Sports

Amway Arena
For football tryouts only, the United Football League tryouts come to Amway on the 6th – why not make a special journey if you think you have the talents to pursue this exciting career? Presidential have villas within minutes of the arena for easy access to tryouts and training.

Concerts/Live Music

Amway Arena
At the Leu Gardens area of the Orlando Venues, why not sit down for a spellbinding night of storytelling on the 15th? This is an event certain to be enjoyed by children and adults alike, as is the “Roman Holiday” preceding it on the 5th. Or why not get into the laughing spirit with the Dane Cook comedy tour on the 26th as his tour passes through Orlando? Or if you’re craving some real American country music, go along to the Central Florida Folk Concert on the 28th, for live sets that the whole family will enjoy.

Hard Rock Live
A veritable melting-pot of different musical tastes and styles find their way into Hard Rock Live, and this June is no different – on the 5th you can enjoy the musical stylings of Wanda Sykes from 7.30pm, with Jim Gaffigan from 7pm only the next night away on the 6th. However, the oldies are the goodies, and for a true Beatles fan, you should go along on the 13th, where from 8.30pm you can enjoy lives sets of track covers from their most famous album: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

House of Blues Orlando
On the 13th you can chill out at Better than Ezra with blues artist Tyrone Wells, a perfect wind-down after a busy day running around Disney World.

Theatre/Performing Arts

Amway Arena
The Bob Carr Performing Arts center is the home to Broadway musical Stomp from the 9th-14th June, bringing the best musicals to Orlando. There are daily matinee and evening performances, and great deals for families too.

Exhibitions and Expositions

17th Annual Harvest Festival
From the 12th-14th June, immerse all your senses at the Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards, as you indulge in food and wine tasting, vineyard tours, live music and art and craft stalls and workshops, not to mention that greatest of vineyard harvest traditions – grape stomping! A fantastic festival for both wine connoisseurs and families, this is a unique and fun day out.

Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
The Fine Art of Craft is celebrated here right through until the 29th June. Enjoy some amazing craft exhibitions across many wonderful trades, and learn the basics of certain techniques in special workshops.

Orange County Regional History Center
Indulge your nostalgic side on the 12th June at the Retro Game Night at the Regional History Center, and discover classic board and video games for free throughout the evening from 7pm and play until midnight – to make the event extra special, the Center encourages you to dress in a retro style, so join in and have fun!

Orlando Museum of Art
Right through until 4th October this year, a major glass exhibition by artist Therman Statom is showing at the prestigious Orlando Museum of Art, with his installation exhibit ‘Stories of the New World’ – an interesting and new style of art. Right up until November, you can take the kids to hear Aesop’s Fables and Other Tales, both with storytelling and art. This is combined with ‘Storytime in the Gallery’ which runs until August and features the books of Jerry Pinkney – these children’s tales will enthrall your children.

So-Raw! Sushi Festival
Taking place at Sora at Gaylord Palms Resort, this celebration of sushi and it’s worldwide growing appeal and traditional methods of creation, will make you drool on the 12th June. You can join in discussions on the fine art of sushi-making, take part in free tastings, get recipe ideas, and watch professional sushi chefs work their culinary magic.

Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios
Star Wars fans and sci-fi enthusiasts will be in their element from the 22nd May and continuing until the 14th June – every weekend, you can marvel at amazing memorabilia, special shows and presentations.

The Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center
Seussical the Musical from 19-21st June, offers an even more entertaining (if possible) element to your favourite Dr Suess characters, performing and lyrical-styling to a range of musical styles.

Crealde School of Art
“The Art of Fellowship,” the exhibition that began in April, is still running and features the works of emerging artists.

The Orlando Science Center
“Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure,” a film exploring the wonders of marine life, continues to play through Spring 2009. Taking in life-forms too odd to even be featured on the Discovery Channel, some of the oddest ocean-dwelling specimens found in our world, from the frightening, vicious, and remarkable, to the downright peculiar!

Sports

Amway Arena
Slam-dunk with Orlando Magic on May 20th, 24th and 26th as the famous basketball team takes on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Whether you’re new to the sport or a lifelong fan, this team always put on a great show! Alternatively, if you’re after something rather different, the official PlayStation tour is coming on the 18th, a must for dedicated gamers from all over the world.

