Sun-drenched in Orlando

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/07/2023 (1176 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Disney World is likely the first thing to come to mind when you think of Orlando.

That’s fair — it really is the happiest place on earth.

But as much as I love Mickey and Minnie, I was curious to discover what Orlando has to offer outside of riding Space Mountain and chasing down characters to fill up an autograph book.

More specifically, I wanted to see if Florida’s fourth biggest city makes for a good trip for adult travellers — especially considering that Swoop offers very affordable direct flights to the area.

After spending a recent weekend in O-Town with my good friend Shane Dyck, the answer is a resounding yes.

FOOD

Orlando’s food scene is wildly underrated.

The MICHELIN Guide has recognized 46 restaurants in the city, which includes four venues with stars, 11 Bib Gourmands and 31 Recommended destinations.

Bib Gourmand recipients are places that serve high-quality dishes at affordable prices. That’s the category we mainly focused on, and our first stop was Z Asian Vietnamese Kitchen in the Mills 50 District.

Owner/chef Huong Nguyen does it right as it was the best Vietnamese food I’ve had since I visited Vietnam in 2018. We tried a wide range of dishes — pan-fried rice flour, happy fried Vietnamese pancake, pok choy in garlic sauce, spicy beef and lemongrass soup, crispy quails, and Z Asian wings in thai chili sauce — and each plate blew us away. The drinks were also top-notch, especially the Mangonada, as Huong takes pride in using fresh fruit juices and not artificial syrups.

Huong grew up learning the tricks of the trade at her family’s pho restaurant in Boston before being trained by chefs who specialize in Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisines.

With years of experience under her belt, Huong opened Z Asian with her husband Hien Q. Pham right before the pandemic. It was a battle at first, but word began to spread and they not only survived, but thrived. They were recently one of three restaurants invited to cook at a recent Michelin Inauguration event in Miami.

For beer lovers, and those looking for more casual American food, the Ravenous Pig in Winter Park is the Bib Gourmand for you. If you’re looking for a fancier sit-down meal, but still at a fair price, head to BACÁN inside the Lake Nona Wave Hotel as it’s a strong option from the Recommended list.

 

GOLF

Orlando boasts approximately 200 golf courses, making it an ideal winter getaway for anyone from Winnipeg that likes to yell ‘Fore!’

We checked out Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course — the longest and most challenging out of all the Disney resort courses. It was a PGA Tour stop for 42 years until 2012.

The fairways are wide, but if you got a slice like me, bring extra balls as 11 of the 18 holes have water hazards. You’ll also want to stay away from the famous Mickey Mouse sand trap on hole No. 6.

If you’re lucky, or unlucky depending on how you look at it, you might even see an alligator or two in one of the ponds as the course is certified by Audubon International as a Cooperative Wildlife Sanctuary.

Magnolia recently went through a major refurbishment and is still putting the final touches on four of the holes (there’s currently discounted green fees as only 14 are ready and playable at the moment).

If you want to knock off some rust the night before your round and have a blast while doing so, hit up Topgolf Orlando. Let the balls fly from a climate-controlled hitting bay into an open field with giant targets. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Topgolf offers a wide variety of games that can be enjoyed by any skill level. They have great food and drinks, too.

 

ATTRACTIONS

You can’t go to Orlando and not spend at least one day at a theme park.

As a rollercoaster lover, I decided on Universal Studios as I was itching to ride the Jurassic World VelociCoaster which opened in 2021.

If you thought the Incredible Hulk Coaster was fast, it’s got nothing on this dino-themed adventure. On the VelociCoaster’s 4,700 feet of track, you reach 70 mph in 2.4 seconds to take you 155 feet into the air. But what comes up must come down as you’re then headed for an 80-degree drop that will have you screaming louder than ever.

I’ve done my fair share of rides over the years but this one was by far the most thrilling I’ve ever experienced.

If you decide to go, upgrade to the Express Pass. It saves you a ton of time on almost every attraction and is worth every penny. More importantly, it was a total game changer for Shane who’s a walking quadriplegic after surviving a motorcycle accident a decade ago (he’s my hero, seriously). It’s a miracle that he can even walk, but long distances can be a challenge at times, so having this pass made the day a breeze for him. Not only that, the staff at Universal was extremely accommodating in making sure all the experiences were accessible for him. Shane and I can’t say enough good things about the team at Universal.

If holding on for dear life on a rollercoaster isn’t your thing, the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour is a must. It’s a guided one-hour ride on Lake Osceola — which is less than 10 minutes from downtown Orlando — where you get to learn about the area and look at all the private, and incredibly impressive, homes that line the shores. Our tour guide had an answer for every question about the area and pointed out where Mr. Rogers, four-time NBA champion Horace Grant, and Tom Hanks all used to live.

 

ACCOMODATIONS

You’ll want to call The Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando – Disney Springs Area home for your trip. You start each day with a complimentary breakfast buffet — and I mean a real buffet — and then at 5:30 p.m., they offer a kickback at no additional charge which features a rotating menu of dinnertime snacks and drinks. The rooms were big, clean, modern, and came with a balcony where you can see the Disney World fireworks at night. If you need a relaxing day to recharge, they also have a massive pool with no shortage of loungers. Whether it’s an adult-only retreat or one with family, go with Drury.

 

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31