Orlando Haunts: Experience US Ghost Adventures in Downtown Orlando - and it's Dog Friendly!1/1/2026  Orlando Haunts Tour Meeting Spot New Year, New You? How about New Year, New things to do in Central Florida. Did you know that there is a ghost tour right here in Downtown Orlando? Look no further than Orlando Haunts, part of US Ghost Adventures, for your spooky-loving needs. Even better - it is DOG-FRIENDLY! We were invited to experience one of Orlando Haunt's ghost tours and opted for a Saturday evening in December. Downtown was very busy, so I would suggest a weeknight or date not so close to a holiday, but it was still fun! The tour is one-hour long (or about 1.5 hours if you add the extended portion which includes two additional spots visited). The tour meets outside the Orlando History Center, so I recommend parking in the library parking lot or one of the nearby lots.  Orlando Haunts Tour Guide This walking tour takes you to a few different spots in Downtown, where you’ll learn about some of the macabre and ghostly things that have taken place right in our own backyard. One of my favorite things about ghost tours is learning the history of an area, and this did not disappoint as I learned a lot that I never knew had taken place here, and sadly, never really questioned. For instance, have you ever really thought about what things were like one hundred or more years ago on Church Street and/or the old railroad station?
If you are a dog parent, this tour is DOG-FRIENDLY for well-behaved pups. When we saw this as an option, we immediately decided to bring our pup along. Beatrix loved walking with the group and seeing the sites. She wasn’t used to the stop and go of a tour, or the busy streets of Downtown, but she really enjoyed herself and we questioned if perhaps she could see any of the ghosts being discussed, as she was highly interested in a few of the stops. This was such a fun way to enjoy a Saturday evening out and be able to include our fur child. More Information Orlando Haunts offers nightly ghost tours as well as a haunted pub crawl- which sounds so fun! The ghost tour offers an extended portion with two extra sites and they also offer a rental of an EMF activity detector. We rented a detector and it was spooky to see it light up in certain areas along our walk. Orlando Haunts is part of US Ghost Adventures which has tours across the country, in 170 cities! To learn more about Orlando Haunts and/or US Ghost Adventures, including pricing and availability, visit their websites: US Ghost Adventures Orlando Haunts SAVE 10% on your Booking! Who doesn't love a discount? When you are ready to book your Orlando Haunts tour, use code MILLENNIAL for a 10% discount! Note from The Orlando Millennial:
I was invited to experience this tour by US Ghost Adventures and Orlando Haunts. I received complimentary admission in exchange for sharing my experience with my readers. As always, all opinions shared above are my own.
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 Have you heard the news? Central Florida has a new nighttime holiday event at Aquatica called Illuminate. This is unlike anything you've ever seen before at this waterpark - forget water slides and lazy rivers - the park shuts all of that down and becomes a beautiful lit up spectacular with custom made lanterns representing five different realms of light. I attended their media night earlier this week and was able to hear from both Aquatica's Park President and VP of entertainment. It was so interesting to learn how hard they worked to introduce light in so many different ways, including through sound and smell, to really enhance your experience and the event. All lanterns were custom made for this new experience too!  Within the five different realms you will be able to see many amazing lanterns showcasing different animals that you may have seen at some of their sister parks, such as giraffes and dolphins. Special foods, drinks, and even event merch are being offered during Illuminate. My favorite bites were the s'mores kit (more on this later), the Golden Glaze Chicken Tenders, and the Home for the Holidays. Highly suggest getting one of their sampler lanyards (offered in either 5 or 10 samples) to save some money while you enjoy these new treats! Things to Do If you have children, there are many different activities throughout the park, including multiple craft areas and a wishes by the water activity. There is also the Serengeti Express, which is a cute and short train ride through an area where they have safari animal lanterns - which were beautiful! Plus, there is a meet and greet with Santa. One of the highlights for me was the campfire area to make s'mores - what a fun idea and definitely not something I have done at a theme park! I used my sampler card to buy one s'mores kit for John and I to share and make s'mores by the fire. It was a bit warm that night, but would be so wonderful with the cooler weather we will be having soon. If you have children, this would definitely be one fun activity to include in your evening! The Important Details Illuminate starts November 8th, 2025 and runs on select nights until January 31, 2026. The hours are 6pm-10pm and for a limited time you can snag tickets for as low as $29.99! Pass holders can even take advantage of exclusive discounts on admission and on the food lanyards. To learn more, be sure to visit https://aquatica.com/orlando/events/illuminate/ Note from The Orlando Millennial:
I was invited to enjoy this new event by Aquatica Orlando as part of their media night. In exchange for sharing upcoming information, sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.   On Thursday The Orlando Millennial readers were invited to an advanced screening of Tom Cruise's new movie, "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE." John and I attended the screening --he had seen all of the other Mission: Impossible movies but to be very honest, I had not seen any of the other movies before this one. We saw the movie in Dolby Cinema, which is always a great experience and something I highly recommend for this film. The movie is pretty long at about 2 hours and 40 minutes, however, there was never a moment where I felt like "is it over yet?" or noticed the time going dragging - each moment was used well. Spoiler-free thoughts: The movie was full of action packed scenes, gorgeous locations, and some humor. For someone like me that had not seen any of the previous movies, I still could easily follow along and be invested in the movie, without feeling lost or like I was missing anything. I really liked the diversity of the different characters in the movie and that there were a lot of leading women in the movie as well. It was pretty amazing to me that in his 60s, Cruise is still doing all of this stunt too - very impressive. There were some moments I got some Thanos vibes from the "villain" of the movie, but that could have just been me. As this was a part one, I think it is without spoilers to say that the movie left off with a slight cliffhanger, but one that leaves you excited for more. I am looking forward to the next one and to see where this story leads. More Information: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE is only in theaters starting July 12th, 2023 and will be available in Dolby Cinema, Premium large formats, and IMAX. For more information regarding the film, check out my previous post HERE. Are you looking forward to seeing the movie? Also, once you've seen the movie, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Note from The Orlando Millennial:
I received free admission to this advanced screening, however, as always all opinions are my own.  Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is currently running their Summer Nights event, running through Aug. 6 for guests to Stay Longer and Play Later and enjoy a spectacular fireworks show on select nights. For the Fourth of July Weekend, June 30 through July 4, guests can expect five (5) days of festivities to celebrate the birth of our nation, with all the vibrant energy from Summer Nights plus a special fireworks display with a patriotic ending each night.  Additional details:
Note from The Orlando Millennial:
I am a Busch Gardens Tampa Bay & Adventure Island blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information, sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.  MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE IS ONLY IN THEATRES, DOLBY CINEMA, PREMIUM LARGE FORMATS, AND IMAX ON JULY 12, 2023 The Orlando Millennial Readers have been invited to an Advance Screening of Paramount Pictures’ upcoming film MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE. Be one of the first to see the film! INFO: Thursday, July 6th AMC Altamonte 7:30PM** 🎟 Link for Passes: https://gofobo.com/Millennial (admits 1-2) **These seats are first come, first serve so it is encouraged that all please plan to arrive early.** About the film: THIS IS THEIR MOST DANGEROUS MISSION YET Check out the film’s trailer HERE + FOLLOW @ITS_ALL_REEL ON TIKTOK FOR ALL THE GREATEST TOM CRUISE STUNTS! Paramount Pictures and Skydance Present A Tom Cruise Production Tom Cruise “MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE” OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan's past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most. DIRECTED BY Christopher McQuarrie BASED ON THE TELEVISION SERIES CREATED BY Bruce Geller PRODUCED BY Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie STARRING Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Frederick Schmidt, Cary Elwes, Mark Gatiss, Indira Varma, Rob Delaney *CREDITS ARE NOT FINAL AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE* #MissionImpossible Follow the movie