Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You seem to not grasp what people seem to be valuable experience in travel or tourism to make statements like this.
The Orlando Metro area has the best amusement park options possibly in the world. It is easy to admit that, I've lived in Winter Park in the late 2000's and visited numerous times as a kid/teen so I understand the area.
If your talking about "attractions" ( Mostly for children) to point or look at and take a selfie in front of, the amusement parks in the Orlando area are at the top of the list in the U.S. Yes. This however is not always what a large amount of people seek to experience in their travels. Many people like to actually assimilate in their surroundings when they travel domestically or abroad. This includes walkable neighborhoods and shopping districts, grabbing a bite to eat at a local corner cafe, or even taking a local public transit mode as a way of exploring the area etc. The Orlando area is limited in that regard. On top of that there are so many more differences. Orlando is flat. Virginia has mountains high enough for skiing, trails, camping sites, rivers, white water rapids, an open bay, and beaches. Virginia has cities, towns, mega suburbs, tiny country towns, along with host of other options. Oh and by the way it has at least three major amusement parks of its own.
People primarily go to Orlando for the amusement parks or a convention, are there other attractions in the Orlando area? Sure, but those tourism numbers pretty much completely come from visiting those parks. You don't get a "world class" experience walking Orange St. downtown Orlando proper. Not to say it's a bad experience at all, but it's pretty generic and you can pretty much get that same experience in other towns in Florida.
I went to Paris earlier this year, it certainly didn't even come close to crossing my mind of visiting Disneyland there, because that is not what I wanted to experience there. I wanted to walk the streets, go in and out of cafes, stop by the Crepes stand for a snack, explore the Louvre, take the train to various destinations throughout the city etc etc. Different strokes for different folks.
With regards to the OP, I don't see how going out the way to Orlando makes sense unless it's absolutely the first time he or she has ever been and/or won't have time to revisit there in the foreseeable future. The state of Virginia provides significantly more options and is closer.
You sound very disconnected from the city that Orlando is now in present-day 2018. I hope you know that Orlando has changed ALOT since the late 2000s, it is practically a totally different city now, not only is it significantly larger and more developed than it was during that era, the dynamic of the city has changed and expanded, the population has grown, cultures are more diversified, etc..
Also, its Orange AVENUE, not "Orange Street" as you state, once again this further proves my point that you know very little about the area and are making your statements based on outdated information of what Orlando once was but no longer is..
I currently live in South Florida which is anchored by Miami, one of the largest cities in the country, and believe it or not, there is an extremely widespread desire among locals in South Florida to move to Orlando as it is seen as Florida's up and coming city, that city that people WANT to visit and WANT to be a part of, and no its not because of the theme parks, its because of the city itself.
You seem to not grasp what people seem to be valuable experience in travel or tourism to make statements like this.
The Orlando Metro area has the best amusement park options possibly in the world. It is easy to admit that, I've lived in Winter Park in the late 2000's and visited numerous times as a kid/teen so I understand the area.
If your talking about "attractions" ( Mostly for children) to point or look at and take a selfie in front of, the amusement parks in the Orlando area are at the top of the list in the U.S. Yes. This however is not always what a large amount of people seek to experience in their travels. Many people like to actually assimilate in their surroundings when they travel domestically or abroad. This includes walkable neighborhoods and shopping districts, grabbing a bite to eat at a local corner cafe, or even taking a local public transit mode as a way of exploring the area etc. The Orlando area is limited in that regard. On top of that there are so many more differences. Orlando is flat. Virginia has mountains high enough for skiing, trails, camping sites, rivers, white water rapids, an open bay, and beaches. Virginia has cities, towns, mega suburbs, tiny country towns, along with host of other options. Oh and by the way it has at least three major amusement parks of its own.
People primarily go to Orlando for the amusement parks or a convention, are there other attractions in the Orlando area? Sure, but those tourism numbers pretty much completely come from visiting those parks. You don't get a "world class" experience walking Orange St. downtown Orlando proper. Not to say it's a bad experience at all, but it's pretty generic and you can pretty much get that same experience in other towns in Florida.
I went to Paris earlier this year, it certainly didn't even come close to crossing my mind of visiting Disneyland there, because that is not what I wanted to experience there. I wanted to walk the streets, go in and out of cafes, stop by the Crepes stand for a snack, explore the Louvre, take the train to various destinations throughout the city etc etc. Different strokes for different folks.
With regards to the OP, I don't see how going out the way to Orlando makes sense unless it's absolutely the first time he or she has ever been and/or won't have time to revisit there in the foreseeable future. The state of Virginia provides significantly more options and is closer.
You do know that I was one of the first people to suggest that Virgina would probably offer the OP a fantastic vacation, especially since they were already gonna be in DC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa
Orlando has way more to see and do in the traditional sense than all of VA for sure BUT a really nice vacation to Williamsburg and Bush Gardens combines amusement and history. Also if you like the mountains are stunning. A ride along the BRP this time of year is a nice way to cool down.
