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Orlando
Orlando, the county seat and principal city of Orange County in Central Florida, is a part Orlando-Kissimmee MSA, the third largest metropolitan area in Florida. Orlando features a number of tourist attractions and is also home to the second largest university in Florida, the University of Central Florida. The most-frequented place of tourist interest near the city is the Walt Disney World Resort, situated in Lake Buena Vista, nearly 20 miles (32 km) south of the city limits of Orlando. Vietnamese quarter, situated in the Colonial Town district of the city and popularly known as the “Little Saigon”, is home to a thriving Vietnamese community. The “Vi-Mi” District, featuring shops, groceries, and elegant restaurants, is one of the major landmarks in the city.
Other major attractions in the city include the Universal Orlando Resort, Lake Eola, and the Sea-World. Orlando is best known for its arts, culture, and performing arts. The Culture Coast of Orlando features a number of beaches, such as the Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, and New Smyrna Beach; cultural attractions, including the Ormond Beach Art museum, Southeast Museum of Photography, Museum of Arts and Sciences, and the Atlantic Center for the Arts; as well as numerous shops and art galleries. Owing to a number of cinematic enterprises in the area, Orlando is often referred to as the Hollywood East. The major festivals hosted by the City include the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival and the Festival of New Plays, hosted by Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival.
Orlando is also a shopping paradise. The major shopping malls in the city include the Florida mall, the Mall at Millennia, Orlando Fashion Square Mall, the Festival Bay Mall, and the Waterford Lakes Town Center. The city is home to a number of museums, including the Orlando Museum of Art at the Loch Haven Park; Orlando Science Center; the Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, the Orange County Regional History Center, Henry P. Leu Gardens, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Arboretum of the University of Central Florida, and the Mennello Museum of American Art.
Bok Tower, Central Florida Zoological Park, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, Hard Rock Café, the Holy Land Experience, Gatorland, Kennedy Space Center, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Wonder Works, Wekiwa Springs State Park, World of Orchids, Wet ‘n Wild, Orlando Welcome Center, and the International Trolley and Train Museum are among the other tourist attractions in and around Orlando. The major tourist recreational activities in the city include canoeing, swimming, and fishing at the Blue Spring State Park. Orlando is one of the major tourist destinations in Florida, attracting over 52 million tourists a year. It has a lot to offer to people of all ages and abilities, and is a place truly worth a visit.
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