21 and Oh So Fun

Becoming an official adult. How fun.

My daughter will turn 21 in October of her junior year at UCF as do many students during their junior year. How fun! This birthday is often coined as pretty significant, but mostly, for college students, because they can now legally get into places that they could not get into before. Some schools have traditions that students participate in (and we don’t get the opportunity to say no anymore, but we can still throw in a few “be careful and make good choices” beforehand).

Want to send a very cool Pop Up Card to mark the occasion? We love these.

On “Sign Night,” a bucket list of things to do is created by the friends of the birthday person. People use a marker to sign their signature to one’s body for each shot done together. Often a bottle of champagne is popped open for the crowd from atop the bar. These are amongst the night’s activities. It sounds to me like a themed bar crawl in honor of the student turning 21. It is similar to what FSU girls call a Waltz. Not everyone chooses to have a “Sign Night” for their 21st.

Here are the favorite places that those 21 and over recommend when going out to have 21+ fun. There are many clubs in downtown Orlando that accept 18 and over, but to drink you must be 21.

• Aero Rooftop Bar – open Thursday-Sunday for dancing, private cabanas & bottle serviceChillers – is actually in the central business district on W. Church Street. Check out the dollar drinks on Wednesday nights.
• Cowboys – Free admission with college ID and lots of drink specials on various nights
• Downtown on Thursday nights is always fun if you’re 21! Some other popular places are Shots (has dessert flavored shots and daily deals), Saddle Up, Crow, and Attic.
• Drink Around the World at Epcot –Many students Drink Around the World once they are 21 and before they leave UCF- just make sure you have a designated driver or are taking a shared ride back to UCF
• GILT – Often you go there after pre-gaming at Pub or Liv and then there is a bus to GILT, which is a club.
• Habaneros is a Mexican restaurant and bar located on University that has great BOGO margaritas, as well as free chips and salsa
• House of Blues – Downtown Disney
• Icebar – in Orlando on iDrive
• Joysticks Arcade Bar – downtown
• M- Lounge is a rooftop bar near downtown and it is absolutely amazing! It is very classy yet reasonably priced. Some students take their families there graduation weekend for a happy hour.
• Mango’s Tropical Café – iDrive (dinner and a show)
• One80 Skytop Lounge – on Church Street in the Amway Center
• Tin Roof – live music on iDrive

Wine Down Wednesday, located at Celine downtown, is also extremely popular. This takes place downtown and for $15 it is all you can drink wine and all you can eat. There is a mini food bar; nothing too extravagant. It is very popular and a great way to spend a Wednesday night.

Local

• Knight’s Library – referred to as Lib, a bit trashy and rowdy, but the bathrooms are kind of nice (in comparison to others)
• Pub – happy hour, get there and get your barstool, walking distance from fraternity houses
• Public House – on University, more for adults, not really the college scene
• Bar Louie– located in Plaza
• World of Beer – more for the upperclassmen, Tuesday nights are Karaoke night, Wednesday night is university night so drinks are cheaper, Sunday nights are trivia
• Taco Bell’s Cantina – opening soon and will sell beer, yes, beer. They will not, however, have a drive-through.
• The Brass Tap – in Waterford, This bar has many events throughout the week like trivia nights, specialty beer nights or fun drink of the week
• Social House – restaurant and bar, cash bingo Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Poker Wednesdays, 90’s Thursdays, half-off apps on Fridays and Saturdays, brunch Sundays

Fraternity boys may sell bands for pre-banding for events to various bars. This can save money upon entry. Pre-banding can require a wait, but it is much shorter than just going and waiting to get into most places and may include entry as well as the bus. It can vary, so be sure to check. And, as always, be careful and call for a ride when you are ready to go home. Sorry, I had to say it; it comes with my parental rights.

Finally, hit up some of the breweries in Orlando. These include:

• Orlando Brewing Company 
• Crooked Can Brewing Company
• Dead Lizard Brewing Company
• Ten10 Brewing Company
• Hourglass Brewing 
• Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour & Brewery
• Something’s Brewing
• Ellipsis Brewery & Taproom 
• Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company 
• Tactical Brewing Company 
• The Bear and Peacock Brewery 
• Broken Strings Brewery
• Deviant Wolfe Brewing 
• Bowigens Beer Company
• RockPit Brewing
• Oviedo Brewing Company 
• Wop’s Hops Brewing Company
• Toll Road Brewing Company

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.