One of the most magical times of the year is almost here! Celebrating 19 years, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining presented by Orlando Health returns this fall from Aug. 16 through Sept. 30 with a record-breaking 152 restaurants, including 25 new restaurants and nine recognized by the MICHELIN Guide.

Throughout the six-week run, restaurants will offer three-course, prix-fixe menus for $40 or $60, continuing the tiered menu system introduced in 2023.

Each year, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining selects nonprofit organizations that impact the Orlando community as charity beneficiaries, with $1 for each $40 meal and $2 for each $60 meal going to the organization. This year’s beneficiary is The Mustard Seed of Central Florida, focused on helping residents and families recover from hardships while minimizing environmental impact.

Visit Orlando will also award a $3,000 donation to one local nonprofit that offers impactful approaches to creating thriving and sustainable communities in each of Orange County’s six commission districts.

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining is the perfect opportunity to dine for a great cause, enjoy a date night or connect with family, friends and colleagues over a delicious meal.

Start browsing menus and booking dinner reservations at the new OrlandoMagicalDining.com website. You can filter by area or even specific neighborhoods, menu tiers, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dietary preferences.

Please spread the word that Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining is back Aug. 16 and share your experiences on social media using the hashtag #MagicalDining.

Bon appétit!

Data & Trends

Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending July 6, 2024, was 71.6% up 4.3% from the same week last year. The average daily rate for the week was $183.06, which was up 3% from last year. Room night demand was also up 5.1% versus the prior year.

Around the Destination

Heart of I-Drive Luncheon: Visit Orlando team members joined community leaders and business professionals at the I-Drive Chamber's "Heart of I-Drive" luncheon to celebrate the multitude of ways our tourism industry gives back to the local community, from volunteering and mentoring youth to financial and in-kind donations. As part of the celebration, ICON Park was honored with the 2024 Harris Rosen Philanthropic Award, given annually to a business that demonstrates exceptional philanthropic work, making our community and the world a better place. Congratulations to Chris Jaskiewicz, Visit Orlando board member and ICON Park President & CEO, and his team for this outstanding accomplishment!

Global Press Trip with Royal Caribbean: Visit Orlando partnered with Royal Caribbean to host 20 international media from Orlando’s top international markets, including the UK, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico, for the debut of Utopia of the Seas—the world's second-largest cruise ship. This collaboration highlights the seamless blend of an Orlando vacation with a cruise from Port Canaveral for the ultimate land and sea adventure.

Visit Orlando Engaged!

CFHLA Leadership Panel: The Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association’s (CFHLA) Mentoring Program held a panel discussion for 18 rising professionals from CFHLA Allied and Lodging Member businesses. The program engages up-and-coming professionals in Central Florida’s hospitality industry through networking, philanthropy and education. 
 
Visit Orlando’s Chief Marketing Officer Danielle Hollander joined Casey Leppanen (Experience Kissimmee) and Gui Cunha (Seminole County Government) to discuss 2024 travel trends, future marketing campaigns and more. Danielle highlighted the value of tourism, Visit Orlando’s role in booking meetings and conventions and the impact of Visit Orlando’s campaigns like "Winter Doesn’t Exist," culinary features such as Netflix’s "Somebody Feed Phil," and multicultural initiatives to attract visitors to our destination.

VISIT FLORIDA UK and Ireland Media Mission: Visit Orlando joined VISIT FLORIDA's annual media mission across London and Dublin showcasing Orlando’s offerings in our top overseas international market. The team held a wide variety of discussions with top-tier travel journalists and content creators, giving a broad overview of everything the city has to offer both within and outside the theme parks. Across the week, receptions and evening events in both cities were attended by over 75 content creators and media, including top publications like The Times, BA High Life, Best Magazine, The Sun, Bella Magazine, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Wanderlust, The Irish Independent, The Irish Sun, Irish Daily Mail and more.

Yelp Elite Squad Dinner: To promote Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining presented by Orlando Health, our team collaborated with Yelp Orlando to host an exclusive Yelp Elite Squad preview dinner at The Pinery, an upscale dining venue located in Ivanhoe Village in downtown Orlando. The event brought together Yelp Orlando’s top reviewers and local food influencers, as well as representatives from the Yelp community, Ivanhoe Village, charity beneficiary The Mustard Seed of Central Florida and presenting sponsor Orlando Health.

All Out Championships: Visit Orlando team members recently met with clients from All Out Championships, a leading cheerleading and dance event production company based in Orlando. Having successfully completed their 11th season earlier this year, All Out Championships is now preparing for next year's event. During the meeting, our team provided insights about the destination and discussed the upcoming tournament, which will host over 20,000 attendees starting in February 2025 at the Orange County Convention Center.

In the News

FOX 35: Magical Dining returning to Orlando in 2024 with more restaurants than ever

Orlando Weekly: Creative City Project returns with immersive ‘Wavelength’ this summer at the Dr. Phillips Center
 
Southern Living: The 10 best cities to vacation in Florida
 
WESH 2: Brightline offers immersive travel from Orlando to The Eras Tour

Business Traveler USA: How to spend an extra day in Orlando