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Adults trip to Orlando. looking for activites, restaurants that are NOT Disney

needvaca

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I got a cheap Getaway to Marriott Cypress Harbour for my husband and I. We are leaving the kids at home. My husband doesn't want to set foot near any theme parks.
The property grounds look beautiful and I plan on relaxing at the pool most of the trip.

What are your recommendations for restaurants and activities that aren't Disney/Universal, etc?
 

holdaer

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Thank you for posting this question. My wife and I will be in Orlando in November looking to do the same thing. I'm very interested in adult activities.

For example, I'm thinking for us to go to the ICEBAR for happy hour. I seems like a fun touristy thing to do.

Is this a good idea or not?
 

vacationhopeful

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I went to college about 1 hour NORTH of Orlando ... before WDW opened. If you totally want to avoid "Mouse World", you are going to have to be travelling to "old stuff" of before 1971.

Space .... as in the Cape Canaveral. I believe they might have a museum of stuff (East Coast)

Race Cars ,.. as in Daytona Beach International Speedway (north of "the Cape", east of Orlando) ... a bit over an hour away. Wide beaches to drive your car on ... Daytona Beach is wide and hardpacked ... just watch the tide comng in. Check rental agreement before hand .. might NOT be included in your rental car insurance.

Oldest college in Florida - Stetson University 1883 (just a beautiful campus with a separate bell tower, a full pipe organ over a century old played by the music students weekdays; some Victorian buildings (Elizabeth Hall as example). It is NOT an collection of OLD STUFF ONLY ... they have added "new" buildings, renovated some of the older buildings; expanded the courses; expanded the majors offered; student population by 50%. Football was only added less than 10 years ago ... it had been dropped around 1948.

Go find the manatees ... they are fresh water critters. Also called sea cows by a few. St John's River is a habit I recall.

Cassadega ... a spiritual reading of your future. 100+ year old 'camp' with enough Spanish moss, old oaks and 'strangeness'.

Both of the above paragraphs are in the Blue Springs area ....

Have Fun!
 
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moonstone

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We enjoy walking around old (original) Kissimmee and the new park along the water (near the American Legion). Downtown Celebration in Kissimmee (US192 & I-4 area) is also nice to walk around and there are a few bars and café's there. We usually find Orlando is full of tourists and crowds so we tend to go out of town to explore. About an hour south at lake Wales is the BOK Tower ( https://boktowergardens.org/ ) -also a nice place to walk around or sit and listen to the carillon bells that are played daily. We have also taken the Everglades airboat tours, they are so much less stressful when we don't need to watch the kids and make sure they keep their hands/arms in the boat!


~Diane
 

Talent312

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Panina

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Marriott’s Cypress is very nice, one of my favorites. You can indulge on site for some spa treatments.
 

Lisa P

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We took an evening bioluminescence tour with A Day Away Kayak Tours at the Merritt Island Preserve in Titusville, about an hour's drive from Marriott Cypress Harbour. Several companies offer daytime kayaking tours there and at Blue Springs State Park, also about an hour's drive. Many manatees winter over in the Blue Springs. They may be viewed when walking the state park's nature trail if you don't want to kayak at this shady state park.

The ICON Orlando giant ferris wheel (formerly the Orlando Eye) on International Drive might be fun. We recently rode a similar wheel in National Harbor, MD, and had great nighttime views of the area lit up. Time your ride well in Orlando and you may see distant fireworks from the various parks. Look for discounts.

If you like thrills, consider an indoor wind tunnel "sky diving" experience or an airboat ride through swamps in the Orlando area to see wildlife. Several companies offer airboat tours in the area.

If you're looking for a splurge, there are early morning hot air balloon rides in the Orlando area too.

Even if you don't want to enter any theme parks, their shopping districts can be fun to visit, sometimes having outdoor live entertainment in the evenings.
At Disney Springs, parking and riding the water taxis are free. Cirque Du Soleil show is pricey but many people really like it.
At Universal CityWalk, parking is free after 6 pm as long as there is not a special event that evening, such as Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. Blue Man Group also offers a unique, if pricey show.

You may enjoy visiting the pretty downtown area of Celebration, with its many restaurants and shops. It has an upscale, relaxed, adult feel. Less flashy than the theme park shopping districts.
 

jlp879

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Even if you don't want to enter any theme parks, their shopping districts can be fun to visit, sometimes having outdoor live entertainment in the evenings.
At Disney Springs, parking and riding the water taxis are free. Cirque Du Soleil show is pricey but many people really like it.

