From theme park thrills to indoor entertainment, there are plenty of fun, new options for groups to enjoy after business hours that are a short walk (or drive) from the Convention District.
• Visit Orlando announced that the destination welcomed more than 75.3 million visitors in 2024, a 1.8 percent increase year-over-year. Domestic visitation grew by 1.4 percent, totaling 68.8 million travelers. Inbound international travel increased at an even faster pace, rising 5.9 percent from the previous year. Canada remains the leading international market for the city with 1.29 million visitors, accounting for a 2.7 percent increase over 2023 and setting a new record for the second consecutive year. The remaining top five international origin markets are the United Kingdom (907,900), Brazil (697,200), Mexico (438,000) and Colombia (343,000). The meetings industry also realized a 3.9 percent gain, representing more than 5.6 million delegates. "The group meeting's growth exemplifies why Orlando is the top meetings destination in the country," said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of the CVB. "While multiple citywide meetings experiences record-breaking attendance in 2024, our destination continues to invest in the future with the Grand Concourse Expansion at the Orange County Convention Center breaking ground later this year." Overall, last year's numbers were predominantly made up of domestic leisure travelers (81 percent), followed by domestic business (10 percent) and international (9 percent).
• In April, the Michelin Guide Florida for 2025 was revealed, giving two stars to Japanese restaurant Sorekara. One star went to Ômo by Jônt, which serves innovative dishes such as chawanmushi egg custard with sweet potato and brown butter sauce. Orlando now has nine Michelin-starred restaurants, 15 Bib Gourmand eateries and 35 Michelin-recommended dining outlets.
• In Winter Park, a suburb of Greater Orlando, Scenic Boat Tours takes groups out on lakes Osceola, Virginia and Maitland, slipping through man-made canals. Each pontoon boat holds up to 18 sailors, who can gawk at the waterfront mansions and learn about local history. Tours leave every hour between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Mosonori's two Orlando locations are now open for business. Helmed by James Beard Award-finalist and Michelin-recognized chef Henry Moss, the Japanese restaurant was unveiled in Winter Park in November and in Sand Lake in April. On the menu are a variety of tasting menus, handrolls, sashimi and signature sake cocktails.
• A 3,500-seat venue has been added to the blueprints for Westcourt, an upcoming mixed-use development in downtown Orlando. Construction on the event space will begin early next year and is scheduled to be completed in 2027. Westcourt also will feature a 260-room Kimpton hotel, 265 residences and a 1.5-acre event lawn.
• Lorelei wine bar began welcoming oenophiles in April 2025 in the Mills 50 neighborhood. Lounging areas, a 10-seat bar, two private rooms and a garden patio offer a variety of settings for sipping.
• Last year, Visit Orlando launched orlandomeeting.com to promote the region to planners and attendees. The enhanced website allows event professionals to discover available resources from the CVB and to submit RFPs.
• Plans to bring Area15 to Orange County have been canceled. The immersive art and entertainment venue in Las Vegas was scheduled to open a second location in late 2024. According to WFTV, the 16.5-acre plot has been listed for sale with a "possible hotel" to occupy the space.
• Black Coffee/Cafe Negro Bistro has been revving up caffeine enthusiasts in Winter Park since January. In addition to its coffee creations, the restaurant features a robust menu of breakfast plates, such as ricotta scrambled eggs, raspberry grilled cheese and croque madame.
• Corazón by Baires opened in October on International Drive, less than 10 minutes from the convention center. The 12,000-square-foot, Latin-American-inspired restaurant offers a variety of event spaces, from semi-private indoor rooms to a full buyout with the outdoor patio. On May 15, 2025, the 4,000-square-foot Kali Dining Room debuted with 13 80-inch screens and capacity for 165 people. The entire restaurant can accommodate more than 1,000 guests.
• Pointe Orlando in the convention district has a plethora of options for groups, from eatery Kavas Tacos + Tequila to gaming destination Main Event Entertainment. A full buyout of the 17 acres is available for larger events, with a maximum capacity of 14,000.
• Four local restaurants have earned stars in the 2024 Michelin Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa: Camille, Natsu, Victoria & Albert's, and Papa Llama. Soseki Modern Omakase, Capa Steakhouse and Bar, and Kadence have all retained their one-star awards. Plus, Sushi Saint and Zaru were given Bib Gourmand designations.
