Orlando

• California in a Fortnight? - California
• Frankly, my dear, you'll love it - Charleston
• Blown away by the Windy City - Chicago
• Blown away by Chicago - Chicago
• Haunted by Hemingway - Florida
• We have the keys to unlock Florida - Florida
• My Love Match with Las Vegas - Las Vegas
• The town that cloned Europe - Las Vegas
• A Chorus of Angels - Los Angeles
• LA: An actresses guide - Los Angeles
• The Stars Bite Back - Los Angeles
• Hotel of high fashion - Miami
• Miami Spice - Miami
• Alien Town: Roswell - New Mexico
• How the kids went Cajan - New Orleans
• Seta and the City - New York
• Glamour by the sea - Santa Barbara
• Celebrity Hotels - USA
• Escape to Sundance - Utah
• Dealing in Dreams - Las Vegas
• On the hunt for Hotel California - Los Angeles
• What's new in Orlando... - Orlando

1. Harry Potter - the magical experience

Hogwarts is rising high over Universal’s Islands Of Adventure theme park, ready for the opening this spring of the £125million Wizarding World Of Harry Potter.

Universal has put an invisibility cloak over the finer details of what’s inside the 20-acre site, but expect the big ride, Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey, to feature some wizard robotic details.

There will be Harry-themed merchandise, a re-creation of Ollivander’s wand shop, and The Three Broomsticks will be serving non-alcoholic Butterbeer. Author JK Rowling approved the recipe herself.

2. Disney’s new design-a-ride

The competition between Orlando’s biggest theme parks to create the most thrilling rides entered a new dimension last October when Walt Disney World launched Sum Of All Thrills at its Epcot Innovations Pavilion.

For the first time visitors can customise their own ride on a computer. Just choose to ride a virtual rollercoaster, a bobsleigh or jet, and then add as many corkscrews, loops, spins and barrel-rolls as you dare.

Save it all on a swipe card, take it to a simulator and clever robotics and high-definition images and sound will do the rest, recreating the high-speed ride that you designed.

3. Universal launches Rip Ride Rockit

Last August, Universal launched its Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, which it claims is the world’s most technologically advanced rollercoaster.

The ride plunges 167ft while you listen to the music of your choice.

4. SeaWorld uncovers two new rides

SeaWorld, Orlando’s other big player, opened its own whiteknuckle ride last year. The Manta ride has to be the most elegant rollercoaster in town.

A giant mechanical manta ray soars and swoops at 56mph over the marine life throughout the park.

What makes it such an adrenaline rush is that before the ride starts, the seats rotate so that those on board experience the ride face-down. SeaWorld is opening Omaka Rocka – riders will speed down flumes into massive tunnels.

The designers promise ‘near-vertical thrills previously experienced only by daring skateboarders and snowboarders’. It ends with a drenching splashdown.

5. See the baby rhino at Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is built entirely around animal conservation - the emphasis is on saving and breeding creatures not usually found in zoos.

They are kept in enclosures, rather than cages, which Disney says mimics natural habitats.

Last month, an eighth white rhino was born in Animal Kingdom, which has a programme to reintroduce the creatures into the Ugandan wild.

Set aside an entire day for a visit to Animal Kingdom for an African safari-type experience. SeaWorld’s big conservation statement is Manatee Rescue. Its animal rescue staff bring in injured or stranded manatees and those that make a good recovery are returned to the ocean.

6. Take your seats, it’s time for a show

After all that activity, you need to relax. The theme parks have their own theatres – one of the hottest tickets is Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba at Walt Disney Resort.

It’s the only place in the world to see this show – be prepared to be dazzled by acrobatic cyclists, crazy balancing acts and a daring trampoline display.

Still showing at Universal’s theatre are the outrageously funny Blue Man Group and the excellent Lion King.

And the other big show in town is the American Idol Experience at Disney Hollywood Studios. Anybody over 14 can audition before Disney’s producers.

Meanwhile, Universal’s Cineplex 20 has 20 cinema screens and customers can watch all the action from high-backed ‘rocking’ chairs.

7. The bright lights of Downtown Orlando

Downtown Orlando has lots of real-life visitor attractions to balance the make-believe landscape of the theme parks.

Winter Park, dating from the 1880s, offers treeshaded avenues, fine old houses and the world’s biggest collection of Tiffany lights in the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art.

There are also fine examples of Tiffany jewellery, pottery and paintings. Park Avenue in Winter Park is one of the smartest shopping streets in town. You can also find more excellent facilities at the nearby Mall at Millenia.

Throughout Orlando there is a wide choice of hotels and restaurants. An excellent way to move around is on the LYNX bus or the free LYMMO bus. I-RIDE trolleys connect many of the sites in downtown Orlando. A three-day pass costs $6.

Give Disney a miss and head straight for the chic Gulf Coast

There’s another kind of Florida away from the theme parks, razamatazz

and high rise hotels.

On the sub tropical barrier islands along the Gulf Coast you’ll find a Florida with memories of a graceful past, picturesque sunsets and waving palm trees. With 12 miles of sandy beach Sanibel island is famous for its seashells and wildlife.

It’s smaller neighbour Captiva is even more upmarket, and a protected nature reserve. You’ll see dolphins and manatees around these shores.

Fort Myers makes a good base for exploring the Coast and Sarasota is the undisputed cultural centre of Florida with it museums, art galleries and smart shops.