Things to do in Orlando this Fall

With the weather cooling down to comfortable temperatures, there are plenty of things to do in Orlando through the end of the year. All of the major attractions—Walt Disney World, Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, and SeaWorld—begin preparations for the busy holiday season as soon as the last pumpkin is removed from all of the Halloween displays.

Keep in mind that park hours may be shorter during off-season. Disney's Animal Kingdom, for instance, closes down at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. this time of year, because many of the animals there call it a day when the sun goes down during the shorter days of late fall and early winter. Even in the cooler weather, at least one of Disney's water parks will be open. When Blizzard Beach is shut down for annual maintenance, Typhoon Lagoon stays open, and vice versa, but call ahead if the weather is really cold; some of the local water parks will close if the temperatures and park attendance are too low.

Just when the temperatures are starting to get miserably cold up North, the list of things to do in Orlando expands to include bike rallies, fall festivals, and art fairs that would not be practical during the steamy summer months. With the rainy season behind us, this is the time of year when the Sunshine State lives up to its name.