Finding something to do in Orlando as a couple isn’t hard, especially with all of the tourist attractions. However, when you’re burnt out on theme parks and you want to do something truly unique, you have to look a little deeper.
That’s what we’re doing today. We’re going to share some of the best date night ideas in Orlando to help you connect and have fun with your special someone. Orlando is such an incredible city to explore together, you just have to know where to look.
The #1 Orlando Date Night Planner
The single best way to find amazing date night ideas in Orlando is to download the free LoveTrack app. Yes, it’s actually free. You’ll see hundreds of unique date night ideas and every special event or festival perfect for couples going on in the city. Never miss something special, and always have something to do together—without having to think or do any planning!
If this sounds amazing, get Orlando’s #1 date night planner (for free) right now.
More Resources:
- Top 10 Unique Orlando Date Night Ideas
- Are theme parks a fun date night idea in Orlando?
- Date Night Tips for Couples in Orlando
- More Orlando Date Ideas
Top 10 Unique Orlando Date Night Ideas
If you want to see some ideas for date nights in Orlando while you wait for the app to download, we wanted to share some of our favorite.
1. Check out the SAK Comedy Lab.
- Neighborhood: Downtown
- Cost: $$
- Style: Fun and laughter-filled
The Sak Comedy Lab is an iconic improv comedy club that you can go with your special someone for an incredibly fun evening in Downtown Orlando. Sak is actually famously known for being where famous comedian Wayne Brady (from Whose Line Is It Anyways?) got his start. Shows are available most nights of the week at 7pm or 9pm with tickets around $10 for student shows and $20 for the professionals. If you want to extend the date, you can always grab drinks or food at one of the many restaurants in the area.
2. Paddle a swan boat at Lake Eola.
- Neighborhood: Downtown
- Cost: $
- Style: Romantic and fun
If the weather is nice, one of the best date night ideas in Orlando is paddling the swan boats at Lake Eola. Rent a boat for $15 for 30 minutes and enjoy paddling around the lake enjoying each other’s company. Do keep in mind that this does borderline on exercise, so dress accordingly for your date.
3. Attend a special event at Leu Gardens.
- Neighborhood: Northeast of downtown – Audubon Park area
- Cost: $, $$
- Style: Fun, educational, and romantic
Leu Gardens is a 50-acre oasis of beautiful and lush plants, flowers, and greenery. Even when there are no special events, this is a great date idea for the Orlando area. But, our suggestion today is to keep your eye out for special events at the gardens.
They have things like movie nights during the summer, origami classes, late night music events, and an incredible holiday lights event (that fills up fast).
4. Head to the coast to watch a rocket launch.
- Neighborhood: Space Coast
- Cost: Free (plus the cost of gas)
- Style: Educational, exciting, and memorable
There are rocket launches all the time just east of Orlando at the coast. You can see a schedule of rocket launches on the Kennedy Space Center’s website. Now, you don’t actually have to go to KSC to watch the rockets if you don’t feel like it. You can go pretty much anywhere in the area (like Playlinda Beach). Some areas are free and some might require a parking fee.
5. Anything nature makes for an amazing Orlando date.
- Neighborhood: Entire area
- Cost: Free or $
- Style: Educational and active
There are so many great nature areas in Orlando, FL that are perfect for a date day or a date night. Do some quick research on what is available in your area and go have some fun outdoors together!
Here are a few of our favorite places to get you started. Remember, this is by no means anywhere close to an exhaustive list:
- Kraft Azalea Park (Winter Park)
- Wekiwa Springs State Park (North of Orlando)
- Green Mountain Scenic Overlook (Minneola)
- Tibet-Butler Preserve (by Lake Butler)
- Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake (Orlando)
- Blue Jacket Park (Baldwin Park)
6. Play games together at The Pinball Lounge.
- Neighborhood: Oviedo
- Cost: $
- Style: Fun and nostalgic
Open late, The Pinball Lounge at the Oviedo Bowling center can make for a great date night idea. You can pair it with some bowling or just enjoy the highly affordable fun of playing retro games together.
7. Go see a drive-in movie at Silver Moon Theater
- Neighborhood: Lakeland
- Cost: $
- Style: Fun and nostalgic
Speaking of nostalgia, there is not much cooler than catching a movie at the Silver Moon Drive In Theater in Lakeland. With affordable tickets and affordable snacks, this is a budget-friendly date night idea just outside of Orlando that is a must try.
8. Go horse back riding at Hidden Palms Ranch.
- Neighborhood: Sanford/Lake Mary
- Cost: $$$
- Style: Romantic, fun, and active
If you’ve ever wanted to ride a horse together (super romantic, we know), then this is your chance in Orlando! The Hidden Palms Ranch offers private horseback rides that are perfect for an Orlando date night. We’d recommend the private trail ride for two, which as of the last time we checked was $125 total. More expensive than the other options on our list, but a blast.
9. Catch the Disney fireworks (from outside)
- Neighborhood: Theme Park Corridor
- Cost: Free or $$$$
- Style: Romantic and fun
Okay, we said no theme parks (and we meant it), but this technically keeps you away from the hustle and bustle, but you still get to enjoy it. Look up the fireworks scheduled and find a spot close to the parks where you can watch from. You can also always park at Disney Springs and take a Disney bus to one of the resorts to walk around and watch from.
If you want to take it up a notch, you can do a fireworks cruise at Disney. These book up fast all the time and super-fast on holidays, but that’s a sign of the popularity. Keep in mind it’s expensive starting at $449, but that does seat up to 10 people so you could always do this with several other couples as a group date!
10. Have lunch outside at Bountiful Farms (October – May)
- Neighborhood: Okahumpka
- Cost: $, $$
- Style: Cute and romantic
Want to have a great meal outside at a beautiful farm? The answer should definitely be yes if you’re looking for a cute and romantic date idea in the Orlando area! Bountiful Farms is a really neat organic farm with a lot to see and some great food to eat. It’s a bit outside of the hustle and bustle of Orlando, but well worth the trip to eat under a 200+ year old oak tree.
Are theme parks a fun date night idea in Orlando?
While this date night idea guide for Orlando doesn’t have any theme park dates, we do want to address this question. Yes, theme parks are an amazing date night idea for locals (and tourists) looking to get out and do something special together.
The only reason we focused more on non-theme park date night ideas is that most Orlando residents are quite aware of the theme park offerings. We figured it was better to share things you might not already be aware of.
Expert Date Night Tips for Couples in Orlando
Want to make sure you always have the best date nights in Orlando and never miss out on anything special? Here are the tips you need to follow.
- Download the free LoveTrack app! – Seriously, this is the single best way to make sure you always have the best date nights in Orlando and never miss out on anything.
- Book early. – Orlando couples are pretty good about booking tickets to things pretty far in advance. If you’re looking to do something special, get your tickets and arrangements taken care of as early as possible.
- Factor traffic and tourist traffic into your plans. – When you’re planning something, make sure you think about normal traffic as well as tourist traffic.
- Plan for the weather. – If you’ve lived in Florida long enough, you’ve already learned this one (the easy way or the hard way). If you’re new, though, plan for the weather. This means bring an umbrella no matter what the forecast says, have a plan to mitigate the heat if you’re in it, and be ready for things to change frequently.
- Parking can be a nightmare. – So many places in town have parking that could easily give you stress you don’t want on a date night. Make sure you have a plan and a backup plan. If it’s close enough, consider ride share. If not, look to see if there is valet or offsite parking that’s close by (in case the lot is full somewhere).
More Orlando Date Ideas
Looking for more ideas or something specific? Here are some additional guides that can help.