It’s now February, which means Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! For us college students, this month starts to get busier with school and club commitments, so it can be difficult to find activities to do to unwind and relax with the people we care about most. Whether you’re in a relationship or single this upcoming holiday, there are many activities to do with your significant other and your friends in Orlando, Florida!
- Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Experience
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Want to create your own tale that will be as old as time? Check out the Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Experience in Downtown Orlando! This is a 90-minute experience (where dressing up is encouraged!) that will have you embark on a journey where you’ll solve riddles and create two of your own cocktails while passing many cute photo-op areas. Tickets are on sale until the end of February; for most experiences, you’ll need to be 21+ to attend.
- Horse-drawn Carriage Rides
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Another fun event you can do with a friend or significant other is a horse-drawn carriage tour in Winter Garden, about 30 minutes drive from UCF. Located at Soul Haven Ranch, they offer specific Valentine’s Day tours for those who want a romantic and fun evening. Rain or shine, the carriage rides continue every 20 minutes.
- a Picnic
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If you want something simpler, you can always picnic in Winter Park! About a 15 minute drive from UCF’s main campus, Winter Park is a quaint town with many different shopping areas, restaurants, and lovely walkways and green areas for picnics. By having a picnic, you can enjoy the sunshine and nice weather Florida offers in February and stop by local bakeries to get Valentine’s Day themed treats, such as chocolate-covered strawberries and donuts!
- All Fired Up
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If you want to do a fun artistic activity for Valentine’s Day, stop by All Fired Up, also located in Winter Park! This is a paint-your-own pottery place where the artists hand-make pre-fired pottery pieces like frames, dishes, animals, and a lot more for people to paint. After you’re done with your creation, go to the counter to pay, and in about a week, you can go back to All Fired Up and pick up your finished, glazed piece! This is a fun date to show off your creative side.
- Bake Cookies and Cupcakes
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If you’re looking for a more relaxed activity at home on Valentine’s Day, you can put on a rom-com (such as my favorite, 10 Things I Hate About You) and bake some cookies and cupcakes. While the movie is playing you can decorate the treats with pink, red, and white frosting and sprinkles, and then relax to watch the rest of the film while eating the treats you baked!
These are just a handful of ideas for different activities to do around Orlando for Valentine’s Day. The most important thing is to surround yourself with people who truly care about you!