DEL.ICIO.USAJC TRAVEL NEWS
Orlando: Five fun, grown-up things to do after the sun sets
For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, March 15, 2009
WonderWorks
Kids are enchanted with WonderWorks, the family-oriented, hands-on “museum for the mind,” but after 9 p.m., it’s mostly adults who come out to play. They blow bubbles, lie on a bed of nails, tap out tunes with their toes on a giant piano keyboard, experience hurricane-force winds and the rumble of a 5.3 earthquake, take the controls of a virtual jet, step aboard a simulated roller-coaster and tax their minds with trivia quizzes on the space program or TV theme songs.
Arabian Nights
A horse and rider perform Doma Vacquera, Spanish-style riding, during the show at Arabian Nights in Orlando.
Arabian Nights
At Arabian Nights, guests enjoy a three-course dinner and a show that stars 60 equine performers in a fairytale story. This is the opening processional for Princess Scheherazade.
WonderWorks
WonderWorks, a ‘museum for the mind’ in Orlando, is housed in a building that looks like it landed upside down. Inside, you’ll find a playground for kids and adults with 100 exhibits that challenge your mind and reflexes.
GARY BOGDON / AJC Special
Rix Lounge at Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort provides a huge playlist for dancing, tapas-style dining and specialty drinks. The decor is inspired by a combination of Spanish and Mediterranean design influences.
WonderWorks
At WonderWorks, you can step into the ‘WonderWall’ exhibit and make a detailed impression.
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The fun starts when you approach the museum. The building looks as if it’s landed upside down after a tornado, and visitors enter through a vertigo-inducing walkway. Opt for the 90-minute Outta Control Dinner Show, a magic and comedy show including pizza and unlimited beer. Shows start at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. 9067 International Drive, in the Pointe Orlando Entertainment Complex. 9 a.m.-midnight daily; $19.95 plus tax adults, $14.95 children ages 4-12 and seniors ages 55 and older. “Magic Combo” including the dinner show is $39.95 plus taxes for adults, $28.95 for children and seniors. 407-351-8800;
Rising Star
Who cares if you’re too old for “American Idol” tryouts? It’s never too late to dream of forming your own band – at least for the night. Rising Star, a bar at Universal CityWalk, offers karaoke with a twist: A live band and backup singers. Even the most tin-eared crooner sounds like a pro. Afterward, stop in at The Red Coconut Club at CityWalk for plush surroundings and an ultra-lounge experience, including signature martinis. Or visit Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and listen to a live band while munching on conch fritters dipped in Cajun remoulade. Rising Star, Universal CityWalk, 6000 Universal Blvd. Nightly 8 p.m.-2 a.m.; live band Tuesdays-Saturdays; cover charge $7. 407-363-8000; www.universalorlando.com/citywalk.html
Arabian Nights
The stars of this dinner theater production are the 60 stunning horses that perform complicated maneuvers to a fairytale love story of a princess and prince. Forty performers and acrobats put the horses through their paces, from Dressage to Doma Vacquera, Spanish-style riding that uses a 13-foot pole that the rider balances on his shoulder with one end on the ground as the horse executes pirouettes, pivots and turns. The show includes a three-course dinner with beer and wine. Opt for VIP seating and the 8:30 p.m. show and you’ll sit on the first three rows of the 56,000-square-foot arena, where kids are scarce. Arabian Nights Blvd., Kissimmee. General admission $56.60 adults, $31 for children 3-11. VIP seating is $72.60 adults, $31 for kids. Order tickets on the Web site, and get a free VIP upgrade. Show times vary. 1-800-553-6116; www.arabian-nights.com
Church Street Station
Who’d guess that on Tuesday nights, Hamburger Mary’s at Church Street Station would be packed with gays and straights … playing Bingo? But this game is Hambingo, popularly called Drag Queen Bingo, and is part of a cabaret comedy act starring Carol Lee and Miss Sammy, two gorgeous female-lookalikes. They sing, they joke and they call Bingo – winners get gift certificates to the restaurant or T-shirts. But people come for the act and the food (gourmet burgers, sandwiches and wraps, soups and salads, and comfort-food platters such as meatloaf or lasagna). In the same block of the downtown entertainment district is Cheyenne Saloon & Opera House, a recreated Western saloon with five bars, a stage and dance floor, a charity poker room and a barbecue restaurant. It has live entertainment many nights or a DJ spinning Top 40 tunes. Hamburger Mary’s, 110 W. Church St., Orlando. 321-319-0600, www.hamburgermarys-orlando.com. Cheyenne Saloon & Opera, 128 W. Church St. 407-839-3000;
www.cheyennesaloonandoperahouse.com
Rix Lounge
Disney World has worked its magic at Rix Lounge, a bar with a sophisticated feel and a dance floor large enough to move around for a waltz or foxtrot. A disc jockey with an extensive song list plays everything from Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett to hip-hop or disco, depending on the crowd and requests. The bar’s Mediterranean and Spanish design is a little reminiscent of another Rick’s, the fictional one in “Casablanca.” Sip a specialty martini such as Strawberry Banana-Split, nibble on small plates (salmon tartar, cheese and fruit, citrus infused chicken skewers), and dance your cares away. In the Coronado Springs Resort, 1000 W. Buena Vista Drive, Orlando; open 5 p.m.-2 a.m. 407-939-3806; www.rixlounge.com
Miller Allen is a former travel editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; e-mail her at amandamillerallen@hotmail.com.