• Pinstripes debuted on April 20, 2024, the brand's second Florida location and 17th in the country. The venue features a full-service bistro, 16 bowling lanes, four indoor and outdoor bocce courts, two outdoor patios, and four private event spaces for groups of up to 1,000.
• Judson's Live, a new music space, opened in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in February 2024. The 150-seat venue, the center's fourth performance space, serves specialty cocktails and a seasonal menu of small plates. Steinmetz Hall opened in January 2022, and can accommodate 850 for a reception, 600 banquet and 1,700 theater style.
• Arcade Monsters unveiled its fifth location in November 2023. The restaurant and video game bar on International Drive offers classic bar food, as well as games, such as skeeball, PacMan and a free-throw basketball competition. The 16,000-square-foot venue can accommodate more than 1,000 people for an event.
• A performing arts venue opened in downtown Orlando at the beginning of 2023. Fringe ArtSpace has two theaters: a 166-seat main stage and a black-box theater that can hold 40 to 60 audience members. The programming is a mix of traditional shows and concerts, as well as a studio series with weekly, monthly and pop-up events.
• Luminary Green Park is a new gathering space in the Creative Village district. The 2.3-acre park has a lawn for recreation where events are hosted.
• Orlando's Island H2O Water Park now welcomes groups. Special group pricing was launched in March 2022, so planners can reserve cabanas, have the park opened early for their group or request a full buyout. Gatherings of 15 or more save 50 percent on admissions, and meals can be held in the venue's private spaces.
• Though Orange County offers many championship courses, it also features a great minigolf scene. Created with Tiger Woods and opened in June 2022, PopStroke offers two 18-hole putting courses, and lots of friendly competition. Event packages require a minimum of 15 guests.
• New to the Orlando food scene is Immersion at London House. A new boutique restaurant by Chef Rikku O'Donnchu, it features a three-hour, 15-course tasting menu. The concept's ingredients focus on zero waste, science, climate change and sustainable farming.
• Opened in June 2022 is the Bandbox, a speakeasy-style, alcohol-free tasting lounge and vintage shop. Aside from the menu of mocktails, the bar will serve nonalcoholic beer and wine.
• New York Beer Project opened a tasting room in Winter Garden in summer 2022, the company's first Florida location. Guests can sample up to 20 craft brews on tap, and grab a bite to eat at the gastropub or sidewalk bistro.
• Art² ("art squared"), an urban park featuring a two-story shipping container structure, made its debut in downtown Orlando in spring 2022. The park incorporates a café, art gallery, stage, seating, digital video walls and a gift shop, as well as an artificial turf courtyard, a concrete patio, picnic tables and hammocks and two food truck spaces.
• Visit Orlando’s site, OrlandoMeeting.com, has many resources to offer planners, including the 360-degree Orlando Virtual Tour, information on our newest venues, planner testimonials and access to our Healthy Traveler page.
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
• SeaWorld debuted Penguin Trek in spring 2024, a family coaster that reaches 43 mph and runs through an icy cavern, ending in the park's penguin habitat.
• In May 2023, SeaWorld® Orlando launched its seventh rollercoaster, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster. The attraction is the first of its kind, using immersive design elements such as a surfing drop-in and wave-jumping motions, for a unique ocean adventure.
• Ice Breaker, SeaWorld Orlando’s first launch coaster, opened in February 2022. The ride features four launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch with a 93-foot-tall spike with 100-degree angle, the steepest vertical drop in Florida.
• Riders on Reef Plunge, Aquatica Orlando's new water slide, twist and turn through 330 feet of fiberglass, and travel underwater to view dolphins, leopard sharks and other marine life.
Orlando International Airport
Flights began taking off from Orlando International Airport's $2.8 billion Terminal C in September last year. The airport's largest expansion ever added 15 gates, accommodating up to 20 aircraft, and increasing capacity by about 2 million passengers. In March 2023, a $69 million federal grant was announced to build up to eight more gates and a pedestrian walkway from the new terminal to terminals A and B. Completion is expected within 15 to 18 months.
The high-speed rail Brightline began service to the airport in September 2023, connecting riders to stops throughout South Florida, including West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Corporate customers can book tickets through the Brightline for Business portal, which gives companies access to fixed ride rates.
