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Orlando. Pop. 185,951. State – Florida FL. Currency – US Dollar, Language – English. Time Zone – GMT minus 5 hours. Main Airport – Orlando International Airport MCO. Average Temperatures 16°C (Jan), 27°C (Jul). Best time to go – winter – summer can be very hot, humid and busy. Orlando is best know for a number of world famous tourist attractions the best know being the Walt Disney World Resort which is technically in the town of Lake Buena Vista. Other famous attractions near Orlando are SeaWorld, Universal Orlando Resort, Gatorland, and Wet 'N Wild. The founding of Orlando dates back to 1836 when a soldier named Orlando Reeves died in the area, during the war against the Seminole Indians. A more plausible explanation is that Orlando Reeves operated a sugar mill and plantation nearby. From 1875 to 1895 Orlando developed into the centre of the Florida citrus fruit industry. Further expansion of the city took place as it developed as a popular resort, partly due to its inland location and relative safety from Atlantic and Caribbean hurricanes. However, arguably the most significant event in the history of Orlando was the decision of one Walter Elias Disney, better known as Walt Disney, in 1965 to build Walt Disney World. The resort opened in 1971 and Orlando experienced explosive population and economic. As a result, tourism became the principal driver of the area's economy and Orlando is now consistently ranked as one of the top vacation destinations in the world. The city sees over 50 million tourists a year and is reputed to be the 2nd largest city in the US for number of hotel rooms. Orlando is also a Mecca for golfers with courses for all levels of ability. Other major attractions in the Orlando area include - Arboretum of the University of Central Florida, Blue Spring State Park, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, Discovery Cove, Hard Rock Café, International Trolley and Train Museum, Harry P. Leu Gardens, Old Town, in Kissimmee, and Wekiwa Springs State Park. Further away, the Kennedy Space Center is 45 minutes from Orlando and south of Daytona Beach. Visitors can tour launch areas, see giant rockets, "train" in spaceflight simulators, and much more.

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