Please suggest some more adult activities to do in the Orlando area at the end of March.

We're skipping Disney World, but planning on seeing the Epcot Center. Worth it?

See Cape Canaveral. Any place to kayak, snorkel, swim?

Please suggest interesting Orlando/Florida food and restaurants.

Thanks.

JC98-

You asked for restaurant recommendations and I am going to quote myself from a previous post. There is much written on this forum about Disney restaurants here so I won't rehash all that. I'll just say that my wife and I love the California Grill and Artist Point. As to the non-Disney restaurants, here goes:


You did not mention a price range, so here are some of my recommendations irrespective of price, and in the general area, but outside the parks:

1. Seasons 52 <http://www.seasons52.com/> on Sand Lake Road. This is a very classy restaurant and requires reservations 1-2 weeks in advance.

2. Bahama Breeze <http://www.bahamabreeze.com/> on International Drive. Use their call ahead seating to get your name on the waiting list before you come. Casual dress is the norm.

3. Sweet Tomatoes <http://www.sweettomatoes.com/> at 6877 South Kirkman Rd. is one of a chain of "salad bar" restaurants but is very conveniently located to the Prime shopping outlets <http://www.primeoutlets.com/cntrdefa...p?cntrid=1077> at the north end of kirkman Road.

4. Straubs Sea Food <http://www.straubsseafood.com/> is a short drive away in the "downtown" Orlando area to the northeast. Just take I-4 east (toward Daytona Beach) and get off at Colonial Drive (State Road 50) and go east several miles. The food is good and the prices moderate. It is very popular with locals. The "early bird menu" (before 6 P.M.) is a particularly good value. Again, casual dress is O.K. reservations are not required but a good idea, particularly for the early bird menu.

Use the restaurant search tool in the Orlando Sentinel <http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/dining/> and try to find restaurants in the area of interest (e.g. I-Drive/Universal or Disney/Lake Buena Vista) that have been favorably reviewed by restaurant critic, Scott Joseph, or are a "Foodie" award winner. One of these, Red Bamboo Thai, is a Foodie Award winner - Critic's Choice (2005: Best Thai). I think they have priority seating if you call ahead.

Hope this helps!

Jellyrolls on the Disney Boarwalk - dueling piano bar. Fantastic!

Emerils and Emeril's Tchoup Chop, both at Universal. Emeril's is in City Walk at Universal Orlando and Emeril's Tchoup Chop is in the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando.

Orlando Vic,

We will be in Winter Park on March 31 thanks for the list of restaurants. Straubs Sea Food is not far from where we are staying and is celebrating 22 ys and 1 lb MAINE lobster special. I some how missed it on my restaurant searches.

This site is so helpful and so were you. Thanks,

Marge from Las Vegas

We loved La Nouba - Cirque du Soleil - which is good for any age.

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/Cirque...ntro/intro.htm

I was at Seasons (mentioned above) about a year ago. It was fantastic and I recommend it highly. While reservations are no doubt a great idea, we got in without them on a weeknight. Maybe it's gotten increasingly busy since then.

IMHO Epcot is worth it - the country exhibits are fairly faux but the topics exhibits are interesting.

Also - have you considered Sea World - if you can get into conversation with the curators it can be fascinating.

Don;t say where you're staying but we have done The Hyatt Grand Cyprus several times and we like Hemingway's there. The atmopherse is casual but the food is good and the setting very pretty.