Florida with a population of about 14 million is the southernmost state of continental USA. The states capital is Tallahassee a small city in the Panhandle; however, Floridas principle cities and international gateways are Miami and Orlando.
For much of Floridas 40 million-plus annual visitors, the typical travel poster images of Florida sun, sea, sand, and Mickey Mouse are reason enough to jump on the next plane. The Sunshine State deserves its reputation as the perfect family vacation spot, but Florida is much richer in its culture, landscape, and character than its stereotypical image suggests. (DK Eyewitness Travel, 2008)
The main reason why travellers visit Orlando is to experience the big theme parks, especially Walt Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios. Next to these theme parks there is International Drive, and in nearby Kissimmee, there are over 80,000 hotel rooms, more than the whole of New York. If you have time to spare, visit Cypress Gardens Adventure Park and Historic Bok Sanctuary, which are often overlooked but are still major attractions.
Universals City Walk and Disneys Pleasure Island provide fantastic entertainment during the evenings. The Epcot Centre and the other Disney Theme Parks stage some of the best firework displays in the world.