Orlando without kids?
In my mind, the home of Mickey Mouse is only meant to be enjoyed by people with families. Water parks exist in all corners of the city, hotels are all filled with kid-friendly activities, and restaurants always have crayons and coloring books readily available.
Don't get me wrong - Orlando is a great place for adults, too. The weather is warmer than most other parts of the United States and almost everyone likes theme park rides. Orlando may not top my list of vacation destinations, but I am happy to spend a week there on business.
On our way to the resort, we saw some dark clouds up ahead and immediately got stuck in a 5-minute downpour. Fortunately, we were sitting dry in a chauffeured car instead of running to buy an emergency poncho like all the people at Disney World. Classic Florida.
Check-in at the hotel included a glass of champagne and a nice suite upgrade. With all this extra space, I felt like I should invite some friends and family down for the week. It didn't take long for this hotel to win me over!
I looked out the window and the only buildings to stand above the tree line were high-rise hotels and strip malls. From the atrium lobby, EPCOT created the familiar Disney skyline. The sprawling resort pool below also looked inviting. The greater Orlando area just screams "vacation" and it is such a welcome contrast from the chaotic city life I usually see from my hotel rooms.
The work week, as always, included some excellent meals. My favorite was Nine 18, the Forbes 4-star restaurant at Grand Cypress Golf Resort. The carefully crafted dishes and mature atmosphere were almost "too nice" for a random Wednesday dinner. The meal was a huge contrast to the night before, where our team had an unusual experience at a place called Miller's Ale House. On first glance, it seemed like just another casual bar with countless beers on tap. However, it was surprisingly filled with families and small children. In fact, the restaurant catered so much to small children that it even had a balloon artist circulating around the tables to make the animals of our choice. If this restaurant doesn't proliferate the bar culture at a young age, I don't know what else would.
After the work week was over, I spent a little extra time in Florida before flying to my next destination. My morning started with a vibrant rainbow (one of the benefits of the Florida rain).
I purposely avoided any of the theme parks in Orlando, opting instead to stay on property and enjoy the on-site recreation activities. Between the kayaking and the "water-ski" bike (something I have never seen before), these 'family-friendly' activities were starting to grow on me.
I may not have any kids of my own, but I was never very far removed from them throughout the past week. Orlando is clearly a city geared towards tourism and the younger generation seems to rule the world when it comes to local activities.
Walking through the resort on the last day, I actually felt out of place as a single adult. Everyone else seemed to be surrounded by family and friends. I had a great time working in such a relaxed environment, but it's not a destination that I will rush back to without a family of my own or a big group of friends.
In my mind, the home of Mickey Mouse is only meant to be enjoyed by people with families. Water parks exist in all corners of the city, hotels are all filled with kid-friendly activities, and restaurants always have crayons and coloring books readily available.
Don't get me wrong - Orlando is a great place for adults, too. The weather is warmer than most other parts of the United States and almost everyone likes theme park rides. Orlando may not top my list of vacation destinations, but I am happy to spend a week there on business.
On our way to the resort, we saw some dark clouds up ahead and immediately got stuck in a 5-minute downpour. Fortunately, we were sitting dry in a chauffeured car instead of running to buy an emergency poncho like all the people at Disney World. Classic Florida.
Check-in at the hotel included a glass of champagne and a nice suite upgrade. With all this extra space, I felt like I should invite some friends and family down for the week. It didn't take long for this hotel to win me over!
 |
| Hotel Suite |
I looked out the window and the only buildings to stand above the tree line were high-rise hotels and strip malls. From the atrium lobby, EPCOT created the familiar Disney skyline. The sprawling resort pool below also looked inviting. The greater Orlando area just screams "vacation" and it is such a welcome contrast from the chaotic city life I usually see from my hotel rooms.
 |
| View of Lake Buena Vista "skyline" from my hotel room |
 |
| View of the resort from the hotel lobby |
The work week, as always, included some excellent meals. My favorite was Nine 18, the Forbes 4-star restaurant at Grand Cypress Golf Resort. The carefully crafted dishes and mature atmosphere were almost "too nice" for a random Wednesday dinner. The meal was a huge contrast to the night before, where our team had an unusual experience at a place called Miller's Ale House. On first glance, it seemed like just another casual bar with countless beers on tap. However, it was surprisingly filled with families and small children. In fact, the restaurant catered so much to small children that it even had a balloon artist circulating around the tables to make the animals of our choice. If this restaurant doesn't proliferate the bar culture at a young age, I don't know what else would.
 |
| Balloon Animals and beer (and a 4-year-old peeping Tom) |
After the work week was over, I spent a little extra time in Florida before flying to my next destination. My morning started with a vibrant rainbow (one of the benefits of the Florida rain).
 |
| Beautiful rainbow over the resort pool |
I purposely avoided any of the theme parks in Orlando, opting instead to stay on property and enjoy the on-site recreation activities. Between the kayaking and the "water-ski" bike (something I have never seen before), these 'family-friendly' activities were starting to grow on me.
 |
| View of the hotel from the adjacent lake. |
 |
| I have never heard of a bike on water skis...but it was fun! |
I may not have any kids of my own, but I was never very far removed from them throughout the past week. Orlando is clearly a city geared towards tourism and the younger generation seems to rule the world when it comes to local activities.
Walking through the resort on the last day, I actually felt out of place as a single adult. Everyone else seemed to be surrounded by family and friends. I had a great time working in such a relaxed environment, but it's not a destination that I will rush back to without a family of my own or a big group of friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment