Orlando, FL

Universal Studios Orlando
DESCRIPTION: two great parks occupy the same complex: Universal Studios Florida specializes in on-the-ground family attractions; The Simpsons Ride you are there beside Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie as you enter through the carnival-like midway that over-the-top appeal for 4 senses; at Men In Black Alien Attack it's up to you to protect the Earth from hideously fun aliens; Revenge of the Mummy is a guaranteed thrill ride that good for dates; Shrek 4-D lets you Join Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey  on an all new honeymoon adventure picking up where the movie left off; Terminator 2: 3-D - join forces with the TERMINATOR in a battle to prevent mankind's extinction at the cold hands of futuristic cyborgs, Fear Factor LIVE if you thought it was easy to watch on TV, now its your turn; Disaster - learn the secrets of disaster films, experience special effects demonstrations; Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone features a number of rides specially created for young jids, Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast Board engages your own rocket to follow Jimmy on a wild chase through your favorite Nicktoons, including SpongeBob SquarePants; ET Adventure - can you help E.T.®(the extra terrestrial) make it back home?; the studios also a number of live shows include The Blues Brothers, Universal Horror Make-up Show, Beetlejuice and the always popular Lucy - A Tribute; Islands of Adventure specializes in roller coasters and thrill rides; it features Marvel Super Hero Island in a worldwide first, features Storm Force, the only theme attraction to feature a Black super hero or heroine, Storm of the X-Men; also featured are The Incredible Hulk Coaster - something has gone wrong with Dr. Bruce Banner's gamma-ray accelerator as you launch from zero to 40 mph in 2 seconds; The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man - a 3-D pulse-pounding, first-of-its-kind 3-D Spider-Man thrill ride; Dr. Doom’s Fearfall - a diabolical device created to extract every ounce of fear from your body by rocketing you 150 feet into the air, then hurling you back down faster than gravity; Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges - brave white-water rapids in a splashing raft ride that'll make you wish you'd brought a towel; Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls - a side-splitting, wet-getting flume ride; Comic Strip Lane where you can meet the characters in person; Jurassic Park River Adventure is one of the park’s biggest attractions, an adventure 65 million years in the making, it features a River Adventure river raft ride where you’ll see dinosaurs in their natural habitats including one hungry T-Rex; at Jurassic Park Discovery Center, your kids can unearth the secrets surrounding dinosaurs via hands-on exhibits and observing fossil remains; there’s also a Camp Jurassic where kids can explore amber mines and more in a prehistoric playground; Lost Continent features Dueling Dragons, possibly the world’s only inverted roller coasters where you can nearly touch the other coaster as it zooms by; Poseidon’s Fury lets you tour the remains of ancient temples and immerse yourself in an underwater adventure; Dr Seuss characters come to life at the Cat In The Hat and your toddlers will absolutely love the interactive Caro-Seuss-El at Seuss Landing; both parks have number of themed restuarants to help you stay in character with all the fun

ADMISSION: $73 for either park in 1 day or $104 for both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure over 2 days; order online for savings

DAYS & HOURS: opens 9a, closing varies 6p-10p so check calendar for park hours

ADDRESS: 6000 Universal Boulevard  MAP

PARKING: $12 per day, $20 valet per day

PHONE: 407-224-4233

WEBSITE: http://themeparks.universalstudios.com

Wet ‘n Wild
DESCRIPTION: features the The Black Hole - what happens when color and sound explosions mix with an unpredicatable aquatic thrill ride; Der Stuka - a 250 foot, speedy drop down a steep slide, Brain Wash - a 53' drop into a 65 foot funnel, The Storm feels like you're riding a cyclone, Mach 5 propels you face first over 1700 of flumes; BombBay - imagine that you are a bomb dropped 76 feet through a trap down, yeah its wild; Wake Zone is a cable operated water ski; The Flyer - a 4 passenger water toboggan over 450 feet of hairpin turns and wildly banked curves; The Surge - take a 4 passenger ride down 600 feet of twisty flumes; Disco H2O is a new attraction showcasing disco nightlife with a whole lot of water and four-person cloverleaf rafts that descend through a time warp; wisely, the park features heated pools in cooler months; the park is located across I-4 Freeway from its sister park Universal Studios

ADMISSION: $42 adult, $36 ages 3-9

DAYS & HOURS: daily 10a, closes 5p-7p, depending on season

ADDRESS: 6200 International Drive  MAP

PARKING: $9 per day

PHONE: 407-351-1800

WEBSITE:  http://www.wetnwild.com

SeaWorld Orlando
DESCRIPTION: One of the world's best marine adventure parks with 200 acres of shows, thrilling rides and animal encounters; state-of-the-art water rides twist and drench guests with water after you encounter killer whales, dolphins, sea lions, stingrays and sharks; choose from 9 restaurants, ranging from full-service to buffet. Reservations are required for some restaurants; 800-327-2420; open year-round at 9a with extended hours during summer; strollers, wheelchairs, lockers and indoor, climate-controlled pet kennels are available for rental; wheelchair seating is available at all facilities; diaper-changing and baby-nursing areas

ADMISSION: $70 adult, $60 ages 3-9; get a major discount when you couple Busch Gardens and/or Aquatica tickets with a SeaWorld ticket

DAYS & HOURS: open daily 9a, but closing varies from 6p-10p depending on season and special events; check website calendar

ADDRESS: 7007 SeaWorld Drive  MAP

PARKING: Cars $10 per day, RV $12 per day

PHONE: 407-351-3600

WEBSITE: http://www.buschgardens.com/seaworld/fla

Aquatica by SeaWorld

DESCRIPTION: SeaWorld's waterpark located acros the street, Aquatica features all manner of water attractions with a range of suitability for all ages from among the Fish Grotto, Dolphin Plunge, Tassle's Twisters Loggerhead Lane, Taumata Racer, Big Surf Shores, Walhalla Wave, Whanau Way and HooRoo Run; after tossing ways, riding logs and plumes to your heart's content, three resturants (Banana Beach Cookout, Waterhouse Grill, Mango Market) are strategically placed between the rides; arrive early on hot days because the park fills up fast and attenddence is limited; cabanas are available for rent

ADMISSION: $42 adults, $36 age 3-9; get a major discount when you couple Busch Gardens and/or SeaWorld tickets with an Aquatica ticket

DAYS & HOURS: opens daily 9a, closing varies from 6p-10p, see website calendar

ADDRESS: 5800 Water Play Way  MAP

PARKING: Cars $10, RV $12

PHONE: 866-787-4307

WEBSITE: http://www.aquaticabyseaworld.com