Hidden Gems outside WDW

[choirchic]

My husband and I are headed to Orlando in September...anyone have any suggestions for two adults of the "rounder" persuasion outside of the usual WDW and Universal stuff?

Much thanks!

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

There's a piano bar on I-Drive near the Convention Center called Howl at the Moon. It's a chain, so you may be familiar with it. Kind of like Jellyrolls, but more R rated. Even if you are not a drinker, it's a lot of fun and there is no average age of the crowd. During "convention season" it's especially packed with 30, 40, and 50 somethings (not sure how old you are personally). Arrive early for a table, though.

 

[troobabiee7]

We were in Orlando for a month back in 2005 and we spent a lot of time doing things outside of the main resorts and there's a lot of great stuff! One of our favorite attractions was the Titanic Exhibition. It was in the Mercado which I think has been torn down since then but the attraction may still be up. It was a walk-through of a replica of the Titanic complete with a full museum and costumed tour guides. I've always been fascinated by the Titanic so it was a really fun thing to do. Definitely check it out to see if it's still open. There's also Ripley's which was fun but if you've seen one, you've really seen them all. We also liked walking around the different shopping complexes - the Mercado (again, I'm not sure if it's open), Pointe Orlando, the Florida Mall and my parents like Old Town even though I'm not the biggest fan. There's also tons and tons of really great flea markets in the area that are air-contioned and offer great deals on everything imaginable, including Disney and Universal souvenirs.

 

[choirchic]

The titanic exhibition sounds interesting. I've never heard of
Old Town? What exactly is that and would 30somethings enjoy it?

 

[troobabiee7]

The titanic exhibition sounds interesting. I've never heard of
Old Town? What exactly is that and would 30somethings enjoy it?

Old Town is a little village type of area with shopping, restaurants, midway games and a few small rides. My parents are in their early 40's and they always like walking around and taking in the sites. My brother and I are in our twenties and aren't big fans. The stores have some interesting, unique and cheap finds but there's not much else. It's gotten slightly run down in the past few years but its not too bad. You can find more information at http://www.old-town.com/

There's also Celebration which is Disney's ow town. People live there and there are more cute restaurants and shops. Oh and I looked up the Titanic Experience and they've moved it to the Orlando Science Center

 

[choirchic]

Great Info! Thanks for the tips!