Orlando Florida

The city of Orlando originated during the Seminole Wars of the 1830’s. Fort Gatlin, an Army fort, was built on the land where the city sits today. In only a few years, a community had begun to form around the fort, partially for protection from the Seminoles. The town was originally known as Jernigan, named after a prominent local family.

In 1856, the city name was changed to Orlando. There are many versions as to where the name Orlando came from. One version is that Judge James Speer, who was responsible for getting Orlando named as the county seat, named it after a friend. Another version has Judge Speer naming the city after a character from the Shakespearian play “As You Like It.” Still another tells of a Mr. Orlando, who died there on his way to Tampa. As people walked by his grave, they often made the comment “There lies Orlando.”

However, the most widely accepted tale of how the city got its name is that it was named after a soldier killed by the Indians. Sentinel Orlando Reeves was responsible for alerting the fort of an Indian attack, but died in the ensuing fight. For his bravery, it is thought the city was named after him.

When most people think of Orlando, they think of Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, Epcot Center, or SeaWorld Orlando. But, it was actually the railroad that first put Orlando on the map back in 1880. However, today, Orlando is known for its many tourist attractions.

When Walt Disney built his second family oriented theme park in Orlando, he could not have chosen a better location. Even during the winter months, the low temperature barely falls below 50 degrees. Year round temperature highs range between 70 and 90 degrees. The development of Disney World was first announced in 1965 and by 1971, the theme park was opened. By 1998, over 600 million people had visited “the happiest place on earth”.

Another major attraction is SeaWorld Orlando. This first class marine adventure park offers rides, shows and of course, unforgettable adventures with some of the most amazing animals in the world. You will get to see whales, dolphins, stingrays, sea lions – almost any marine animal you can imagine.

At Universal Studios Orlando, you will find some of the most breathtaking rides in the world. Earthquake® The Big One will thrill you with collapsing ceilings, crashing cars, and explosions. One of the more famous rides at Universal Studios Orlando is Back to the Future. You will race back in time, into the ice age to see dinosaurs, then back to help prevent Biff from changing the future. The Universal CityWalk includes restaurants (Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, Hard Rock Café and NASCAR Café), shopping (from the CityWalk Arcade to the Universal Studios Store), and nightlife (Pat O’Briens, Bob Marley – A Tribute to Freedom and The Groove).

Other attractions in Orlando include museums (Orange County Historical Museum, Orlando Museum of Art, and the Orlando Science Center), art festivals (Florida Film Festival, Festival of Orchestras, Orlando-University of Central Florida Shakespeare Festival) and sports teams (NBA Magic, Rays minor league baseball team and the Predators, arena football). Nearby colleges are the University of Florida and Valencia Community College.

When you travel to Orlando, you are also within driving distance of many other attractions such as Gatorland (20 miles), Busch Gardens (50 miles), Kennedy Space Center (50 miles) and the Astronaut Hall of Fame (50 miles). Beaches within driving distance are Daytona, Cocoa and Tampa Beach.