The Orlando Real - Life in Orlando

Boxi Park – Lake Nona

Boxi Park

The next time you’re in Lake Nona, be sure to make time to experience Boxi Park. This park consists of multiple upscale restaurant concepts ranging from chicken, lobster rolls, to tacos and craft beer. There is a spot for everyone here! What sets this place aside from everywhere else is the restaurants are running out of old shipping containers! 

Boxi Park is a part of Tavistock Restaurant Collection, which is an upscale dining hub that supports and runs restaurants all across the United States. The goal here is to use Boxi Park as an incubation spot for new restaurants, in hopes of giving them bigger & better forever homes in the Orlando area. Exercising the opportunities for growth is what Tavistock is all about! This location is…

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Lotte Plaza Market | Orlando Florida

Lotte Plaza Market is said to be one of the best Asian markets in Orlando. Since 1976, Lotte has made it their mission statement to be the creme del la creme of Asian groceries. From 1989 with one storefront, to now 12 different locations within Maryland, Virginia and the newest additions here in Florida. 

I’ve been seeing Tik Tok after Tik Tok of locals visiting this market and hyping it up, so of course, I had to see what it was all about. Was I disappointed? Absolutely not, I understand now why people have been raving.

Food Court & Grocery Store

Firstly, this market doubles as a grocery store and a food court. You know when you reward yourself after grocery shopping with fast food? Now, we can all skip the drive thru and make our way…

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Pour Choice Taphouse on Mills

Pour Choice

Earlier in November, Mills Ave welcomed its new neighbor, Pour Choice Taphouse. This is the very first self pour brewhouse in central Florida and we are all so excited to get to stop in.  Pour Choice houses over 50 different taps of beer and you’re in control of what you’d like to try!

How it Works

Upon being greeted at the door, there are different levels you can choose from in regards to how many pours you would like to do throughout your visit. After putting your card on file and showing your ID, the host will provide you with a high tech bracelet that communicates with the machines on how much you have left on it. Just place it next to the brew you’d like and boom! No waiting in bar lines, no more waiting at all!…

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MCO to Disney Resort Transportation

On January 1, 2022, Walt Disney World Resort will be retiring Disney’s Magical Express. The Magical Express was a complimentary (and very convenient) bus service that brought guests staying on Disney property to their respective resorts from the Orlando airport. Let’s take a look at how you can get from MCO to Disney Resorts (and back) after January 1, 2022.

Disney’s Magical Express

Disney’s Magical Express, as mentioned before, will be retiring its service on January 1, 2022. However, guests staying on Disney property will still be able to use the complimentary service to get to the airport until January 10, 2022. Guests will only need to find an alternate service to get to their chosen Disney resort during this time. 

Rent a…

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Wave Hotel in Lake Nona

Locals and tourists alike are in for something truly magnificent with the recent opening of the Wave Hotel in Lake Nona. This place has insane energy, outstanding colors and cutting edge design and technology backing it up. Now standing as Lake Nona’s highest building, 234 rooms built to perfection later, Wave is now open. Wave has exceeded expectations completely and has definitely impressed the community. 

Art Influence 

What makes Wave really stand out is the leisurely vibe, the stunning art throughout every hallway, the plays on architecture and furniture, it’s all so enveloping, it’s exciting, it’s new! Something will have you taken aback with every turn you take. It’s the colors and patterns of the floors, the…

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Marketplace at Avalon Park

What is it? 

Marketplace at Avalon Park is settled quite nicely in East Orlando just southeast of Alafaya. With 9 distinctive food stalls, this social house has a variety of lunch and dinner options. There is even a brewery on site that offers indoor and outdoor seating, making this the perfect weekend spot for you and your friends. Here’s a list of all the food stalls and what to expect when visiting Marketplace!

Who’s here?

Brazas Chicken

Take a trip down to South America for the best Peruvian chicken and ceviche this side of Orlando! Although Brazas is not new to the area, having another location on Orange Ave, Brazas has gotten the community excited to try something new! Visit Brazas and indulge in Peruvian x Latin cuisine…

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Orlando Hotel Recommendations

Intro

Being one of the largest tourist locations in the world, Orlando has a ridiculous amount of hotel options for you and your family while visiting. Let us give you a few of our favorite options and make it a little easier making a choice on your next visit.

Grove Resort & Water Park

Staying here means you’re minutes away from both DisneyWorld and Universal Studios. There are multiple floor plans ranging from 1-2 bedroom villas with assorted views. The Grove is best when looking for fully equipped condos/villas for prolonged stays. The grounds are extremely clean and produce a tropical florida vacation-feel, while providing a homey experience. As for amenities, the rooms are fairly basic (i.e 1-2 bedrooms, full kitchen, and 1-2…

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Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar Review

Themed bars are scattered all throughout the Orlando area due to its massive tourism market but Jock Lindsey’s really is a standout spot. Located in Disney Springs, this Indiana Jones themed bar and restaurant is full of snacks and drinks that are absolutely delicious. Let me take you on a guided tour of one of my favorite bars in Disney Springs!

So what’s the story behind the bar?

Jock Lindsey, Indiana Jones esteemed pilot from Raiders of the Lost Ark, is our bar owner. He’s an easy going pilot who’s been traveling the globe with Indy for years! Back in 1938, while chasing some tips located in the central Florida area, Indy and Jock discovered Disney Springs. They took a liking to the beautiful waterfront views…

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New Library in Winter Park

Blueprint for the Future

The city of Winter Park welcomes its newest edition to the community with a 42 million dollar state of the art library on Orlando Ave. Opening this month, the library will showcase both new and improved services. The library maintains its purpose as a clean and safe environment for any kind of studying, reading, creativity and collaboration–but let’s take a deeper dive into the definition-changing enhancements. 

All Things New

A little over 7 years in the making and in an effort to increase community engagement, architect Sir David Adjaye and local firm Hunter Brady created the ultimate turn of the century library. Here’s some things you can look forward to when planning your next visit!

• A new computer…

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All You Need To Know About Icon Park

What is Icon Park?

Trying to avoid theme park type prices but still want to add some fun to this weekend? Icon Park is the place to go, lot’s of options and fun for everyone. Icon Park is located on International Drive in Orlando and houses multiple attractions. Not only are there thrill rides, you can find plenty of dining and shopping as well. It’s versatile in the way that you can bring the whole family here for the day or enjoy date night with your spouse or friends. ICON is free admission always for all guests & open Mon-Thurs 1-10pm and Fri-Sun from 1-11pm. 

History

This space is actually still relatively new to the area, it’s only been open since 2015 but the concept has had some rebranding moments. There’s been a few name…

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