Concerts/Live Music

Amway Arena
Chill out at the Caribbean Festival on the 24th, enjoying traditional music ranging from funky soul, reggae and chilled tunes, dancing, mouth-watering foods and lots of traditional goods to buy.

Hard Rock Live
On the 24th May, Hard Rock Live presents Delirium with Roger Sanchez, blasting tunes into the night from 8pm ‘til late, and on the 29th fans of Pink Floyd can take a nostalgic trip from 8.30pm, with live performances of tracks from their iconic ‘Wish You Were Here’ album. Live sets at Hard Rock are always an event not to be missed, so try to catch at least one during your stay in Orlando.

House of Blues Orlando
There are so many laid back and soulful blues acts on at House of Blues this month. Gavin Rossdale is there on the 19th, supported by Nico Vega. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus spring onto the stage on the 24th, supported by Fit for Rivals and Go Radio. Round things off on the 31st with Matisyahu and Les Claypool followed by Reik.

Orlando Taiko Festival 2009
This free Japanese concert takes place at The Village at Hunters Creek, where you can enjoy both musical and visual art.

Rock by the Clock
Elvis tribute act Dwight Icenhower takes on Old Town until the 27th May,

Theatre/Performing Arts

Noises Off
Garden Theatre in Winter Garden is showing this interactive comedy until the 24th May, a hilarious play-within-a-play comedy with disastrous twists and turns both on and off-stage.

The Orlando International Fringe Festival
If you’re holidaying in Orlando in May and love live events, you have come to the right place! An amazing and unconventional mix of live music, theatre, dancing and all manner of strange performance styles, the twelve-day festival runs from 14-25th May at Loch Haven Park. It runs along the same lines as the UK’s famous Edinburgh Festival, with all ticket proceeds going back to the performance artists – if you want to support new and emerging talents, this is the place to be. At the weekends, a smaller ‘Kids Fringe’ festival is a more family-friendly affair for parents with young children.

Exhibitions and Expositions

Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
The Fine Art of Craft is celebrated here from the 19th, right into June. Enjoy some amazing craft exhibitions across many wonderful trades, and learn the basics of certain techniques in special workshops.

Bok Tower Gardens
“Vignettes in Paint”, a beautiful watercolour exhibition, is on at Bok Tower Gardens on the 28th May, featuring the work of acclaimed watercolour artist Robert Leedy, showcasing his fresh paintings, which cover scenes from his worldwide travels. Wander the gardens and enjoy browsing the work all day from 8am-6pm.

Orlando Museum of Art
Right through until 4th October this year, a major glass exhibition by artist Therman Statom is showing at the prestigious Orlando Museum of Art, with his installation exhibit ‘Stories of the New World’ – an interesting and new style of art. Right up until November, you can take the kids to hear Aesop’s Fables and Other Tales, both with storytelling and art. This is combined with ‘Storytime in the Gallery’ which runs until August and features the books of Jerry Pinkney – these children’s tales will enthrall your children.

The Osceola Center for the Arts
The 2009 Juried Art Exhibition runs from the 4th-29th May, featuring 55 local artists vying for the first prize of this prestigious art competition.

Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios
Star Wars fans and sci-fi enthusiasts will be in their element from the 22nd May and continuing right into June – every weekend, you can marvel at amazing memorabilia, special shows and presentations.

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
Themed displays of plants and exotic flowers burst into bloom at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival that began in mid April and finishes on the 31st of this month, at the Epcot Center in Epcot, one of the theme parks of Disney World. If you’ve got green fingers, you can also attend workshops and talks led by gardening experts and celebrity gardeners to get you motivated to do a bit of re-potting!

The Orlando Science Center
“Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure,” a film exploring the wonders of marine life, will be playing through Spring 2009. Taking in life-forms too odd to even be featured on the Discovery Channel, some of the oddest ocean-dwelling specimens found in our world, from the frightening, vicious, and remarkable, to the downright peculiar!

Sports

Amway Arena
All through April from the first onwards, the Orlando Magic basketball team will be shooting hoops against big-name teams such as the New York Knicks (10th April) and the Charlotte Bobcats (15th April). Games are played approximately every 4 days, so if you’re a fan of basketball or just curious about one of America’s biggest sports, look them up and see who’s playing when you’re in town!

