Exploring Attractions in Orlando

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After dozens of trips to Orlando, this weekend was our first where we didn’t visit any of the parks in Disney or Universal. This was also our first, and last, trip during the peak of summer! Between the sticky 100 degree heat and the massive crowds, we were flooded by memories of family summer vacations past. Regardless of it being peak season, Matt and I had a wonderful time exploring various attractions in Orlando.


Lodging:

Matt booked this trip via Hotels.com. There were plenty of great deals all over Orlando, but he decided on the Hilton by the Convention Center. For two nights after tax we paid $218.00. It should also be noted that parking is an additional $12 or so a day. This Hilton was relatively new and absolutely stunning and HUGE! The colors and décor were fresh and modern. The hotel pool rivaled the Hard Rock Hotel’s pool. It even had a lazy river and water slide!!! Also included in the large outdoor grounds were a putting green, jogging trail and two pools (the main pool and an adult pool.) It was a bit too hot for us this trip, but we will most certainly bring our swimsuits next time around. The lower level of the Hilton also featured a Spa which looked rather enticing. We were on the 16th floor this trip. For whatever reason, the hallways smelled slightly of smoke but our room did not. The bed at the Hilton was absolutely amazing to the point where Matt and I considered asking where we could get a duplicate for home. The room itself was very spacious with refreshing décor and a large TV in front of the bed. The bathroom was also very clean and equipped with Evelyn and Crabtree bath products. My only complaint would be that the hot water in the shower didn’t get hot enough for us. Otherwise, we were incredibly impressed and satisfied by our stay at the Hilton. The hotel staff were also very friendly and helpful. In regards to dining, the Hilton offered several places to eat and drink. There was a convenient marketplace on the main level which offered Starbucks coffee, pastries, sandwiches, ice cream and miscellaneous other items. I believe there was also a bar/grill by the pool which I would be interested in trying out during our next visit to this hotel.


Dining:

TGIFridays - Appropriately so, we kicked off our first meal of the trip at TGIFridays…on Friday. This is one of our favorite chains and we tend to always make a stop at least once while in Orlando. I ordered a Strawberry Mojito Shaker which was very good and I would definitely order again. I also ordered the loaded nachos which I would not order again because they were too covered in cheese and overall way too greasy for my liking. Matt ordered the artichoke and spinach dip in addition to the chicken and cheese entre. He would order both dishes again for sure. My main question is just how many TGIFridays are there in Orlando?

Tommy Bahamma Restaurant - On Saturday afternoon, Matt and I ate at the Tommy Bahama restaurant located in The Pointe on I-Drive. This wasn’t our first choice but I couldn’t be happier that we ended up here as it was delicious. Parking in the parking garage for The Pointe was $3.00. As we were waiting for our meal, the waiter brought out a loaf of homemade bread and cinnamon/sugar butter which was very tasty. Matt ordered the tortilla soup as an appetizer which he claimed was the best tortilla soup he’s ever had - quite the feat! For dinner, I ordered the special of the day, a spicy grilled chicken and avocado sandwich with a fruit cup on the side. Matt had the BBQ pork sandwich. Both meals were excellent and filling. For drinks, I ordered the Bahamma Mama ($10) and Matt had the Sour in the Rough ($11). My drink was very girly and his looked appropriately masculine. Our total meal came to $61.00 before tip. Although we did not order dessert, I did get a glimpse of the dessert tray. We will definitely come back to eat here next visit…and I will definitely order dessert. 😉 Note: This restaurant will validate valet parking but NOT the cost of the parking garage.

Tony Romas - Although still stuffed from our lunch at the Tommy Bahamma restaurant, Matt and I opted to eat dinner at Tony Romas on I-Drive later that night. Matt had heard good things about this place and we figured we’d give it a try. Our first impression was that the place was absolutely packed. Regardless, we only waited about 15 or so minutes to be seated, not too bad. I’m not sure why, but we ordered the Sampler Platter, a heaping load of fried goodness. More specifically, the sampler platter included fried BBQ chicken, spinach and artichoke dip, chips and salsa and a mini onion loaf. Everything was pretty good, although I’d hate to ever learn of the calorie count. Needless to say, we were beyond stuffed by the time my Mojo Chicken and Matt’s Rib Sampler came out. From what we were able to eat, our meals were just okay. This place was good, but not nearly as tasty as the Tommy Bahamma restaurant and we probably will try somewhere new next visit rather than return here.

