Kissimmee: springboard to central Florida options
Travel Talk
by Mike Cohen
Kissimmee, Florida (www.FloridaKiss.com) is far more than a convenient and economical place to stay when visiting Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Orlando.
It has long been the destination of choice for families, as it offers a range of affordable lodging options and convenient access to world famous theme parks, exciting entertainment, and leisure attractions.
The six million visitors a year who spend at least one night in Kissimmee go to show the destination has it all. It’s close to Kennedy Space Center, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, and Water Mania, which is a great spot to cool off. Green Meadows Petting Farm is a wonderful, safe environment where families can take a guided tour and interact with animals.
Outlet malls within easy distance of Kissimmee are prime hunting ground for bargain shoppers on the prowl for designer pieces. Nearly 45,000 area-lodging options satisfy any travel budget. The Radisson Resort Orlando-Celebration in Kissimmee provides free shuttle service to Disney, SeaWorld and Universal.
This is ideal for grandparents who might prefer shorter visits to parks and extended R&R by the giant, free-form pool, two outdoor spas, and fitness center.
Having already visited Disney many times, SeaWorld (www.seaworld.com) and Universal (www.universalorlando.com) were the focus of my recent visit. SeaWorld is considered the world’s premier marine adventure park, with 200 acres of world-class shows, thrilling rides and unforgettable animal encounters. The Universal Orlando resort destination includes two dramatically distinct and adjacent theme parks: the Universal Studios motion picture and television theme park and Islands of Adventure. Universal Orlando also includes CityWalk, a 30-acre dining, shopping, club and live-entertainment venue as well as world-class film and television production facilities.
If you want to experience both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios on the same day, you really must budget your time. To make sure your visit to the theme parks is hassle-free, purchase Universal Express Plus passes and bypass most lineups. This saved us hours of waiting time.
On the final evening of our trip, it was nice not to have to get into the car to go to dinner. Instead, we walked over to Mandolin's, the hotel’s full-service family restaurant.
