Weekend with Dad

The Best Things to Do With Your Dad on the Weekend

My first father-daughter weekend was freshman year when my dad and I didn’t really know what to do for the weekend and we ended up hanging in my apartment all weekend. When he came up the following year, we had more of a game plan. You may want to check out Nature vs Nurture if you are wondering what to do.

It is very popular to take your dad to tailgate, except my dad isn’t the type of guy who wanted to go. Instead, we went downtown to the World of Beer to watch the game. Being in Orlando, a central hub of entertainment, there are so many options of things you can do. So far, my favorite thing I have done with my dad is going to NASA and actually seeing a launch. NASA posts on their websites all of the launches coming up. Kennedy Space Center is only a 45-minute drive away and UCF even has discounted tickets. You can also get discounted tickets for any of the Orlando theme parks.

When my dad used to come up to visit my brother, the two of them loved going to either Orlando City Soccer games or the Orlando Magic Basketball games. They have never made it to an Orlando Solar Bears game, but I have heard those are a lot of fun as well. For a more active weekend, you can reserve a bay at either Drive Shack or Top Golf – both of these places have a bar and full menu and you can golf. Or, if you want to stay closer to UCF, you can go bowling at Firkin and Kegler that also doubles as a bar and billiards area. Lastly, if you want to have a laid-back weekend with your dad, there are so many natural springs in the area where you can raft down or kayak down beautiful nature trails.

• Bowling – Two options: Boardwalk Bowl or the better option, in my opinion, is Firkin and Kegler – a bar/pub, with huge TV’s for watching sports games, lounging, and bowling
• Central Florida Zoo
• Congo River Mini-golf – which is right by UCF
• Drive Shack- golfing games and food and bar- starting at $30 an hour for the bay – near Lake Nona
• Escape Rooms – one by I-Drive, one by UCF. A lot of my friends have done this with their dads and it’s always a hit!
• ESPN World Wide of Sports at Disney
• Hollywood Drive Mini-golf – At Citywalk in Universal, starting at $12.99
• Kennedy Space Center (can get discounted tickets at UCF ticket center)
• Natural Springs for kayaking or paddleboarding at a variety of places; UCF has kayaking and paddleboarding or head to Rock Kelly Springs, Wekiva Springs or Ginnie Springs
• Orlando Apollos – new football team in Orlando.
• Orlando City Soccer games
• Orlando Magic Basketball games
• Orlando Solar Bears Hockey

Usually, when my dad comes up, we look for 5ks or 10ks runs that are happening in the area- there is usually once a month and Winter Park and Lake Eola are nice to walk around. Another fun thing to do if you are 21 or older is to 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

Just because it is Orlando, it doesn’t always have to be about Disney…but that is always fun too. 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.