on social media:  Tampa's Premier Halloween event, Howl-O-Scream, is BACK at Busch Garden's Tampa Bay! Taking place on select nights, Thursday-Sunday from now until October 31st, Busch Gardens® Howl-O-Scream® returns in full force, taking over the entire park with haunted houses, scare zones, sinister shows and more. Yesterday I was invited to attend the opening night and after going the last few years, I have to say, I think this is my favorite year yet! Scare zones were throughout the park and more decorated. There were new houses as well as some old favorites, but they felt scarier. My favorite was The Forgotten, which was like a red room of pain vampire house - very well decorated. The Christmas house, The Residence: Home for the Holidays, was definitely a fun spin on halloween horror too. Although last night was not too busy, this event is guaranteed to get much, much busier so I highly recommend the front line fear pass which will get you to the front of the houses one time each - instead of waiting in long lines! You can also do the front line fear pass extreme, which will include the coasters that will be open. I had the equivalent to this pass and I have to say, it was AMAZING - totally worth it and allows you to do everything you'd want to do during your visit.  This year there were bumper cars with clowns and I was here for it. It was fun to feel like a kid again bumping into people and interacting with the spooks like this. The line was short too - so if you are looking for something different to do during your visit, be sure to visit the bumper cars.  This year for drinks there were some new cocktails, fun souvenir cups, my fav - the Jell-O shots, and soon there will be blood bag drinks. My drink of choice for the night was this vodka grape drink which I cannot remember the name of, but it tasted a lot like a vodka cranberry. It was yummy. They also had one with tequila. The Jell-O shot was made with peach schnapps and was delish! Definitely a fun way to start the evening. New this year were interactive necklaces. These were super cool! These skull necklaces light up different colors depending on the area of the park you are in and then, from what I was told, go into a fog mode while in the houses. They also sold "no boo" necklaces for those wanting to enjoy the evening but not be scared. As usual there was some great entertainment. Unfortunately, we were only able to catch the last 10 minutes of Fiends because we were off having too much fun - lol - but what we did see was funny and great as usual. We did catch the Rolling Bones which was really good. I loved how their instruments changed colors to the music and they played really well. Highly recommend catching them for a short performance. We did not see any of the other shows while we were there since we were off doing other things around the park. Howl-O-Scream is an extra ticketed event at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, so be sure to see which nights are available and find your tickets HERE. Here's wishing you a happy spooky season! Note from The Orlando Millennial:
I am a Busch Gardens Tampa Bay & Seaworld blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. I often share my adventures at the parks on Instagram, so be sure to follow along at @orlmillennial As always, all opinions are my own. 
An ALL-NEW Summer Celebration debuted at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay over Memorial Day Weekend! The park will feature a variety of entertainment throughout the day, including the return of “Cirque Electric”, and “Gwazi Beats”, a new atmospheric show combining drums, dancers, and stilt-walkers in a pulse-pounding display of music and dance. Plus, the award-winning “Turn It Up!” has resumed to daily operations in the Moroccan Palace Theater.  To celebrate the summer season, guests 21+ can enjoy a complimentary beer sample daily at Pantopia Drinks & Snacks from NOW until August 7. For those craving something sweet to beat the heat, the Moroccan Delights ice cream parlor will reopen with a refreshed look and mouth-watering treats like handcrafted thrill shakes, ice cream floats, specialty sundaes and more. After nightfall, the park glows with unique theming, entertainers, and the thrill of conquering coasters in the dark like the all-new Iron Gwazi. Guests can dance to DJ beats throughout the park, including a newly themed block party plaza presented by Coca-Cola®. For an epic finale to a thrilling day of adventure, guests will be drawn to the vibrant energy radiating from a unique new production on the Festival Field. As the most stunning show ever to light the park’s sky, “Summer Celebration Fireworks Spectacular” will feature an explosive array of colors and exciting effects from dazzling lasers to mesmerizing fountains and pyrotechnics. This all-new production is offered every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night at 9:15pm from NOW until August 7, including an extra presentation on July 4 for Independence Day.  