Osceola County Cracker Day & Ranch Rodeo
While you’re based near Disney World, why not pop along to the Kissimmee Sports Arena in early April an get a taste of real American cowboy traditions as Osceola County ranchers compete in a variety of rodeo categories, from bull riding to calf roping, which will provide quite a thrill. If you’re looking for something a bit quirky, there’s also the wild cow-milking contest!

Concerts/Live Music

Amway Arena
There are plenty of diverse acts coming to the Orlando venues in April including an exclusive evening with Fleetwood Mac on the 20th, Denis Leary’s ‘Rescue Me’ comedy tour on the 23rd, and many more assorted acts and music styles playing throughout the month, from rock and pop to classical and jazz.

Hard Rock Live
Over April 2009, Hard Rock Live will be home to acts such as Ben Folds on the 18th, Everclear on the first, an evening with Chicago on the 3rd, Cheech and Chong on the 5th, Bill Maher on the 10th, and a live evening of music from classic albums on the 18th, featuring Led Zeppelin’s ‘Physical Graffiti’. With a new act on every few nights, so you can guarantee there will be a great live set for you to enjoy whatever dates your holiday covers.

JazzFest Kissimmee
The annual JazzFest takes place on the third weekend in April, featuring live music performances from local schools, regional entertainers, and also shows exhibitions of art for sale, alongside the stalls of many different types of foods. Admission to the festival is free.

Viva La Musica
An exciting celebration of Hispanic culture, this fiesta of sound is hosted by SeaWorld Orlando on selected dates throughout April, so it is worth looking ahead to see when the celebrations are on if you are planning to visit SeaWorld, as admission charges are combined. You can enjoy live performances from award-winning Latin musicians, join in with the salsa dancing, sample some Hispanic cuisine and browse an exhibition exploring this interesting and colourful culture.

Theatre/Performing Arts

Amway Arena
The Orlando Venues burst into song with opera and classical performances throughout April, including an exclusive evening of music and dance from the National Philharmonic of Russia on the 4th, and performances of music by John Williams (composer of the Harry Potter original soundtrack music) on the 11th. Further into April and rounding off the month there are Broadway productions of family favourite Chitty Chitty Bang Bang all the way through from the 11th to the 19th of April.

Circus Cirque du Soleil
Throughout April, this famous circus troupe present their popular ‘La Nouba’ show, with spectacular performances from clowns, trapeze artists and unicyclists, to make up this incredible set of imagination-bending showpieces. Performances are twice daily Tuesday-Saturday at Downtown Disney.

Orlando Cabaret Festival
Taking place throughout the middle of April at the Mad Cow Theatre, the Orlando Cabaret Festival is a theatrical spectacular of forty shows over eighteen days, featuring old favourites and new acts from Broadway.

Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival
All the way through April you can go along to the beautiful Lake Eola Amphitheater fo watch some great classical productions as part of the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, featuring two outdoor productions – a comedy and a tragedy – of some of Shakespeare’s best-loved works.

The Florida Film Festival
This annual festival of film and filmography that began in March runs until the 5th April and features short films, documentaries, independent offerings, and film-making lectures across various locations in Orlando and central Florida, and is well worth looking up if you’re visiting at this time.

Exhibitions and Expositions

Crealde School of Art
The school’s three new exhibitions kick off with “The Art of Fellowship,” featuring the works of emerging artists, from 18th April.

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
Themed displays of plants and exotic flowers burst into bloom at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival from mid April right through into summer, at the Epcot Center in Epcot, one of the theme parks of Disney World. If you’ve got green fingers, you can also attend workshops and talks led by gardening experts and celebrity gardeners to get you motivated to do a bit of re-potting!

Maitland Art Center
The Art Center’s exhibition “The Seminoles, The Reeves Collection,” that began in March runs right through until the 26th April, with other permanent exhibition work on display.

Spring Fiesta in the Park
Spring Fiesta in the Park features stands and small exhibitions from a diverse range of artists from all over the United States and runs through early April. Amongst the various types of arts on sale are jewellery, glassware, paintings, wood sculptures and pottery. The festival is held in the surrounds of Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando, and live bands play throughout the day. This is a great opportunity to pick up some lasting souvenirs of your stay.

