A curiosity question… how many of us have visited downtown Orlando?

[Saratoska]

I went when I was about 15 when my parents took me to Rosie ogradys for a meal but that was when the holiday inn was the only hotel on the 192 and there was only magic kingdom and bush gardens 🤣

[megaflyer]

Originally Posted by MOUSEMARSH

First went to Church St in 1989 when it was a big entertainment complex and had a great time. It all closed down a good few years ago but we've been since a few times, there's loads of restaurants and bars with some good live music, we've even stayed at the Crowne Plaza Downtown for a couple of nights. I saw a news report that there trying to convert the old station into bars and restaurants aswell.

We go to Manchester a lot and I've seen plenty of dodgy things there aswell.

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I agree - we have Hounslow an area I had to visit (Feltham) for work but and we all hated going there as it was very deprived and driving through Orlando remind of there (and around Heathrow) - all international airports are similar and less desirable areas than others.

[Rac20]

I went to the courthouse - does that count?

[holidaysaver75]

We went up to Church Street Station first time we went and still have the souvenir glasses. We did Rosie O’Grady’s and had the most expensive steak I’ve ever paid for. We quite enjoyed it up there. I can’t remember being overly worried about the area as we were on an organised excursion but I do also remember all the instructions at the time about not stopping / keeping windows closed if you were a tourist. The one time we realised we were a bit out of our depth was when we travelled with someone who liked to pinch pennies and directed us to KSS avoiding tolls. Don’t know which way we went but it was seedy and we saw loads of fly tipping, people sitting on wrecked sofas in front gardens etc. DH refused to go back the same way and we paid the tolls.

Having said that, a friend used to own a hairdressers in the Disney area and their son had a terrifying experience with a man wielding a gun in what was then Disney’s Westside. Shows you have to be careful anywhere.

[Melvin Pearce]

We go once a year to our accountant to sort out our yearly tax bill. They are in one of the tall buildings.
Afterwards we drive south to Mall of Millenia for lunch and to window shop.
This last winter we also went to the Amway Center to see Andre Rieu went down the new expressway on the I-4 and straight off and turned left.

Lesley and Melvin

[sky13]

I haven't been to downtown Orlando and don't think I'll be going. I might lack the street smarts to figure out when an area is unsafe (quite common in people who grew up where I did) so will stick to Disney and Universal and other tourist areas...

[sophiepop]

We went to Church Street Station years ago and it was lovely, but the area looked very dicey to me, it was a 'lock your doors' kind of place!

[hvasey]

The first time we went to Church st. Station was 1996, we were evacuated onto busses then had to sit there for ages as there was a gunman on the loose.

[cartoonp]

Yes many times the main bus station there also we had a wander around

[ROBBOTOO]

Originally Posted by EssexGirl13

Yes! We got married in Leu Gardens in 2007 and had to go to the courthouse to sort out paperwork beforehand, so had a mooch around then. I can’t say it was particularly memorable!

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We also got married in Leu Gardens but in 2005. Went to the court house for our licence a couple of days before, but left straight away and spent the rest of the day at Universal. Not sure other than for that we would have gone otherwise.