Washington, D.C. Rocket Garden at Kennedy Space Center


paths to a mile-long stretch of the Washington Channel, a stone’s throw from the National Mall. The promenade will also have 23 restaurants with great options for family-friendly dining, making it an ideal hub for exploring the rest of D.C.


ORLANDO Excitement is set to rocket next


year as Florida’s fun capital launches the world’s tallest roller coaster. New entertainment complex SKYPLEX will include the Skyscraper, a 570-foot-tall vertical ride. For more sedate views, the SKYPLEX tower will also have an observation deck, restaurant and lounge. It follows a thrilling summer of


new openings, including The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Opened in May, the attraction allows visitors to canoe through mythical world Pandora, where mountains float and rainforests are bioluminescent. At Universal, the Volcano Bay Water Theme Park takes thrill-seekers


onto idyllic tropical islands, with a good dose of adventure thrown in. In 2018, new river ride Infinity


Falls comes to SeaWorld, taking thrill-seekers through a jungle with soaking fountains, waterfalls and the remains of a lost civilisation. Also new for next year is the triple- fun of Ray Rush, which comes to Aquatica Orlando and features rafts which are lifted on water jets and spun around a colossal sphere before diving into different manta wings.


It isn’t all about the parks.


Downtown Orlando has some great foodie finds. Suggest clients get a taste with Orlando Foodie Tours. The brunch tour, grazing at some of the area’s best restaurants, cafes and markets, is ideal for families. For clients seeking even more


adventure than rides can provide, how about learning to drive an airboat? Boggy Creek Airboat Rides has launched Romp in the Swamp in Kissimmee, giving visitors the chance to take the captain’s seat and soar over


the water.


Another first came to Fun Spot America Kissimmee park in June, with the only wooden roller coaster in the state to go upside down. At Gatorland, work is under way on a $2.5 million park expansion. New adventures include riding in 12-foot-high, off-road monster trucks into a previously unseen section of the park past swamps, mud puddles, an alligator graveyard and ponds swarming with the reptiles. For fans of space exploration, the Mars-themed ATX Center at Kennedy Space Center will be a must-visit when it opens in 2018. The attraction will boast


two distinct experiences. The Astronaut Training Experience will provide an opportunity for visitors to train like an astronaut preparing for a Mars mission, while Mars Base 1 will provide trainees with a chance to “live” on Mars for seven hours while performing base operations and conducting real science experiments and engineering tasks.


BOOK IT


Gold Medal offers a 10-night Washington, D.C. and Orlando twin-centre itinerary, including three nights in


Washington and seven nights in Orlando. Prices start from £869 for travel between


February 5 and March 10, including flights from


Heathrow and internal flights, and based on two adults and two children sharing.


Find out more: goldmedal.co.uk 0800 014 7777


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