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Okay Mutiny we should just agree to disagree. You really cannot take the theme parks out of the equation for Orlando since they are a part of our city and in and of themselves are world-class.
That doesn't mean that I don't understand your contentions in the perspective from what you are coming. And I personally given the situation that the o p is in would choose to stay in Virginia and tool around for a couple days. It's like you said how much can you really do in one weekend anyway.
And finally I do stand by my statement that if a place has x million more visitors per year then generally speaking there is more to do at a higher quality or else the numbers would reflect the desire to go there.
Yes, I'm going to Orlando to visit a swamp, said no one...And I'm not saying that wetlands and natural springs aren't important, but we have those in Virginia too. We also have rapids, and beaches too. Therefore they are not unique. If we were just comparing Orlando to Richmond, I'd mention that it's also 45 minutes from its nearest beach at Yorktown, you know where the British surrendered ending conflict in the Revolutionary War, or you could travel an hour west and be in the mountains. But we're talking about all of Virginia, right? So, you could throw in Luray, Great Dismal, Natural Bridge, etc.
Basically, the thread is ridiculous! You can compare FL to VA. But why would you compare Orlando, which to be fair, is not even the most prominent or interesting city in Florida, to all Virginia? Orlando has amusement parks, diversions and miles and miles of sprawling retail; but mountains, rivers, geological diversity, world class museums, history, etc., exceptional culinary arts, etc. are not at all there in comparison to the who Commonwealth. As a city, it's a great tourist destination though and a nice place to live too, but it doesn't offer more than a whole state.
Okay Mutiny we should just agree to disagree. You really cannot take the theme parks out of the equation for Orlando since they are a part of our city and in and of themselves are world-class.
That doesn't mean that I don't understand your contentions in the perspective from what you are coming. And I personally given the situation that the o p is in would choose to stay in Virginia and tool around for a couple days. It's like you said how much can you really do in one weekend anyway.
And finally I do stand by my statement that if a place has x million more visitors per year then generally speaking there is more to do at a higher quality or else the numbers would reflect the desire to go there.
I never said take theme parks out of the equation but that's the only thing Orlando has going for it in comparison to VA. Unless the OP is a theme park enthusiast, he'd better off in VA which has a wider variety of things that appeal to all types of tourists, and since he'll already be in DC, you can't discount everything the district offers as well. DC/VA offers everything Orlando does (minus some small niche stuff) plus more whereas Orlando just offers a larger quantity of one particular type of thing (theme parks).
Visitor counts say absolutely nothing about why people are visiting a city or what they are doing when they get there. I know you're a homer but be realistic. If you think Orlando has better cultural venues, restaurants, retail, more interesting historic sites, more interesting geography, etc. than Chicago, DC, SF, Boston, Philly, Miami, etc. simply because it posts higher visitor counts, then we might as well end the conversation right here.
This is just one thing, but it's pretty big: natural springs. All over.
And of course, let's not forget weather, proximity to two of the most popular coastal areas (you're right in the middle of it), among others. It's not coastal itself, but a 45 minute drive to several beaches is hardly what I'd call far-removed from either.
These are literally all over the place in the area.
And the fact that this is all you could come up with says it all.
I don't know why some of you are acting as though Orlando is like NYC which offers nearly some of everything to appeal to all different types of people. Orlando is what it is because of Disney and the rest of the theme parks first and foremost, and it built a huge convention industry off that. That's not a knock on the city at all but it's just a fact. I don't see folks from Vegas claiming that their city is some mecca for tourists for any other reason but gambling and the stuff built around that.
Some of you guys need to go back and read this entire thread if you think I'm boosting Orlando over Virginia in the specific situation for this specific o p.
I may have actually been the first person in this thread to suggest that they stay in Virginia over coming all the way down to Orlando just for a weekend.
I also have never made any comparisons between Orlando to any of those major major big cities. I am simply stating and have been stating that for the record there is more for tourists to do in Orlando than the entire state of most states, Virginia included. Now we can argue preference and variation till we're blue in the face but it doesn't change the fact that facts are facts and the fact still remains.
Some of you guys need to go back and read this entire thread if you think I'm boosting Orlando over Virginia in the specific situation for this specific o p.
I may have actually been the first person in this thread to suggest that they stay in Virginia over coming all the way down to Orlando just for a weekend.
I also have never made any comparisons between Orlando to any of those major major big cities. I am simply stating and have been stating that for the record there is more for tourists to do in Orlando than the entire state of most states, Virginia included. Now we can argue preference and variation till we're blue in the face but it doesn't change the fact that facts are facts and the fact still remains.
There really isn't more to do in Orlando than Virginia when you're talking about the TYPES of things to do. For instance, there are more shopping malls in Virginia than Orlando but I wouldn't count each mall as a separate thing to do. Who needs to hit up every mall? Similarly, who needs to visit every theme park in Orlando? Usually two or three at the most would suffice for one trip. The OP can get that in Hampton Roads and just about everything else Orlando offers plus significant historical sites to boot.
