Safest Places to Visit Your Student This Semester

We Still love to Visit Our Knights

Let’s face it, these are odd and crazy times! Things look very different at UCF this semester but one thing is still for sure; we all still love to visit our Knights and they love visits from us. There are plenty of different food options that offer outside and patio seating, are operating at 50% capacity indoors, and others provide pick up or delivery to adhere to and cater to potential COVID-19 related concerns.

Dining

• Bar Louie
• Bubba Gump
• Cafe TuTu Tango
• Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
• Chipotle
• Cocina 214
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Lazy Moon
• Little Greek
• Mamak Asian Street Food
• Marlow’s Tavern
• Swine & Sons
• The Briar Patch
• The Porch

Outdoor Activities

There are also many outdoor activities to participate in to make memories in a safe and socially distanced manner. Watch the UCF game at a local bar (Island Wing Co, Bar Louie, Castaways) all of these places offer outdoor seating as well. They have great food and offer multiple specials on game days.

• Nothing like an early happy hour and a UCF win. Check out our blog Where to Watch the Knights.
• Go to the Farmer’s Markets at both Lake Eola and Waterford Lakes. They offer so many cool outside vendors with food, activities, shopping, and more. Have a bite to eat or even take a ride on the Lake Eola Swan Boats. Makes for a great Sunday with the parents!
• Take a nice scenic nature airboat ride, Black Hammock on Lake Jessup. It costs $29.95 per adult and $24.95 per child for a 30-minute ride. Florida residents can receive a discount if they show proof. You can book a ride straight through their website.
• Kayak tour with Get Up and Go Kayaking – They have multiple locations throughout Florida and offer different kayaks that can fit up to 10 people. The Winter Park location is the closest location to Orlando and they charge $50 for daytime and sunset rides, and $55 for a glow in the dark ride.
• Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park is an outdoor park that has a huge Zipline, 97 Aerial challenges, and 2 separate courses for kids with different challenges. They have different ladders, swinging logs, Tarzan ropes, and suspended bridges. There are all different levels of difficulty.
• Check out a drive-in movie in Lakeland at Silver-Moon Drive-In. A little bit of a drive but worth it for a fun movie night with your parents. Tickets are $2 for young kids and $6 for adults. You can check their website to see what they are showing each night. They recommend getting there early on weekends because it gets crowded pretty fast.
• UCF’s Arboretum is offered to the public so you don’t have to be a student to visit. It’s a beautiful nature tour that you can even volunteer in. They want people to see the outside living laboratory and admire all its beauty. It costs $5 a person for the tour and they are offered Monday-Friday from 8:00 am-4:00 pm. These tours can last from 1-3 hours depending on how many people attend.
• Paddleboard Orlando is a great spot for a nice day of paddleboarding on a clear spring. Ride along with beautiful views on the spring that is patrolled by employees to help. The spring is only about hips length deep and you can see all the turtles and fish in the water. They also offer boat tours and other rental options.
• Elite Bikes Orlando is a spot where you can rent bikes or go on a bike tour throughout Baldwin Park. They offer a more scenic route throughout winter park and a more intense ride through Lake Apopka. You can also just take the bikes out for your own adventure for a bit. They can do groups up to 10 and you can ride anywhere from 25-60 miles. Definitely a fun workout.
• Bob’s Balloons offer Hot Air Balloon rides throughout Orlando. They offer rides in Orlando, Kissimmee, Davenport, Disney, and more. You will experience amazing views of wildlife, lakes, and skylines. Bob’s Balloons has 20 years of experience and is recommended on trip advisor. You can book your flight right through their website.
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park is a mainly outdoor park and Disney has taken many measures to make sure that the park is safe to visit during the pandemic. You must wear a mask throughout your entire visit and reserve the park ahead of time so they know how many people to expect that day. You can still ride your favorite roller coasters and stay safe!
• Universal City Walk is always a guaranteed fun time. With tons of different restaurants, bars, and activities to choose from, there’s a lot of different options for a night out with the family. They even have a mini-golf course. The best part is, you don’t need a ticket to Universal to head over here.

Regardless of how you choose to visit your student this school year, we hope you make the most of your time with them in their college town by seeing their favorite places (via walking or driving), meeting their friends, and catching up on all the fun times they are having. Pass on these great tips, tell your friends and like us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Find out more about how to use HaveUHeard as a great resource. Sign up for other great tips at haveuheard.com.