Let’s face it, most folks don’t visit Orlando for the museums or art galleries. According to the statistics on the Orlando Airport website, approximately 17 Million people visited Orlando in 2005. Disney doesn’t publish its official attendance numbers, but from most educated guesses in the amusement business roughly 16.1 million people visited The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in the same year. One word, wow.

It’s undeniable that Walt Disney World and the Disney Theme parks offer to transport visitors into a land of make believe that will delight both the young and young-at-heart. I’ll admit to my own share of spin-time on the tea cups and screaming my lungs out at the haunted mansion at Disneyland in Anaheim as a kid. So, I can definitely understand the appeal and it’s hand’s down one of the best places to take the kids on vacation.

But, if you do the math (17 - 16.1 Million), there are 900 thousand people who travel to Orlando and only 200 thousand that live there. That means that there are at least 700 thousand people who travel to Orlando that aren’t there to see the mouse. My mouse-eared hat (with “Suzann” stitched nicely on it) is off to you trail blazers that are able to resist the Magic Kingdom’s call.

So what are you doing in Orlando? I’ll hazard some guesses based on what people are saying in Orlando tours traveler reviews.

1. Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede (4 stars). People just love Dolly’s down-home variety show. And after reading the description again, I’m going to say that this goes on my wishlist for my next Florida trip.
2. Swimming with Dolphins in Orlando (4 stars). More than one reviewer calls it a “once in a lifetime experience.”
3. Florida Adventure Tour (4 stars). Swimming with manatees and an Everglades air boat ride? This Orlando tour is a real Florida gem.

Maybe you are here to taste a bit of Hollywood at Universal Studios Orlando. Or perhaps you came to launch your dream of flying to the moon by visiting Kennedy Space Center. There’s just so many things to do in Orlando outside of Walt Disney World Resort, I can only guess how you are spending your time.

For those of you off to see Mickey, enjoy. And why not take some time to see the everglades and catch a show while you are at it. For those of you who are just out to soak up the sunshine, why not say hello to “Dolly” or escape it all on a hot air balloon flight!

-Suzann M

This entry was posted on Monday, February 5th, 2007 at 3:34 pm and is filed under Destinations, Family & Kids, Travel Inspiration, USA, Canada, Mexico. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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