There really isn't more to do in Orlando than Virginia when you're talking about the TYPES of things to do. For instance, there are more shopping malls in Virginia than Orlando but I wouldn't count each mall as a separate thing to do. Who needs to hit up every mall? Similarly, who needs to visit every theme park in Orlando? Usually two or three at the most would suffice for one trip. The OP can get that in Hampton Roads and just about everything else Orlando offers plus significant historical sites to boot.
You do realize I'm advocating they stay in VA for the weekend right?
The shopping mall comparison is a bit of a strawman since most shopping malls in the US are duplicate experiences. The parks in Orlando all have a unique theme and contain different intellectual property, live stage shows, cuisine, types of rides.
So yes while I do agree that in almost any state you're going to find a wider range of things to do than a city, that does not equal more to do. And with so much to do in a small area the OP's time could be better spent in Orlando vs traveling from mountains to sea in VA.
I can't keep this back and forth going. Clearly the OP wanted to know about things to do in VA vs just Orlando as those were the places they were considering. It is not in the least bit incorrect to suggest that they'll have more to choose from in Orlando.
Disagree all you want but you're arguing with facts. Its about choices for the OP. In Orlando they'll have more of them in a much more concise geographic area. And all you posters trying to make this thread about anything more than that are being disingenuous at best.
You do realize I'm advocating they stay in VA for the weekend right?
The shopping mall comparison is a bit of a strawman since most shopping malls in the US are duplicate experiences. The parks in Orlando all have a unique theme and contain different intellectual property, live stage shows, cuisine, types of rides.
So yes while I do agree that in almost any state you're going to find a wider range of things to do than a city, that does not equal more to do. And with so much to do in a small area the OP's time could be better spent in Orlando vs traveling from mountains to sea in VA.
I can't keep this back and forth going. Clearly the OP wanted to know about things to do in VA vs just Orlando as those were the places they were considering. It is not in the least bit incorrect to suggest that they'll have more to choose from in Orlando.
Disagree all you want but you're arguing with facts. Its about choices for the OP. In Orlando they'll have more of them in a much more concise geographic area. And all you posters trying to make this thread about anything more than that are being disingenuous at best.
Nova is a concise geographic area that offers more. The end.
Location: That star on your map in the middle of the East Coast, DMV
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutiny77
There really isn't more to do in Orlando than Virginia when you're talking about the TYPES of things to do. For instance, there are more shopping malls in Virginia than Orlando but I wouldn't count each mall as a separate thing to do. Who needs to hit up every mall? Similarly, who needs to visit every theme park in Orlando? Usually two or three at the most would suffice for one trip. The OP can get that in Hampton Roads and just about everything else Orlando offers plus significant historical sites to boot.
I really don't get the point people are attempting to make in this thread. Virginia as a state has an infinite amount of more things to do than Orlando. This isn't even funny. The ONLY thing you can go do for fun in Orlando is the parks. Are there clubs and bars in Orlando sure, but that is every other mid size to major metro area in the country as well. There are multiple amusement parks in Virginia, big ones. Kings Dominon, Busch Gardens, Water Country USA are amusement parks in VA. Are they bigger than the Orlando ones no, but they are more than suffice. Orlando has more hotels, and I'll give them restaurants due to the resorts and everything there, but to compare to an entire state and say there's more amenities in that 2 million metro, vs an entire state approaching 9 million is absurd.
For reference I lived in Winter Park, FL in 2007/2008, now I know much has changed there of course, but the formula is still the same.
Last edited by the resident09; 07-06-2018 at 02:26 PM..
You do realize I'm advocating they stay in VA for the weekend right?
The shopping mall comparison is a bit of a strawman since most shopping malls in the US are duplicate experiences. The parks in Orlando all have a unique theme and contain different intellectual property, live stage shows, cuisine, types of rides.
So yes while I do agree that in almost any state you're going to find a wider range of things to do than a city, that does not equal more to do. And with so much to do in a small area the OP's time could be better spent in Orlando vs traveling from mountains to sea in VA.
I can't keep this back and forth going. Clearly the OP wanted to know about things to do in VA vs just Orlando as those were the places they were considering. It is not in the least bit incorrect to suggest that they'll have more to choose from in Orlando.
Disagree all you want but you're arguing with facts. Its about choices for the OP. In Orlando they'll have more of them in a much more concise geographic area. And all you posters trying to make this thread about anything more than that are being disingenuous at best.
Facts are objective things; just because you say something is a fact doesn't mean it is. You have provided not one objective source that says there is more to do in Orlando than the entire state of Virginia, and it's such a ridiculous claim on its face.
And sure the theme parks in Orlando have different themes but they are still the same type of thing, just wrapped in different packaging. You've got rides, food, and some version of live entertainment (shows, parades, etc) in practically all of them. Orlando just has a larger amount of one particular thing; otherwise, it doesn't offer any type of "world class" amenity as it was stated previously.
Again, unless the guy is a theme park enthusiast or traveling with children, VA would probably be the best bet as it offers a wider variety of things for visitors to do, and THAT is a fact that's already been established.
Now show me how Orlando has more things to do than the entire state of Virginia.
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