Last year, Travelandleisure.com and CNN Headline News polled travelers and residents on what they liked (and didn’t like) about 25 top urban destinations in the U.S. With nearly 60,000 responses, America’s Favorite Cities were ranked on their dining, shopping, culture, nightlife, people, and more. Orlando, which scored relatively poor in most categories, fared well in family vacation, active/adventure vacation, weather, barbecue and pizza. Hardly the overall picture that I could describe of this ever-growing city.

But that was last year and the 2008 version of “America’s Favorite Cities” is now available.

Featuring a revamped list of topics, this year’s survey focuses on core attributes, rather than on any specific characteristic of the cities where we live and visit. For example, “pizza” and “barbecue” are gone from the “Food/Dining” section. Overall, the survey dropped from 55 to 45 items. That should help increase participation, since the amount of time required to complete the survey will be shorter.

Over the next week (or so), we’ll take a look at the eight main sections and provide some thoughts about how well Orlando performs in each. I would love for you to keep me in check and to add some insights of your own in the comments. Make this an interactive site once and for all.

Until then, head over to travelandleisure.com and complete the survey. Don’t forget to take notes!

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