Best Orlando Theme Parks
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Guide For The Best Orlando Theme Parks:
There are a lot of things that people assume you can’t do alone. You can’t go to a restaurant alone, you can’t travel alone, and you can’t enjoy a theme park if you’re alone. All of the above is just not true. If you find yourself in the one and only Orlando, Florida with amusement parks galore then don’t let being a solo traveler stop you from going. Don’t let being a solo traveler stop you from doing anything! I already know you’re fearless. I know you’re able to have fun everywhere you go whether you travel with an entourage or just yourself. You know it and I know it! So go! Enjoy the wonders of Orlando and check out the best Orlando theme parks.
#4: Epcot
Less interested in vomit-including roller coasters and more interested in learning opportunities? Then grab your ticket to Epcot. The American Heritage Gallery showcases 400 years of African-American history and achievements. You can learn more about Disney’s conversation efforts to save our coral reefs and protect precious marine life. Or experience the charm of Moroccan art and traditional crafts in the Gallery of Arts and History.
Spend some time in Innoventions and interact with science and technology by doing hands-on activities. See the works of talented Mexican and Mexican-American artists in the Mexico Folk Art Gallery and get an education on the traditions associated with the Day of the Dead. Watch the educational films O Canada! and Impressions de France and learn about the famous people in the present and the past that claim these places as their home. Experience what is just a glimpse of China’s history, culture, and artistry in Reflections of China.
Last, end your day gliding over the Wonders of the World with a flight simulator called Soarin’. Epcot doesn’t really deliver on big thrills or hair-raising drops but is it perfect for the traveler that wants to experiences all the culture and beauty of the world in one place.
#3: Magic Kingdom
If what you’re really after is a chance to indulge your inner child then look no further than Magic Kingdom. Disney fairy tales come to life before your eyes. Take a selfie in front of Cinderella’s castle or better yet, take a picture with Cinderella! Explore the Haunted Mansion with a few new ghostly friends. Then, in this order, get wet, get soaked and then get launched into space! Journey through an abandoned mine shaft on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride and rattle through caves and waterfalls. That will handle the getting wet part. To get soaked, jump on Disney’s Splash Mountain, a ride based on the cringe-inducing Disney movie, Song of the South. Then it’s time to be launched into space and go streaking through the stars the only way we non-astronauts ever will, on the one and only Space Mountain.
Of all the theme parks in this best Orlando theme parks list, this is the one I recommend for solo travelers looking to maximize thrills and be a kid again if just for one day.
#2: Universal Studios
Universal Studios was never one of my favorite parks. The rides never wowed me and the roller coasters didn’t tickle my fancy. Whenever I had the choice I would pick Islands of Adventures every time. That was until Universal Studios unveiled The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. You might as well know that I am a big time Harry Potter fan. I’ve read all the books, seen all the movies, I write Harry Potter fanfiction and I even know my House. SLYTHERIN!
When Islands of Adventure opened up Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle my screams of happiness were heard by millions. It was just the cherry on top of an already perfect park. That was until Universal Studios finally decided to step up its game. A lot of hard work, imagination and money went into making Diagon Alley live up to our muggle expectations. The dragon breathes fire, Weasley Wizard Wheezes sells all kinds of cute joke products. And you can buy scarves, hats, journals, shirts, robes, etc, all in the colors of your Hogwarts House.
Gringotts Bank with its chandeliers, polished marble floors and grumpy-faced Goblins will put you in a giddy mood before the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ride drops, twists and rattles you through the depths. Want to indulge your dark side? Step into a side alley and emerge in Knockturn Alley. Knockturn Alley is a dark, creepy, slithery place where you can skitter around in the dark and stock up on Death Eater memorabilia. Don’t worry, I won’t tell if you do.
I fully admit that Universal Studios wasn’t on my list of favorites for a long time but then came Diagon Alley and now everything I knew to be true was flipped on its head. If you’re visiting Orlando and you are even a mild Harry Potter fan then Universal Studios should be one of your stops. You won’t be disappointed.
Top Pick: Islands of Adventure
Islands of Adventure, in my opinion, is the best theme park in Orlando and possibly the world. Why because its home to one of the best rides ever created. I say this not just as a Harry Potter fan but as someone who has ridden quite a lot of amusement rides. After exploring the corridors of Hogwarts castle, filling your phone with pics of moving portraits, visiting Dumbledore’ office and dropping in on the Gryffindor common room, after ALL of that has thoroughly impressed you will get to fly with Harry on the Soar Above Hogwarts ride, the aforementioned best ride ever created.
When you have done that three, four, maybe seven times, you can grab a frozen (seriously, the frozen one is the best) Butterbeer and journey about several million years into the past to Jurassic Park. Enjoy a peaceful ride on the water that ends in an 85-foot drop that will leave you soaked and screaming around the stomach in your throat. Not wet enough? Run over to the Popeye Barge ride and join Popeye on his quest to save his beloved Olive Oyl. In the mood to be dropped again? How does a 185 feet plunge sound? Doctor Doom’s Fearfall is calling your name.
Islands of Adventure has everything. 3-D rides and water rides, drops and thrills, magic and wonder. So put it at the top of your list. Yes, right at the top, before Disney World. You won’t regret it.
Happy Travels! I hope this list of the best Orlando theme parks helped you plan your visit to Orlando and if you would like to know what to pack for your trip, then check out the North America Solo Travel Packing List next.