The Cirque du Soleil theatre in Disney Springs is currently dark. The last show was Dec. 31/17. I believe they are remodeling the theatre for a new show that will begin in the unknown future.

This is a theme park experience, but it looks sufficiently indulgent enough to fit into your description for a relaxing, adults only trip.

https://discoverycove.com/orlando/experiences/
 

holdaer

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Good suggestion. We purchased our tickets for Discovery Cove last week for Friday, Nov 16th. This is a very popular attraction and they limit the number of people that can access the park. Glad we purchased 2 months in advance because it's already sold out.
 

rickandcindy23

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We loved Holyland Experience and have gone several times. It's not expensive, and the shows are incredibly good. My stepdad thought it would be kind of corny, and he loved it too. The theater is incredible.

Our favorite restaurant is going to be a yawner for most people--Smokey Bones. We eat there at least twice a trip. I have never had better baked potatoes. I have no idea how they make ordinary potatoes taste so smokey good. And the broccoli is great, too. We love the pulled pork or ribs. Great place for lunch or dinner, and it's not expensive. It's a chain restaurant. We ate at one while in Boston in one of the suburbs this past April, so I got my fix for a while. But in two weeks, we will be in Orlando, and I guarantee that Monday the 8th, we will be sitting in that place, eating our delicious meal.

Fish Bones is good. It's close to the Marriott.

We go to movies at an AMC theater north of Orlando in a mall, AMC West Oaks 14 in Ocoee, and because it's not near Disney, movies are $4.25. We love to go there. It's about 8 miles away. I love Ocoee. It's a pretty little town.

I am a boring person, apparently. I love Carrabba's too, and there are a few of those around.

There is a Twistee Treat on hwy 535, right in front of Winn Dixie. Love the chocolate/vanilla twist cone. Get a large one. They are so good. I wish I had one right now.
 

needvaca

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Thanks all! Great suggestions
 

capjak

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For Food:

Rocco's Taco's, Season's 52, Thai Thani (near cypress harbor), Winter Park area has several with outside seating we like the bosphorus, The Wine Room in Winter Park is cool.

Now in regards to Disney. Epcot Food and Wine celebration is not for kids and you may check that out we go as adults only every year and some years splurge for "Party for the Senses" extra it is over the top with 25 different chefs making speciality foods with three wines to taste (all you care to eat for 3 hours) but very pricey.....
 

bankr63

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If you enjoy nature, there are a few outfitters in the area that offer air boat tours of the everglades or other wetlands. You can also rent jet skis for your own tour.

If you do Blue Springs, we highly recommend the tour on the St Johns river as well. It leaves from the dock in the park and runs about 90 minutes IIRC. Sooo much wildlife to see and sooo many gators.
 

breezez

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I like doing those escape rooms. Just look at group on for promo codes.

They have several dinner theaters which can be fun.
 

moonstone

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Our favorite restaurant is going to be a yawner for most people--Smokey Bones. We eat there at least twice a trip. I have never had better baked potatoes. I have no idea how they make ordinary potatoes taste so smokey good. And the broccoli is great, too. We love the pulled pork or ribs. Great place for lunch or dinner, and it's not expensive. It's a chain restaurant. We ate at one while in Boston in one of the suburbs this past April, so I got my fix for a while. But in two weeks, we will be in Orlando, and I guarantee that Monday the 8th, we will be sitting in that place, eating our delicious meal.

I love Smokey Bones too and we have now hooked our oldest DS & DiL on the place. DH really prefers Sonny's BBQ and since there isn't a Smokey Bones in the St Augustine / Daytona area (yet) we go to Sonny's. My mouth is watering already and we wont be down there until the end of Oct.


~Diane
 

joestein

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For Food:

Rocco's Taco's, Season's 52, Thai Thani (near cypress harbor), Winter Park area has several with outside seating we like the bosphorus, The Wine Room in Winter Park is cool.

Now in regards to Disney. Epcot Food and Wine celebration is not for kids and you may check that out we go as adults only every year and some years splurge for "Party for the Senses" extra it is over the top with 25 different chefs making speciality foods with three wines to taste (all you care to eat for 3 hours) but very pricey.....

Rocco's Tacos is not bad. I have eaten in the original in Fort Lauderdale.

I would recommend Cubra Libre (in the same place as the ice bar)- probably the best meal we had in Orlando.

Not expensive, but we also like Chuy's. We dont have that chain near us. Get there before 7pm and it is happy hour. Free nachos and cheap margaritas. The stacked enchiladas were REALLY good.

I would stay away from anything in Downtown Disney.

Joe
 
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