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2 TYPES OF VACATION GIVEAWAYS TO AVOID AND 1 TO TRUST

If you’ve been on the Internet for a while, you probably already know not everything you see online is as good at it seems. Misleading pages and ads are uploaded on the web in the millions every day, luring innocent readers into traps of enticing rewards that later turn out to be something quite different from what is initially promised.

Some of these traps turn out to be total scams, which are aimed at getting people to pay significant sums of money upfront or submit other important information, but many others are smartly constructed to look like they have amazing value to offer that you just can’t ignore. Of course, the actual experience is nowhere close to what you’re promised.

One such misleading trend of this decade is the holiday giveaway. While some of these offers are legit, most are scams one way or another. And if you want to learn to tell them apart, go on and read the rest of this article.

What’s going on with the vacation giveaway market?
Well, the place mostly smells like festering scams created by cheap, swindling con artists. They come in with shiny ads showing pristine beaches in the background and sing all sorts of praises about their genius offers and an amazing holiday giveaway for you. They sound so great and offer you so much it’s almost impossible for a mere mortal to resist the temptation.

It all looks legit. But isn’t always so.

We keep saying “most of these” and “mostly” because we want you to know some of these campaigns are actually legitimate, and we’ll mention one of them in just a bit. Before we do so though, let’s have a quick look at the top two vacation giveaway scams that are popular these days. These are the ones you should stay away from if you don’t want to be scammed out of your money.

1.    Join The Club!

You might have been receiving unsolicited invitations to join various vacation clubs on social media, but before they push you over the edge with the endless promises of uber-cheap luxury holidays you need to know they’re almost always scams. We’ve never come across a vacation club that showed any sign of being legitimate.

They are made to swindle club members out of money, and they have a very smart way of making sure you feel no qualms paying up.

They have a beautiful social media page or website with endless gorgeous photos and media to show you how their previous member giveaways have been amazing for their members (Don’t fall for it; it’s all fake!).

They typically say they have major partners in the hospitality industry and once you become a club member, you can claim enormous discounts on all sorts of luxury holidays.

You pay a handsome membership fee and start planning your holiday after going through a large pile of orientation materials, planning away with other new members, only to discover a few weeks in that your login isn’t working. You call the club but nobody answers and soon the phone lines go dark.

Needless to say you never see your money or the vacation you so meticulously planned over the weeks.

2.    The Timeshare Trap

Timeshares are horrible, but if you don’t know what they are, let’s take a quick peek.

Timeshares are simply contracts where you invest in a holiday property jointly with one or more partners, the idea being that each shared owner will contribute in the maintenance and utility expenses based on their share of the property in return for that much of holiday time on the property.

Sounds good, right? We’ll say it’s too good.

Over the years, people have come to realize it’s very difficult to get out of a timeshare contract. You don’t really travel to that same destination as much as you thought you would but the overheads are due every month, and the collection agencies involved keep calling you.

The costs definitely outweigh the benefits but when you start looking to sell your share in the property you’ll hardly find any buyers.

This is where the scam comes into play.

You might come across amazing vacation giveaways, pay a couple of hundred bucks to get in the game, and win!

That’s right. They’ll say you won and send you all kinds of beautiful emails to make you believe it, sometimes to get you excited enough to talk some more money out of your wallet.

Here’s the fun part: you’re probably going to get that holiday after all, but it won’t be a lot like what you thought it would be. That lovely condo you thought you’d be spending a whole weekend on might turn out to be a timeshare property with only 12 hours slotted under your name and you have to spend the rest in shoddy accommodations, which your host will make to look like an unexpected problem.

When you come back home, there’s no way you’re getting any refunds.

3-Day 2-Night Vacation Giveaway Contest

We are stoked you are now registered for our Complimentary Vacation Giveaway!

We would love for you to follow us on Facebook since we announce our winner in a series of exciting posts on the day of the contest. It’s best to be connected so you don’t miss your name in one of the posts if you are one of our winners.

There are up to 10 winners each month.

The next winners will be announced on March 31, 2021 at 6:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

All you have to do is follow our three-step process to become eligible for our monthly draw:

1.      Go to our Facebook Page at https://bit.ly/Travel_Nation and sign up for the draw (Anybody residing in the USA and the District of Columbia (except those residing in ID, NE, NJ, PR, WV, US Virgin Islands, and other US territories and possessions and military installations), United Kingdom and Canada (except Quebec) can participate).

2.      Like our Facebook page.

3.      Post the following message on our Facebook feed so your friends and family can learn about this great opportunity and apply for it. Who knows they might win the holiday with you!

Post it on your Facebook wall with the post’s privacy set to Public:

I just entered the 3-Day Vacation Giveaway Contest that gives me a chance to win a vacation in a city of my choice among 9 most popular tourist destinations in the US! If I win I get to go on this vacation each year for the rest of my life!”

You can too by going to…
http://bit.ly/vacation_contest

What to do next?

If you’ve liked our Facebook page and posted the message to the Facebook community, all you need to do is wait for the upcoming draw with your fingers crossed.

As indicated above, the winners will be announced on their newsletter and Facebook page on March 31, 2021 at 6:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

If you are among the winners, we’ll get in touch with you via email with details on how to proceed further and claim your prize!

And if you’re getting too impatient to wait for our email, check out our Facebook page for the winners announcement that evening.

Look For Emails!!

Keep an eye on our emails! We’ll be sharing more ways for you to stack the odds in your favor for the next lucky draw!

An important point to note here we at the Travel Nation team will only contact you with this email address for any and all email correspondence: support@lifestylehawk.com. If you receive an email from any other email address talking about this giveaway, do not engage with them and report them to the Travel Nation team.

Details To Remember About The Giveaway!

The giveaway includes 3 days and 2 nights FREE stay in 4- or 5-star hotels in your city of choice among 9 listed destinations:

o   Las Vegas, NV

o   Orlando, FL

o   Gatlinburg, TN

o   Kissimmee, FL

o   Myrtle Beach, SC

o   Branson, MO

o   Lake Tahoe, CA

o   Pigeon Forge, TN

o   Reno, NV

There’s no catch with this giveaway! The Travel Nation team never asks you to attend any promotional events to attend or take part in any activities, such as timeshare presentations. You can really do whatever you want on this vacation!

The only costs you’ll have to cover for this giveaway are (a) the $18 redemption fee after you register for the giveaway to take care of the service charges involved in the shipping and handling of your travel certificate, and (b) the room taxes, which are currently $15 per night.

The money you are being charged (redemption fee and room taxes) makes sense and isn’t much at all.

Ask the right questions!

Take a look at these honest and detailed replies to some of the questions people ask us  frequently:

“How can the Hotels afford to give away Free Hotel Rooms. Aren’t they losing money?
All of these offers are provided by room brokers. Room brokers purchase rooms from almost every hotel on huge discounts. If room brokers advertise these discounted rooms in all the Sunday newspapers, (and many of them do) they have to charge you enough to cover those ads. With our travel certificates, there are no ad fees. The room brokers can afford to gamble that if you receive a very nice room on this offer for just a fee to cover the room taxes, you will book rooms with them again in the future at prices below the rates charged by the hotels.

“What type of accommodations will I receive on this offer?”
Accommodations are all in quality hotels. For example, in Las Vegas, which is the most popular among our destinations, accommodations have always been provided at a major hotel casino. The travel provider obviously wants to give you a good hotel experience so that you come back and use the services again.”

Top Myrtle Beach Events

Myrtle Beach, a wonderful city right in the heart of South Carolina’s Grand Stand Coast, is an absolutely beautiful destination that you must visit this year. It is home to tons of entertainment options, a plethora of exotic beaches, and nice, mild and warm weather – all of which make Myrtle Beach truly worth the trip.

If, however, you wish to set new standards and take your Myrtle Beach vacation to a whole new level, you have to attend the huge list of events and festivals that happen in the city every single year!

From concerts and music fests to rich seafood affairs, the city brings you the best of the best and never ceases to surprise you.

This time around, Myrtle Beach brings you even bigger and better festivals that will provide you with the experience of a lifetime! Take a look at some of the most popular and thrilling Myrtle Beach events that are happening this summer.

Can-Am Days Festival

Can-Am, short for Canadian-American, is a festival that’s celebrated each year in March to welcome all the visitors and neighbors from the North. It’s the epitome of southern hospitality and enthusiastically welcomes American and Canadian visitors to a whole week full of fun events, exciting concerts, giveaways, and discount offers.

The Can-Am Days festival was introduced almost 50 years back, and over the years, the attendance for this festival has grown to about 100,00 visitors that make sure to return each year.

Horry County Fair

This is one of Myrtle Beach’s biggest and the absolute best fair and carnivals that take place at Myrtle Beach Speedway. It brings you 10 fun-filled days of enjoyment with a ton of incredible activities, including games, rides, live entertainment, racing pigs, a whole lot of food, varieties of music, a petting zoo, and so much more!

The best part of the Horry County Fair is that it is open to volunteers. It gives you or your organization the chance to become a valuable part of this amazing event and play your part in making it a huge success.

This time around, the carnival will also have wonderful kiddies’ rides and characters roaming around in fascinating costumes. So, if you have little kids in the house, make sure to bring them to the fair. When they’re at the fair, they’ll be sure to have the time of their lives!   

Myrtle Beach International Film Festival (MBIFF)

Rewarded as one of the “Top 25 film festivals worth the entry fee,” the Myrtle Beach International Film Festival surely lives up to this prestigious title. Furthermore, it has also been recognized as one of the best film festivals by ‘Film International,’ which makes it a must-attend event when you are in South Carolina.

Another reason why this has been deemed as one of the top Myrtle Beach events is that the MBIFF tries its best to present you with the most inspirational lineup of films that are also truly phenomenal and thought-provoking.

Apart from the content shown and produced in the event itself, what sets it apart from others is the true commitment and spirit of the people behind it that strive to make the film festival worth all the hype and money. The main goal of the MBIFF is to present all the independent and talented filmmakers with a venue or platform that isn’t marred by politics.

World Famous Blue Crab Festival

If you are an avid and a die-hard seafood lover, blue crab, in particular, the World Famous Blue Crab Festival in Myrtle Beach is totally for you!

This has been deemed to be one of the largest festivals in the whole of the Southeast region and manages to lure even more than 50,000 visitors every single year, making it a resounding success.

This amazing festival takes place at the Historic Little River Waterfront that is located right at the Little River, SC, and invites people from all over the world to indulge in the fresh, delicious local seafood. It’s a family-friendly restaurant, which means you get to bring all your friends, relatives, and family members to get their favorite festival food fix. As you devour your seafood, you also get a chance to thoroughly enjoy beautiful scenic views and dance to live beach music.

A great thing about this Blue Crab Festival is that it also has a whole kids’ zone or area that offers many activities that are brimming with amazing entertainment.

Given all its success over the years and the wonderful arrangements that it puts in place each year for its visitors, the World Famous Blue Crab Festival has been consecutively rewarded for the past eight years as the “Best Annual Festival” on the whole of Grand Strand.

Carolina Country Music Fest

Who doesn’t like bobbing to some hip-hop or rock & roll music, right?

For all the music lovers and enthusiasts out there, Myrtle Beach brings you the Southeast’s most superior and premier outdoor music festival called the “Carolina Country Music Fest.” It is a three-day music fest that is generally held at the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.

Each year in June, the concert plays host to more than 30 of the biggest stars of the music industry. The beautiful, soulful music, coupled with Myrtle Beach’s breathtaking backdrop, is a whole new kind of experience that is unlike any other you’ve ever had.

