Pleasure Island, Downtown Disney, and CityWalk are the biggest nighttime draws for most tourists and some locals. However, the dozens of clubs and bars on International Drive, along Orange Avenue, and in the rest of downtown Orlando attract most homegrown night owls, business travelers who want to stay as far as possible from the Mickey madness, and a small number of enterprising tourists who venture north at night.
Other Places to Party -- In addition to the other clubs listed, other Downtown hot spots include Chillers, the Big Belly Brewery, and Lattitudes, 33 W. Church St. (tel. 407/939-4270) -- three separate clubs located in a single trilevel building that are all geared to the young-adult crowd with an atmosphere that's very casual. Another nighttime complex lined with clubs and bars is Wall Street Plaza (www.wallstplaza.net), a "meet market" on Wall Street that's home to The Globe (tel. 407/849-9904), a European patio cafe; Slingapours (tel. 407/849-9904), a dance club with an indoor and outdoor patio for relaxing; Waitiki (tel. 407/849-0471), a retro Tiki lounge and restaurant; the Monkey Bar (tel. 407/849-0471), a hip martini lounge and cocktail bar; One Eyed Jacks (tel. 407/648-2050) and the Loaded Hog (tel. 407/649-1918), both party bars; the Tuk Tuk Room (tel. 407/849-9904), a cocktail and sushi lounge; and the Wall Street Cantina (tel. 407/420-1515), a bar that serves mean margaritas.
Lounging Around
Some of Orlando's most unique nightlife is located in its hotels. Even locals head to some of these after dark.
Todd English's bluezoo bar at the Walt Disney World Dolphin (tel. 407/934-1111; www.thebluezoo.com) serves up classic cocktails in a hip and chic atmosphere. At Disney's Grand Floridian (tel. 407/824-3000), a pianist and band alternate playing time from 3 to 9:45pm in the lobby. Outer Rim at the Contemporary Resort (tel. 407/824-1000) is a trendy nightspot and close to the monorail. Kimono's sushi bar in the Walt Disney World Swan (tel. 407/934-3000) offers karaoke after 8:30pm, while the entertainment is purely visual at the Winston's Bar in the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld (tel. 407/351-5555), which overlooks the huge atrium, glass elevators, and koi pond.
Baskerville's in the Grosvenor (tel. 407/827-6534) offers a solve-it-yourself mystery dinner show on Saturdays at 6 and 9pm ($40 adults, $11 kids 3-9). Nearby, Moriarty's Pub serves English ales to go along with darts or billiards. And Auggie's Jammin' Piano Bar offers dueling pianos at 9pm nightly at the Gaylord Palms (tel. 407/586-0000). Sit back and relax (in velvet chairs, we might add) at the Velvet Lounge at the Hard Rock Hotel (tel. 407/503-3700), where you can down cocktails while surrounded by rock-'n'-roll memorabilia and music.
Gay & Lesbian Nightspots
You can get all sorts of useful information on events from Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Community Services of Central Florida, 946 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, FL 32803 (tel. 407/228-8272; www.glbcc.org). GayOrlando Network (www.gayorlando.com) and the Gay Guide to Florida (http://gay-guide.com) also feature a lot of nightlife entries.