So before you come in here and tell me what I do and don't "seem to grasp" perhaps you should reread the thread.
We all get it. VA (and most entire states in general) have a wider variety of things to do than a just a city. Especially a city such as Orlando that has a specific niche that is has carved for itself.
We just have the most and best of a certain form of entertainment that is in immense demand and was directly inquired about by the OP in the original post.
Perhaps I should have simply argued how much more popular Orlando's attractions are vs the entire state of Virginia's. Maybe then people wouldn't be so hung up on the fact that I'm defending Orlando's position as most visited city in the US.
Oh and please will you guys drop it with the you don't get a world class feel on Orange Ave or whatever local thing (thank god btw). WE KNOW!!!! When have any of the Orlando posters tried to argue that!!?? It's getting comical. I'll openly concede that in one post and 2 post later someone will be trying to explain that to me again.
Been to Paris and Rome, totally get it guys. Orlando is still wildly more popular to visit than the entire state of Virginia. Must be because we have less to do. or fewer attractions lol lol.
Last edited by OrlFlaUsa; 07-09-2018 at 07:12 PM..
Reason: rephrasing
You sound very disconnected from the city that Orlando is now in present-day 2018. I hope you know that Orlando has changed ALOT since the late 2000s, it is practically a totally different city now, not only is it significantly larger and more developed than it was during that era, the dynamic of the city has changed and expanded, the population has grown, cultures are more diversified, etc..
Also, its Orange AVENUE, not "Orange Street" as you state, once again this further proves my point that you know very little about the area and are making your statements based on outdated information of what Orlando once was but no longer is...
Certainly Orlando is growing and developing quickly, but it's still nothing like NYC, Chicago, SF, Boston, Philly, New Orleans, etc which are cities that offer visitors an authentic urban experience, notable cuisine, historic points of interest, highly-regarded cultural venues, etc. Orlando's local amenities are sufficient for its residents, but very few people are visiting Orlando for Orlando itself. And that's to be expected since Orlando is a newer city. It's baffling to me that you are interpreting this as a jab against the city when it's really not.
Quote:
I currently live in South Florida which is anchored by Miami, one of the largest cities in the country, and believe it or not, there is an extremely widespread desire among locals in South Florida to move to Orlando as it is seen as Florida's up and coming city, that city that people WANT to visit and WANT to be a part of, and no its not because of the theme parks, its because of the city itself.
Once again, the reasons people visit a city are very different than the reasons they may relocate there. I'm pretty sure that Orlando's cheaper cost of living (while still possessing most standard metropolitan amenities) is the main reason people in your area are looking at it as a place to move to. Of course they aren't moving there for theme parks, but that's a huge reason why people visit Orlando.
Never once in this entire thread have I suggested that they are coming here to visit our local spots. I've been nothing but forthcoming in all my posts about what attracts the 72 million visitors per year here. Some people just have a hard time understanding the correlation of having such a large visitation number and things to do. That's the only Orlando vs Virginia point I've made. I've even admitted if things like history, hiking, etc are you're cup of tea then VA is probably more your speed. Doesn't change the fact that we have that many million visitors per year because we have enough stuff for them to do. Wouldn't make sense otherwise.
I feel like this thread is bizarro land where 72 million people can visit your city in a year and people will somehow try to discredit it at all costs. Oh that doesn't count because Orlando blah blah blah.
I have no issue with this point, but you also continue to obfuscate it when you make statements like "we have more tourist attractions in one area than any other place in the world" which suggests that you have a very limited conception of what constitutes a tourist attraction. Yes, Orlando has a lot of attractions but it is somewhat one-dimensional in the range/theme of offerings that draw tourists to it and, as a result, it appeals primarily to a particular demographic -- families with young kids.
FKR brought up Rome, which is a good counterpoint to Orlando. I would argue that Rome has more "tourist attractions" in any 1 square mile of its historic center than the entire state of Florida. Heck every street in the center of Rome can be considered a "tourist attraction".
At the end of the day, though, I agree that it all depends on what one is looking for. If one is interested in theme parks and amusement attractions, Orlando is one of a kind. That's what drives the huge tourist numbers. But for those who are not interested in that kinda stuff and are looking for a more authentic urban experience, I really struggle to find anything compelling or unique in Orlando's offerings to make it an interesting destination.
At the end of the day, though, I agree that it all depends on what one is looking for. If one is interested in theme parks and amusement attractions, Orlando is one of a kind. That's what drives the huge tourist numbers. But for those who are not interested in that kinda stuff and are looking for a more authentic urban experience, I really struggle to find anything compelling or unique in Orlando's offerings to make it an interesting destination.
But 72 million!!!!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
