Great Dates Orlando

2011 Guide to Holiday Ice Skating

Use this temperate weather as the perfect opportunity to snuggle up on one of the many ice rinks set up this holiday season.

Winter in the Park
Central Park West Meadow in Downtown Winter Park
Now until January 8th, 2012
$10 all day (includes skates)

Light up UCF
Ice Rink Pavilion
Now until January 1st, 2012
$12 includes rental (2 for 1 on Tuesdays!)

Town of Celebration
Celebration Town Center
Daily from 4pm - 10pm until January 2nd 2012
$10.00 for a 1/2 hour minimum skate (skate rental  included)

RDV’s Ice Den
Maitland
Open year round
Admission for regular skate sessions is $6.71 plus tax. Admission for Friday and Saturday night skate sessions is $9.53 plus tax. Skate Rental Fees are $2.82 plus tax.

The Ice Factory
Kissimmee
Open year round
$7 admission and $3 for regular skate rental

And if skating is not your thing, try sipping a chilly cocktail inside ICEBAR Orlando, the frosty locale on I-Drive where you can sit inside a winter wonderland kept at a frigid 27 degrees. 

 

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Pssst.... we're tweeting an additional 30+ Orlando date night ideas each week on Twitter. Make sure you're following @Gr8DatesOrlando

Anyone Up For a Gorilla Challenge?

Toss your typical date night plans aside in favor of this weekend’s Gorilla Challenge, an Amazing Race-style contest headed to downtown Orlando. 
Saturday’s fun run begins at 11 a.m. outside Urban Flats (183 South Orange Avenue) and will span a 3 to 5 mile radius around the city where 10 clues have been hidden. Along the way, racing teams will need to solve the clues, take photos and complete activities, all the while competing against other teams trying to finish the race first. Sure, the $300 cash prize for first place is no gold medal, but the real rewards are spending the day getting to know our fair city a little better, delighting in this spectacular fall weather and enjoying some quality time doing something out of the ordinary. Oh, and you’ll be supporting Second Harvest Food Bank too. Gorilla Challenge will be collecting non-perishable food items and giving a cash prize to the team that donates the most nosh. Registration is $60 per person but rumor has it if you send an email to hookmeup@gorillachallenge.com, a discount might be in store.

 

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Pssst.... we're tweeting an additional 30+ Orlando date night ideas each week on Twitter. Make sure you're following @Gr8DatesOrlando

Follow @Gr8DatesOrlando

 

City Scramble

Grab your honey and join in this Amazing Race-ish event hosted by City Scramble. Teams of two will be trecking through a 5-mile Winter Park course figuring out clues, taking on challenges and racing back to win the $500 cash prize.

Here are the details...

Winter Park, February 19th, 2011
10:00 check-in, 11:00 race time
Start/Finish Line Boathouse Restaurant and Drake's Bar (565 West Fairbanks Avenue, Winter Park)
The cost is $90 per team of 2
Registration is online at www.SignMeUp.com/72983

A portion of the entry fee goes back to the Orange County Athletics organization.

When you refer another team that signs up, both teams will get $10 back. You can refer up to 9 other teams making your entry FREE!

www.TheCityScramble.com

Holiday Ice Skating

Use this chilly weather as the perfect opportunity to snuggle up and pirouette on one of the many ice rinks set up this holiday season.

Winter in the Park
Central Park West Meadow in Downtown Winter Park
Now until January 9th, 2011
$10 all day (includes skates); $9 group discount
www.cityofwinterpark.org/Pages/Departments/Parks_and_Recreation/Winter_in_the_Park.aspx

Light up UCF
Ice Rink Pavilion
Now until January 2nd, 2011
$12 includes rental
www.lightupucf.com

RDV’s Ice Den
Maitland
Open year round
Admission for regular skate sessions is $6.71 plus tax. Admission for Friday and Saturday night skate sessions is $9.53 plus tax. Skate Rental Fees are $2.82 plus tax.
www.mvpsportsclubs.com/florida-orlando-rdv-sportsplex-ice-den/public-skating

The Ice Factory
Kissimmee
Open year round
$7 admission and $3 for regular skate rental
www.icefactory.com

Orlando Limousine Scavenger Hunt

Wow... what an awesome idea for a group date night. Get a bunch of couples together for what looks like it will be a super fun evening out. And the whole event is benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Here are the details...

