BA is to fly from Gatwick to Orlando twice a day from March 29.
And to mark the increased service, they are offering return flights with a seven night hotel stay from £479 per person.
Colm Lacy, head of commercial at Gatwick, said: “We are offering more seats than ever before to Orlando. The destination has always been popular with families seeking out sunshine, but now we are seeing a huge rise in the number of young travellers heading for the city, which is fast-becoming one of the east coast’s most lively destinations.”
He added that as well as sunshine hotspots, Orlando offers areas of outstanding natural beauty, as well as a stylish shopping and a vibrant food and music scene.
There’s no better way of finding out where to go in Orlando then asking the locals. Here’s some insider tips:
Falon, the artistic and extrovert owner of vintage shopping boutique ‘Etoile’ in Orlando, recommends:
- Tasty Tuesdays in The Milk District is really rad – it’s a weekly food truck block party behind my shop along side all if the craft beer and wine bars next to me with 13 food trucks every Tuesday from 6:30-10pm.
- Big Daddy’s is a classic dive bar that does karaoke every night of the week – a great time to go and sing with your friends or just watch the die hard singers that have been going there for years. It’s in Audubon Park about 5 minutes from downtown Orlando.
- Renninger’s is an indoor/outdoor antique market in Mt. Dora (about 40 minutes from Orlando) open every weekend. You can find some unique antiques out there…lemonade and boiled peanuts too. If you can, try and make it for one of their Extavaganza events – it’s typically quarterly each year and people come from all over the country to sell.
- Enzian Theatre is an independent movie theatre with a full liquor bar, restaurant and indoor/outdoor seating in Winter Park – host of The Florida Film Festival and other fun events.
- Wekiwa Springs is a state park with a natural spring where people can go kayaking, canoeing, camping and swimming in a fun/family friendly environment. It’s about 20 minutes from downtown Orlando.
David Rose (also known as BooBoo) who co-owns his Paddleboard Orlando with his uncle Ned, recommends:
- New Smyrna Beach is where the Orlando locals go. It’s only 55 minutes from Orlando, fabulous food – like, Breakers, The Garli and Clancy’s Cantina, along with numerous beach breaks, great for surfing, body boarding and paddleboarding, and you can drive on the beach!
- Wekiva Island is wild Florida at its finest – great food, beverages and adventures, perfect for hanging out or being active on the water or off.
- If you’re looking for a fancy local restaurant then I like Hillstones, for a more casual evening I’d always head off for PR’s Taco palace.
- Leave the attractions for a day and walk on water with us at ‘Paddleboard Orlando’ – it may just be the best day of your holiday, and we offer it in several locations across Orlando.
Local band The ShBooms, a regular instalment at local music venue ‘The Social’ recommend:
- Hang out at Will’s Pub or Lil Indies. They offer live music, great craft beers, cheap beers and same with the spirits. Punk, garage, soul, metal, jazz, comedy, indie. You never know what you’re gonna get, but you’ll always have a great time with friends.
- Check out Orlando’s new MLS team, Orlando City Soccer Club!
- Park Ave Cd’s or Rock and Roll Heaven are the places to visit if you love music shops that we do. Park Ave has a lot of newer selection of music cool books, posters etc., while Rock and Roll Heaven has a lot of older hard to find records, books etc. It’s a tie, they’re both great.
- Always gotta look good, so visit Alchemy for the ultimate in style
Orlando foodies, James and Julie Petrakis, who own coveted eatery ‘The Ravenous Pig’, recommend:
- ‘Red light red light’ is a great place to enjoy a range of beers and wines. Open until 2am for a reason!
- For a fantastic fishing experience, you can’t beat Mosquito Lagoon. It’s 45 minutes from Orlando and offers visitors a chance to completely unwind and relax on the water.
- And of course we would always recommend our very own restaurant for food and drink – The Ravenous pig.
For BA holiday deals see ba.com
