The restored Courtroom B is still in situ, all dark wood and leather, and you can even sit at the judge’s chair. Elsewhere, interactive exhibits chart the history of Florida, from its time as a Seminole settlement through to the arrival of the ambitious Mr Disney. Open 10am-5pm daily (from noon on Sundays), admission $7 (£4).WRITE A POSTCARDReflect on what you’ve learnt of Florida’s cultural heritage as you propel a large plastic swan around Lake Eola. Rent a pedalo for $10 (£5.60) for half an hour from the west end.THE ICING ON THE CAKEAfter the swans, the alligators.

The sun should be shining on the terrace at 310 Park South, the name and the address of the top brunch location (001 407 647 7277). From 10am-2pm each Sunday, Florida-sized portions of eggs Benedict or California scramble cost around $10 (£5.50).A WALK IN THE PARKIf your idea of walking off a large meal extends no further than a few hundred yards, wander through Central Park. It opens 10am-6pm daily; admission is a steep $29.95 (£17), but where else are you going to find a replica of Christ’s tomb and a scale model of Jerusalem circa AD32?OUT TO BRUNCHPark Avenue in Winter Park is the place to be around noon on a fresh, bright Sunday. It’s stuffed full of educational exhibits, all of which are presented on a typically vast scale, and is open 9am-5pm Tuesday-Thursday; 9am-9pm on Friday and Saturday, and noon-5pm on Sundays. For something a bit more ambitious, try the Loch Haven Cultural Park, an oasis of greenery at the centre of which is the Orlando Science Center (001 407 514 2000; ) at 777 East Princeton Street. And they can be dangerous – more dangerous even than lion, who are at least on a manageable scale. Cantering gently through the trees one morning the lead horses suddenly spooked at an alien scent.

Cereal bars have grown as a breakfast substitute for “deskfasting” commuters who take their first meal of the day in the office.Alcohol sales show a switch from drinking in clubs and pubs to more consumption at home. The menu changes daily, and you can eat in the cool of the bar-restaurant area, or out on the terrace. Starters of crispy oysters cost $10 (£5.60); sea bass mains are $36 (£20).SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCHOrlando, like most of the American South, is awash with churches But no other city can boast the Holy Land Experience. Bus 24 will drop you at the corner of Vineland and Conroy Streets, just off the freeway at the entrance to the park whose theme is fundamental Christianity (001 407 367 2065; ). For relaxed, modern fare try Hue (001 407 849 1800; ) at 629 East Central Boulevard. Here, a caesar salad starter is $9 (£5) and honey-seared salmon is $22 (£12.30). If you’ve had enough Budweiser and crave something more sophisticated, head for Dexter’s (001 407 648 2777) at 808 East Washington.

From the outside, the tiled walls make it look a little like an East End pub; inside though, it has a vast selection of wine available from $6.50 (£3.60) a glass, and cheese and biscuits at $4.75 (£2.60) per portion.DINING WITH THE LOCALSThe classiest joint in downtown is Boheme, the ground-floor restaurant of the Westin Grand Bohemian. At the corner with Lyman Street you can at least find more familiar retail venues such as Gap and Starbucks. If you can get to Winter Park between 7am-1pm on a Saturday, you will find the Farmers’ Market at the corner of New York and New England Avenues.Antiques and interesting bric-a-brac can be found in and around Ivanhoe Plaza at the 1800 block of Orange Avenue. For lower prices and a wider selection of goods, take bus 39 many miles north to its terminus at Sanford Flea World, America’s biggest covered flea market.AN APERITIFOrange Avenue is a good place to start the evening – particularly if you visit One Eyed Jack’s (001 407 648 2050), and then wander next door to The Loaded Hog (001 407 420 1515). Tours (001 407 644 4056; ) are operated daily, on the hour from 10am-4pm and cost $8 (£4.50).WINDOW SHOPPINGWinter Park’s 10 blocks of Park Avenue between Fairbanks Avenue and Swoope Avenue are devoted to swish shopping, with no fewer than three chocolatiers and one store devoted to clothing for dogs. It retains a villagey atmosphere entirely at odds with the rest of Florida. Get off at the Amtrak rail station, which still has direct trains from New York, taking 21 hours.Go east to the end of Morse Boulevard, where you’ll find the jetty for a fascinating trip of Orlando’s lake district.