International Drive Area -- (Note: Locally, this road is almost always referred to as I-Drive.) Extending 8 or so miles northeast of Disney between Highway 535 and the Florida Turnpike, this busy thoroughfare is one of the most popular tourist districts in the area, in part because it is filled with so many restaurants, shops, hotels, and attractions. From indoor surfing and glow-in-the-dark golf to dozens of themed restaurants and shopping spots, this is the tourist strip in Central Florida. Its main shopping draw is the Orlando Premium Outlets, just off south I-Drive . Another I-Drive shopping spot, Pointe Orlando (tel. 407/248-2838; www.pointeorlandofl.com), currently undergoing extensive renovations, features a collection of restaurants, clubs, and specialty shops. Upon completion additional retailers and restaurants as well as brand-new landscaping and lighting will have been added in order to create a more inviting atmosphere. The Mercado (tel. 407/345-9337; www.themercado.com) is a Mediterranean-style marketplace on I-Drive that's filled with specialty shops, restaurants, and smaller attractions; there's often live entertainment featured here in the evenings.
Kissimmee -- Skirting the south side of Walt Disney World, Kissimmee centers on U.S. 192/Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, as archetypal of modern American cities as Disney's Main Street is of America's yesteryear. U.S. 192 is lined end to end with budget motels, smaller attractions, and almost every fast-food restaurant known to humankind (though a handful of good eateries can be found here as well). Kissimmee does not offer the fabulous array of shopping options found elsewhere in Orlando. The shopping here is notable for the quantity, not necessarily the quality, but it's a good place to pick up some knickknacks, white elephant gifts, or those seashells I mentioned earlier.
Winter Park -- Just north of downtown Orlando, Winter Park (tel. 407/644-8281) is the place many of Central Florida's old-money families call home. It began as a haven for Yankees trying to escape the cold. Today its centerpiece is Park Avenue, which has quite a collection of upscale retail shops -- Ann Taylor, Restoration Hardware, Bath & Body Works, Crabtree & Evelyn, and Williams-Sonoma -- along its cobblestone route. No matter which end of Park Avenue you start at, there are more shops than most can survive, but you're bound to find something here you'll not find anywhere else. Park Avenue is also home to a handful of unique restaurants and art galleries. Note: Leave the kids with a sitter if you plan to shop (or dine) here. You'll both be happier for it. To get here, take I-4 Exit 87, Fairbanks Avenue/Highway 426, east past U.S. 17/92 to Park Avenue and turn left.
