Best of Orlando 2018 – Fun & Leisure

There are treasures to be found all over Central Florida—and here’s your exclusive map to some great finds. Our annual Best of ORL list is based entirely on reader picks in dozens of categories. Plus check out our snapshot profiles of selected winners.

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Dubsdread’s Perfect Read

Rodney Reifsnider remembers hearing groans from the golfers behind him when they realized he was playing a round with his mother. “They’d say, ‘Aw, I got a woman in front of me,’ because they thought it would slow them down,” he says. Although the negativity never made her quit, Reifsnider suspects it’s the reason she would golf only with him, despite her natural ability (she averages a score of 100). As general manager of Dubsdread Golf Course, Reifsnider wanted Orlando’s oldest course to reach beyond the stereotypical golfer and find ways to acquaint more women and minorities with the sport. In 2015, Dubsdread began offering Ladies Links, a women’s monthly group lesson that teaches everything from putting to driving a golf cart, erasing intimidation from every aspect of the game. The most recent session was Hawaiian-themed, where about 20 women learned to navigate sand traps and sipped “Sandgrias.” And more than 230 women attended Dubsdread’s National Women’s Golf Day event on June 5. “I think [golf] gives women an alternative way to socialize,” Reifsnider says. “When they’re at Dubsdread, it’s their club.” — M.S.

PUBLIC GOLF COURSE

1 Dubsdread Golf Course
College Park
historicaldubsdread.com

3 Winter Park Golf Course
North of Downtown
cityofwinterpark.org

3 Twin Rivers Golf Club
Oviedo
twinriversgolfclub.com

PRIVATE GOLF COURSE

1 Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge
Bay Hill
bayhill.com

2 Isleworth Golf & Country Club
Windermere
isleworth.com/golf

3 Interlachen Country Club
Winter Park
interlachenccfl.com

Charles Hosmer Morse Morse Museum of American Art (ROBERTO GONZALEZ)

MUSEUM

1 Charles Hosmer Morse Morse Museum of American Art
Winter Park
morsemuseum.org

2 Orlando Museum of Art
Loch Haven Park
omart.org

3 Orlando Science Center
Loch Haven Park
osc.org

PLACE FOR A STAYCATION

1 Walt Disney World
Lake Buena Vista
disneyworld.disney.go.com

2 Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort
fourseasons.com

3 The Alfond Inn
Downtown Winter Park
thealfondinn.com

BUSINESS HOTEL

1 Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlando
Downtown Orlando
grandbohemianhotel.com

2 The Alfond Inn
Downtown Winter Park
thealfondinn.com

3 Hilton Orlando
Destination Parkway, off I-Drive
thehiltonorlando.com

PLACE TO GET MARRIED

1 Harry P. Leu Gardens
Orlando
leugardens.org

2 Disney’s Wedding Pavilion                                      
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Lake Buena Vista
disneyweddings.com

3 Casa Feliz Historic Home & Venue
Winter Park
casafeliz.us

ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE

1 ICON Orlando (formerly the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye)
International Drive
iconorlando.com

2 Topgolf Orlando
Universal Boulevard
topgolf.com

3 The Escape Effect
International Drive
theescapeeffect.com

NON-THEME PARK ATTRACTION

1 Orlando Science Center
Loch Haven Park
osc.org

2 Gatorland​
South Orange County
gatorland.com

3 ICON Orlando (formerly the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye)
International Drive
iconorlando.com

MOVIE THEATER

1 AMC Dine-In Disney Springs 24
Disney Springs
amctheatres.com

2 Regal Winter Park Village Stadium 20 & RPX​
Winter Park
regmovies.com

3 Epic Theatres at Lee Vista
South Orlando
epictheatres.com

LIVE MUSIC VENUE

1 Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Downtown Orlando
drphillipscenter.org

2 Hard Rock Live
Universal Orlando Resort
hardrock.com/live

3 The Plaza Live
Milk District
plazaliveorlando.com

CHARITY GALA

1 Hats and Heroes Ball
Benefits Kids Beating Cancer Pediatric Transplant Center
kidsbeatingcancer.com

2 Runway to Hope Spring Fashion Soiree
Benefits children and families affected by pediatric cancer
runwaytohope.org

3 UCP of Central Florida’s An Evening at the Palace Gala
Benefits individuals with a spectrum of disabilities
ucpcfl.org

Graffiti Junktion (ROBERTO GONZALEZ)

TRIVIA NIGHT

1 Graffiti Junktion​
Seven Orlando-area locations
graffitijunktion.com

2 Curtis Earth at Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux Audubon Park
bikesbeansandbordeaux.com

3 Red Cypress Brewery
Winter Springs
redcypressbrewery.com

FESTIVAL

1 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
Walt Disney World
disneyworld.disney.go.com

2 Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
Park Avenue, Winter Park
wpsaf.org

3 Orlando International  Fringe Theatre Festival
Loch Haven Park
orlandofringe.org