Orlando, Florida

==Economy==

{{See also|List of Florida companies|List of Orlando companies}}
[[File:Orange County Convention Center.jpg|thumb|The North/South Concourse of the [[Orange County Convention Center]]]]

===Industry===

Orlando is a major industrial and [[hi-tech]] center. The metro area has a $13.4&nbsp;billion technology industry employing 53,000 people;{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} and is a nationally recognized cluster of innovation in digital media, agricultural technology, aviation, aerospace, and software design. More than 150 international companies, representing approximately 20 countries, have facilities in Metro Orlando.

Orlando has the 7th-largest research park in the country, [[Central Florida Research Park]], with over {{convert|1025|acre|km2}}. It is home to over 120 companies, employs more than 8,500 people, and is the hub of the nation's military simulation and training programs. Near the end of each year, the [[Orange County Convention Center]] hosts the world's largest modeling and simulation conference: [[Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference|Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC)]]. Metro Orlando is home to the simulation procurement commands for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

[[Lockheed Martin]] has a large manufacturing facility for missile systems, aeronautical craft and related high-tech research. Other notable engineering firms have offices or labs in Metro Orlando: KDF, [[General Dynamics]], [[Harris Corporation|Harris]], [[Mitsubishi|Mitsubishi Power Systems]], [[Siemens]], [[Veritas Technologies|Veritas]]/[[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]], multiple [[United States Air Force]] facilities, [[Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division]], [[Delta Connection]] Academy, [[Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University]], [[General Electric]], [[Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation]], U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), [[United States Army Research, Development and Engineering Command]], [[United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center]], [[AT&T]], [[Boeing]], CAE Systems Flight and Simulation Training, [[Hewlett-Packard]], Institute for Simulation and Training, [[National Center for Simulation]], [[Northrop Grumman]] and [[Raytheon]]. The Naval Training Center until a few years ago was one of the two places where nuclear engineers were trained for the [[United States Navy]]. Now the land has been converted into the Baldwin Park development. Numerous office complexes for large corporations have popped up along the [[Interstate 4]] corridor north of Orlando, especially in [[Maitland, Florida|Maitland]], [[Lake Mary, Florida|Lake Mary]] and [[Heathrow, Florida|Heathrow]].

Orlando is close enough to [[Patrick Space Force Base]], [[Cape Canaveral Space Force Station]], and [[Kennedy Space Center]] for residents to commute to work from the city's suburbs. It also allows easy access to [[Port Canaveral]], a [[cruise ship]] terminal.

Orlando is the home base of [[Darden Restaurants]], the parent company of [[Olive Garden]] and [[LongHorn Steakhouse]], and the largest operator of casual dining restaurants in the world by revenue. In September 2009 it moved to a new headquarters and central distribution facility.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-darden-headquarters-orlando-opens-092609,0,4594693.story |title=Darden headquarters to open Wednesday in Orlando |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=September 26, 2009 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211231926/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-darden-headquarters-orlando-opens-092609,0,4594693.story |archive-date=February 11, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Former Darden Restaurants subsidiary [[Red Lobster]] is based in [[Downtown Orlando]].

===Film, television, and entertainment===

Another important sector is the film, television, and electronic gaming industries, aided by the presence of [[Universal Studios Florida|Universal Studios]], [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]], [[Full Sail Real World Education|Full Sail University]], [[University of Central Florida College of Arts and Humanities|UCF College of Arts and Humanities]], the [[Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy]], and other entertainment companies and schools. The U.S. [[Institute for Simulation and Training|modeling, simulation, and training]] (MS&T) industry is centered on the Orlando region as well, with a particularly strong presence in the [[Central Florida Research Park]] adjacent to [[University of Central Florida]] (UCF). Nearby Maitland is the home of Tiburon, a division of the video game company [[Electronic Arts]]. Tiburon Entertainment was acquired by EA in 1998 after years of partnership, particularly in the [[Madden NFL]] series and [[NCAA Football series]] of video games. Nearby [[Full Sail University]], located in [[Winter Park, Florida|Winter Park]], draws new-media students in the areas of video game design, film, show production, and computer animation, among others, its graduates spawning several start-ups in these fields in the Orlando area. The headquarters of Ripley Entertainment Inc. are also located in Orlando.

