Lived in Orlando for about 2 years in the military '94-'96, I imagine some things have changed in that time but here's what I remember about the area:
Good:
It's central Florida, you're only an hour from some awesome beaches: Daytona, Cocoa, New Smyrna and Canaveral.
Tons of theme parks (Disney duh), water parks, attractions in Orlando/Kissimmee.
Busch Gardens is only 2 hours away in Tampa.
Also close to the Gulf Coast beaches but a little further than the Atlantic side. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale is only a 5 hour drive.
Savannah, GA is only 4 hours.
Bahamas are an hour by plane.
Someone already mentioned the Keys which are pretty unique-ish.
Lots of direct international flights too.
Tourists means lots of night life. I saw some of the best shows of my life in small clubs in Orlando (Radiohead, Tool, Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, NIN, Cypress Hill).
Winter Park for neighborhood.
Hurricanes can cause some bad weather but you're too far inland to take a major hit.
Awesome lightning shows (also bad).
SEC Football and ACC Basketball. Florida and FSU respectively.
The weather. Humidity is nowhere near as bad as the coasts. You're living in Houston, so you'll be fine. It gets coldish in the winter but it's mild. You will get rain that is like clockwork during the summer but it's not bad.
Lots of board game geeks and Cons if that's your thing.
Bad:
Tourists. Just stay away from tourist areas. Hit the parks on weekdays if you can. Avoid International Drive like the plague.
Stay away from Orange Blossom Trail unless you're looking for crack or a prostitute.
Traffic. Roads were small, tons of small bodies of water, hard to get across town. Toll roads are better.
I never bought a home anywhere but I remember being told that it's tough because there are really desirable areas but they butt up against some of the worst parts of the cities.
Stay out of Pine Hills (affectionately know to locals as Crime Hills). Best buddy was raised there, and he said it was a for reals bad area. Ironically, it's right next to Winter Park I mentioned above.
You will get struck by lightning (#4 city in the US for strikes, #1,2,3, and 5 also in Florida).
Your dog will get eaten by an alligator. Stay out of the water. Keep your dogs and your kids away from the water. Every night you will see a story about a dog that got eaten on the news.
Like I said, been forever since I was there, but that's what I remember.
Good luck, hope it's a good experience for you.