Downtown Orlando

[donny]

We want to visit downtown Orlando but where is 'downtown'? Where do we head,[msneek] is there a main centre, a 'high street' as such? any directions and tips would be great. This would be a day trip.
thanks

[ellie]

We have visited 'downtown' Orlando, and frankly were a bit disappointed.

It is very much an office/business area, with some nightlife in the way of nightclubs. We didn't really find anything very interesting apart from a museum. I am not sure you could spend a whole day here - I think there are far more interesting places to visit. We did not find any shops, either, despite asking around - maybe someone has had more luck than we did. There was an interesting park with some sculptures, but apart from that little else.[msneek]

There are quite a lot of restaurants, and there is a website about downtown Orlando which has a map of points of interest - but even these are few and far between.

[lafifille]

Church Street Station used to be lots of fun, but it's no more, sadly. I doubt you'll find visiting downtown Orlando much interesting. I'd rather walk around in Winter Park and take a boat trip on the lake there. Lots of older home estates, nice shops, all together a nice little town.

[ellie]

Mount Dora is somewhere interesting to visit. It has lots of little antique shops, restaurants, a French Quarter, and a lake where you can take boat trips to see the local wildlife. You can also take a train ride which looks most interesting.

We had a very enjoyable visit to Mount Dora, and plan to go there again. It is not far to travel either, if you drive up the 429 toll road.

[Newhomebuyer]

I enjoy walking round Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando and I combine it with a bite to eat at Panera Bread.
It is not a full day but makes for a pleasant couple of hours.
As the others have said Winter Park and Mount Dora are both better bets for a full day.

[Andrena]

I think that the train rides at Mount Dora are no more. I heard that they have gone bust.

Andrena

[MTP]

There's a great park at Mount Dora which you walk to along a boardwalk that skirts the edge of the lake. Lovely place to explore.

The science museum near downtown Orlando is very good. The arts centre also does interesting series of concerts and we have been to family concerts, I think by the Orlando Philharmonic, but don't quote me! It included a time for the kids to try different instruments.

[Jill]

We were at Church Street last year and noticed the train is still 'in the station' and there are a few places to eat but it is definitely not like it used to be.