Neighborhoods in Brief

Walt Disney World Surprise! WDW isn't actually in Orlando. Located southwest of the city, WDW encompasses over 47 square miles and includes four major theme parks, two smaller water parks, a few smaller attractions, numerous resorts, a plethora of restaurants and shops, and a club district.

Downtown Disney This is really not a neighborhood so much as it is the area encompassing Disney's two nighttime entertainment districts -- Pleasure Island and Downtown Disney West Side -- as well as its shopping complex, the Downtown Disney Marketplace. Full of clubs, entertainment venues, unique restaurants, and shops, you can celebrate New Year's Eve here every night, shop till you drop, or tempt your taste buds.

Lake Buena Vista Lake Buena Vista actually encompasses all of WDW, but also includes much of the area bordering the resort. Here you can find the "official" (but not Disney-owned) hotels located on Hotel Plaza Boulevard. The area along 535, or Apopka-Vineland as it is also known, is home to many a resort and restaurant. Though the region is bustling, many of the resorts, restaurants, and shops are set far off the tree-lined thoroughfares to maintain a quieter, charming atmosphere.

Celebration What else would you expect from Disney, the original creators of this 4,900-acre community, but a picture-perfect town. This area offers not only beautiful homes and lovely architecture, but also a charming collection of shops, restaurants, and even its own hotel. Think upscale Main Street, U.S.A., and you'll have a good idea of what things look like.

Kissimmee Thanks to a million dollar "Rebeautivacation" project, the neighborhood (or should I say town) that was the region's tourist hotspot B.D. (Before Disney) has come back to life with the addition of extra wide sidewalks, colorful (and plentiful) streetlamps, landscaping, and location markers. Even U.S. 192 has been improved to handle traffic more easily and safely. Kissimmee is home to a variety of budget and moderate resorts and hotels (though a few more upscale options have started moving in), a plentitude of restaurants, and a handful of minor attractions.

International Drive Area (Hwy. 536) Known as I-Drive, this busy tourist zone is home to more than 100 resorts and hotels, countless restaurants, attractions both big and small, shopping, entertainment, and even its own transportation system -- the I-Ride Trolley. There is literally something here for everybody. The areas north of Sand Lake Road are the most congested with T-shirt shops, tourist traps, resorts, restaurants, and attractions, and until you get south of the intersection at S.R. 528 (aka the Beeline Expressway), the driving is slow going at best.

Downtown Orlando No, not Downtown Disney, which isn't really downtown. To get to the real thing, you have to travel on I-4 east (it feels more like north, but the road signs say otherwise). This is where you will find less tourist-focused nightlife and attractions, including the Orlando Science Center, a multimillion-dollar complex. Scores of clubs and restaurants are located in the heart of the city, which is one of the fastest growing in the country. Dozens of antiques shops line "Antique Row" on Orange Avenue near Lake Ivanhoe.

Winter Park Just north of downtown Orlando, Winter Park is the place many of central Florida's old-money families call home (and new money ones come to shop and dine). It's home to Park Avenue, a collection of upscale shops and restaurants along a cobblestone street that's frequented by the lunch and dinner crowds. This part of the suburbs is a great adult getaway and a good place to relax and escape the WDW, Universal, and I-Drive crowds. It's not, however, a good place to take the kids.