Best Things to Do in Orlando

The world’s family vacation capital actually sits just south of Orlando proper, sprawling out over 42 square miles. In addition to the Disneyland clone Magic Kingdom, it’s also home to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. You’ll also find Disneyland’s two water parks at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon; an entertainment area at Disney Springs; and camping at Fort Wilderness.

Though it lacks the history of the Hollywood original, Universal Studios Florida is home to the Hogwarts Express and an entire Harry Potter Hogwarts experience, as well as a brought-to-life Simpsons Springfield and Shrek 4D. The park also throws some of the city’s best seasonal celebrations, with a family-friendly Mardi Gras and Halloween Horror Nights.

For thrill seekers and roller coaster addicts, few places in America can rival Islands of Adventure. Its newest ride is the Jurassic Park VelociCoaster, a high-speed trip through dangerous dinos. But you can’t show up and not feel the deafening power of The Hulk, take a dip on Dudley Do-Right’s log ride or visit King Kong’s Skull Island.

The only Orlando waterpark viewable from the Interstate, Volcano Bay’s iconic mountain has become an unmistakable part of the theme park skyline. The artificial peak houses the tallest body plunge slide in the country, where you’ll drop down a 70-degree angle over people swimming in the wave pool below. It’s also got scores of other slides, including two more than drop you over 120 feet.

This neighborhood at the cross section of Highway 50 and Mills Avenue has become an international enclave, and as such is the best place to go to find food from all over the planet. You’ll discover immigrants from Southeast Asia, Puerto Rico and Mexico opening up shop all over the area, with restaurants like Hawkers Asian Street Food and Nha Trang Subs headlining a global smorgasbord of options.

Once a drab collection of payday loan joints and tattoo shops bordering a military base, Audubon Park has taken those old strip malls and filled them with independent, unusual businesses. Peek inside the nondescript shopping centers and you’ll find spots like Stardust Video and Coffee —  an old video store converted into a cocktail lounge and coffee house. And Redlight Redlight brewery, the neighborhood’s funkiest watering hole.

Technically, posh Winter Park is a separate city, effectively beginning where Audubon Park ends. But it’s also one of the best areas for food in all of Florida, boasting stalwart spots like The Ravenous Pig and 4 Rivers Smokehouse. The town is ripe with Mediterranean architecture, most notably on the campus of Rollins College. You can also get some exercise running or kayaking the city’s chain of six lakes.

Once a generic collection of low-slung skyscrapers, downtown Orlando has turned into a legitimate destination for things other than basketball games and bars along Church Street. The bustling city center is home to the MLS’ Orlando City Soccer Club, as well as a performing arts center and top restaurants like Ember and Kres Chophouse. There’s also Lake Eola, a calming place to walk that feels worlds away from a big city.

Orlando’s state-of-the-art performing arts center opened in 2014, and instantly put the city on America’s cultural map. It’s home to Orlando Ballet, Central Florida’s hometown ballet company, and also hosts big-name touring Broadway shows and smaller regional concerts.

The Orlando Museum of Art may be the city’s most under-appreciated cultural attraction. The institution dates back nearly 100 years to 1924, and serves as much as an education in Central Florida history as it does a showcase for local artists. It’s a manageable space, too, with only about a dozen exhibits at any given time. So if it’s brutally hot out and you want a nice place to enjoy AC that’s not a shopping mall, take a morning and check out OMA.

You don’t need to know anything about soccer to appreciate an Orlando City Soccer Club match. The local MLS franchise has some of the most fanatical fans in the sport, and the almost-always sold-out Exploria Stadium is a nonstop parade of cheers, singing and energy that never disappoints. Tickets can be hard to come by in this 25,500-seat stadium, so book well ahead of time.

Though Hawkers has now expanded to much of Florida and up the Atlantic coast, the pagoda-shaped Mills 50 original is a beautiful showcase of Orlando’s diversity. The restaurant was started by four friends from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Vietnam, who have created a menu of street food staples from their respective cultures. The Korean Twice Fried Wings and Roti Canai will make it a must-visit every time.

One of the best pizzerias in Florida is tucked away in this unassuming residential neighborhood, where 48-hour-proofed dough and addictive garlic rolls combine for memorable meals. While the standard pies are always standouts, opt for the Crimson Ghost with sopressata, basil and Mike’s Hot Honey.

Part farmers market, part artisanal collective, the East End Market is also Orlando’s best place to stop for eclectic food. It’s set up as a community hub, a dozen merchants (as well as an option for vendors to apply to be a pop-up), a small business incubator kitchen and a large events space, which gives it a unique vibe. You’ll find Winter Park Biscuit Company, a fast-casual restaurant serving vegan diner food; Dochi Japanese mochi donuts; Domu, a ramen spot; La Femme du Fromage, selling artisanal cheeses and more. But the star of the show is Gideon’s Bakehouse, a cookie shop with creations that will change the way you judge cookies forever.

New American gastropub food can sometimes skew a little nondescript. Not the case at this spot from James Beard-nominated chefs James and Julie Petrakis. They are effectively Orlando culinary royalty, and any trip to the city necessitates a stop here. Try the pastrami brisket with IPA mustard or goat cheese tortellini with black truffle, and you’ll understand why people say these two have shaped how people eat in Orlando.

What fun is a craft cocktail bar without a historic building and a secret password? This kinda-secret cocktail lounge sits on the third floor of the Hanson Building, the odd Orlando structure that dates back to the 1880s. You’ll need to find the daily password on the bar’s Twitter page, then head upstairs and enjoy expertly mixed drinks in a setting some say is the oldest in Orlando.

Orlando is the only major landlocked city in Florida, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still boast a tropical tiki bar that’s not part of a theme park. This downtown bar sits just off the shore of Lake Eola, a tribute to a mob-era Vegas bar of the same name. The must-try cocktail is the Tiger F**ker, an obscene concoction of blackberry and jalapeno that has become a local legend.

For retro, hipster drinking, nowhere in Central Florida does it better than Stardust. Whether you’re looking for old movies on TV, mismatched, vintage furniture or snarky sayings on the walls, Stardust offers it all alongside a pretty solid menu of cocktails and a fantastic selection of craft beers. It’s also worth visiting during caffeine hours too, as during the day it doubles as a mobile-office coffee shop.

Orlando’s beer scene isn’t as massive as you find in Miami or Tampa, but if you want some local suds hit up Ten10 in Mills 50. The welcoming tap room pours a small collection of ales and dark beers, most notably the Urban Trail Pale Ale and Subtropic Saint Kolsch. The wings here are also among Orlando’s best; the ghost pepper wings could be a food challenge unto themselves.

Yes, HOB is a chain, and yes, it’s inside the Disnefied Disney Springs. But for gospel brunches and great bands that might not have arena-sized followings, there’s no better venue in Central Florida. Check out their calendar to see who’s in town; oftentimes you’ll find A-list artists playing intimate shows too.

You won’t find many chart-topping bands playing small shows at The Social, but this downtown venue is an ideal spot to catch local indie bands and international acts. Capacity caps out at 400 people, and most nights the place is sold out. So if you wanna check it out, plan ahead.

Along over-the-top International Drive, one wouldn’t expect to find a place for local musicians to do their thing right under the Orlando Wheel. But that’s exactly the scene at Tin Roof, where up-and-coming regional artists can play almost any night of the week. They’re accompanied by a better-than-average bar menu full of tacos, tenders and dozens of cold beers.

The art-filled Grand Bohemian is, without competition, the coolest hotel in downtown Orlando. It’s a space where sculptures fill the lobby, dark, Asian décor fills the restaurant, and each room is a quizzical collection of offbeat quirkiness. The Grand Bohemian is still long on luxury, though, offering a full-service spa and a heated rooftop pool deck, complete with chandeliers. Its downtown address means you’ll often be sharing the elevator with visiting NBA teams and acts performing at the Dr. Phillips Center. 

Spanish import AC’s Orlando outpost is a glass tower marvel that brings some European elegance to downtown. The outdoor rooftop bar might not technically be on the roof, but its location high above the city still provides one of Orlando’s top rooftop cocktail views. The rooms are the same sleek, modern design you find in ACs around the world. And for a boutique feel in a city of chains, it does the job nicely.