The Orlando Science Center
“Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure,” a film exploring the wonders of marine life, will be playing through Spring 2009. Taking in life-forms too odd to even be featured on the Discovery Channel, some of the oddest ocean-dwelling specimens found in our world, from the frightening, vicious, and remarkable, to the downright peculiar!

Sports

Amway Arena
All through March from the 11th right through into April, the Orlando Magic basketball team will be slam-dunking against big-name teams such as the New York Knicks (21 March) and the Boston Celtics (25 March). Games are played approximately every 4 days, so if you’re a fan of basketball or just curious about one of America’s biggest sports, look them up and see who’s playing when you’re in town!

Concerts/Live Music

Amway Arena
13th March has New Kids on the Block performing at Amway, but if you’ve missed that there will be plenty of diverse acts coming to the Orlando venues in April including an exclusve evening with Fleetwood Mac, so pop back to the blog later for what’s on in April to find out more!

Hard Rock Live
Over March 2009, Hard Rock Live will be home to acts such as Rockstar Taste of Chaos on the 18th, Everclear on the 19th, Louis CK on the 20th and a live evening of music from classic albums on the 27th, featuring The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’. With a new act on every few nights, so you can guarantee there will be a great live set for you to enjoy whatever dates your holiday covers.

Theatre/Performing Arts

Amway Arena
Legally Blonde is the Broadway spectacular showing nightly from 10th to the 15th March, followed by Classic Brahms performed by the Orlando Philharmonic orchestra on the 21st, and various performances by the Orlando Ballet company from the 27th to 29th (with two performances on the 28th, including a one-off ballet of the children’s classic Peter and the Wolf). On the 20th of March, Disney Playhouse Live is in town for one night only, a family performance allowing children to interact with Mickey Mouse and friends.

Mardi Gras at Universal Studios
March means Mardi Gras in Orlando! Taking place at Universal Studios, Mardi Gras is a colourful mish mash of fun, with New Orleans-Style parades, spicy Cajun foods and live performances by groups such as Barenaked Ladies, Montgomery Gentry, and Collective Soul, starting at 5pm every evening of the 7th, 14th and 21st of March - this is a carnival not to be missed!

The Florida Film Festival
Running from the 27th March to 5th April at various locations around Orlando, the annual Florida Film festival features short films, documentaries, independent offerings, and even film-making lectures for those who think they have the director’s stamina or a cameraman’s eye. With various events going on across Orlando, it is worth doing a little investigative work to find out what’s on and where when you’re going to be in the area.

Theatre Downtown
Sylvia, the AR Gurney romantic comedy classic, is showing here from 16th March to 7th April, starring new stage talent Jennifer Gannon as Sylvia.

UCF Conservatory Theatre
The Rocky Horror Show is running here nightly from 29th March to 15th April. The cult musical, directed by Earl Weaver, is silly but fun.

Winter Park Playhouse
I Love a Piano opens on the 23rd March at this small theatre in the fashionable Winter Park just outside Orlando. The Central Florida Premiere of this Irving Berlin tribute covers 5 decades of Berlin music and will be showing on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Exhibitions and Expositions

Walt Disney World
Epcot, Disney’s informational technological and cultural theme park, hosts the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival from the 18th to 31st March, a chance to get closer to some beautiful flora and fauna.

Crealde School of Art
“Displacement: Sculpture and Installation by Gagik Aroutiunian,” a retrospective of work by the sculptor Aroutiunian, starts from the 14th March. Later on in the month, you can immerse yourself in “A Decade of Zora! Festival Posters,” which celebrates the 20th year of the area’s Zora Festival, starting from the 28th.

Maitland Art Center
“The Seminoles, The Reeves Collection,” will be shown from 13th March to 26th April at this art gallery, alongside other permanent works.

The Orlando Science Center
“Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure,” a film exploring the wonders of marine life, will be playing through Spring 2009. Taking in life-forms too odd to even be featured on the Discovery Channel, some of the oddest ocean-dwelling specimens found in our world, from the frightening, vicious, and remarkable, to the downright peculiar!

Fabulous Foods…

The Fresh Market
This fresh food store is located on Dr Phillips Boulevard, and carries deli products, cheeses, meats, fresh seafood, bakery goods, dairy, handmade chocolates, fine wines and much more in-season produce, so if you’re a committed foodie then this is for you. The Fresh Market is set out like a traditional European outdoor food market, but all under one roof, making it easy for you to find what you’re looking for and discover new foods. If you’re self catering in one of our villas, branch out and enjoy cooking by being adventurous in the kitchen and try some interesting foods from a store like this one rather than relying on the supermarket all the time. Deli foods in particular can introduce you to lots of different foods and flavours with the minimum of preparation time, so why not give it a go?

903 Mills Market
An exciting downtown Orlando deli-market, 903 sells innovative high quality deli products and also offers a dining experience (including kids’ menu for the under-twelve’s) of great quality meats, wraps, and salads, with many vegetarian options, and meal deals. Located on Mills Avenue and Gore Street, this delicatessen is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is worth a visit any time of day.

Whole Foods Market
If you try to eat organic, try this on for size: the Whole Foods Market specialises in natural, organic produce, and has stores in both Orlando and Miami Beach, with sixteen stores in total across Florida. Don’t be put off by a large chain, Whole Foods pride themselves on great, healthy produce as well as nutrition aids and health products, with bakery, cheese, grocery, meats, seafood and fine wine departments that are stringent in their quality standards, claiming to shun all artificial preservatives or additives, focusing on totally natural food.

Sumptuous Styling…

Zou Zou Boutique
Selling themselves as a ‘chic boutique’, Zou Zou is a perfect fashion haven, stocking high fashion lines such as Rebecca Taylor, Nanette Lepore and Ella Moss in an intimate and quirky space which drips with glittering accessories and jewellery. Set in Thornton Park, the boutique is perfectly placed in one of Orlando’s most fashionable districts, on the west side of Summerlin Avenue. Quietly browse, chat to the girls and compare pieces with your friends, this is a perfect setting for a leisurely shopping experience – just try to resist handling the bags on display!

Etoile Boutique
An Aladdin’s cave of beautiful handmade jewellery and clothing by local designers and silversmiths, Etoile is located on Robinson Street. They specialise in one-off items, rare finds and handmade goods, so if you’re looking for something unique and like the idea of supporting new design talent, this is the boutique for you. They are against mass marketing and mass production, so you can be safe in the knowledge that it is unlikely you will bump into someone else wearing the same outfit as you, and set huge store by good craftsmanship.

Stalhi Celebrity Fashion Boutique
“Be famous for your style!” say Stalhi. This boutique is a fashion emporium of impressive proportions, selling more labels than you can shake a hanger at, offering styling to emulate your favourite celebrities by looking at pictures or magazines. This may be Florida, but you can still come over all Hollywood! If you’re a shopaholic or a fashion follower this is the place you need to make a space for in your schedule – hours of browsing, trying and buying await, with the help of personal shoppers and stylists – so leave any shopping slackers at home!

Marie-France
Cutting-edge fashions are meticulously selected, sorted, judged and re-selected for a hallowed place in the high fashion Marie-France Boutique, on Washington Street. Here their signature line of jewellery takes centre stage amongst the avant-garde shoes, accessories and of course clothing, offering high fashion looks from top to toe, beret to stiletto. Open Tuesday to Sunday, with daily deliveries of new stock in limited supply, this store carries the most up-to-the-minute items it possibly can, and prides itself on staying at the very top of the fashion game.

Merrigan’s Boutique
Comfy and cute, but stylish and timeless, Merrigan’s offer classically tailored labels for men and women seven days a week. With an emphasis on comfort whilst looking great, Merrigan’s is the boutique for the serious shopper who won’t suffer for fashion but also refuses to skimp on style. Friendly, with an inviting atmosphere, the store is a relaxed little gem on Broad Street, and has a particularly great selection of good quality designer jeans by labels such as 7 For All Mankind, Anlo Jeans, Rock & Republic and Paige Premium Denim. Dedicated to making the shopping experience as enjoyable for sceptical husbands as their wives, this boutique is ideal for couple shopping.

