Lake Eola Park -- A Downtown Orlando Gem with Food, Wine, and Heart…read more On February 23rd, 2019, my wife and I attended the 11th Annual Downtown Food & Wine Fest at Lake Eola Park, and it was the kind of day you want to bottle up and relive. Set in the heart of downtown Orlando, this park blends natural beauty with city energy in the best way. The festival featured over 30 local restaurants and 50 different wines, and while I can't remember every bite, I know there was some mouthwatering BBQ and more than a few samples that made us pause and savor the flavor. We wandered from booth to booth, sampling, sipping, and taking in the perfect February weather -- sunny skies, a light breeze, and that unmistakable buzz of a city coming together to celebrate food and community. Music from Mix 105.1 and 105.9 added to the festive atmosphere, and there were tons of freebies, local vendors, and handcrafted goods to explore. We even snapped a few photos -- the setting was just too pretty to pass up. Swans gliding across the lake, the iconic Walt Disney Amphitheater in the distance, art scattered throughout the park, and the Orlando skyline rising just beyond the trees -- it felt like the city was showing off a little. And honestly? It had every right to. Lake Eola Park is more than just green space -- it's an experience. Whether you're here for a festival or a quiet walk, there's something grounding and special about being in the middle of downtown and still feeling completely at ease. Whether you're a local looking for a relaxing afternoon or a visitor wanting to see Orlando beyond the theme parks, this spot deserves a place on your list. We had a beautiful day, and I can't wait to return -- especially with my son one day.

Good food, i had Kobe on a stick, then Gerald and I shared a Japanese chicken and shrimp noodle…read more and samples and great drinks. Nice friendly crowd. Go

What a cool place to hang out for a not so scary party with reduced crowds and nighttime/cooler…read moretemps just in time for a relief from the hot of the summer sun here at the beginning of fall! We enjoyed this for our 2nd time having come a few years prior! What a great opportunity to get in the shows, treats, parades, fireworks, meals/good eats and great cast experiences! Thanks for a super party experience Mickey!

We've only gotten to experience this event once - and it was so cool to be there for my favorite…read moreholiday, Halloween. It does require a separate ticket and those without it will be shaken out of Magic Kingdom at opening. In several ways it is just another night at the park - same restaurants, rides, shops, etc. The fall decorations are put into place during September so the park is already festive. You'll also find themed food and drinks. Almost every guest will be in costume and there's quite a bit of trick or treating. Our bags got quite full - make sure you bring a large one. The park still feels quite busy and some rides continue to have a long line. I was hoping for shorter ones, but that was wishful thinking. Characters are positioned throughout the park. The holiday typically brings out ones you don't often see. The lines are LONG. I was thankful my guys were not interested in autographs because it would've eaten up a chunk of our time. The night ends with a fun parade. Be mindful of costumes. Florida continues to be warm in these months. Costumes must also be Disney appropriate and anything super scary or gory is frowned upon. (Not worth being denied entry) I'm very happy that we experienced this as a family.

HHN RIP is the only way to go! You get to go to all the houses, scare zones and the show. Everyone…read moreis nice. Your personal tour guide is knowledgeable. The food is AMAZING. They have different food options than during the day. Absolutely love it.

Is there any other way to do Halloween Horror Nights?…read more Honestly we have been going to Halloween Horror Nights for three years now (worth parents ever [smack face emoji])! We typically do the express passes but as many online influencers and YouTuber's explain even with Express you are waiting in really long lines and may not get to every house. The RIP tour on the other hand gets you in and out of the every single house, scare zone, and main show in under fours hours! However your guide makes a difference Harley was ours this year and we now have a group of friends ready for next year to ensure we can request her. Harley was thoughtful of restrooms breaks, alcohol (no alcohol) breaks, and even made sure we ended the night with more of the freebies and RIP Specialty items and spots throughout the park. Harley was knowledgeable, great with small humans, and the back storytelling was exciting and fun! Did I mention the free buffet and unlimited water and soft drink line that ACTUALLY HAD GOOD FOOD! The options were primarily vegetarian with a few meat items available. This was a huge perk especially because the "bloody brains" aka Cauliflower Wings were to "die for". Alright if I didn't get you with the awesome host, backstory on haunted houses, RIP seating in shows, and RIP specialty items the let me convince you with the exclusive Jimmy Fallon rooftop bar at the Jimmy Fallon. That's right that balcony facing the green is for special Events and yes with the right guide you can enjoys a break and take a memorable photo with the Halloween Horror Night Jumbotron playing ads for the different houses. Honestly we will never go back to any other way of Halloween Horror Nights and look forward to next year!