Village Inn - Matt and I heavily rely on Trip Advisor reviews when making travel decisions. For breakfast Sunday morning, we learned of the Village Inn which was highly rated and reviewed on Trip Advisor. We were quickly seated and the menu was quite extensive covering breakfast-dinner and lots of pies! Once seated, it did take us awhile to get served. I should also note that it was absolutely freezing in this restaurant!!! Matt ordered a basic breakfast with scrambled eggs, hash browns and 2 berry crepes. I ordered a veggie omelet (egg product) with whole grain pancakes. Matt devoured his crepes which was delicious but hardly touched his eggs or hash browns as they were nothing exceptional. My omelet was alright, a bit runny and I would probably order egg whites next time instead of the egg product. The whole grain pancakes on the other hand were delicious! They even came with the low calorie syrup. For dessert, we tried the apple pie which was good but would have been a lot better had it been served hot. Although not a terrible experience here by any means, I don’t see us returning for breakfast unless we just want crepes and whole grain pancakes.


Attractions/Entertainment:

The Pointe - We had a pretty brief visit here and spent most of our time eating at the Tommy Bahamma Restaurant. Like a lot of shopping attractions throughout the country, it was apparent that the recession had affected this area as well. Many stores were closed down and during the day time this place seemed very much like a ghost town. Interestingly, by night time it was pretty packed and active, probably due to night attractions like BB Kings and Taverna Opa which I believe were both located on the upper level.
Prime Outlets - Every Orlando trip we always find time to stop by these outlets, if only for a few hours. Our main stops are Dior, Burberry, Barneys and the typical stores such as Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, etc. Unfortunately (fortunately for my wallet), I did not really see any good deals for myself other than a pair of leggings from Barneys. Matt on the other hand scored a beautiful button down shirt and black leather wallet from Dior. We did go into Fendi to see if they had anymore of my beloved green wallet that was stolen months ago…they did not. 😞

Ripley’s Believe it or Not - A few years ago, Matt and I visited the Ripley’s in Key West so we had an idea of what to expect. With a coupon from the hotel, we paid $38 admission for the two of us. We spent a little over an hour viewing and reading the various freakish sights. It was a bit disappointing that this Ripley’s was pretty comparable to the one in Key West so a lot of the exhibits were repeats that we’d already seen. For this reason, we will probably retire our Ripley’s visits for a few years. The absolute best part about this Ripley’s Believe it or Not was a room where you could be super imposed into another picture. Matt and I chose a Star Wars theme where he was Hans Solo and I his Princess Leah. Thankfully the man in charge of taking our pictures was very good and somehow caught me in a serious face before I started cracking up. Matt was a true natural and aced his look on the first try. The outcome was a classic picture that will always make us laugh for years to come! It cost us $29.00 for an 8x10 print out and a sheet of low quality wallet prints but it was well worth it in my opinion!

The Titanic Experience - Honestly, this was not our first choice on how to spend our Sunday afternoon. We had several other ideas but did not realize several attractions require reservations. More on that next. The Titanic Experience was an informative attractive that I’m glad we did once. Would we do it again? Probably not. The actresses guiding the tour were excellent and constantly stayed in character. Our main guide was “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” It was pretty interesting to learn more about the history of the Titanic and several true stories of the infamous night that it sank. There were several interactive portions of the tour which helped to keep everyone’s attention. For just the two of us, the cost was worth it to see this attraction once. I wouldn’t suggest this attraction to a large family as it wouldn’t be the best or biggest bang for their buck so to speak.


Attractions and Tips for Future Trips:

Blue Man Group - we very much wanted to see this show one night but completely forgot it was on our list. The shows are at 6PM and 9PM I believe. There are mixed reviews on Trip Advisor.

Wonder Works/Dinner Theater/Laser Tag - Lesson #1, wear closed toe shoes to fully experience the Wonder Works attraction. Lesson #2, Reservations for Dinner Theater go quick!!! Call in advance to save a spot. The total cost per person for Wonder Works/Dinner Theater/Laser Tag would come to about $45.

Indoor Sky Diving - This was something that Matt and I really wanted to do but couldn’t get a hold of the company for whatever reason. We tried calling multiple times but kept getting placed on hold for extended periods of time. Our best bet is to make reservations online in advance next time we visit Orlando.

Although we had a fabulous time, we will probably opt to keep our Orlando trips limited to all seasons other than summer. I’m fairly certain our next trip will also include Discovery Cove as the price per person drops to $199 once Labor Day weekend hits and kids are back in school. Only a few more weeks until our return… 😊

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Comments

[Anastasia78]

Great info!
Thanks for taking the time to write such an informative blog! We're going to Orlando in a couple weeks so your entry was good timing for me!