This year, on June 4th, the Music fest will kick off the concert with a bang as Jake Owen, Riley Green, Teddy Robb & Larry Fleet will rock the stage!

Annual Myrtle Beach Food Truck Festival

Held on the Oceanfront Boardwalk District, the Annual Myrtle Beach Truck Festival is the answer to every foodie’s prayers! This amazing food festival brings you some of the best food trucks from the vicinity along with a fantastic beer garden, jazzy live music, and a fun-filled kid’s zone for all your kids to enjoy and have the time of their lives. This is an excellent three-day family-friendly event where you can dance along with the music, indulge in delicious food truck delicacies, and drink away exciting adult beverages. There will also be amazing on-site entertainment, including a cornhole tournament, among numerous other things, so prepare yourself for some great fun!

Myrtle Beach Bike Week – Spring Rally

This is a spectacular bi-annual event where hundreds and thousands of bikers from all around town gather at the Grand Stand in order to hold a massive celebration of the big engines. So many restaurants, bars, and other similar attractions open their doors for the huge crowds, especially these bikers on their flashy rides, and welcome them to participate in a whole week of camaraderie and fun.

This spring rally particularly calls the bikers, interested spectators, and bike enthusiasts to enjoy the exciting rides with wind in their hair in the warm, perfect weather.

What’s really interesting about the Myrtle Beach Bike Week is that it initially started as a simple and small riding event with only a few bikers riding past the audience. However, over a span of almost 75 years, it has transformed into such a huge biannual event that keeps getting bigger and better each year!

Bottom Line

A trip to the remarkable city of Myrtle Beach is certainly incomplete without attending these incredibly wonderful events and festivals that take place throughout the year. Go with friends, family, or even alone, but either way, you will have an absolute ball!

Fun Things You Can Only Do In Sin City

If the wild bachelor party, albeit super awry and crazy, in “The Hangover” didn’t make you want to book a flight to Las Vegas right away, we don’t know what will!

There’s no other city like Sin City, and there are no two ways about it.

When you think of Las Vegas, the two most obvious things that probably first come to mind are the boisterous nightlife and spectacular casino-resorts. Surely, the city never sleeps and has the best kind of partying and gambling to offer to people from all over the world. It’s called “Sin City” for a reason, after all!

However, there’s so much more to do in this incredible city beyond its thrilling nightlife and buzzing dance floors. Once you set foot in Las Vegas, you can be absolutely sure that you’ll never run out of things to do. From indulging in an exotic, gastronomic culinary affair to soaring through the air on a massive zip line, there are some fantastic things that you can only do in Sin City: the most fun city in America.

See the Performance of Your Life in Park Theater

Known as the second-largest theater on the quintessential, neon-soaked Las Vegas Strip, Park Theater is a spectacular showroom with 5,200 seats where all the real magic happens. If you have a thing for performances with unparalleled intimacy between the audience and the performers, this is where you need to be.

From concerts and award shows to conventions and sports events, the theater is home to one-of-a-kind performances that truly redefine entertainment. Described as more ‘serendipitous’ rather than ‘scripted,’ the performances by some brilliant performers in this theater will truly blow you away. 

Watch History Come to Life at Neon Museum

The mere thought or idea of going to a ‘museum’ is enough to bore a lot of people; however, the Neon Museum in Las Vegas is just unlike any other museum. If you want to see and explore the things that helped make Vegas, Vegas, then this is the place you definitely need to visit. It’s like walking amid Las Vegas’ history and wandering among relics as you discover long-gone characters and landmarks that made the city what it is today.

One of the most exciting things to do at Neon Museum is spell out your name using the iconic neon signs and letters that surround the museum. You can then take pictures of your name in neon and take a little piece of Sin City back home with you.

Unleash Your Destructive Desires at Sin City Smash

Do you ever just feel like going absolutely wild and letting out all your balled-up anger, frustration, and tension by throwing things around or smashing them against a wall?

If that’s relatable, we suggest you opt for the ultimate Destruction Therapy at Sin City Smash, a fantastic rage room facility for all the angry individuals out there. It is a super fun, therapeutic, and safe facility where you can pick up a sledgehammer and start smashing objects to your heart’s content. Do you know what makes it even better? There are different packages to suit your particular needs, where you can also customize different options.

Imagine choosing items that you wish to break with the help of your preferred destructive weapon – if that isn’t the truest and highest form of fun, we don’t know what is!

See the Sin City Skyline via the Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour

Once you’re done smashing things and have successfully unleashed your destructive desires, go on a helicopter tour from Vegas all over the Grand Canyon and get the most beautiful view of Sin City’s majestic skyline. The Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour lets you soar through the sky over the iconic Grand Canyon, one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world.

A bird’s eye view of this stunning land formation in a real visual treat and will truly leave you in awe. As you peer out from the clear windows, you will never feel like closing your eyes; it’s a visual experience unlike any other!

Drink Away at Peppermill

They say that you haven’t really been to Sin City if you haven’t been to Peppermill. Existing within a space-time gamut of its own formation, this classic diner and lounge is the perfect place to enjoy a drink that comes in a glass larger than your head and more delectable than any other drink you’ve ever had.

The backside of the diner is where you really need to be, which is the ever-amazing Fireside Lounge. Gather around a cozy fire-pit fountain and enjoy a delicious drink with a humble bowl of nachos as you view the dance floor that’s drowning in black light.

Soar Through the Skies on the Fly Linq Zipline

If the helicopter tour left you craving for more, enjoy the sights from above on the Fly Linq zipline – one of the most popular ziplines in Sin City. Enjoy a heart-pounding experience coupled with an exhilarating adrenaline rush as you soar through the skies and fly as many as twelve stories over the Linq Promenade. The best part is that it offers you three amazing options that include flying seated, flying superhero, and backward flying, which is simply the best kind of thrill!

Win a Few Bucks at the Cromwell Hotel & Casino

Well, no trip to Sin City is complete without trying to win a few bucks at some of its world-famous casinos. The Cromwell Hotel & Casino is super popular and one of the best casinos on the Vegas Strip for all those who wish to try their luck at gambling. Even if you don’t end up winning big, you can end the night with some delicious drinks and Rock&Roll music for some next-level fun.

Soak, Swim, and Splash at Mandalay Bay Beach

The best, most perfect end to a fun-filled and exciting day is none other than heading to the warm, blue, glistening waters at the beach and letting the waves softly touch your feet. Mandalay Bay Beach is an ideal spot in Sin City that’s located right in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. From lively pool parties to relaxing spa experiences, the beach has a plethora of must-experience things to offer to you. You can book a stay at Mandalay Bay Resort, which boasts some of the best lounges, bars, and culinary options coupled with an absolutely thrilling nightlife!

Are You Excited Already?

We could go on and on, but the list of fun things to do in Sin City would probably never end. The city has so much more to offer to you; incredible one-of-a-kind experiences, exotic places to visit, and majestic views of ethereal splendor that you’ve probably never set your eyes on before. 

If you want to enjoy what people term as “the experience of a lifetime,” Sin City is the ultimate destination for that.

Explore Culture, History, and Nature in Branson, MO

When most of us think about vacationing in a US city, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, or Orlando make the top of our list – but Branson doesn’t usually cross our minds. However, if you are looking for the top family-friendly to-dos, Branson is the place to be.

From mind-blowing historic museums and picturesque lakes to live music theaters and amazing theme parks, Branson can help you explore nature, history, and culture, all within 20 square miles.

Silver Dollar City

Do you want to take a trip to the 19th century? The Silver Dollar City is the place where you can time-travel straight to the 1880s. A theme park, heritage craft center, and historical village all rolled into one, the Silver Dollar City can transport you to an historic Ozark mountain village.