===Healthcare===
[[File:Nemours-childrens-hospital-florida.jpg|thumb|[[Nemours Children's Hospital]] located in [[Lake Nona Medical City]], a rapidly growing healthcare hub<ref>Vatner, Jonathan. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/realestate/08medical.html "Orlando’s Newest Attraction Is Medical"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 7, 2010. Accessed April 7, 2024.</ref>]]
Orlando has two non-profit hospital systems: [[Orlando Health]] and [[AdventHealth]]. Orlando Health's [[Orlando Regional Medical Center]] is home to Central Florida's only Level I [[trauma center]], and [[Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies]] and [[AdventHealth Orlando]] have the area's only Level III [[neonatal intensive care unit]]s. Orlando's medical leadership was further advanced with the completion of [[University of Central Florida]]'s College of Medicine, a new [[Veterans Health Administration|VA Hospital]] and the new [[Nemours Children's Hospital]], which is located in a new medical district in the [[Lake Nona Medical City|Lake Nona]] area of the city.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.local6.com/news/11154722/detail.html |title=Lake Nona Is Site of New VA Hospital |date=March 2, 2007 |publisher=[[Internet Broadcasting Systems]]/[[WKMG-TV]] |access-date=July 15, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212095036/http://www.clickorlando.com/news/11154722/detail.html |archive-date=February 12, 2009 }}<br />{{cite web|title=Nemours Children's Hospital, Orlando |url=http://www.nemours.org/about/location/nchorlando.html |publisher=Nemours Foundation |access-date=November 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017101851/http://nemours.org/about/location/nchorlando.html |archive-date=October 17, 2011 }}</ref>

===Housing and employment===

Historically, the unemployment rate in Greater Orlando was low, which resulted in growth that led to [[urban sprawl]] in the surrounding area and, in combination with the [[United States housing bubble]], to a large increase in home prices. Metro Orlando's unemployment rate in June 2010 was 11.1 percent, was 11.4 percent in April 2010, and was about 10 percent in about the same time of year in 2009.<ref>Stratton, Jim. [https://archive.today/20120913021607/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-florida-jobless-rate-may-20100618,0,2950269.story "Florida jobless rate drops to 11.7 percent"], ''Orlando Sentinel'', June 18, 2010.</ref> As of August 2013, the area's jobless rate was 6.6 percent.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stratton |first=Jim |url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-09-20/business/os-unemployment-florida-august-20130920_1_unemployment-rate-job-numbers-percentage-point |title=Florida unemployment rate falls to 7 percent |newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |date=September 20, 2013 |access-date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> Housing prices in Greater Orlando went up 37.08% in one year, from a median of $182,300 in November 2004 to $249,900 in November 2005, and eventually peaked at $264,436 in July 2007. From there, with the economic meltdown, prices plummeted, with the median falling below $200,000 in September 2008, at one point falling at an annual rate of 39.27%. The median dipped below $100,000 in 2010 before stabilizing around $110,000 in 2011. As of April 2012, the median home price is $116,000.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20120117074221/http://www.orlrealtor.com/resource/resmgr/statistics_reports/orlando8yearhistory.pdf Metropolitan Orlando Housing Trends Summary]." ''Orlando Regional Realtor Association.'' May 9, 2012. Retrieved on My 17, 2012.</ref>

===Tourism===

{{See also|List of amusement parks in Central Florida|List of Orlando, Florida attractions}}
[[File:Cinderella Castle October 1.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Cinderella Castle]] at the [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Walt Disney World]]]] One of the main driving forces in Orlando's economy is its tourism industry and the city is one of the leading tourism destinations in the world. Nicknamed the 'Theme Park Capital of the World', the Orlando area is home to [[Walt Disney World]], [[Universal Orlando]], [[SeaWorld Orlando]], [[Legoland Florida|Legoland]], and [[Fun Spot America]] Theme Parks. A record 75&nbsp;million visitors came to the Orlando region in 2018, making it the top tourist destination in the United States.<ref>{{cite news|last=Santana|first=Marco|title=Surge in Latin American visitors push Visit Orlando tourism to record in 2018|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=May 9, 2019|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-bz-visit-orlando-attendance-numbers-20190509-7h4lodd7cffhnh6r6xmw7hbnw4-story.html|access-date=May 19, 2019}}</ref>

