Orlando

Lake Eola, Leu Gardens and a night on Orange Avenue

A day away from the resorts shows the city most visitors never see. Start with an early walk around Lake Eola Park, where the fountain and the swan-shaped paddle boats sit beneath the downtown towers; on Sunday mornings the farmers' market sets up on the lakeshore.

Drive or take a short ride north to Loch Haven Park for the Orlando Museum of Art, with its American portraits and art of the ancient Americas (closed Mondays). Next door, a few minutes away on North Forest Avenue, Harry P. Leu Gardens covers almost 20 hectares of lakeside planting, the state's largest rose garden and a long camellia walk; the late-afternoon light under the oaks is the best of the day.

Back downtown for the evening, eat in Thornton Park around Washington Street and Summerlin Avenue, then catch a show at the Dr. Phillips Center or a Magic game. Bars along Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard carry on late. For the parks themselves, build separate days, and if you are travelling on, Miami is an easy train ride south.

Two big days out sit beyond the city. Universal's Epic Universe opened on 22 May 2025, turning the resort into a four-park destination alongside Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and the Volcano Bay water park; its five lands are Celestial Park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk and Dark Universe. Guests at the Universal Helios Grand Hotel use their own park entrance. East on the Atlantic coast, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is about 50 miles away on SR 50 and SR 405, roughly an hour's drive. There is no public transport to it, so drive or book a coach tour, and check the launch schedule, since a launch day draws heavy traffic.

Cuban sandwiches, steakhouses and the CityWalk strip

Orlando's food is spread across three zones. The resort complexes, Disney Springs and Universal's CityWalk, cluster big-name chains and themed restaurants, convenient after a park day but rarely the best value. International Drive and Sand Lake Road, especially the stretch known as Restaurant Row near Dr. Phillips, hold the steakhouses and upscale dining rooms, including Florida-themed places that cook local beef and seafood.

Downtown and the neighbourhoods are where locals eat. Mills 50, along Mills Avenue around Colonial Drive, grew from a Vietnamese community and is now the city's best area for pho, banh mi and Asian bakeries. Puerto Rican and Cuban cafés across the metro serve Cuban sandwiches, mofongo and strong coffee, a reflection of the large Hispanic population. Brazilian steakhouses carve meat at the table downtown.

Citrus is the old local crop, and roadside stands still sell fresh orange juice in winter. Book ahead at the more popular Restaurant Row places on convention weeks.

Food and Wine at EPCOT, hurricane months and the cool season

The calendar here follows heat and school holidays more than tradition. January averages a high of 22C and a low of 10C, while June to September sits at 32-33C with 160-200 mm of rain a month, much of it in short, violent afternoon storms. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, with most risk in August and September.

Autumn has the biggest event draw. The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival fills World Showcase with tasting booths from late summer to November, and Universal's Halloween Horror Nights runs on selected autumn evenings. Spring brings EPCOT's flower and garden festival, and spring break in March is among the busiest weeks of the year.

For thinner crowds, aim for January after New Year, early May, or the weeks between Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays. Book dining and park reservations early whatever the month, and on hot days plan a midday break back at the hotel pool.

Scale matters when planning. Walt Disney World covers roughly 25,000 acres, yet its four theme parks together use only about 1,100 of them. Animal Kingdom is the largest park and Magic Kingdom the smallest, while EPCOT is around 300 acres, so expect more walking there than at Magic Kingdom. Resort buses, boats and the Skyliner link everything, but moving between two parks in one day still eats an hour or more.