One of Orlando's most anticipated culinary traditions is back. Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, presented by Orlando Health, returns Aug. 14 through Sept. 30, offering three-course, prix-fixe menus for $40 or $60 at restaurants throughout Central Florida.

Now in its 21st year, the program continues to showcase Orlando’s evolution as a nationally recognized dining destination while delivering benefits far beyond the table. Today, it remains the perfect recipe with three key ingredients:

• It supports local restaurants
• Diners enjoy exceptional meals at a great value
• It gives back to our community

This year, there’s even more to explore, with a record-breaking 188 participating restaurants, the most in the program’s history, including 38 new additions and 16 restaurants recognized by The MICHELIN Guide. The lineup includes a new milestone for the program: a Michelin-starred restaurant offering a $60 menu. 

What continues to set Visit Orlando's Magical Dining apart is its commitment to giving back. At a press conference on July 14, we announced OCA (Opportunity, Community, Ability) as the 2026 primary beneficiary, continuing a tradition of giving back. OCA supports individuals with autism and developmental differences and their families.

In addition, Visit Orlando will award $3,000 to each nonprofit in all six Orange County commission districts. They include:

• Children’s Safety Village of Central Florida
• The Daily Bread
• Nathaniel’s Hope
• NextStep Orlando Inc.
• The Nurture Place
• Victim Service Center of Central Florida

Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, presented by Orlando Health, has raised nearly $3.3 million for local nonprofits since 2009.

My biggest piece of advice: Don't wait. Explore menus and make reservations now at OrlandoMagicalDining.com. Every reservation is an opportunity to discover a new favorite restaurant while making a difference in our community.

Data & Trends

Weekly Metrics

Metro Orlando’s hotel occupancy rate for the week ending July 11, 2026, was 70.9%, up 3.2% from the same week last year. Room night demand surpassed last year by 2.6%. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) for the week was $186.90 up 6.2% from last year.

Around the Destination

Avianca Marks 15 Years Connecting Orlando and Colombia

Visit Orlando joined Avianca and Orlando International Airport to mark 15 years of service connecting Orlando with Colombia. The airline launched service on July 12, 2011, and has since expanded its presence at Orlando International Airport, strengthening connections between Central Florida and destinations across Latin America.

During the event, Elaine Blazys, Visit Orlando’s vice president of travel industry sales, delivered remarks recognizing Colombia as one of Orlando’s top international visitor markets, generating more than 360,000 visitors annually and noting the role of air service in supporting tourism and economic impact. She also expressed appreciation to Avianca and our valued partners at Orlando International Airport for their continued collaboration and commitment to strengthening this vital route between our destinations.

Congratulations to Avianca on 15 years of helping strengthen the connection between Orlando and Colombia.

British Consul Transition Event

On behalf of the organization, I joined business and community leaders at the Orlando Economic Partnership and British American Business Council Central Florida’s “Changing of the Guard” event to welcome incoming British Consul General Keith Scott and recognize outgoing Consul General Rufus Drabble. The event highlighted the strong ties between the United Kingdom and Central Florida. Leaders emphasized the United Kingdom’s role as Central Florida’s largest source of foreign direct investment and the continued momentum to expand trade and innovation between the two markets.

Learn more

FSAE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE) hosted its 2026 Annual Conference, “Mastering the Art of Associations,” this week at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. The event brought together association professionals and industry partners for education sessions, keynote presentations and networking focused on advancing the profession.  
 
Attendees explored emerging trends and shared strategies to strengthen member engagement, leadership effectiveness and organizational impact. Visit Orlando participated in the Welcome Reception at Caribe Royale Orlando Resort, connecting with association leaders and highlighting the destination’s meetings offerings.

Visit Orlando Engaged!

Hosting Rcma Leadership Ahead Of 2027 Emerge

This week, our team hosted the board of directors and leadership of the Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA), a multi-faith, nonprofit organization supporting faith-based meeting planners and their supplier partners. The visit aligns with Orlando’s preparations to host RCMA’s annual EMERGE conference Jan. 5–7, 2027. The premier event brings together planners and suppliers for education sessions, expos and networking designed to advance faith-based meetings and events.

Connecting With Planners at Cvent Connect

Cvent CONNECT, Cvent’s flagship annual conference for event planners, marketers and hospitality professionals, was held this week in Nashville, Tennessee. The event is one of the meetings and events industry’s most important gatherings, bringing together event professionals, hospitality leaders, technology providers and destination representatives.

Visit Orlando was represented by Travis Binkley, Kalee Barnhardt, Sofie Kolakowski, Keena Patel and Stephanie Naegele, alongside four participating member partners. Together, the group helped reinforce Orlando’s value proposition through planner conversations, industry networking and destination-focused engagement that highlighted our world-class convention facilities, strong airlift, walkable convention district, award-winning hospitality, entertainment options and new destination developments.

The event provided opportunities for appointments, meetings, client engagement, and marketplace visibility, helping Visit Orlando and our partners stay connected with key customers while identifying future business opportunities.

Delivering Social & Content Strategies for Tourism Businesses

Visit Orlando’s social media and content team presented during a Power Brunch at Sixty Vines, sharing ways businesses can turn social media content into real-world visits. The session brought together business leaders from across the destination and focused on how travelers now use social platforms to find and choose where to go and what to experience.

Adeta Gayah, senior director of social media and content, and Matt Serio, manager of social media, outlined a simple approach to content that shows what a business offers, what the experience is like and how travelers can plan their visit. They also shared an easy video format designed to capture attention and drive action, along with practical tips such as writing clearer captions and using quick filming techniques for tourism businesses.

Additional takeaways include:

• Use simple video formats that quickly capture attention and drive action.
• Write clear, direct captions that help viewers understand the value of a visit.
• Followers matter, but relevance matters more.

In the News

WKMG Click Orlando: Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining returns next month with new restaurants, menus

Orlando Sentinel: National Ice Cream Month: Chill with these frozen favorites

Timeout: I Stay in Hotels 100+ Nights a Year: My 10 Best Recommendations

Publímetro (Mexico):  What to do in Orlando this summer: parks, dining and family fun