Try A Family Spring Break In Orlando, Florida

Everyone has heard of spring breaks for college students in Florida, but now spring break is becoming an event for the whole family. The Orlando Family Spring Break ? offers families the perfect atmosphere to take a break from busy work and school schedules and features major new attractions, special events, and family-friendly cultural activities. The family spring break for 2008 is the sixth one in this series and several new theme park attractions will be open when visitors come to Orlando.

Seaworld is opening ?Aquatica? and the park also offers close animal experiences with thrilling rides and whimsical underwater adventures, and journeys from serene to extreme.

Universal Studios has a new ride which promises a uniquely hilarious journey through Springfield with the Simpson family and Simpson family fans are sure to be delighted by it.

"Block Party Bash," an interactive parade featuring over 20 Disney?Pixar characters and the latest "Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage" show, featuring characters from "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," "Little Einsteins," "Handy Manny" and more will open at Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) Jungala at Busch Gardens Africa is a new 4-acre attraction set in a lush landscape, featuring exciting signature rides, a family climbing area and exotic animal interactions.

In addition to the attractions at the theme parks Orlando has a number of spring festivals and special events that are ideal for families. Your can enjoy the Annual Central Florida Fair at the Central Florida Fairground, April 17-27, where the carnival like midway is packed with games and rides for the whole family.

Do you like pies? Then go and devour endless samples of pies April 19-20 at the Great American Pie Festival in Celebration. Festivities include cooking demonstrations, children's pie making, pie-eating contests and the Never-Ending Pie Buffet.

Spring is strawberry season and the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, February 28 - March 9, celebrates the fabric of American life through ethnic traditions, contests, and top-name entertainment, together with an abundance of juicy strawberries.

The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens presents "Hippity Hop Adventure" March 22-23, when kids receive a free bunny tail, win prizes, enjoy face painting and more as they discover clues along an adventure trail leading them to the Easter Bunny.

Orlando's cultural scene has plenty of offerings to enlighten and entertain the whole family. A classic children's book comes to life when the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre presents "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" February 23 ? March 16. Or, you can embark in an interactive song and dance extravaganza by connecting the clues with Steve, Blue, Goldilocks and many other favorite storybook characters in "Blue's Clues Live! The Most Spectacular Place" presented by the Orlando Repertory Theater March 7-30.

Engage young travelers in the enchanted land of make believe and happily ever after when the Orlando Ballet presents "Fairy Tale Princes and Princesses" March 15. The event, part of the Family Series, provides the ballet experience in less than an hour and offers behind-the-scenes interactions including learning how a tutu is made and a ballerina meet-and-greet.

The Orlando Spring break is the perfect way for families to spend quality time together and enjoy themselves in sunny Florida. For helpful hints to plan an Orlando vacation, along with attraction information, visit orlandoinfo.com/springbreak While in Orlando, visitors may stop by the Official Visitor Center located at 8723 International Drive, at the southeast corner of International Drive and Austrian Row. The Official Visitor Center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Mark Whichard is a frequent writer on Orlando tourism. He and his wife Susan are the proprietors of Orlando Disney Villas, an agency that rents villas near Disney World. For more information on vacation rentals in Orlando, visit their website at http://www.orlandodisneyvillas.com