Just go to Disney, right? Kidding. Planning a date night in Orlando requires a little extra effort. Because the city is such a tourist town, you have the pro of a lot of unique options (that can also lead to analysis paralysis), and also the con of having to plan for traffic, tourists, and wait times.
Thankfully, planning an amazing Orlando date night is possible if you follow the right steps. Today, we’re going to walk you through exactly what you need to do as an Orlando local to have a special time with your special someone.
Step 1 – Use a free Orlando date night planner.
The single best way to plan an amazing Orlando date night is to leverage a free Orlando date night planner. While there are a few websites that offer recommendations, these tend to get outdated pretty quickly. If you want an option that shows you creative, out of the box date night ideas in Orlando (that is up to date), you’ll want an app like LoveTrack.
LoveTrack is a free (actually free) date night planning app that helps Orlando couples find special things to do together. It has hundreds of ideas, local hidden gems, local events for couples, and creative ways to connect in the city.
Step 2 – Don’t sleep on the local hidden gem spots.
Because we live in a heavy tourist city, all the TV ads, billboards, radio commercials, etc. are all targeted toward the tourist attractions. Because these big companies like Disney and Universal have such deep pockets, it’s no sweat for them to drench the market in ads so that tourists see what they want.
What this means is that local hidden gem date night spots in Orlando can get buried in all the noise.
We’re not mad at Disney and Universal for the aggressive spending (tourism keeps this city going), but it’s important for you to know this when it comes to planning an Orlando date night.
Dig deeper. Look around your area. Search a little longer. Check the new hidden gems section on the LoveTrack app. If you put a little more into your date night planning, you’re going to find some local spots that are out of this world.
We cover a few options on our list of the most romantic date night restaurants in Orlando (as well as a bunch in the app)!
Step 3 – If you’re using tourist spots for date night, use your insider Orlando knowledge.
All that said, there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of all the tourist opportunities as an Orlando local looking for a great date night. Whether it be the great restaurants at the parks or resort hotels, a fireworks cruise, hitting up Epcot’s food and wine festival, etc., there are plenty of great options that make for really neat date nights.
If you’re going to use these, though, make sure you leverage your Orlando local’s knowledge to get the best experience. Here are a few tips that quickly come to mind:
- Look for local’s discounts. – There are A LOT of Florida resident discounts you can take advantage of to make date nights in Orlando more affordable.
- Plan around the crowds. – If you’ve lived here for any length of time, you know when it gets busier and when it slows down. Plan accordingly and do your best to avoid the crowds (unless that’s your thing).
- The time of day matters, too. – When you’re scheduling, remember that the time of day matters too. If your schedule affords it, consider doing some morning dates or mid-week dates when possible to avoid the weather and crowds.
- Watch the weather. – We won’t jump on the soapbox here because we know you know, but we’re saying it just in case. When it gets super-hot or rainy out, consider doing an indoor Orlando date.
Step 4 – Get creative.
The last thing we want to share about planning an amazing date night in Orlando is this. Don’t be scared to get creative, especially if you’re looking to keep the budget intact. Going out to eat or hitting up one of the theme parks is a blast, but it can get pricey.
With a little creativity, there are so many things you can do in Orlando that are fun, connecting, and low or no cost. Again, if you want some ideas, check out the LoveTrack app we mentioned. It’s amazing for Orlando couples and completely free.