Lulu Belle Baby Boutique
“Hip clothes for trendy kids and chic moms-to-be!” they declare. Offering the latest styles in maternity wear, baby clothes and toddler togs, Lulu Belle stock a huge range of clothing and accessories, nappy-bags and toys for children up to fourteen years old, and fashionable styles for expecting or new mothers. Located on Broad Street, in the Baldwin Park neighbourhood, Lulu Belle is a lovely boutique with friendly staff that make shopping with young children a breeze.

Thrift Shopping
It’s hard to describe thrift shopping as anything other than second-hand markets, however there are some real finds to discover depending on how lucky you are: vintage, retro clothing and collectable paraphernalia are all thrift shopping gold, and in Orlando this could mean anything, from vintage designer labels to collectable Disney toys. The best flea markets are found in Magic Mall on Colonial Drive, International Drive Flea Market, and Makkah Bazaar on Palm Parkway. ‘Flea World’ describes itself as ‘America’s largest flea market’, and runs every weekend, but we’d recommend 192 Flea Market in Kissimmee if you’re looking for cheaper souvenirs, including Florida t-shirts and Disney mementoes.

White House – Black Market
High fashion and high quality at low prices… not an outlet store… White House – Black Market is located in many of Orlando’s shopping malls, and feels like a mall within a mall. Yes, we said no malls, but this store is a bit different. Like a department store sent to rule over all others, they specialise in ensuring your clothes fit you and flatter your figure, and offer chic, high-fashion looks for ‘real women’ without breaking the bank.

1. Hot Air Balloon Ride

Have you ever dreamt of having breakfast in a balloon? A hot air balloon ride combines sedate travel with the thrill of open-air flight, and can make you feel more ‘in-flight’ than being stuck inside a plane. Balloon tours are really big in Orlando and something very special to do with the family; well worth the fee for such an exciting adventure.

Usually setting off at dawn, you can drift over different parts of Orlando including parts of Disney World for a birds-eye view of the magical place! We’re hoping that when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens at Universal Studios in 2010, you might be able to look down on Hogwarts too! You can also take in the beautiful Florida countryside, teaming with wildlife.

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2. Helicopter Tour

Helicopter tours are very popular in Orlando – if you’d love to take a bird’s eye view but prefer the added security of being in an aircraft rather than the open-air breeze of a balloon, helicopters are the best choice, as they can be hired privately or as part of a sightseeing group, offer guided tours, and can be hired at any time of day, in most weather conditions.

Most companies will run tours from sunrise to sunset, but you can order a private helicopter to take you over the city at night to look down on the sparkling lights and see Disney at its magical lit-up best. Look into where to go depending on what you want to see – for views over Disney world, use a Kissimmee-based company, for example. On a golfing holiday? Why not take a tour of your own devising over some of the area’s top golf courses, before finishing by landing at or near your preferred course!

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3. Skydiving

Skydiving is one of the most thrilling extreme sports around, and in Florida they’re going wild for the rush. Whether it’s your first jump or your hundredth, this is the ultimate pulse-racing experience. Jumping tandem or alone, you too can experience the buzz of free-falling flight, rocketing downwards at speeds of up to 120mph from 15,000 feet above ground – not for the faint-hearted! Booking for skydives is essential, and health checks should always be carried out by the skydiving centre, so make sure that you’ve been through these before jumping, and also note that age restrictions will apply (usually you must be over eighteen).

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Here’s a skydiver’s cheat: if you don’t think you’re ready to leap out of a plane, but want to experience the thrill of skydiving, you could try out the Skyventure Orlando skydiving simulator instead. You fly into a wind tunnel that simulates the 120mph winds you would feel on an actual skydive, and you can participate from as young as three-years old – if you didn’t reach the age or health criteria to skydive for real, this option is the next best thing.

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4. Hang Gliding

For those who want to experience the thrill of flight, and are drawn to skydiving but don’t fancy the idea of hurtling towards Earth, try hang-gliding! Popular in Miami in particular, hang-gliding allows you to experience free (ish) flight as you glide over the landscapes below, majestic as a bird of prey. Tandem or alone, you hold onto the steering bar, securely harnessed as you float sedately through the sky.