The Orlando area features 7 of the 10 most visited [[theme park]]s in North America (5 of the top 10 in the world), as well as the 4 most visited [[water park]]s in the U.S.<ref>[http://www.teaconnect.org/sites/default/files/misc/files/2012_theme_index_combined_1-3_online.pdf 2012 TEA AECOM Themed Index] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127000255/http://teaconnect.org/sites/default/files/misc/files/2012_theme_index_combined_1-3_online.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817034333/http://teaconnect.org/sites/default/files/misc/files/2012_theme_index_combined_1-3_online.pdf |archive-date=2013-08-17 |url-status=live |date=November 27, 2013 }}.'' '', May 23, 2014</ref> The Walt Disney World resort is the area's largest attraction with its many facets such as the [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Epcot]], [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]], [[Disney's Animal Kingdom]], [[Disney's Typhoon Lagoon|Typhoon Lagoon]], [[Disney's Blizzard Beach|Blizzard Beach]], and [[Disney Springs]]. [[Universal Orlando]], like Walt Disney World, is a multi-faceted resort comprising [[Universal Studios Florida]], [[Universal Islands of Adventure|Islands of Adventure]], [[Universal Volcano Bay|Volcano Bay]], and [[Universal CityWalk Orlando|Universal CityWalk]]. [[SeaWorld Orlando]] is a large park that features numerous zoological displays and marine animals alongside an amusement park with roller coasters like [[Mako (roller coaster)|Mako]], [[Manta (SeaWorld Orlando)|Manta]], and [[Kraken (roller coaster)|Kraken]]. The property also comprises more than one park, alongside [[Aquatica Orlando|Aquatica water park]] and [[Discovery Cove]]. [[Fun Spot America Theme Parks|Fun Spot Orlando]] and [[Fun Spot America Theme Parks|Kissimmee]] are more typical amusement parks with big thrills in a small space with roller coasters like [[White Lightning (roller coaster)|White Lightning]] and [[Freedom Flyer]] in Orlando and [[Mine Blower]] and [[Fun Spot America Theme Parks|Rockstar Coaster]] in Kissimmee. Orlando is also home to I-Drive 360 on [[International Drive]] home to The Wheel at ICON Park, [[Madame Tussauds]], and [[Sea Life Centres|Sealife Aquarium]]. Orlando attractions also appeal to many locals who want to enjoy themselves close to home.

The convention industry is also critical to the region's economy. The [[Orange County Convention Center]], expanded in 2004 to over two million square feet (200,000 m<sup>2</sup>) of exhibition space, is now the second-largest convention complex in terms of space in the United States, trailing only [[McCormick Place]] in Chicago. The city vies with Chicago and [[Las Vegas]] for hosting the most convention attendees in the United States.<ref>Bergen, Kathy.  [http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2003_3rd/Sep03_ChicagoConventions.html Las Vegas and Orlando Bruising Chicago's Trade Show Business].  ''The [[Chicago Tribune]]'', September 11, 2003</ref> Major events at the venue include the annual [[IAAPA]] theme park trade show and the large multigenre fan convention, [[MegaCon]].

====Golf====

Numerous golf courses can be found in the city, with the most famous<ref>{{Cite web|title=Orlando Golf Courses {{!}} Find Private & Public Golf Courses|url=https://www.visitorlando.com/en/things-to-do/sports-and-recreation-outdoors/golf?page=1|access-date=June 19, 2020|website=www.visitorlando.com|language=en}}</ref> being [[Bay Hill Club and Lodge]], home to the [[Arnold Palmer Invitational]].