Whilst there is no doubt these attractions on their own are enough to fill even the most demanding of vacations, there is so much more to do.  Many of the options are described elsewhere within these articles, and help make Central Florida the ‘vacation capital of the world’.

But many visitors also choose to catch up on the professional sport on offer - why not take a day away from the parks, relax in the comfort of your own private pool (well, having visited this site, you weren’t thinking of staying in a hotel room, were you?) - and take a couple of hours to watch the professionals.  Some of the sport on offer is at the highest level - here are just a few ideas.

Baseball

The all American game - sometimes a mystery to visitors from Europe, but well worth a visit to see the action.  Spring Training is the time to see the world’s top players in action, as many teams take advantage of the great Florida climate for their spring training.  The Atlanta Braves are regular visitors to Disney’s Wide World of Sports (at the time of writing, they are scheduled for their eleventh consecutive year of spring training in March 2008).  But there is so much more than training - there are full scale matches against other top teams, played out in front of a packed stadium.  And the competition is of the highest level, as players seek to prove they are worth a contract for the coming season.

Basketball

Central Florida also plays host to top level basketball - the Orlando Magic play their home games between October and April at the Amway Arena, just north of Downtown Orlando adjacent to the I-4 Interstate.  There are often several matches a week, but tickets sell out quickly.

Ice Hockey

A little further afield to see top notch ice hockey.  The Tampa Bay Lightning can be seen at The St Pete Times Forum in Tampa, a little more than an hours drive from the Disney area.  The season runs from October to April, and the excitement of an ice hockey fixture is a great way to finish a day relaxing on the wonderful Gulf Coast beaches.  Again, sort out your match tickets in advance, as these matches often play to sell out crowds.

So there’s a few thoughts - but there’s many more!  Sport in Central Florida is big business.

The only team in Orlando is the Orlando Magic; they play their home matches at the Amway Arena in the Eastern Conference League.  It really is a great evening out for all ages.  The stadium holds about 12,000 fans and it’s nearly all home fans so very, very safe.  The season runs from October to April.

Getting tickets is very easy too; you can go direct to the Orlando Magic website www.nba.com/magic and select the Calendar/Tickets window and this will take you direct to the Ticket Master site.  The tickets are reasonably priced at the bottom end starting at $10 and ranging to almost touchline seats at $115 each.  Very few matches seem to sell out so you can normally get a ticket whilst out there on vacation.  Tickets are booked online or over the phone and collected from the pick-up windows at the stadium.  Even at sell out games you can buy tickets outside the stadium at a little over face value.

Parking is great too – just wish a few of the UK sporting events were as good.  There are colour coded parking lots all around the stadium with two located on the forecourts directly outside the main entrances.  The stadium is located just off I4, Exit 83B (Amelia Street/Orlando Venues) then take a left onto Livingston Street and the parking lots will be in front of you. 

Inside the stadium you will be able to get a range of foods and drinks including: burgers, sandwiches, hot pork in a roll, Starbucks, beers and lots more.  There are often giveaways if you arrive early in the form of banners, sweat bands and tee-shirts.  Our children were invited to ‘high-five’ the visiting players on court before the match started.  They were selected randomly as we were walking around the concourse.

It’s a full evening with most games starting at 7pm and finishing by 10pm.  The atmosphere is excellent with cheerleaders and on court games during the breaks. Really worth a visit if you enjoy watching sports – Go Magic, Go Magic!!