The park includes rides for people of all ages. If you want to have an adventure of a lifetime, we dare you to take a ride on the Time Traveler, the World’s Fastest, Steepest and Tallest Spinning Coaster, that travels the track at 50 mph, drops down 90-degrees, and can ascend a height of 100 feet.

Also try the Fire-in-the-Hole roller coaster, which travels through a coal mine on fire, which further promotes the old-time feeling. The park also includes historical buildings on site like an 1843 log cabin and an 1849 church.

You will also see heritage craftsman selling their homemade and handspun ware, keeping alive the Ozark tradition. You can buy all the homemade candies you can carry, watch a glassblower blow delicate glass vases, a blacksmith forge a candleholder, and a woodworker carve a beautiful figurine. You can also get cooking classes from a master chef.

The theme park also features special events all the year round, including the ever-popular Country Music Weekend and Old Time Christmas.

The stunning park was built around the limestone Marvel Cave, and underground tours are still very popular.

Table Rock Lake

Table Rock Lake is one of the most serene and picturesque lakes in Missouri. The water body covers over 50,000 acres and has an 800 mile of shoreline. This beautiful bounty of nature is perfect for nature lovers who enjoy swimming, fishing, boating, waterskiing, and even scuba diving— since the lake is so big and is teeming with wild life like white bass, channel cat, crappie and blue gill.

If you want to take a dip in the cool waters or feel the sun on your skin, nothing is better than the stunning Moonshine Beach, the lake’s only sandy swimming beach. Maintained and run by the US Corps of Engineers, this lovely beach is near Cape Fair and the Dewey Short Visitor Center Recreation Area.

To rent out a boat, you can go to the Indian Point Marina or the State Park Marina. Bear in mind that these areas are forbidden to swim in.

 If you visit this gorgeous lake, do not forget to go on the sunset cruise, a two-hour cruise on the showboat Branson Belle.

Titanic Museum

The out-of-this world Titanic Museum is built to look like the actual ill-fated ship. For the past four years, the museum has attracted thousands of tourists through its Luminaries Festival of Lights display.

According to the president, Mary Kellogg, the lightning of the luminaries was a ceremonial way to welcome the Christ Child to the world. The luminaries of the Titanic Museum serve as a spiritual tribute to the 2,208 souls who sailed on the RMS Titanic.

A guide will lead the guests along a candlelit path of the Great Light Way and towards the entrance of the museum, where they will be given a ticket with an actual name of a Titanic passenger on it. The tour features various interactive experiences; visitors are invited to touch a piece of a real ice berg and dip their hands in 28-degree water — the actual temperature of the Atlantic Ocean when the Titanic sunk. Visitors can also stand on the sloping decks, which mimic the actual incline of the ship as it was sinking.

You will also get to see more than 400 artifacts from the ships that have been carefully preserved. At the end of the tour, the visitor will also find out whether the passenger whose name is on their ticket survived the sinking or not.

The museum is just a scant 5 miles from the Silver Dollar City, so if you visit the theme park, the Titanic Museum should be next on your list.

Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum

Travel to the prehistoric age as you enter the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum. This revolutionary museum celebrates the rich history of the Ozarks and features several galleries with Native America and Osage Indian artifacts and artwork.

Going back to the Ice Age, Ozark was inhabited by the most fascinating animals. To remember them, the museum contains true-to-life diorama and carbon-dated skeletons of ancient majestic creatures like the woolly mammoth, the saber-toothed tiger, giant ground sloths and prehistoric cave bears.

You will also get the chance to travel through history and see the images, artifacts and interactive exhibits of the old Ozarks and the people who lived there 12,000 years ago. The exhibits date to the Civil War era, showcasing historical items from the American West and many interactive displays.

The Ancient Ozarks Natural history Museum is not just very entertaining but educational as well, so bring your kids along with you too.