Saturday, July 31st
5:30 to 8:00 pm: Pre-Hunt Reception
Complimentary Appetizer Bar and Drink Specials
8:00 pm to 12:00 am: Limo Scav Hunt
11:30 pm to 1:00 am: Post-Hunt Party

$60 per person
Teams of 8 to 16 people (Partial Teams, Couples, and Individuals Accepted) 
Stretch Lincolns or Stretch SUV's
Visit Locations, Complete Tasks, Locate Objects
Cash Prize for First Place Hunting
Cash Prize for Best Costume Team
Bottle Service in Each Limousine

For more information....
RJBock@OrlandoEventSeries.com
407-451-5282
http://LimoScavHunt.EventFast.com

Full Moon Paddle

Check out the Full Moon Paddle, launching monthly from Fort Maitland Park (900 South Orlando Ave.
between Lake Ave. and Maitland Ave). This sunset/moonrise float travels through the Winter Park Chain of Lakes followed by a toast to the stars (BYO). All equipment is provided and no experience is necessary. $40/person

The next Full Moon Paddle is scheduled for Wednesday, May 26th at 7pm.

Adventures in Florida
2912 E. Marks Street
Orlando Florida 32803                  
407.924.3375
info@adventuresinflorida.com
www.adventuresinflorida.com

Amazing Race Date

Mark your calendars and start your engines. The City Scramble is coming to Orlando on March 27th. Like the Amazing Race (but much less international) teams of 2 will compete against 40 other teams as they traverse through downtown Orlando solving clues, undergoing challenges, and racing to be the first to cross the finish line. Winners collect a $500 cash prize! Here are the details:

• The race will start promptly at 12:00 on Saturday, March 27th when you will receive your clue list. Figure them out quickly and start running.
• Remember, only your feet can be used as transportation! You are welcome to use all sorts of technology though (cell phones with internet, digital cameras, maps, etc. are encouraged!) and friends to figure out the clues and map out your route.
• You'll have about 12 stops to make on this adventure.
• A photo must be taken at each of them to prove you were there and some even have a challenge for you to take on.

On race day you'll need to check-in at The Clubhouse downtown between 11:00-11:50. You'll receive your race t-shirt that must be worn during the race. If i wasn't gigantically pregnant, my hubbie and I would sign up for this in a heartbeat.

MORE INFO: http://web.me.com/thecityscramble/The_City_Scramble/Home.html

Bike or Blade

Head outdoors with your honey on bikes or blades courtesy of West Orange Trail Bikes and Blades. This rental and touring facility sits directly on the West Orange Trail, just a few miles from downtown Orlando. The West Orange trail stretches 22 miles along the edge of Lake Apopka and through downtown Winter Garden where there are plenty of excellent places to stop for lunch or snacks.

Rental rates for bikes are $6 per hour, $30 per day, and $99 per week. They also offer private bike tours along the trail which need to be reserved in advance.

MORE INFO: www.orlandobikerental.com or 407-877-0600

Upcoming Shuttle Launch Idea

Few experiences in Central Florida match the exhilaration of watching a space shuttle launch from Kennedy Space Center. Where will you be during the next NASA shuttle launch on Thursday March 12th at 8:45pm? On launch day, most people will turn on their TV sets, venture into their backyards or pull their cars over on the side of the highway to catch the scene. Some will even drive to some of the launch sites in and around Kennedy Space Center, braving dense crowds and traffic. (Tickets to view the launch from the Visitor's Complex at Kennedy Space Center are already sold out.)

But the best place to be on launch day is in a kayak, on open water just seven miles from the launch pad. Offering a completely unobstructed view of the launch, Mosquito Lagoon is a short 2-mile round trip paddle through the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. This ultra-close proximity to the launch pad creates an unforgettable experience that is an absolute must for launch spectators.

This adventure is brought to you by Day Away Kayak Tours. Tickets are only $32 and include your kayak and life preserver. Best of all, this tour is classified as beginner level so you don’t have be an avid paddler to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

For more info…
Day Away Kayak Tours
21-268-2655
www.adayawaykayaktours.com

Couple's Yoga

The Couple That Vinyasa's together Stays Together

Here's a fun way to spend a date night together... Couple's Yoga! Great for yoga practitioners at any level, Couple's Yoga (also known as Partner Yoga) has you working together in a joint practice. Lots of touching and stretching... yay!

There are Couple's Yoga workshops currently scheduled at Red Sun Yoga in Winter Springs and Full Circle Yoga in Winter Park. This workshop is limited to only 9 couples so if you are interested. Check their schedules online.

How Much: $85 per couple
More Info: www.redsunyoga.com or www.fullcircleyoga.com