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The ultimate guide to a girls getaway to Orlando, Florida. Learn about the best resort, air boat tour, comedy club, dinner locations and more! What would you add to your list of things to do in Orlando for a girls getaway?
Things to do in Orlando for a Girls Getaway
This post may contain affiliate links. Using these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you! This post is in partnership with Visit Orlando, Hyatt, WonderWorks, The Spa, and Wild Florida, all opinions are mine alone. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Major Hoff Takes A Wife!
When I was recovering from my surgery, I set my sights on being able to travel again. When I was sick and in between the operations, I was pretty well confined to our little town, even weekend trips were too much. After the second surgery seemed to be a success, plans started to evolve for a girls weekend trip with my friends Amy (Atta Girl Says) and Abbie (Albion Gould). It really kept my spirits up to be planning and deciding what things to do in Orlando for a girls getaway. We kept our options open and said we had 5 goals in mind: a fun event, some pampering, something adventurous, a spectacular meal and a magnificent hotel.
To start off with, I’d never been to Florida. Yep, I was 40 before I made it happen. Another thing we decided was to skip the theme parks since our children weren’t with us. We also crammed quite a bit in, but it was all very relaxing. I loved Florida so much that now in addition to a family trip, I totally want to do one of these romantic getaways in Florida with the hubs and I!
I was worried about flying, and how I’d feel after traveling, so this worked out so well. To get a start on ideas for things to do in Orlando for a girls getaway we scoped out Visit Orlando’s website. The hardest part was narrowing it down! Sadly, Abbie had to cancel at the last minute, but Amy and I still ended up with an incredible itinerary, so be sure to check it all out. I can’t wait to head back with the whole family!
Things to do in Orlando for a Girls Getaway:
Our Something Fun:
We started off very low key, checking into our hotel and then taking in The Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show. They had us at all you can eat pizza, salad, beer, and wine. They were super accommodating with my pizza being gluten free too! The show is very family friendly, we were able to catch it performed by Scott Humston. He was really great about getting the audience involved.
Look at these great guys who volunteered to go up on stage!
There were guests from all over the world! Once you’ve taken in the dinner show, you’ll want to tour the whole WonderWorks building. When you arrive, you notice right away it’s upside down! In addition to over 100 interactive exhibits, it features an indoor ropes course, laser-tag, and a 4-D theater.
You start by walking through this crazy vortex (they did offer an alternate entrance if it bothered my head, but I was good to go). I don’t know how to explain how this works. As you are walking across, it makes you feel like you are being flipped upside down. It was really neat to do, and I know my boys would love it!
There were so many exhibits that we enjoyed, we were like kids in a candy shop! Here is Amy finding her house on a large Google Earth display. It was so neat to narrow down and see our cars and houses! I wish I would have known about Rock the Universe at Universal Orlando because I think that sounds like a ton of fun and something else that would rock a girl trip!
Our Something Adventurous:
After my experience feeding wild reindeer, I made a pact with myself that I would try to include as many animal encounters in my travel as I could. My heart leaped when Amy said she wanted to do an air boat ride as much as I did! My experience with Wild Florida was so incredible, I couldn’t fit it into this blog post. You can see all my amazing bird photos and review here. In addition to the air boat tour, we did a walk through of the Gator and Wildlife Park. If you’re not up to taking a boat ride, you’ll want to at least check out the animals here. Plus, see their website on how you can get free admission!
The walking paths are well kept, and you can see birds roaming free.
These 2 love birds stole my heart. How cute are they? You might have spied them on my Instagram.
I loved peacocks growing up, and they haven’t lost their appeal!
A rare sighting! Me with my new best friend! (picture courtesy of Atta Girl Says).
It’s really hard to narrow down all the photos. I absolutely loved the sloths, and may have to come back for an animal encounter! We spent a whole morning at Wild Florida, grabbed some lunch, and decided after all our sun, we were ready for our spa day!
Pampering in Orlando:
This is where I let you in on one of my darker secrets. Before traveling to Orlando, I had never been to a spa. I had never even had a pedicure before. For real. Apparently, turning 40 meant knocking off some of the bucket list items! The Spa Orlando indulged us beyond anything I ever could have imagined! I started with the most calming hot stone massage.
It was truly incredible. My masseuse was Emilly, who left me feeling like jello when it was all done. I was actually pretty nervous since the back of several of my vertebrae had been removed, but she was very accommodating when I asked her to avoid that area. Next, I had an enzymatic sea mud treatment. A mixture of sea mineral mud and seaweed was rubbed on my skin, to detoxify and exfoliate it. Next, Kylei wrapped me up like a burrito in a foil like material.
After letting everything do its thing, I was taken to a shower room where I washed it all off. Before I washed it off, I clicked a quick picture of my arm to give you an idea of what it looks like. Once all the mud was removed, I was given my choice of body butter to be applied. It was like getting a second massage! I smelled delicious afterward! I didn’t want to leave. Now I know why so many women love spa days! The Spa’s massages are rated top on Tripadvisor and Yelp, and I can see why! They have fantastic deals on Groupon, so be sure to check there when it’s time to book!
After we tore ourselves away from the spa, we headed back to our room where the wonderful staff had this waiting for us:
Our Incredible Orlando Resort:
Talk about a wonderful snack! Our accommodations for our getaway were beyond superb. The staff at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress couldn’t have been more warm and welcoming. From the moment we stepped on the property, our every need was catered to.
Upon check-in, I was greeted with a welcome glass of champagne. The view from our room was incredible and gives you a tiny peek at the amenities that the Grand Cypress offers. Located on 1500 acres, there are a plethora of activities to chose from. The lagoon swimming pool is a favorite! I mean who can resist that?
There is also a 9-hole Pitch N Putt, a health club, 24-foot climbing wall, canoeing, sailboats, paddle boats, bikes and shuttles to and from Disney, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld. There are several dining options on the property- from full scale fine dining to a grab & go market.
Our room was a standard double room:
Most importantly for me and the start to a good day, THIS was fully stocked:
After relaxing a bit after returning, we were so thankful to be able to enjoy a mouthwatering meal on the property at the LakeHouse. I love when I don’t have to find a place to eat in a strange city! Our meal was heavenly.
I’m still dreaming about this Cherry Soda I had!
I’m hoping to recreate this drink for the blog sometime soon. They also served the most scrumptious flourless gluten free chocolate cake I’ve ever had. It was beyond incredible, and I may have eaten half of it the next day for breakfast! I’m still dreaming about it.
So just to recap, if you’re , you're planning things to do in Orlando for a girls getaway, you don’t want to miss out on these 5 things:
5 Must Do’s For A Girls Trip To Orlando
- A superb hotel / resort - Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
- A day of pampering - The Spa Orlando
- An adventure - Wild Florida Airboats
- A spectacular meal - The LakeHouse
- A fun event - The Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show
Have you done any of these things? I’d love to hear how you make the most out of your trips to Orlando! What would you put on your list of things to do in Orlando for a girls getaway? Drop me a comment below!
Don't miss my post about my air boat tour with Wild Florida!
Happy Travels!
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