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5. Surfing and Windsurfing

If you’re a beach bum and a bit of a daredevil, why not take to the waves and learn to surf this holiday? There are some great windsurfing and surfing lessons available in Florida, at popular beaches such as Miami Beach, Cocoa Beach and Palm Beach, and there are lots of private options available if you’re after a bit of one-on-one attention. This is great news for beginners – don’t let anyone see you wobble! Personal tuition can be very beneficial and help you make headway fast. On the other hand, if it’s the camaraderie of surfing life that attracts you, there are plenty of groups to sign up to, for the day or as long as you like. Children can learn surfing more easily from a younger age as they find it easier to adjust their balance and learn innately, so signing up to special children’s group lessons should help them on their way to ruling the waves!

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6. Body Boarding

For less confident beginners (who’d like to surf one day but need a little encouragement for their first time in the waves), a good starting point is body-boarding in the Gulf Coast surf, and there are plenty of beachfront shops who sell or rent this kind of equipment. Whatever surf level you’re at, there is always an option available for you, so try it out and have fun!

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7. Water Skiing

You can water-ski on the Gulf Coast or on many of Florida’s inland lakes. Pulled behind a speedboat on skis, this water sport takes a lot of practice and some good balance but is great fun! If you’re a keen surfer or windsurfer then this sport is your natural progression to something a little more fast-paced.

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For something even more interesting, try wakeboarding – a sort of mishmash of surfing, skiing and skateboarding, this water sport is one of Florida’s newest crazes for inland lake sports. Instead of using speedboats, you’re pulled along on overhead cables at almost 40mph, and have to navigate a watery assault-course of ramps and other obstacles, using the wakeboard.

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The Orlando Watersports Complex is the best place for beginners to start off learning either of these water sports, as the lakes and waterways are more controlled, however there are many waterskiing opportunities along the Miami coastline, as well as the ever popular banana-boat rides –hold on tight!

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8. Scuba Diving

Scuba diving has become very popular with tourists in Florida, as the Florida Keys and the Miami coastline offer some excellent areas for deep-sea diving, and there are plenty of diving schools offering very competitive rates. If you don’t feel ready for the darkest depths, try snorkeling instead, which is a perfect transitional route into underwater exploration, and there will still be plenty of marine life to look at. To make a day trip out of this activity, why not book a place on a cruiser out of Miami, or hire your own private yacht and instructor, to spend the day sailing, swimming, snorkeling and scuba-diving off the boat. Many group day-cruisers have lunch offers and allow you to have fun on the open waves all day.

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9. Airboat Rides

Airboats are specially designed to let you glide through Florida’s natural wetlands and nature reserves without risk to the delicate habitats surrounding you. In locations such as Boggy Creek, you and your family can explore some of Florida’s most interesting wildlife, looking out for alligators, turtles and exotic birds, and if you book a night trip, you can see all manner of nocturnal creatures emerging! One of the best locations to try to get a tour is through The Everglades, one of Florida’s largest and beautifully unspoilt national parks, where you can look out for wild boar, bald eagles and many other awe-inspiring animals and birds.

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10. Paintballing

Paintballing is huge fun for all the family. An extended game of ‘tag’ or ‘it’, paintballing is a game where you can challenge each other one-on-one or in teams, using whatever strategy you can to ‘shoot’ the most paint-marks on members of the other team – or just take it as every man for himself, and try as hard as possible to get your paint all over everyone else whilst avoiding their shots! There are several indoor and outdoor paintballing sites in Orlando, with various ‘courses’ or adventure setups, and some who take the game much more seriously as a sport, so have a look around to see where the best place is for your family and friends to play. The paintball itself is a capsule containing the paint, which is either thrown by hand or ‘shot’ at low speed out of a paintballing gun. The majority of paintballing places provide overalls to play in; however the paint is usually easily washable and non-toxic.

Daredevil Rated ••

The 45 holes are set in over nine hundred acres of unspoilt greens and lakes, with three main courses called Crooked Cat, Panther Lake and Tooth, all offering different levels of challenge to all stages of golfer from beginner to pro.

Panther Lake offers beautiful greenery, lakes and wetlands; a natural and lush habitat with lots of wildlife to take in as you approach your game. Each hole is different from the last and requires a new area of concentration, making this the ideal location to work on your skill.

Crooked Cat is a links-style course with plenty of room for misguided error, so beware! Twisting and turning, this course is designed to keep you on your toes.

