The reason they call Kissimmee “the heart of Florida” has as much to do with how you’ll love it (no coincidence there’s a “kiss” in its name) as with its geography. Connected to Orlando at the hip, it gives vacationers all that playtime city has to offer plus the golf courses, cattle ranching heritage, lake tours and hometown friendliness it calls its own.

Family Time

Besides family favorites Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and the major water parks, Kissimmee gives families access to old-fashioned fun such as the nostalgic Ferris wheel and other rides and shopping at Old Town, a re-created Main Street and county fair all in one.

Green Meadows Petting Farm nurtures kids’ fascination for goats, sheep, cows, ducks and more. They can even milk a cow and jump aboard a tractor-pulled hayride. A different type of farm entirely, Gatorland’s livestock is equally intriguing, but not nearly as pettable. Hundreds of alligators of every size, plus gator and snake shows, a water park and other animals crank up the thrill factor.

And if that’s not enough snakes, visit Reptile World Serpentarium, where you can pet a live snake and watch a certified handler milk the fangs of venomous snakes. From a haunted house at Old Town to miniature golf courses and a medieval village, family attractions in Kissimmee know no bounds.

Connected to Orlando at the hip, Kissimmee gives vacationers all that playtime city has to offer plus the golf courses, cattle ranching heritage, lake tours and hometown friendliness it calls its own.

Go Outside!

If your family’s game has outgrown putt-putt, Kissimmee is well-equipped to get you playing outside. Three respected golf academies can put a golf topspin on your vacation. Plus a wide array of golf courses designed by golfing legends offer short-term clinics and lessons with the club pro.

Some of the region’s best birding happens at its golf courses, particularly Harmony Golf Preserve, a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.” Other parks and attractions such as Forever Florida Eco-Safaris in St. Cloud get you within binocular-range of sandhill cranes, bald eagles and other impressive birds. Hiking, biking and horseback-riding trails travel diverse habitat from cypress swamps to lake lands.

Kissimmee’s legendary Chain of Lakes provides endless opportunity for birding, airboat rides and fishing the pure, fresh waters.

Cowboy Channeling

Steeped in cattle-ranching heritage, Kissimmee and sister city St. Cloud can put you in touch with your inner John Wayne. Forever Florida and Horse World Riding Stables start you on your way with horseback-riding lessons and tours.

To witness the area’s Cracker (a name derived from cow-men cracking their whips) roots, absorb a history lesson at Osceola County Historical Society's Pioneer Center in Kissimmee and Peghorn Nature Park in St. Cloud. The latter, named for a type of cattle raised in the 1900s, welcomes you to its trails with a Cracker village.

In downtown Kissimmee, murals on the sides of historic buildings and sidewalk insets illustrate its cow-town past. For ranch antiques, shop downtown St. Cloud, pardner.

Eat, Sleep and Dream

It’s tough to have to pause from all the fun, but ya’ gotta do it. Luckily Kissimmee makes even eating and sleeping fun. In addition to shopping, the downtown areas, including the new town of Celebration, spread a banquet of good food – from barbecue to sushi. For families, vacation home rentals are an affordable way to go. Many are located near the theme parks.

Part attraction, part hotel, Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center stages a microcosm of the entire state under one domed roof, and that includes a re-creation of St. Augustine’s famed fort and a mini-Key West. At Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, guests can enjoy their own water park in addition to 45 holes of golf and David Leadbetter Golf Academy.

Part attraction, part restaurant and part theater, Kissimmee’s epic dinner shows are knit together with the gossamer of dreams. They entertain with arena drama that includes everything from Disney characters to majestic steeds and knights in shining armor.

This article is brought to you by the Kissimmee Convention & Visitors Bureau. To plan your own Kissimmee getaway, visit www.VisitKissimmee.com.