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Don’t be one of ‘those’ tourists.
Orlando might be synonymous with manufactured fun the world over thanks to its famous theme park attractions. But it takes an impressive hometown infrastructure made up of people who actually live and work here (many of whom likely never go to the theme parks for fun at all) to consistently find your city among the top 5 tourist destinations in the country.
This Central Florida city, home to more than a dozen theme parks, has a greater metropolitan area that more than 2.5 million people call home. And there are a few things they’d like you to be aware of before your next visit–and before you assume you know everything there is to know about Orlando.
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You Ignore Downtown Orlando
Any Orlando local will tell you that if you never made it to downtown Orlando (more than 15 miles northeast of Walt Disney World) during your visit, then you really haven’t been to the city at all. Historic bungalows lining brick streets spread out from around the city’s centerpiece lake, Lake Eola, into the cute neighborhood of Thornton Park, where you’ll find independent bars, boutiques, and restaurants. Nightlife thrives in downtown Orlando, too, removed from the Disney Springs and Universal City Walk masses, at cocktail bars and clubs along Orange Avenue and Central Boulevard.
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You Don’t Experience Other Entertainment
There’s no doubt that Disney World and Universal Orlando, among other theme parks, have lured major talent to the city. But look beyond the usual theme park venues to find world-class entertainment in Orlando at places like the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, where Broadway shows come through on the regular, and Enzian Theater, home to the annual Florida Film Festival.
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You Complain It’s Too Hot—But Only Hit Waterparks and Pools
It’s a quick hour’s drive east of Orlando to get to the closest beaches, including Cocoa Beach on Florida’s east coast, where you can try surf lessons in the waters where world champ legend board rider Kelly Slater came up. You can cool off in natural fresh waters closer to town, too, with a visit to the gorgeous springs and tubing runs at places like Wekiwa Springs State Park and Kelly Park/Rock Springs.
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You Only Eat at Chains
Dawdle around like an aimless tourist in the theme park corridor around International Drive and you might jump to the conclusion that chain restaurants dominate Orlando’s food scene. But beyond having 58 restaurants (including seven with stars) recognized by the Michelin Guide, Orlando is one of Florida’s most thriving foodie cities for delicious, international budget eats and home to scores of incredible Asian restaurants in the Mills 50 District (an area known as Little Saigon).
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You Whine About the Rain
As predictable as hurricane season, Orlando’s afternoon downpours arrive like clockwork in the late afternoon on hot summer days, deluging theme park goers and anyone else who’s out and about with torrential (if almost always fleeting) rains, often with thunderclaps that boom like fireworks, too. For locals, this is just part of Orlando in the summer–and a great chance to temporarily cool the city off before things inevitably heat back up again.
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You Feed the Wildlife at Lake Eola
Residents love hitting the Orlando Farmers Market every Sunday along Lake Eola Park. And the waterfront is also a beloved urban haven for locals out for a morning jog or sunset stroll. Don’t ruin the vibe by feeding the lake’s resident swans, ducks, and geese. There’s plenty for the waterfowl to eat in the lake itself. And those birds that have been given too much bread by passersby can develop a condition called “angel wings” caused by nutritional deficiencies that cause their wings to poke out at odd angles and make flying impossible. It’s an aesthetic that’s a real bummer for everyone, especially the geese and ducks.
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You Don’t Respect the Freshwater Safety Rules
Floridians know that any body of fresh water could be a habitat for alligators and to always keep a safe distance from the shore. Don’t give locals a heart attack by walking your dog–or heaven forbid, your kid–too close to the shoreline of one of the city’s many natural lakes or even retention ponds (most are marked with alligator warning signs you should heed). The rule of thumb is that it may not be the Everglades, but if it’s fresh water in Florida, consider it a potential habitat. The springs, however, are generally considered safe for swimming since their water temperatures are much cooler than lakes tend to be.
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You Wonder, How Could Anyone Live Here?
The tourist who loves visiting the theme parks on their annual vacation then quips in the same breath that they could never live in such a touristy city is sure to draw some serious side-eye. Maybe keep those thoughts to yourself and take Orlando for what it is–one of the planet’s main capitals for family fun that also happens to be a place where locals live, work, play, and raise their own families.
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Being too Giddy Upon Landing
Flights into Orlando are usually loaded with families, couples, and all manner of giddy visitors who can’t wait to put on their mouse ears and wave their wands (if they’re not already doing it in flight) and take a photo from Cinderella’s Castle or Hogwarts. Speaking of which, we know you’re looking for those sights from the plane. You may or may not spot them on landing–but please, don’t lean over us to look out the window trying.
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You Complain There’s No Culture
It’s easy for big city slickers dragged on a theme park vacation with the family to gripe that Orlando lacks culture. But that just means they weren’t cultured enough to do their homework to learn that the city has world-class exhibits at the Orlando Museum of Art, one of Florida’s best science centers, a storied collection of Tiffany glassworks at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art and even more museums and attractions at Loch Haven Park, a cultural park that sprawls across 45 acres near downtown.
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You Skimp on Tips
So many Orlandoans are employed in hospitality, from housekeepers and bellman and valet runners at your hotel to servers and bartenders at the theme parks and beyond. Orlando gets a huge number of international visitors who may not be accustomed to tipping back home. When they neglect to do it here, they’re really hurting the individuals who make all the vacation magic happen.
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You Cause Chaos at the Airport
Orlando International Airport is the busiest in all of Florida. And for amateur travelers departing for home from here, locals just trying to get out of dodge on their own vacation will never appreciate your lollygagging cluelessly at security or curbside. The airport might be busy, but do your part to keep the chaos in check by emptying your liquids before going through security, removing your belt and shoes, and hurrying along with all the other rules that can make things go that much smoother in transit.