Orange County Convention Center
The Orange County Convention Center, the award-winning convention center, welcomes more than 200 conventions and events each year and 1.4 million attendees. In the past five years, walkability and connectivity have been enhanced throughout the facility and its surrounding district. Four pedestrian skybridges now connect more than 5,200 guest rooms to the convention center.
A $560 million expansion of the OCCC is scheduled to begin in 2026. The project will add 44,000 square feet of event space and a 100,000-square-foot ballroom to the North-South Building; construction is expected to finish in 2029. The OCCC also has received approval to design the second phase of the development, which includes 200,000 square feet of contiguous function space. Upon completion, the North-South Building will provide 1.5 million square feet of exhibit space.
As of 2023, Walt Disney World is a Gold Key partner with the convention center. The partnership gives planners and exhibitors using the OCCC access to Disney venues, immersive experiences and creative resources. The contract runs for three years wit the opportunity to sign three additional one-year renewals.
Hotel Additions & Renovations
Home to more than 480 hotels and resorts, including 150+ meeting hotels, Orlando has 5.8 million square feet of total meeting space beyond what is offered at the Orange County Convention Center.
• Caribe Royale Orlando is expanding its event capabilities with two new venues: the Coral Ballroom and Martinique breakout rooms. The areas are expected to start hosting groups in the fourth quarter of 2025, adding 20,000 square feet of meeting space for a total of 260,000 square feet.
• Another major development in the local hotel scene is the Villatel Orlando Resort, which opened at the beginning of March 2025. The property is made up of 256 apartment-style suites and 270 private villas, ranging from four to nine bedrooms. During their free time, groups can take advantage of the on-site water park, pickleball and basketball courts, and Top Golf swing suite.
• In February 2024, the Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek unveiled its 84,000-square-foot Waterside Ballroom and seven new breakout rooms. The 1,009-room resort also added an outdoor patio and event lawn, bringing the total event space to 240,000 square feet.
• In May 2024, Cvent named Orlando as the top meetings destination in North America for the ninth time. Also, 17 hotels were ranked as top meeting properties in North America, with 13 making the top 100 list, including the Hyatt Regency Orlando at number 14; the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes (19); the Hilton Orlando (22); the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress (31); and the Rosen Shingle Creek (43).
• Previously the Grand Cypress Resort, the Evermore Orlando Resort debuted in January 2024. Spanning 1,100 acres, the property offers 41 villas, 206 apartment-style accommodations called "flats" and 69 homes with private pools.
• Part of Evermore, the Conrad Orlando also is now open. The 433-room property has 65,000 square feet of meeting space, an 8-acre man-made lagoon, and five food-and-beverage outlets, including a signature rooftop restaurant with views of Disney's nightly fireworks. Guests of the Conrad have access to all of Evermore's amenities, such as two golf courses and a 20-acre beach complex.
• The Aloft Lake Nona opened in January 2024 with 205 rooms and more than 17,000 square feet of event space. The 10,000-square-foot Althea Lake Nona Events Center is named after Althea Gibson, one of the greatest tennis players in history, a nod to the fact that the hotel is the closest to the USTA National Campus, the largest tennis facility in the world.
• The JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek recently became a "Good Neighbor" hotel with Walt Disney World, offering groups various ticket and event options, such as after-hours pricing, immersive experiences and more.
• Attached to the Signia, the Waldorf Astoria Orlando also underwent a transformation in 2024, updating all 502 rooms, the lobby and the 18-hole golf course. Select culinary outlets also were refurbished, including the award-winning Bull & Bear. The property refreshed 60,000 square feet of meeting space last year.
• Caribe Royale Orlando's Stadium Club, an immersive sports and dining experience, launched in January 2024. The two-story, 90,000-square-foot venue is equipped with 48 virtual golf courses, a digital hockey game and a 110-foot-long TV display. The 1,335-room property completed a $127 million renovation in 2023.
• Downtown Orlando's Grand Bohemian Hotel has unveiled 246 refurbished rooms and a rooftop pool lounge. The hotel also reimagined the signature restaurant, the Bohème, which seats up to 110 people.
• In historic Winter Park, a suburb of Greater Orlando, the Alfond Inn completed a renovation in October 2023. The project added 71 rooms, bringing the total to 183. Other additions include a cafe and a spa. New meeting rooms bring the property's event space to 12,400 square feet. The hotel is home to a rotating collection of fine art and offers free weekly tours of the works.