Sight & Sound Theatres

The Sight & Sound Theatres seats 2,000 people and should be one of the top things to do in the Live Music Capital of the World.

This famous theater has been called the “Christian Broadway” since many of its live stage shows contain Biblical themes. Some of the most popular performances include the “Miracle of Christmas,” Samson,” and “Jonah” that are brought to life by the exceptionally talented cast, unbelievable special effects and even live animals on stage and in the aisles.

The theatre is family-friendly and is equipped with glass covered family room, which allows parents to take care of small children while watching the performance on TV, without the distraction of an audience.

Visitors say that there is not a single seat in the entire stadium-style theatre, though you should consider a seat in the back half of the stadium for the very best view. The theatre also offers a one-hour behind-the-Scenes tour from March to December.

Final Thoughts

These are only five of the dozens of places that you need to explore while you are in Branson. This amazing city is filled by tourist attractions like the Keeter Center, Branson Landing, Lost Canyon Cave and Nature Trail, and the Branson Scenic Railway, which should be on you to-do list as well.

If you want to get the full Branson experience, schedule a one-week visit on overdrive.

5 Reasons Why Orlando Needs To Be Your Next Vacation Destination

Orlando is hailed as the theme park capital of the world, and for good reason. However, there is so much more to see there, even beyond the out-of-this-world theme parks that are the main attraction for the city.

The City Beautiful has been purposefully built for tourism, and whether you are young or old, you can find a treasure trove of fun and thrilling things to do.

Walt Disney World

Orlando is synonymous with Walt Disney World and it is the Number 1 reason why Orlando is a must-visit destination for some family fun. Just this single resort is almost the size of San Francisco and can take you at least one week to explore on overdrive.

The Walt Disney World Resort features four prominent theme parks including Epcot, Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, and Disney’s Hollywood Studio. It also features two water parks, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach.

The resort’s crown jewel is the Magic Kingdom Park, which offers the most iconic attractions, including interaction with Disney’s most beloved characters, like Mickey Mouse and Queen Elsa, and hosts special seasonal events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

At Epcot, you can explore global culture, the sea, space, and even Earth’s future. The park features the World Showcase where you can experience the culture and delicious cuisines of countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, Germany, France, Norway, and Italy without crossing the ocean. You will also meet a lot of Disney characters in their home countries, like Mulan in China, Elsa and Anna in Norway, and Snow White in Germany.

At the Animal Kingdom Theme Park, the focus is on Mother Nature as you visit some of the world’s most beautiful rain forests, savanna and jungles, all without leaving Orlando. Here, you can explore Pandora, the world of Avatar and the Discovery Island, home to the Tree of Life. You can also take part in the Festival of the Lion King, the Expedition Everest, and Kali River Rapids.

For some lights, camera, and action, explore Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where you can fly the legendary Millennium Falcon and live your own Star Wars story or participate in the Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy.

There are other infinite numbers of attractions in Walt Disney World, but these are the ones that you simply cannot miss.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Have you received your Hogwart’s letter yet? If not, you can still ditch your Muggle status and join the ranks of famous wizards and witches who have visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Too big and otherworldly to be contained in a single theme park, the resort is split between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, connected by the Hogwarts Express. You can board this train from either King’s Cross Station at Universal Studios, Florida, or Hogsmeade Station at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and take a ride unlike any other through the British countryside.

The two parks have magical attraction like the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which will have you flying high above the castle ground, as well as the Escape from Gringotts, complete with a mind-blowing thrill ride. You can buy your very own authentic wizard’s wand at Ollivander Wand Shop, and enjoy a cup of warm Butterbeer or Pumpkin Juice, accompanied by a yummilicious Chocolate Frog.

Of course, for most Potterheads, the crowning glory is the majestic Hogwarts castle, which becomes a dazzling spectacle of lights and music during The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts at select evenings.

