Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida

The Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida has had many names. It has been called the Orlando Arena, The Arena in Orlando, and TD Waterhouse Center. Some have referred to it as the O-Rena. The complex is completely indoors and part of the Centroplex in downtown Orlando. The arena is home to several teams including the Orlando Magic of NBA, Orlando Predators (football), and the Arena Football League. The Orlando Sharks also use the arena for indoor soccer.

Other events that have been hosted at the arena include the PlayStation Pro event, Dew Action Sports Tour, and the Ringling Brothers circus. Each year there are a number of events and concerts held at the arena. The Amway Arena opened in 1989. Other arenas in the United States are significantly older. In 1999 TD Waterhouse, a Canadian company took over the rights to the arena. However, they only purchased the rights until 2006, which is when Amway took over. Since Amway bought the rights they will be paying $1.5 million over four years for the rights. They will also have rights to the new Orlando Events Center which is being worked on.

The Amway Arena has several parking lots and garages near the building. For event parking there is a charge of $8 prior to 5pm, and after 5pm it goes up to $10 per car. Pre- paid parking is also available for individuals. For the Orlando Magic Games it can be quite difficult to find parking. Most onsite parking is pre-paid and thus sold out even before the event occurs. There are alternative parking areas close to the building, but it does require a bit of a walk. The fees can also be significantly higher.

For 2009 a number of events are going to be held at the arena. For example Jamie Foxx, Creed, Green Day, Journey, Brittney Spears, Kathy Griffin, Disney on Ice, and the circus are all going to be at the arena. Each year new events are brought in to the arena. Sometimes entertainers who are still on tour will return each year or come back for their new tour. Events are sold through the box office or ticketmaster.

For visitors to Orlando there are plenty of activities near the Amway Arena to enjoy. For example if visitors are coming for the day to watch a concert in the evening they could spend their days at the Mennello Museum of American Art or the Leu Gardens. Close by the arena and spread throughout the city are many hotels. The Grand Bohemian Hotel, Sheraton, Embassy suites, Florida Mall Hotel, Doubletree, Hard Rock hotel, and Clarion Hotel are a few of the accommodations a visitor can find. Some of the hotels are between the arena and other major attractions like Disney World, making it easy to get to both places.

Restaurants in Orlando are as plentiful as the hotels and attractions. Some of the restaurants include Little Saigon, Hue, Amura Japanese, Garden Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe, Ceviche Tapas Bar, and Harp and Celt Restaurant.