It is magical but also expensive for entry. Thumbs up to Disney for the logistics and crowd…read morecontrol. Friendly and helpful staff. For the adults, there is nothing you have not seen as far as the parade goes. But the new lighting and laser shows really made a difference, and the fireworks made our days. Bring a small backpack with some snacks and water as lines for fast food can be long. Many restaurants require prior reservations. It may be too late for the kiddos as show ends around 10p but they will have a good time. Enjoy ...

Completely disappointed of this year's Mickey's very merry christmas party. Last year the…read moredecorations were everywhere, there was christmas spirit everywhere you went, there were stations of hot cocoa and cookies, free popcorn and sodas Everywhere you went. This year... the popcorn sodas had to be paid, the feeling of christmas just wasn't there. The people that works there look tired and trying to get you out of their way as soon as possible, the decor was... nothing near to the one last year and christmas spirit...? Forget it. They raised the prices and it is fair to say that they gave us a nice tree ornament when you get in, and at the end we got a paper/poster-ish of the party as a gift.. I would have enjoyed better the marshmallows they gave at the end last year. This is a tradition my husband's family has, but after this year everyone felt so disappointed they decided to not do it again.

I made my way over to the Disney & Pixar Short Films at Epcot during my last visit to Epcot for the…read moreRunDisney Springtime Surprise, 2026. This was one of the best breaks we had for most of our trip. The attraction is very straightforward. Once inside the film theater, all you do is pickup your 3D glasses and watch a series of Disney/Pixar short films. Since there isn't simply one film presented. which is what I personally preferred, but rather a series of several shorts shown together, each with their own individual feel, they offer a good variety! The most impressive thing I found with these films was how well they tell a story. It's truly amazing how you can create a memory and enjoy something so much in less than five minutes! The 3D visuals added another layer of enjoyment which made it even easier to become immersed in the film rather than just simply watching on your TV! Another reason why I enjoyed seeing these films is we were able to take a nice break! Sitting in front of an air conditioned movie screen allowed us to take a break from being outside in the heat. Waiting wasn't long for each film, nor did we have to commit a lot of our day to see these shorts! If you've seen some of the other Pixar Shorts, then you may have limited options with this one. However, If you have never seen them or want something mellow, then it is a great choice! I enjoy all of the Pixar shorts and try to watch this each time I visit Epcot!

HEART WARMING FILMS THAT THE ENTIRE FAMILY WILL ENJOY…read more We visited the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival attraction at EPCOT (World Celebration near Figment Journey into Imagination). We really enjoyed the three 3D animated features. The total time for the three films is around 20 minutes. The first BW and color Mickey Mouse film, Get a Horse, is one of the better 3D movies at Disney World with its high def super sharp images. The 4D effects were few including a bumpy seat. The other two animated movies, Feast and Piper, are heart-warming movies that earned applause from our audience that day. I later learned that each film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. The films are shown in a large theatre - the attraction was a walk on (Spring Break weekend - late morning).

Well organized 2 day music fest at the central fairgrounds in Orlando…read more Features 2 large stages with musical acts playing nonstop for 2 days on both stages. Well coordinates so when the performance ends on one stage it starts on another. There is also art, live murals, plenty of food options, local businesses, and much more going on. This year's Saturday headliner was Big Gigantic and he brought the place down. The Sunday headliner is Oliver Tree and I anticipate it will be as good as Saturdays top billed talent.