Through various points in your journey, you will encounter dark creatures like Trolls, and Death Eaters like Bellatrix LeStrange, and will even have a chance to evade Voldemort.

It is enough to make every Potterhead lose their head.

Delectable Dining Cuisine

If you are a foodie, you can be sure that Orlando’s 5,000 dining establishments can offer a whole host of delectable cuisine for every palate. In fact, you can eat your way around the world within a parameter of 114 square miles.

Where else in the world can you undertake such diverse dining experience like breakfast with Mickey Mouse or the Epcot International Food &Wine Festival in the fall?

Any food chain worth its name can be found on Orlando, from local fast-food chains to Michelin-star cuisines on Restaurant Row. The Three Broomsticks Inn, Cinderella’s Table, and T-Rex Café are just three of the innumerable and otherworldly restaurants on offer in Orlando that makes your mealtime so much more interesting.

Universal City Walk is not just a gateway to some of the most exclusive themed parks in the world but also offers you a mine of restaurants from All-American and something south of the border to island and Asian flavors, including Hard-Rock Café, Hot Dog Hall of Fame, Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food, Jimmy Buffett’s® Margaritaville, The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, VIVO Italian Kitchen, and Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake Bar.

Some of the local favorites are Luma on Park — which has attracted A-list celebrities like Paul McCartney — and the Ravenous Pig, which offer monthly pig roasts along with shrimps, moule frites, and grits with a gourmet twist. And let’s not forget the unforgettable Key Lime Pie that Florida is famous for.

Kennedy Space Center

Whether you have kids who love Buzz Lightyear or you just love NASA, few attractions are as unique and educational as a visit to the Kennedy Space Center.

The Kennedy Space Center has been sending shuttles and humans to space since 1988.  The space shuttle program may have shut down now but the station remains one of the major sites for rocket launches. Select parts of the ginormous campus are open for public and the space center offers daily touring opportunities to visitors.

If you are traveling by Gray Line, upon arrival to the space center, you will be greeted by a real life NASA astronaut or given an orientation tour to the Space Shuttle Atlantis. You can spend the rest of the day exploring at your leisure, view launch pads used by SpaceX and ULA, feel the liftoff with a rocket launch experience, test your simulated space flight skills, touch a piece of real moon rock, see artifacts from the Apollo, Mercury, and Gemini projects, check out the Rocket Garden filled with Titan rockets and historic engine replicas, and watch movies in the I-Max theater.

The Kennedy Space Center is sure to give an out-of-this-world experience.

Exotic White Sand Beaches

There is a reason why Orlando is called The City Beautiful. There are five very popular beaches within 75 minutes of Orlando and several others along its west coast on the Gulf of Mexico, including the Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Canaveral National Seashore, Treasure Island, Clearwater Beach, Siesta Beach.

The gorgeous white sand beaches are so stunning and so full of fun that it is easy to forget Mickey and Harry while you are in the sun, surf, and sand. The beautiful tropical climate of Orlando makes every day feel like spring break.

The beaches are not just places where you can kick back and relax on the sand but they offer you a whole lot of cruising opportunities. Port Canaveral is your doorway to the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and of course, the Disney Cruise Line.

The Canaveral National Seashore is also one of the top spots to spot bald eagles, dolphins, sea turtles, and manatees.

Daytona Beach, aptly known as the world’s most famous beach, is also at an hour’s drive from Orlando and holds the famous NASCAR race. You can even drive your own sports car right at the beach if you want. Moreover, there are free summer concerts, with fireworks and movies at the Bandshell while you can find plenty of other entertainment at the fishing pier and boardwalk.

Bottom Line

This list is by no means exhaustive — in fact, it is just the tip of the iceberg of all the places to visit and things to do there. Still, it provides you a hint as to why Orlando needs to be your next vacation destination. If you are looking for diverse, culture-rich, nature-rich, educational and family friendly fun activities, there is no place you would rather be than Orlando.