• The Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando — Disney Springs Area began welcoming guests in December 2022. The Walt Disney partner hotel has 604 rooms, more than 17,000 square feet of meeting space and shuttle service to all four theme parks.
• In January 2023, the Orlando World Center Marriott unveiled the North Tower's refreshed meeting space. The 14,000-square-foot area received new décor, flooring and more. In 2022, the 2,010-room resort, which is the largest Marriott in the world, opened the 36,000-square-foot Magnolia room, bringing the property's total event space to more than 500,000 square feet.
• Comprised of the 582-room Ritz-Carlton and the 1,010-room JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes Orlando unveiled its expanded waterpark attraction in January 2023. The Grande Lakes Waterpark now features a lazy river, waterslides, an aquatic obstacle course, a restaurant and VIP fire pit lounge. The 500-acre resort also recently completed a multimillion-dollar, propertywide renovation that encompassed both hotels. The Ritz-Carlton offers more than 147,000 square feet of meeting space; the JW Marriott has more than 152,000.
• The fine-dining restaurant Rosa Mexicano has opened its first Florida locale at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. The menu offers classic Mexican cuisine alongside more innovative dishes, and the bar features more than 100 varieties of tequila and a menu of agave-based cocktails. Maximum capacity is 300 guests and a private dining room can seat up to 50 people for smaller gatherings.
• The Cambria Hotel Orlando Universal Boulevard debuted in May 2023. The property, which has 118 rooms and a rooftop pool and lounge, is three miles from the Orange County Convention Center.
• Orlando has been chosen to be home to the second Sports Illustrated Resort. A lifestyle concept from the magazine brand, the first hotel debuted in the Dominican Republic in early 2023. Plans for the Florida location, expected to open in 2024, include ziplining, rock-climbing and go-karting facilities, and a pool with a lazy river and waterslides.
• The 550-room Fairmont Orlando is scheduled to open in Orlando's entertainment district in early 2025. The hotel will feature a spa and wellness center, three pools, more than 44,000 square feet of event space, and seven dining options, including a Mediterranean restaurant and an upscale steakhouse.
• The 1,641-room Hyatt Regency Orlando introduced a new food-and-beverage concept in April 2023. Descend 21 is a lounge and entertainment venue with indoor and outdoor seating, billiards, virtual golf, and a terrace with firepits.
• The 234-room Lake Nona Wave Hotel opened in December 2021. Dubbed a "hotel of the future," the property features self-driving shuttles, voice automated in-room controls, and View Glass smart windows that tint in response to the sun and other outdoor conditions. Groups can incorporate wellness into their events with the Lake Nona Performance Club, home to Deepak Chopra's Mind-Body Zone and Spa, which offers yoga and meditation classes. The new hotel has 17,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.
• After two years of construction, the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center revealed a $158 million expansion in July 2021. The project added 306 guest rooms and more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, bringing the property's totals to 1,718 rooms and more than 500,000 square feet of event space.
• In July 2021, the 1,334-room Rosen Centre Hotel welcomed Michael McMullen as its new executive chef. He has been with Rosen Hotels & Resorts for 15 years, and was previously executive chef at sister property Rosen Plaza. Dining outlets at the hotel include Caribbean cuisine at Harry's Poolside Bar & Grill and fresh Mexican fare at 98 Forty Tapas & Tequila.
• Three-time James Beard Award semifinalist and Top Chef contestant John Tesar has brought Knife Burger to the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. Featuring a more expanded menu than the original in Texas, the poolside restaurant offers burgers, seafood burgers and salads.
• AC Hotel by Marriott Orlando Lake Buena Vista offers a state-of-the-art, 24-hour fitness facility, inventive chef-tailored dining and signature cocktail service. The property opened June 2022.
• AC Hotels Orlando Downtown is a recent addition to downtown Orlando, the 180-room features modern guest rooms with a sleek European-inspired design, three meeting spaces, a fitness center, and SkyBar Rooftop Terrace where 360° city views.
• Tru by Hilton Orlando Convention Center Area opened near the West Concourse of the OCCC. This hotel features 259 guest rooms and 2,200 square feet of meeting space. Complimentary breakfast, parking and Wi-Fi are included for all guests.