Tooth Course is a short nine-hole course providing challenges on a smaller scale but with no lesser potency than the major courses, so don’t get lulled into a false sense of security! This course is ideal for junior golfers and beginners – juniors play here for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

This golf centre welcomes new visitors, and the golf shop has everything you’ll need to get started or to replace worn out items. Private instruction is their forte and well worth looking into if you’re considering taking up the game and require a little expert help. There are several instruction schools on-site that offer different levels of coaching, and also a large driving range, so more advanced golfers can head out onto the major courses whilst beginners try their luck at a slower pace.

After your game, feast in the huge clubhouse, ‘Phil Ritson’s 19th Hole Restaurant,’ which serves delicious soups and wholesome sandwiches with its draft beers – just what you need after a challenging day!

Upcoming bands at Hard Rock Live, Orlando:

March

Over March 2009, Hard Rock Live will be home to acts such as Morrissey, Jesse McCartney, and George Lopez to just name a few, with a new act on every few nights, so you can guarantee there will be a great live set for you to enjoy whatever dates your holiday covers.

Into May and June, acts such as Stephen Lynch and Wanda Sykes will be gracing the stage, so check out the venue’s website for further updates as they come in.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is set to launch it’s new American Idol attraction this year, based on the popular reality TV series.

Are you a sports fan? The Champion Stadium at Disney’s Wide World of Sports becomes home to the Atlanta Braves’ spring training this year, before hosting games for fans to enjoy. Book your tickets well in advance. Between 27th February and 1st March, you can take in non-stop sports action at ESPN The Weekend at Hollywood Studios park, presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Epcot, Disney’s informational technological and cultural theme park, hosts the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival from the 18th to 31st March, a chance to get closer to some beautiful flora and fauna. This park also hosts annual food and wine festivals, so check dates before you travel to avoid disappointment.

Disney constantly adds and updates its rides, so stay tuned for further information throughout the year.

Upcoming events in 2009 across The Orlando Venues include:

Concerts - New Kids on the Block, Celtic Woman, Disturbed, Yanni Voices and Fleetwood Mac will all be gracing the concert hall to kickstart 2009, with countless other acts performing throughout the year. This part of the complex also hosts stand up comedy acts, so check out their website to check out what’s on when you’re in the area.

Arts and Theatre - Throughout February, the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center theatre will be showing various ballets performed by the Orlando Ballet, and also the Broadway extravaganza Chorus Line, performed by Suntrust Broadway Across America. To close February, Orlando Opera takes over, bringing you singing into March with the stage production of Legally Blonde and Brahms performed by the Orlando Philharmonic. In April Chitty Chitty Bang Bang bursts onto the stage, followed by a ballet take on the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet into the start of May. Check Amway’s website for continuing news for what’s on at the theatre when you’re in Orlando.

The Bob Carr Performing Arts Center will also host the World Ballet Competition from June 22-27, featuring the Central Florida Ballet. Special appearances will be made by entertainment celebrities who have particular ties to the dance form.

Basketball - Home to the team Orlando Magic, basketball is a huge deal at Amway with exemplary spectator seating. Orlando Magic play their home games here throughout the season. In February you can support them as they take on the Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons to just name a few, with further home games against teams such as Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks - famously the favorite team of the characters of US sitcom ‘Friends’.

The venue is also home to the Orlando Predators American football team, and the Orlando Sharks Soccer team, with many sporting events covered at this venue all year round including the Champs Sports Bowl and Capitol One Bowl. Baseball is also represented on the floodlit Tinker Field outdoor stadium, and well worth experiencing on a nice sunny afternoon. Check up on the Arena’s website today to see when your favorite sport is represented, and get in on the action!

Another part of The Orlando Venues, Harry P. Leu Gardens is a wonderful collection of Southern-styled gardens spanning fifty acres, with three miles of paved walkways, and including tropical stream gardens, butterfly gardens, and much more, so if the action of the stadium gets too exhausting, why not break up your trip a little with a quiet stroll around this peaceful paradise. Alternatively, visit the Mennello Museum: This collection of American art is currently host to the John Sloan exhibition until 22nd March 2009, and has a fascinating permanent exhibition all year round.