Things to do in Central Florida
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Sweet Tomatoes
Travelers have been known to make pilgrimages here for the most incredible salad-/pasta-/soup-/bread-/dessert-bar buffet ever. Only the freshest ingredients are used for superb selections such as nutty mushroom pasta, tomato chipotle bisque and pesto orzo salad with pinenuts; excellent for vegetarians.
reviewed
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B
Satchel’s Pizza
Two miles east of downtown, this wacky place has the best pizza on Florida’s east coast (and a darn good salad, to boot). Here, you can sit surrounded by funky outsider art and savor steaming build-your-own gourmet pies served on mismatched crockery. Grab a seat at a mosaic courtyard table or in the back of a gutted 1965 Ford Falcon. Most nights there’s live music in the Back 40 Bar; there’s bocce ball and a head-scratchingly eccentric junk museum featuring various bizarro collections. Satchel’s doesn’t take credit cards; the fees from the on-site ATM go to charity. Skip Satchel’s and you miss Gainesville’s soul.
reviewed
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C
Cafe Tu Tu Tango
An explosion of color and artwork cram the adobe walls of this fun Spanish eatery. Food is served 'tapas-style' (small portions), and dining is often interrupted by spontaneous performances of salsa dancing or magic shows. Chicken Cajun eggrolls and oriental steak skewers are the favorites - and don't forget a huge pitcher of luscious sangria.
reviewed
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Arabian Nights
Combine dinner with a show and you usually end up with some lesser version of both; however, a lot of people find the combination fun enough that they don't mind. (Hint: you probably already have a pretty good idea if you're a dinner show type of person or not.) Good choices include the equestrian delight Arabian Nights.
reviewed
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Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theater
Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theater has three theaters, a full-service bar and spacious outdoor patio. Dinner party guests suss each other out at the table before finishing off the meal (and a guest), then put their best 'clue' efforts to work. There are 12 different shows, each about 2½ hours long.
reviewed
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Johnson’s Diner
Nobody does soul food better than this Orlando institution. Their calorie-busting meat-loaf sandwiches and homemade sweet-potato pie will have you loosening that belt quicker than you can say, ‘More collard greens, please.’
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Rain Forest Cafe
At the entrance to Animal Kingdom, Rain Forest Cafe is almost another park ride. Waterfalls, volcanoes, gorillas - all it needs is a tram. Although you can dine fine, there are plenty of options under US$15, even at dinner.
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Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
At Disney-MGM Studios, nostalgia rules at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater where you dine in Cadillacs while watching B-movies (and traffic is bumper to bumper).
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Passage to India Restaurant
Heaven-sent for vegetarians needing a break from the salad bars. It’s a little pricey, but worth it. Try the bhaigan bharta (baked eggplant).
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Sushi Hatsu
A Korean-Japanese place that serves excellent kimchee and sushi, and gets several thumbs-up.
reviewed
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Disney's 7-Day Magic Your Way Ticket
by Viator
With a 7-Day Magic Your Way Ticket, you can do Walt Disney World® your way! The Walt Disney World vacation experience is more affordable, flexible and magical …Not LP reviewed
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Universal Orlando Tickets
Flexible (Departs Orlando, Florida)
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With two amazing theme parks - Universal Studios® and Universal's Islands of Adventure® - the non-stop nightlife of Universal CityWalk®, and three AAA Four Dia…Not LP reviewed
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Gatorland
With its goofy, gaping alligator jaws as the main entrance, Gatorland is the kind of attraction you'd imagine would be on Clark Griswold's National Lampoon's Vacation itinerary. But that's exactly what makes this mom-and-pop type attraction great! You won't find any fancy roller coasters or drenching log flumes here. Just gators as far as the eye can see - and plenty of 'em.
A warning though: this place probably isn't PETA-approved (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), especially the stunts during the Gator Wrestling' Show, but all ends well with a sleeping gator waking up with a tickle.
Ethical issues aside, Gatorland is just plain fun. The Jumparoo Show has 10ft…
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John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center
The John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center is a sprawling combination of buildings dedicated to preserving and performing the works of the old bard. Appropriately, the center is home to the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival (Sep-May), which is actually a performing group rather than an annual event, and has performances here and at the Lake Eola amphitheater.
Among the center's more notable features, the Darden Courtyard is a leafy yet minimalist spot in which to wander before heading inside for a show. But you'll have to pass through the lobby and the frighteningly large, life-size portrait of Queen Elizabeth - we swear her eyes followed us. There are two theaters: the 1…
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Lake Eola
A gathering point for the downtown community, complete with a waterfront amphitheater, cafés and restaurants, a children's playground and colorful flowers and trees, Lake Eola provides a pretty, shaded backdrop on a hot day. The lake is built on an 80ft sinkhole and, since its birth in 1888, has seen its grounds transformed from a zoo to a horse-race track to its current status as a slice of green in downtown.
