Walt Disney World is king of the theme parks, but there are certainly plenty of other attractions that will keep children entertained for days on end.

Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim 
At Discovery Cove you’ll have the exciting and unique experience of swimming and playing with dolphins as well as getting involved in up-close encounters with other animals. This tropical setting features a sparkling lagoon surrounded by sandy beaches and tropical gardens. Guides explain all about dolphin behaviour so you can get to know a bit more about your swimming companions. Website: www.discoverycove.com

Gatorland
‘Old Florida’ charm is combined with new exhibits and family entertainment at Gatorland, a 110-acre wildlife preserve and theme park. In operation for more than 50 years, it’s grown from its early days as a roadside attraction to an international phenomenon. The ‘Alligator Capital of the World’ features thousands of alligators and crocodiles, reptile shows, and a petting zoo. You can walk through the alligator breeding marsh on a boardwalk and observe the park’s animals from an observation tower. Website: www.gatorland.com

Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament
The kids and the whole family will enjoy a rousing tournament of knights striving to prove their skills, set in Kissimmee Castle. Its Grand Ceremonial Arena seats 1100 guests with performances staged every evening. The Medieval Life village is adjacent to the castle and is the only one of its kind in the US. You can tour the village before the dinner show, to see what life was like in the Middle Ages. Kissimmee Castle is only eight miles from Disney World, 10 miles from Sea World and 12 miles from Universal Orlando. Website: www.medievaltimes.com

Walt Disney World Theme Park
Many families choose to organise their entire holiday around Disney World and experience the magic of its four main component parks. There's a huge array of things to see and do here to engage everyone. At the Magic Kingdom Park you’ll enter a fantasy world of beloved storybook characters, tales familiar to all and exciting adventures. At Epcot, you can explore a world of endless wonders and futuristic rides that are sure to bring thrills. A visit to Disney-MGM Studios is like having a backstage pass to where movies are created and entertainment comes to life. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, the fourth of the parks, mixes real and imaginary creatures in an environment providing thrilling adventures and lots of surprises. For full details on Disney World, you can visit their website at: www.disneyworld.com

Wet ‘n Wild
Whether you’re looking for a day of relaxation or some excitement, you can find it at Wet 'N Wild in Orlando. The world's largest water slide is here, as are 2500 foot-long flumes. You can relax on the man-made beach by the Surf Lagoon, which boasts four-foot waves if you want to try your hand at surfing, or race down rapids in an inner tube. Website: www.wetnwildorlando.com

Orlando has been considered a capital of both pop and mainstream music since the mid 1990s. Numerous cinema enterprises are located in Orlando as well, leading to its being dubbed ‘Hollywood East.’ Nickelodeon Studios operates out of Universal Studios Florida, which also functions as a tourist attraction. Orlando’s annual film festival is one of the largest in the US outside of California, attracting filmmakers from all parts of the globe.

Theatre
Several professional companies and a number of community theatres are featured here, including: Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Repertory Theatre, the Mad Cow Theatre, Theatre Downtown, the Osceola Center for the Arts, the Seaside Music Theatre, Theatre Winter Haven and the Winter Park Playhouse. Every spring, local theatres and other venues host the Orlando International Fringe Festival, bringing in touring companies from many countries and staging productions of new works by local artists.

Mennello Museum of American Folk Art
This small bright museum houses a collection of paintings by American folk artist Earl Cunningham. Rotating exhibitions on various folk art themes are featured, showing the artist's range of talent and eye for colour. Phone: +1 407 246 4278; website: www.mennellomuseum.com

Orlando Museum of Art
Founded in 1924, a large collection of modern art focused on women and minority American artists is housed in this sprawling museum. The museum’s huge rooms feature dramatic installation pieces and also display impressive collections of pre-Columbian and African pieces. Phone: +1 407 896 4231; website: www.omart.org

In the days long before Walt Disney opened his theme park here, gator tail and squirrel soup featured as specialties of the region. Today, you’re more likely to find fast food franchises and bland buffets with increasing frequency. There is however some good news as there are a few places in Orlando that cater to more refined and exotic tastes.

Although the city isn’t lacking for eateries, having over 5000 dining options, most of these are of the theme and chain restaurant variety. With the arrival of Disney and the number of families coming to the area, huge numbers of fast-food restaurants have opened. Themed restaurants, based on anything from rainforests to superheroes, followed quickly afterwards.

For those looking for finer dining, some of the top choices can be found at Emeril's restaurant in City Walk and Victoria & Albert's in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Many visitors to Central Florida spend so much of their time at Disney that they end up eating most of their meals there too. For those of you who do venture beyond the boundaries of Disney World, you will find some of the area’s better dining spots on International Drive. Restaurant Row is located just above International Drive. Sand Lake Road and is the hottest dining spot in Orlando.

Shopping is also a favourite pastime for visitors to Orlando, second only in popularity to the theme parks. There’s a huge variety of shopping options, located in and around the main tourist areas.

At the northern end of International Drive, you’ll find Prime Outlets Mall, featuring a selection of factory outlet stores. Festival Bay is another popular mall located here while Mercado Mediterranean Village can be found nearby and is an eclectic collection of gift and souvenir shops. Pointe Orlando Mall is popular for those without a budget and features designer shops as well as an enormous FAO Schwarz toy store.

In the centre of Orlando, Fashion Square Mall is where the locals shop. Here you’ll find good department stores as well as national chain stores. North Orange Avenue boasts the city's largest collection of antique and specialty gift shops. Many European visitors take advantage of the shopping at the Florida Mall before returning home. The mall is conveniently located near Orlando International Airport and features top-end stores such as Saks 5^th Ave.

For visitors who enjoy spending their time outdoors and not just at theme parks, central Florida boasts many lakes, rivers and national parks. You’ll find trails for cycling, hiking or walking as well as plenty of opportunities for boating and swimming.

Canoeing
In the Ocala National Forest you can rent a canoe and Paddle along the crystal-clear rivers that wind their way through this untouched wilderness. This is one of Florida's finest national parks, located a short drive northwest of Orlando. Other places that are popular for canoeing include the Mosquito Lagoon in the Canaveral National Seashore and Wekiwa Springs State Park.

Cycling
Cycling is very popular in the central Florida area. Visitors can rent a bike at Wekiwa Springs State Park and cycle on trails running through the region’s unique palmetto wilderness. You will also find an excellent network of 'rail trails' throughout central Florida on which to cycle on (these are abandoned railway tracks converted for bicycle use).

Hiking
You will find an excellent selection of hiking trails in the national parks north of Orlando. Wekiwa Springs State Park is the closest to the city and features miles of well-maintained trails. Ocala National Forest offers a splendid loop trail through a cypress forest, in the Salt Springs area while the Cruickshank Trail provides an opportunity to hike for five miles around a marsh in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Swimming
The Ocala National Forest is a popular place to enjoy a paddle as are Alexander Springs, Juniper Springs, Clearwater Lake and Lake Dorr. Blue Spring State Park's translucent waters are open for swimming when there are no manatees around and Apollo Beach and Klondike Beach at the northern end of Merritt Island offer soft sand and a gentle surf.