No Two Vacations Are the Same When You Visit Orlando

Beloved for its world-famous theme parks and pleasant year-round temperatures, Orlando is one of the U.S.’ most popular destinations for travelers of all ages. And while places like Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World and SeaWorld often take center stage — and deserve their place on any Orlando itinerary — what travelers might not know is that there is so much more to this Floridian getaway that’s worthy of exploration. Tom Valley, sales director of North America for Visit Orlando, shares why Orlando is a destination to watch and the exciting tools and resources — for advisors and travelers — provided by Visit Orlando to help you plan a vacation to remember.

What sets Orlando apart

With well over 100 attractions and 400+ resorts, Valley likes to say that you can do anything in Orlando that doesn’t involve snow. And it’s that sheer variety of choices that makes the city truly unique. “We did a really fun promotion right before COVID where we counted up the number of days that it would take you to come to Orlando and do something different every day,” says Valley. “Long story short, it would take you 121 days to do all of the different parks, attractions and activities.”

Endless things to do

“We’ve always been the biggest family destination in the country, and I think that’s still true to this day,” says Valley. “But, what a lot of people don’t know is that more than half of the visitors that come to Orlando actually travel without children. We get a lot of different groups of people, anybody can come to Orlando no matter the makeup of your family, what age you are or your budget, you can come to Orlando and have a great vacation.”

And the activities throughout the region reflect this vast demographic of visitors with smaller attractions like the brand new Peppa Pig theme park for young kiddos, Legoland for the makers and creators and the Kennedy Space Center for space geeks of all ages. Of course, Orlando’s many resorts are also a huge draw, many of which have full-blown waterparks onsite in addition to the traditional pool. Valley cites Aquatica, Volcano Bay and the Disney waterparks as some of the best.

While Orlando has mastered the types of attractions that travelers have come to expect from the city — theme parks, waterparks, novelty museums — it’s also an incredible destination for outdoor adventures. Travelers who are looking to get active will love meandering local waterways from atop a glass bottom kayak, exploring rugged hiking trails, taking a dip in nearby natural springs and swimming with manatees in the picturesque Crystal River. Or, for thrill seekers, Orlando offers hot air balloon rides, impressive Go-Kart tracks and exhilarating Airboat tours that promise travelers an up-close-and-personal look at the native wildlife.

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A vibrant culinary scene

“We’re really excited to announce that we now have several Michelin-star-rated restaurants in Orlando,” says Valley. “People who know what that means know that you’re one of the best-rated restaurants in the country, if not the world. We’ve been working hard to try to let people know about our vibrant culinary scene because it’s really quite good.” In fact, as of June 2022, Orlando has 34 Michelin Guide restaurants in addition to over 5,000 restaurants, bars and nightlife establishments — whatever you’re craving, it’s safe to say that you can probably find it in Orlando. “If you haven’t been to Orlando in a long time you might think it’s just a bunch of Olive Gardens and TGI Fridays and yes, we have those and lots of casual restaurants, but if you’re a foodie, Orlando is definitely a growing culinary destination.”

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Arts and culture

In the arts, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts recently opened Steinmetz Hall, a multiform theater that has been dubbed one of the world’s most acoustically perfect spaces. The hall was designed to accommodate a variety of art forms and events from Broadway and ballet to orchestras and vocalists, this new venue has put Orlando on the map. The city is also home to several art and culture festivals with charming neighborhoods like Winter Park and Winter Garden playing host to events throughout the year. And while travelers are exploring off-the-beaten-path, they should be sure to check out neighborhood shops and dining options, or, if they visit during the holidays, stay for one of Winter Garden’s epic holiday parades.

Those looking to learn more about the neighborhoods throughout Orlando can go to visitorlando.com for more info and maps.

What advisors should know about Orlando in 2022

“Because of the pandemic, there are a lot of aspects of the travel experience that have changed,” says Valley. “In Orlando, my first advice I would give to any travel advisor would be to, as much as they can, make reservations for their client because that’s really important right now as the service levels continue to recover. We’ve had a great summer so far and with things being as crowded as they are, there are capacity limitations at some of the parks.” Specifically, Valley recommends booking park tickets at least 30 days in advance and hotel rooms 60 to 90 days in advance.

“The Disney experience has also changed somewhat, they have a new system called Genie+ that’s their new Fast Pass system,” says Valley. “If you’re going to sell Orlando, you’re probably going to sell Disney so that’s a big thing that you need to know.”

Overall, Valley says that reservations and familiarizing themselves with the major theme parks, their unique booking systems and the perks of staying at their onsite properties are some of the best things that advisors can do to succeed in selling the destination.

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Visit Orlando: your trusted source for all things Orlando

“We like to tell people that we are the number one source of trusted information for Orlando,” says Valley of visitorlando.com. And with a bounty of resources and information for advisors and travelers alike, it’s hard to argue with that. “Orlando is huge, there’s a lot of information, there’s a lot of content. What we’ve done with visitorlando.com is take all of that content and really tried to skinny it down to the most important things that someone might need to know about an attraction or hotel without having it be the world’s biggest website.”

Orlando Travel Academy for advisors

Whether you’re an Orlando expert or are just getting in on the action, every advisor can benefit from participating in Visit Orlando’s Orlando Travel Academy, a program specifically created for advisors with tools and resources that make selling an Orlando vacation easier than ever. “We have a pretty great specialist course that advisors can take at their own pace, and it breaks the Orlando experience down into bitesize chapters so that they can sit down and take it all at once, or, front to back, the whole thing will take about an hour of their time,” says Valley.

Plus, completing the course comes with some pretty great perks. “Not only is there a huge education program, benefits and resources, but when you graduate from our education program you get two free tickets to Kennedy Space Center, half off tickets to SeaWorld and Aquatica, amazing hotel discounts and great shopping deals,” says Valley. “What I like to tell advisors is it’s like a half-off vacation just for graduating from our program. And it’s free, so if you’re going to come to Orlando within the next year, you have to take our education program to become a graduate, it will save you a ton of money.”

About the Author

Senior Editor for VAX VacationAccess and world explorer, Jenna loves writing about all things travel. When she’s not busy creating content, she spends her time exploring the great outdoors, cuddling with her two black cats and researching her next big (sometimes strange) adventure.