A flat, paved sidewalk, about 1-mile long, circles the water and is usually populated by lunchtime walkers, joggers, families and cyclists. Two of the most popular attractions of the lake are the swan paddleboats and gondola cruises. The lake is a popular festival …
reviewed
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Ripley’s Believe It or Not
The 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago introduced Ripley’s collection of ‘oddities and unusual people’ to the public. While it may today offend 21st-century politically correct sensibilities, this museum embraces Ripley’s vision with no holds barred. A short documentary film chronicles his search for the ‘strange, exotic and incredible’, and TVs throughout the museum screen footage of classic Ripley, including exotic food customs, the man with the ‘strongest eyes in the world’ and a snake slithering through a guy’s nose and out his mouth. Exhibits range from the life-sized Rolls Royce made entirely from matchsticks to a shrunken skull to a model of the 1,069lb man who, …
reviewed
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SeaWorld® Orlando Ticket
1 day (Departs Orlando, Florida)
by Viator
Spend the day at SeaWorld® Orlando, and come face-to-face with the ocean's most fascinating marine animals. With over 30 attractions, show and rides, this famil…Not LP reviewed
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Cycling
Orlando's lack of rental shops means serious cyclists should consider bringing their own bikes. The City of Orlando has pocket bike maps of the city's most popular neighborhoods available for downloading from their website. Most theme park resorts run their own biking programs, including rentals and acres of trails. One of the prettiest paths is between Disney's Boardwalk and Beach Club resorts, on a tandem, candy-striped bike. Cyclists can also use select trails in Wekiwa Springs State Park.
The following three trails weave through greater Orlando: Cady Way Trail (Herndon Ave; 08:00-20:00 summer, to 18:00 winter), Little Econ Greenway Trail (2451 N Dean Rd; sunrise-sunse…
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The Epcot Center
An acronym for 'Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow,' The Epcot Center was Disney's vision of a high-tech city. It's divided into two halves: the sort-of-modern Future World, with corporate-sponsored journeys through not-very-cutting-edge technology, and the not-at-all futuristic World Showcase, which gives you an interesting toe-dip into the culture of 11 different countries.
They were originally intended to be two separate parks, which explains a lot. Epcot isn't the kids' paradise the Magic Kingdom is, but there are plenty of activities for the inquisitive tot. The new Soarin' ride is a winner, and Mission: SPACE is good for getting the adrenaline pumping afte…
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Downtown Media Arts Center
Orlando has one of the coolest movie theaters in the Downtown Media Arts Center. Behind its green, gothic facade is one of the gems in downtown, whether you're a cinemaphile or just looking to catch an indie flick that may or may not ever hit the big screen.
Its 1st floor masquerades as an art gallery, showcasing the unusual works of local artists on a rotating basis. But upstairs, the blank canvas of an intimate 80-seat screening room projects a mixture of shorts, documentaries, foreign films and cult movies to its lucky viewers. Don't miss the interactive 'film slams,' where audiences vote for their favorites.
The café on the 1st floor is highly recommended - with live m…
reviewed
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Kennedy Space Center Day Trip with Transport from Orlando
11 hours (Departs Orlando, Florida)
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We have lift-off! Don't miss taking the family to one of Florida's best attractions, the Kennedy Space Center. With your transport organized, you'll take a virt…
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Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral
Flexible (Departs Orlando, Florida)
by Viator
Kennedy Space Center is like an Orlando-style space-travel theme park - only it's real! It's a great day out for the whole family, and only 45 minutes from Orla…
Not LP reviewed
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Orlando Ghost Tour
This 90-minute walking tour features 'true' ghost stories about Orlando's history. On our tour, we did some 'ghostbusting' of our own inside the Orange County Regional History Center. With handheld electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors and temperature gauges, we surveyed the old courtroom on the 2nd floor and captured a few orbs on film next to the table where Ted Bundy had etched his initials.
On the way out, one participant was thumped on the head by an unseen force - he had the red mark on his forehead to prove it! Hopefully, your private tour will be equally fun…and downright spooky. Tours are by appointment only - ask for Michael Gavin.
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Cypress Gardens
This park, perched on the shores of Lake Eloise, opened as a botanical garden in 1936 and soon became world famous for its performance water-ski shows and carnival rides. It closed in 2003, but new owners updated and reopened the park in 2007. Today it is an enchanting mix of rides; bucolic gardens; live performances (including the now classic water-ski shows); animal displays, such as a butterfly house; and weekend concerts, blessedly free of loud music and sensory overload. And the Southern Belles walking around, straight out of Gone With the Wind, are as synonymous with Cypress Gardens as water skiing. Ask about them at the gate.
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Private Airboat Tour with Alligator Encounter and Transport
3 hours 30 minutes (Departs Orlando, Florida)
by Viator
If you are looking for a personalized VIP experience during your visit to the Florida Everglades, this private airboat tour is for you! The tour includes round-…Not LP reviewed
