Things to do in Orlando

If you're in it for the rides, Universal is a disappointment. Next door Islands of Adventure is much better.

 

I haven't been there but everyone I know who has said Disney's Animal Kingdom is very cool.

 

if you want to get off the beaten path for dinner, there's a nice string of vietnamese restaurants on colonial drive. i can vouch for vinh's.

the thornton park area of town has a few decent restaurants -- city fish and shari, a sushi place. citrus is a nice (can be expensive) -- the duck tostados and blue corn fish tacos appetizers are excellent and are almost a meal itself.

to echo ace's point, vega's cafe on colonial -- not far from the vietnamese restaurants -- serves a tasty cuban sandwich. i've only been for lunch and don't know about dinner hours.

there's also a couple of decent outlet malls south of orlando, right off i-4.

a rental car is a must if you want to do some of the things mentioned in this thread.

 

I think rentals are pretty cheap in Orlando. But I agree that if you are staying at or near Universal or Disney and are doing the parks, you are generally pretty beat at the end of the day.

 

We rented a Mustang for the week. Cost us roughly $200.

 

Correct. Only ride worth admission at Universal Studios is The Simpsons, and maybe The Mummy.

 

And only a short car ride away in Kissimmee, Florida:

http://www.medievaltimes.com/

I laughed my ever-loving ass off at this.

 

Don't get me started on those places.

 

No kids, just me and her.
I've been advocating for a rental car because of the flexibility it offers and, more importantly, her work will pay for it.
Get in Wednesday afternoon will decompress, and then look for something to do.
Thursday and Friday are for sure at Universal. Saturday is more of a question, but possibly more at Universal. Sunday we move from the Hampton to the resort where she is conferencing. Monday morning I fly back and she stays the week for a work conference.
One of the travel books she has been studying says to watch the movies the rides are based on. Helps you enjoy the experience or some such nonsense. Regardless, the Simpsons movie is set to record on the Tivo.

I can also say that no way in hell do I go to a Medieval Times.

 

Don't sleep on those Disney Discount places you'll see ever half mile, either. You definitely get a decent discount on tickets for just about everything. We did the water park and went to one of those discount places. Saved like $10 a ticket.

 

If you go to Universal, make sure to purchase the meal deal. It saves you a ton of money.

Also, as far as Universal is concerned, if you're a big movie fan, you'll enjoy it. The Mummy ride is pretty solid and the Simpsons ride was a hell of a lot better than I thought it would be.

As for other things to do in Orlando, I found that the outlets were a pretty big disappointment in terms of shopping but get a rental car and just go exploring. There's a ton of stuff out there, you're bound to accidentally find something incredible.