Having heard of this festival a few years ago we finally were able to make it and were incredibly…read moreexcited. It didn't hurt that it was the weekend of my dear husband's birthday and our passion is to ride our bikes. Off we went to ride hard and ride long. The town is warm and welcoming to all of the cyclists who come out en masse like locusts. The organization of this Festival is amazing. There are various official rides on Saturday and Sunday, including the two hardest and daunting. On Saturday the century ride (yes that's 100 miles of biking in one day) and Sunday the 40 mile "Assault on Sugarloaf" - Sugarloaf being the only mountain in Florida and a wicked climb at that (read: unholy realm of torture). Aside from those two gruelling events there are rides that range from fun rides for families to longer rides for the rest. All rides are clearly marked on the roads, and they all start ON TIME. So don't be late. The description of many of these routes include the words "rolling hills' for this is one of the few areas in Florida that actually has them. By rolling hills they actually mean "little pockets of hell", and I must say even the knowledge of the incredible rush of doing 35 miles per hour uninterrupted downhill can help the brain through them. OK, maybe a little, but I still think they are misleading us with the words "rolling" and "hills" (pain and hell is more like it) - but its a rush once you finish that LAST one and ride in. Yea, I rock. Just call me Superwoman. Vendors are available all three days with toys for us roadies. Some kind of expensive, some have great prices. Also with the vendors there are masseuses available, food for the riders, and all different kinds of support. Refuelling, paramedics, etc. Speaking of support, after hitting a 28 mile ride on Sunday I rolled in with blood all over my right side. I had hit gravel on mile 8 and wiped out completely. Sitting with a glass of Gatorade given to me by the AMAZING volunteers, I was on the phone telling my daughter of the experience. After about a minute no less than 3 people came up to me (volunteers) telling me that the paramedics had been called.. ?!?! HUH? Wow. I was just sitting there, and they were ON top of it. Now that is caring! I wish I had gotten their names, but one lady especially, with grey hair, a retired nurse took care of me and fussed over me like I was her child. Bless her! So awesome. The paramedic rocked too. I now have a nice trio of trophies from the ride, a messed up elbow, knee/shin, and most interesting, a bruise and road rash the size of a melon on my right hip/leg. The only reason the event didn't get 5 stars was because I spoke to a previous volunteer. I wiped out on a right turn (where there were clear markings) and there was a mess of dirt/gravel all in the right lane and part of the left forcing the cyclists to turn into the left lane. The wrong side of the road. I fell trying to ride around it but also trying not to ride on the left hand side. The gentleman was behind me and saw it happen, he told me that when he volunteered in the past , they drove out with the paint to mark the road they also had brooms to clear out things like this. I am sure this was an oversight, but had I been riding faster it could have been worse. All in all though, you aren't a real roadie without a battle scar or two. Now I have mine! Next year: I ATTACK harder! Dare I attack the Sugarloaf??????

I've been wanting to go to this festival for over 6 years and counting, and there was never quite…read morethe right time. So this year we decided to make the commitment and so come October 9th, we hit the road with great enthusiasm. This event totally exceeded our expectations, there is just something really powerful about descending upon a place where hundreds of fellow riders converge. You feel like you belong and the anticipation of long, enjoyable rides is simply overwhelming. So we wake up really early and ride the 2 and half miles from our hotel to the center of town and as any fellow rider can attest, there is a very cool feeling about riding in a place where you have never been before. Everything looks and feels different and you simply have no idea of what lies ahead but can't wait to travel the miles on your own power to find out. We arrive in the middle of town with a few minutes to spare before our 50 mile ride to the Yalaha Bakery out in Yalaha, Florida. The scene of hundreds of cyclists on super cool bikes, we are ready to join them and ride out to some place we've never been before. The rides were simply flawless, clearly marked and easy to follow on beautiful country roads and rolling hills with a couple of challenging hills to tackle, life got better by the mile. The organizers and volunteers are simply the best, great demeanor and always, always, always willing to help and inform. The residents of Lake and Orange County are the most respectful, patient and courteous motorists I have ever encountered. There are over 10 rides that cover distances from 100 miles to just a couple of miles, so everyone can find a ride to match their abilities and desires. This festival is simply a must for any bicycle enthusiast and must be done many many many times over. As for me... I am a fan and will definitely return every year.

Went to the 2nd Thursday Art and Wine Crawl with my friends because we were looking for a…read morenon-touristy activity to stretch out our night. This wine and art was absolutely perfect! Plenty of drinks spread out in a walkable area. Tons of great little shops and restaurants. The vendors and food choices were excellent! We picked up so many cute gifts! Historic Orlando is wonderful! Take a detour from the parks and spend your night drinking and eating like a local! Parking was a struggle, and we broke down and paid $10 for a private parking spot nearby. Well worth the money. Highly recommend!

I love this event . It is so much fun be ready to leave happy but make sure you eat first . The…read moreofferings as far as drinks are great all around, you get wine, margaritas, seltzer etc depending on what the venue is offering. Tip: by your ticket in advance otherwise it will be $15 instead of $10.00