Orlando is the third largest metropolitan area in Florida. It is the twenty-sixth largest U.S. metropolitan area. The city is named “The City Beautiful” or “The Theme Park Capital of the World.” Millions of people visit the different theme parks and tourist attractions from all around the world. In 2014 alone, sixty-two million people visited the city. The airport is one of the busiest in the United States. In 2009, it was the most visited U.S. city.
Attractions
You probably know about many of the attractions in Orlando. Walt Disney World Resort is probably one of the biggest and most well-known. It is technically in Lake Buena Vista, not Orlando, but it is not far from downtown Orlando. It was opened in 1971 and has been a tourist draw ever since. Universal Orlando Resort is another theme park that draws millions of tourists. SeaWorld, Wet ‘n Wild, and Gatorland draw visitors as well.
The major university in the area is the University of Central Florida. The football team is very popular in the region as well as many of the events that happen on campus. There are many different shows, games, performances, and events on the UCF campus. As the second largest university population in the United States, it is a very diverse and dynamic campus. Luxury cruises in Orlando give you the option of starting in the exciting city and traveling around the world.
Universal Studios
Universal Studios is one of the major attractions in the Orlando metropolitan area. It is a theme park created by the film company Universal Studios. The park is styled after the movies that Universal produces. Over seven million guests visited in 2013, making it one of the most popular theme parks in the United States.
Luxury cruises in Orlando often allow you to experience the majesty of Universal Studios. Some of the attractions of the park were actually created in part by the creators of the films that inspired them. For example, Steven Spielberg was instrumental in creating the E.T. theme park ride as well as Back to the Future: The Ride, Twister…Ride It Out, Jaws, and Transformers: The Ride. Also, many of the rides involve the original stars from the films reprising their roles. For example, Will Smith features in the Men in Black ride. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton reprised their T2: Judgment Day roles for Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across Time.
In addition to being a theme park, Universal Studios Florida is also a working film studio. One of the biggest attractions at the park is the studio tour. The studio tour allows you to experience how the movies are made, including the special effects.
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