giant New Year's Eve celebration every night of the week. It is located in an area known as Downtown Disney, along with such restaurants as Wolfgang Puck, House of Blues and the Cuban-style Bongo's Café. Church Street Station, a block-long entertainment complex in the heart of central Orlando made up of renovated 19th century buildings, is a very popular place for an evening entertainment. Back to activities & attractions Outdoor AttractionsTheme ParksOrlando's attractions include hair-raising rides, nail-biting adventures and heart-pounding suspense. Thrill-seekers can experience the terrifying attack of a Great White shark on the Jaws Ride at Universal Studios, Florida, or take a helicopter ride to watch polar bears, walruses, and beluga whales play at Wild Arctic, SeaWorld Orlando's newest attraction. Walt Disney World Resort is the biggest, and arguably the best, amusement park in the world contains four sections:
Popular attractions include a 13-story free-fall plunge on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at MGM Studios; Epcot's Honey I Shrunk the Audience, which features an innovative new realm of 3-D entertainment; and the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter at Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. Blizzard Beach, Disney's 3rd and largest water park, is set in a faux snow-capped mountain range featuring Florida's only chairlift which carries guests to the tip of 'Mount Gushmore'. Nineteen water slides challenge visitors, including Summit Plummet, the tallest, fastest water slide in the world. Another 9 high-speed rides can be found at Typhoon Lagoon. River Country, in Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, is a relaxing water park where vacationers can relax and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings. SeaWorld Orlando, 19 minutes southwest of Orlando, is one of the country's largest marine parks and features whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals and otters. The most popular shows are the ones starring the killer whales, Baby Shamu and Baby Namu. Other attractions in and around Orlando include Cypress Gardens, with botanical gardens, water-ski shows, a butterfly conservatory and children's rides. World of Orchids, the first permanent indoor display of its kind in the world. Gatorland, in nearby Kissimmee; and Wet 'n' Wild, a water park offering numerous adventurous water activities. The Ocala National Forest covers 378,178 acres (153,049 hectares), divided into three recreation areas and linked by a 65 miles (105 kilometres) trail. Nearby Silver Springs, a network of 150 springs, is the world's largest artesian spring; hundreds of thousands of gallons of water bubble through the spongy limestone bedrock each day. There are 1,440 lakes in Lake Country, which is the setting for the area's vineyards and wine-growing region. Southwest of Orlando is Polk Country, which is famed for its beautiful landscape of citrus groves and pine forests. Back to activities & attractions Special EventsThe Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee is held in February. The Kissimmee Kiwanis Bluegrass Festival is held in early March. In April, St. Cloud Spring Fling and the Florida State Offshore Boat Championships are held in St. Cloud. Spring Fiesta in the Park and Arts in April (a month-long arts festival) are held in Orlando. The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in Orlando is held in October, as well as Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. Epcot Holidays around the World (a traditional event featuring a daily tree-lighting ceremony and themed storytellers culminating in a candlelit processional) occurs throughout November and December. The Kissimmee Holiday Extravaganza is in December. back to activities & attractions Getting AroundPublic TransportationBusThere is a service within Orlando at a minimal cost as well as a free service connecting many of major downtown attractions. Shuttles run hourly from downtown Orlando to both Kissimee and Walt Disney World. Greyhound also has daily runs to most of the major cities within Florida. TrainAmtrak has a station at 1400 Sligh Street and provides service to the major cities south of Orlando as well as out of state. AirOrlando International Airport (MCO) is located within 15 miles (24 kilometres) of the major attractions and central Orlando. Sandford Orlando Airport (SFM) is located 35 miles (56 kilometres) north of Orlando and handles a number of charter airlines. Shuttle buses and vans, taxis, limousines and rental cars are available from both airports. Documents & MoneyTravel DocumentsMoney MattersCurrency | Currency Exchange | Currency RestrictionsBanking | Credit Cards | Traveler Cheques | ATM PassportsA valid passport is required by all foreign travellers except: Canadian nationals arriving from anywhere in the Western hemisphere with at least one proof of identity; and Nationals of Canada and the UK with proof of residence in Bermuda or Canada who are returning from a visit to a country in North, Central or South America (except Cuba). Note !For nationals of countries under the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, passports must be valid for at least 90 days from the date of entry (except for nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Brunei, San Marino and Slovenia, who must hold passports valid for six months from date of departure). For all other nationals, passports must be valid for 6 months from the date of entry. VisasA visa is required by all foreign travellers except: Nationals exempted under passport exemptions above. Nationals of countries under the Visa Waiver Pilot Program: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brunei, EU countries (except nationals of Greece, who do require a visa), Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Switzerland and Uruguay. UK nationals residing in the Cayman Islands or the Turks and Caicos Islands who arrive directly from those islands for non-immigration purposes, provided they are in possession of an official certificate as proof of no criminal record. Transit passengers flying with certain airlines authorized to carry foreign nationals in transit without a visa, provided they continue their journey from the same airport within 8 hours and hold valid onward or return documentation (for details of when a transit visa will be required, contact the nearest visa branch). Note!To qualify for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, nationals mentioned