Today’s travel tip sheet includes information on some of Orlando’s most popular upcoming food festivals, free attractions for a budget-friendly vacation, newly reopened nightlife venues and tips for creating your own musical soundtrack in Orlando. For interviews and media info: media@visitorlando.com.   

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In this Issue:​

  • Orlando Food Festivals & Events Return this Fall 
  • FREE Attractions in Orlando 
  • Orlando for Adults: I-Drive’s Award-Winning Nightlife  
  • Create Your Own Orlando Soundtrack  
  • What’s New & Upcoming in Orlando this Month 
  • DYK? National Roller Coaster Day is Aug. 16 

Orlando Food Festivals & Events Return this Fall

From three-course meals for $37 during Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining to sampling diverse dishes and drinks from around the world, food lovers will not want to miss the line of up festivals and events in Orlando this fall. And, with special savings and packages on hotel rooms with Visit Orlando’s Magical Nights, planning a weekend getaway has never been easier.  

  • Visit Orlando's Magical Dining (Aug. 27 – Oct.3) offers guests the opportunity to satisfy cravings for haute cuisine at an even hotter price. For a limited time, many of Central Florida's top restaurants will feature three-course, prix fixe dinner menus for just $37.  
     
  • Walt Disney World’s Epcot International Food and Wine Festival presented by CORKCICLE (July 15 – Nov. 20) invites visitors to sample and savor treasures from some of the world’s most famous wineries and celebrated chefs. Take a taste tour across six continents and enjoy live entertainment including local bands from across Central Florida.  
     
  • The SeaWorld Craft Beer Festival (Aug. 13 - Sept. 12) offers over 100 craft brews, wines, seltzers, and cocktails at locations around the park, including a mix of domestic, international and local Florida favorites. Plus, savor more than 20 food items while enjoying, festive entertainment.  

Additional fall event information can be found here. 

FREE Experiences in Orlando

Ranked No. 1 cheapest destination in the U.S. to travel to by Hopper, Orlando offers visitors plenty of affordable options for the entire family, including a variety of FREE activities and experiences throughout the destination:  

FREE DAYS 

  • The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is offering free admission during the month of August. Guests can explore special exhibit, Selected Portraits from the Morse Collection, featuring more than a dozen paintings by leading American portraitists and photographs by early American studios.  

  • Harry P. Leu Gardens offers free admission for guests the first Monday of the month. Visitors will discover the natural beauty of “Old Florida,” strolling through the 50 acres of lush gardens including the largest camellia collection in the South and a formal rose garden.  

FREE ALWAYS 

  • The USTA National Campus in Lake Nona offers visitors an exciting way to enjoy tennis with top-notch facilities, a full agenda of tennis events and 100 fully lit courts. Family Zone 60' and 36' courts are available at no charge when programming isn’t scheduled. 

  • Lakridge Winery & Vineyards, located in Clermont, is Florida’s largest premium winery.  Visitors can take a free tour of the estate, as well as sample wines in the tasting room daily. The winery also hosts several free events open to the public, including the Weekends at the Winery featuring live entertainment, delicious food offerings, an outdoor wine bar and more. 

Additional information and ideas on free things to do in Orlando can be found here.  

Orlando for Adults: I-Drive’s Award-Winning Nightlife

Orlando is home to a thriving nightlife scene, with many exciting options in the tourism district for those looking to extend their fun. International Drive, commonly referred to as I-Drive, features an abundance of entertainment options for nighttime fun, including these recently reopened, award-winning spots:  

  • Mango’s Tropical Café Orlando invites guests to dine and dance the night away at the multi-level “funplex” offering nightly musical performances beginning at 7 p.m. The award-winning show features Brazilian Samba, Cuban Conga, 80s and 90s hits and hip-hop. 

  • Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar Orlando at Pointe Orlando transforms into a Latin hotspot from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends with Tropical Fridays, a sophisticated over-25 event and Bailamos Saturdays, featuring DJs, professional dancers, specialty entertainers, colorful special effects and more. 

  • ICEBAR Orlando, the first and largest permanent bar made of ice in the United States, is now open daily 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. The bar is a chilly 27 degrees Fahrenheit, surrounded by 50 tons of pure ice including the walls, bar, tables and even the sofas and chairs.  

More info about Orlando’s nightlife can be found here.  

Create Your Own Musical Soundtrack

From interactive attractions allowing visitors to become a DJ for a day on a 400-foot observation wheel to an underwater playlist at resort pools, Orlando allows visitors to make their vacation experiences uniquely their own.  

  • The Wheel at ICON Park’s newest upgrade gives guests an opportunity to become their own DJ at 400 feet in the sky within their private capsules and view of Orlando’s skyline.  Each capsule includes a brand-new Bluetooth audio feature allowing guest to connect their phones to the sound system and listen to their favorite tunes.  

  • Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios Florida is a high-tech, multi-sensory roller coaster with audio and special effects that create a unique ride experience for guests. Using LED-screen personal touchpads mounted on the ride vehicles, riders can choose a song to hear while on the roller coaster and then have the option to take home a music video of their experience following the ride. 

  • At the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort guests can experience the underwater audio system found in either the 7,590-square-foot family pool with beach entry or their tranquil and sophisticated, adults-only pool, pumping a variety of tunes.  

What’s New in Orlando this Month?

Stay up to date on Orlando's most recent announcements and openings - from accommodations and attractions to restaurants and events - available here.  

Did You Know?

Visitors seeking to celebrate National Roller Coaster Day on August 16 will not want to miss Mako, Orlando’s tallest and fastest roller coaster. Located at SeaWorld Orlando, this roller coaster is complete with high speeds and deep dives takings guests through speeds of up to 73 mph and up to 200 feet high.