Cool things to do in Orlando?

I was in Orlando last summer and one day we drove the hour over to Cocoa Beach and went kayaking, that was pretty awesome.

Well a few questions.

1) Is this trip with any children or is this just you and the wife?

2) If this is before August 22, one of the items is going to be having a beer with me.

Some suggestions:

• Downtown Disney: It's a free shops and restaurant area with stuff for all ages. There is a magic shop, a very nice cigar and tobacco store, a LEGO super-store with plenty of cool play areas. This is not a bad place to get dinner either. If you like video games, check out Disney Quest. Tickets are about $35 last I remember, and there is video game related stuff on about six floors, including a floor of nothing but hundreds of old retro arcade games from the 80s and 90s, all free. Parking is free, there is no admission price.
  
• Universal City Walk is the same as Downtown Disney but owned by the Universal Group. Same concept: Free parking, lots of shops and places to see. But it has a lot more bars and adult-stuff.
  
• If this trip is with the wife, I would suggest taking her to the downtown Park Ave. area of Winter Park. It's lots of really awesome mom/pop boutiques and stores, as well as a dozen wine bars and nice restaurants. The actual park in the center of the downtown area is beautiful and green, with lots of old fountains and statues from the 10s and 20s. Across the street is Rollins College, with most of the buildings there dating from the 1890s - 1930s. If you are interested in old architecture, this is your bag. 
• Church Street Station in downtown Orlando on a Friday or Saturday night is also really damn fun if you are going sans any children. It has everything from trendy ultra lounges (They don't seem like your scene) to awesome hipster filled watering holes (BBQ Bar being the most famous) to quasi-cowboy saloons (Cheyenne Saloon on East South St.) to everything between (Big Belly, Ember and Latitudes are all great bars).
• If you want tourist-attraction type stuff for less money there is International Drive in North Orlando. Some of the stuff there is gimmicky, like Wonder Works, the amazing upside down building, or the Titanic exhibit, but it's much much cheaper than any of the theme parks. Lots of laser tag and putt-putt golf type stuff. Plus there is Fun Spot, which has go-carts and lots of carnival rides for cheap. If this isn't with kids, there is Howl At The Moon on I-Drive as well. It's a sing-along piano bar with really cheap drinks in a really casual atmosphere. 

That is just stuff in the greater Orlando area.

About two hours away from Orlando in my direction there is a ton of natural fresh water springs with kayak rentals, snorkeling areas and nature walks.

If you are willing to drive a bit, like out to the beaches, there is a ton of stuff to do as well. Just not sure how much you want to drive.

Also, if you do want to go to the beach, please heed my advice: Go to the beaches at a place called "Ormond By The Sea."

It's a little municipality about 20 minutes north of Daytona Beach, and it is everything Daytona is not.

It's clean, as there is no driving on the beach allowed and not many people go there to pollute. It has free beach-side parking and is free from ugly towering hotels and resorts, as it's a tiny little residential area with only houses on the non-water-front area. The sand is reddish color from hundreds of years of shells being broken down in it.

And best of all: NOBODY GOES THERE.

Right now you are in the heat of tourist season for the beaches. Daytona, New Symerna and Cocoa are all going to be super crowded. You're going to have to park and hike miles to find a spot.

I can bet you money that if you take the extra 20 minutes to go up to Ormond By The Sea you will be the only people within 3/4ths of a mile from the spot you decide to pick. It is beautiful.

Hope that helps. If you need more details about any of that, just ask.


Edited by agentwhale007 - 16 July 2010 at 11:56pm

agentwhale007 wrote: And just typing that made me really depressed after thinking about all the stuff I am going to miss when I move. Sigh...

i swear it never gets colder than 15 degrees

man, if someone asked me what there is to do in my city, I'd say 'I dunno, go to the bars and drink?'

procarbinefreak wrote: man, if someone asked me what there is to do in my city, I'd say 'I dunno, go to the bars and drink?'

At least in Kenosha we have a $0.25 trolley that goes in a circle. Way to revitalize downtown city counsel....


And olive garden is opening up. Which will be pretty popular despite our demographic being 50% italian and an actual italian restaurant on every busy corner.

Mack wrote: Which is why, despite your comic abilities and winning personality, whale will always be cooler than you.

no denying that. 

One, Playalinda Beach is a nude beach where floppy old people go.

Two, Dixie Crossroads is a chain that I think shut down. There is much better seafood to be had.

Three, yes, Fun Spot is pretty cool.

When is this happening? I might make the drive up and join you guys for a beer.

I'm in Daytona, only an hour away. Let it know if things be hap'nin.

Interesting to hear that Church Street Station was back up.. When we left all that had closed or was closing. I would agree on most of what Whale said except for the WonderWorks. Went there last year and it was pretty boring, and expensive if I remember correctly. Maybe check out Gatorland. It's pretty cheesy, but if you like gators.