under Must travel on an unexpired passport for vacation, transit or business purposes only and for a stay not exceeding 90 days; hold a return or onward ticket, a completed form I-94W and enter aboard an air or sea carrier participating in the Visa Waiver Pilot Program if entering by air or sea; or hold a completed form I-94W issued by the immigration authorities at the port of entry for a fee of US$6 if entering by land from Canada or Mexico. Holders of UK passports with the endorsement British Subject, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen or British National (Overseas) Citizen do not qualify for visa exemption. Persons unsure about visa requirements (including those defined in 'Entry restrictions' above) should write to the US Consulate General or the Visa Department of the US Embassy. A visa no longer expires with the expiration of the holder's passport. A non-expired visa in an expired passport may be presented for entry into the United States as long as the visa itself has not been cancelled, is less than 10 years old, and is presented with a valid non-expired passport, provided that both passports are for the same country. Types of VisasThere are non-immigrant and immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visas are subdivided into a number of different visa types, including Student (participating in academic or exchange programmes), Journalist, Temporary Worker and Transit. For details on other types of non-immigrant visas and application requirements, contact the Consulate (or the Consular Section at Embassy). ValidityVisas are valid for 10 years. Some visas are valid for multiple entries. US immigration officials determine the length of stay in the United States at the time of entry, but it is generally limited to 6 months. For extensions and further information, apply to the US Immigration and Naturalization Service. CostVisas cost about US$40, regardless of whether the visa is denied or issued, and regardless of the duration of the visa or the entries required. The embassy will provide a paying-in slip. The application fee must be paid in cash at a bank prior to submitting a visa application to the US Embassy. Nationals of Mexico are not charged the application fee. One part of the 2-part stamped receipt must be stapled to the visa application form. Some nationals may also have to pay a reciprocal visa issuance fee. Submission of ApplicationsVisa applications should be submitted to a Consulate General. Those residing in England, Scotland or Wales should apply to the Consulate General in London. Nationals of Northern Ireland should apply to the Consulate General in Belfast. The Consulate General in Scotland no longer deals with visa applications. Visas can be applied for by mail or drop-box, or through an authorized travel agent who has an agreement with an Embassy to lodge passports. Only applicants requested by an Embassy to appear in person for an interview will be required to schedule a personal appointment. Application RequirementsPostal or drop-box applications:
Applications through travel agent(As above but applicants should contact the travel agent for details on paying the visa fee. Further documentation may be required to substantiate details such as the purpose of the visit, plus proof of intention to return to the country of residence. Money MattersCurrencyUS$1 = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of US$100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. Coins are in denominations of US$1 and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cents. Currency Exchange It is recommended that you arrive in the United States with US dollars, since hotels do not exchange foreign currency and few major banks do. Currency RestrictionsThere are no limits on the import or export of either foreign or local currency. However, amounts in excess of US$10,000 or the equivalent (including 'bearer bonds') must be registered with United States Customs on Form 4790. All gold coins and any quantity of gold must be declared before export. BankingBanks are open Monday to Friday. Some bank drive-thrus are open on Saturday morning, and other banks located in grocery stores are open for business throughout the weekend. Credit CardsMost major credit cards are accepted throughout the United States, including American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Diners Club. Other cards, such as Discover, are accepted at selected locations. Check with your credit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. Visitors are advised to carry at least one major credit card, as they are sometimes needed to reserve hotel rooms, car hires and other services if cash is not used. Travellers ChequesThese are widely accepted throughout the United States in hotels, stores and restaurants, providing they are US dollar cheques. Be advised that some banks do not have the capabilities to cash travellers cheques, and those that do are likely to charge a high commission. One or even 2 forms of identification (passport, credit card, driver's licence, etc.) may be required. Additional exchange rate charges will apply if the travellers cheques are not in US dollars. British Sterling travellers cheques cannot be exchanged. ATMATM's can be found outside most banks, inside major grocery stores, and in the lobby of larger hotels and resorts. Most outdoor ATM's are available around the clock. Withdrawals are usually required to be in US$20 increments, and your bank may impose a limit on the amount of cash you may withdraw daily. Many ATM's display instructions in English and Spanish. Most ATMs are connected to national and international banking networks, allowing international visitors to withdraw U.S. currency from their foreign accounts or credit cards. If you're using another bank's ATM, you'll be charged a fee for the privilege and possibly another fee from your own bank. Fees are usually no more than US$1.50, but can be higher in tourist areas. ATM's inside theme parks and hotels generally have much higher fees than machines in banks or grocery stores. ClimateSummers are hot and very humid, while the winter months are mild averaging 60 - 70ºF/18-21º C degrees. Downpours are to be expected June through September, with temperatures as high as the low 95ºF/35ºC. Required clothingVery, lightweight clothing is recommended during the summer with warmer wear for the cooler winter period. Don’t forget a good pair of walking shoes for the theme parks
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