Disney Attractions
As magnificent as the Wyndham is, don’t stay there all day – there’s so much to do within minutes of the Palace!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is one of the newer Disney attractions. Think a wonderful zoo combined with a theme park, and you might come close to Animal Kingdom. You’ll encounter wild animal adventures, prehistoric creatures, familiar Disney characters and live entertainment. Be prepared to save the last dinosaur from a meteor blast, be entertained by the Lion King and friends in a live show and take a safari through the African wilderness.

Of course, it’s hard to go to the Disney area and not visit the Magic Kingdom. Going as a parent is such a neat experience. You can really appreciate all of the work that built this one-of-a-kind wonderland for adults and kids alike. Of course, you’ll meet beloved Disney characters, journey through seven fantastic lands and enjoy 41 awesome adventures, including “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin,” “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,” “Splash Mountain,” and the new “Main Street Electrical Parade.” Our children were mesmerized by the character parade, in which they saw nearly all their favorite characters: The Lion King, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Aladdin, among others. The best part was when our twin girls were chosen to dance in the street with Cinderella and Prince Charming. The photos we have of their delighted faces will be family heirlooms.

For more information on Disney adventures, visit www.disney.com.

As far as food goes, it’s everywhere. But our top pick was the wonderful and exciting Rainforest Café in downtown Disney. This realistic indoor rainforest is like a theme park in itself, and would have been enough stimulation without the surrounding Disney delights. With animatronic animals that move and make noises every few minutes, cascading waterfalls, beautiful saltwater aquariums alive with exotic fish and lush tropical surroundings, our kids were enchanted.

The food was good, too. There are Rainforest Burgers, Jungle Chops, pasta, seafood and steaks, done with Caribbean, Mexican and Asian flair. The kids were happy with their chicken and pasta meals.

The Rainforest Café is located at 1800 East Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista. Learn more at www.rainforestcafe.com.

The Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld
We then moved on to the SeaWorld area, and stayed at an incredible Renaissance property. Having stayed at Renaissance hotels before, I was expecting a nice place, but this resort blew our minds. Walking in to the hotel, you look up and see the largest indoor atrium you’ve ever seen. In fact, at 10 stories high, it is the largest tropical resort atrium lobby in the world. One word: Wow.

This luxurious 778-room, four diamond resort offers very large and comfortable guest rooms, five restaurants and four lounges. The food is excellent. Ranging from Italian to Japanese and everything in between, you can find all that you – and your kids – desire on the menus.

Speaking of kids, children are well taken care of at the Renaissance. A fun gated playground is adjacent to a perfect-sized kiddie pool. Simply pull up a lounge chair facing the water and let your kids play! The water was a pleasant temperature and the perfect depth for our toddlers. Lunch by the pool was terrific, with enough choices to please children and parent palates.

The rooms are light and colorful, everything a Florida hotel room should be. With cozy beds and wonderful bathrooms, you will feel right at home. The supply of high-quality shampoos, lotions and other amenities is plentiful. “Generous” is a word that best describes everything about the Renaissance Orlando Resort.

The Renaissance Orlando Resort is located at 6677 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando. Contact them at 800-327-6677 or www.renaissancehotels.com.

Sea World
The fact that the Renaissance is right across the street from SeaWorld is a bonus. Huge Shamu fans, my family and I were thrilled to be staying in such close proximity to the big guy.

SeaWorld Orlando offers amazing animal performances (including the sensational Shamu), but it doesn’t stop there. It adds in to the mix wild rides and other natural wonders to make an incredible theme park. These days, you can meet mythical spirits and dive down a 60-foot water roller coaster on “Journey to Atlantis.” The “Wild Arctic” and “Kraken” – Orlando’s fastest, longest and tallest roller coaster – are two of the newest attractions at SeaWorld. Hang on to your hats! Of course, you’ll still see and feed the delightful dolphins, polar bears, otters, penguins and, of course, killer whales. SeaWorld is located at 7007 SeaWorld Drive, Orlando. Learn more at www.seaworld.com.

Discovery Cove
The most unexpected and delightful surprise of our trip to Orlando was the new Discovery Cove park, adjacent to SeaWorld. Who knew there was a place where you and your children can swim with dolphins, feed sting-rays and snorkel amongst exotic fish – safely? Well, now we know, and we’ll be back for more!

Set up like a beach-front village, Discovery Cove is like having your own personal ocean, complete with personal guides, at your disposal. Since you need to make reservations in advance, it is never over-crowded – a nice change from the hustle-bustle of Orlando.

Donning your wet suit, you’ll feel like you’re going on an oceanic expedition. This day of marine adventure allows you to come eye-to-eye with sharks, wade through a majestic waterfall, view a free-flight aviary of exotic birds, and more. The best part, however, is the dolphin swim. Here, you can actually touch, kiss, play and ride on a dolphin. The feeling of freedom and daring is like no other you can find on a family vacation. Note: Kids need to know how to swim in water above their heads. Our little ones were allowed to pet the dolphins while we held them, which was nice. The photos we have of that day are among the fondest memories ever caught on film.

Discovery Cove is located at 6000 Discovery Cove Way, Orlando. Contact them at 877-434-7268 or www.discoverycove.com.

There’s so much more to Orlando than is mentioned in this article. From museums to theme parks to the Kennedy Space Center and more, you can spend each family vacation there and never get bored. A great resource for more direction in the Orlando area is www.orlandoinfo.com. Have fun in Orlando!

Want to see more?

• Legoland Ahoy! Interactive Fun with Little Ones
• Disney in the Off-Season
• Family-Friendly Destinations Discussion Board

About the Author: Elisa Ast All is the editor-in-chief of iParenting Media. She is the mother of three children who thoroughly enjoy Orlando.