With the return of world-class entertainment and all-new thrills like Iron Gwazi, there’s never been a better time to become a Pass Member. Annual Pass Members enjoy 12 months of visits with special benefits including exclusive access to the Pass Member Lounge opening later this summer, plus free parking, free guest tickets, access to special VIP events, savings on merchandise and more! Annual Passes start as low as $14.75/month with no down payment. Restrictions apply.  Busch Gardens’ Summer Celebration takes place daily from NOW until Sunday, August 7 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Florida. More about Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is the ultimate family adventure, offering 300 acres of fascinating attractions based on exotic explorations around the world. Busch Gardens is a unique blend of thrilling rides, an AZA accredited zoo with thousands of animals representing more than 200 species, and exciting seasonal events all year providing unrivaled experiences for guests of every age. For more information, visit www.BuschGardensTampa.com. Busch Gardens is owned by SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: SEAS), a leading theme park and entertainment company providing experiences that matter and inspiring guests to protect animals and the wild wonders of our world.  Note from The Orlando Millennial:
I am a Busch Gardens Tampa Bay & Adventure Island blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. I often share my adventures at the parks on Instagram, so be sure to follow along at @orlmillennial As always, all opinions are my own. 
Adventure Island, voted one of the country’s TOP TEN water parks by USA Today, opened two new thrills in May. RAPIDS RACER On Rapids Racer, riders grab a two-person raft before racing through nearly 600 feet of slide, complete with low walls to encounter opponents throughout this side-by-side experience. The thrill of the chase is amplified as guests swirl through the world’s first dueling saucers in this exhilarating journey full of high-speed tunnels, turns, and more.  WAHOO! REMIX Formerly Wahoo Run, Wahoo Remix will be Adventure Island’s FIRST waterslide to feature synchronized light and sound elements, delivering an all-new, high energy, family raft ride experience with ultimate party vibes. Enclosed tunnels that were once dark will now glow and groove as riders zoom through over 600 feet of fun. With a variety of stunning light shows, each ride could be different than the last.  “With the addition of these two new slides, plus several other parkwide enhancements, Adventure Island is truly a can’t-miss destination for family fun in the sun”, said Neal Thurman, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay & Adventure Island Park President. The park is undergoing one of the largest refreshes in its 40+ year history, complete with a new front gate arrival plaza, freshly painted slides and areas, a social-worthy photo opportunity near the Endless Surf pool, and the recently opened Hang Ten Tiki Bar. In between thrilling rides on fan-favorite slides, guests can unwind in an all-new tropical oasis with hammocks, lounge seating and beach games. Experience the fun all year long! The best way to experience the fun all season long is with an Annual Pass. In addition to unlimited visits, Pass Members receive special benefits including FREE parking, up to six FREE guest tickets, savings on merchandise and other exclusive perks throughout the year. About Adventure Island: Located right across the street from Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay, Adventure Island® is Tampa's Island paradise, featuring a combination of exhilarating water rides and tropical, tranquil surroundings. A fun-filled tropical atmosphere awaits, with adventurous water slides including Solar Vortex, Vanish Point™, Caribbean Corkscrew® and Colossal Curl™, cascading waterfalls, a 17,000-square-foot wave pool, children’s water playground called Fabian’s Funport® and other family attractions. Guests can dig their toes into the sand or relax in lounge chairs or a private cabana. For more information, visit AdventureIsland.com for more information. Note from The Orlando Millennial:
I am a Busch Gardens Tampa Bay & Adventure Island blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. I will be visiting Islands of Adventure this month to check out all the new updates and will be sharing my visit on Instagram, so be sure to follow along at @orlmillennial As always, all opinions are my own.  Santa Claus is coming to town - oh wait, no, he's already here! That's right - if you saw my post from earlier in the month (see here), then you may already know that Busch Gardens Tampa's Christmas Town has arrived earlier this year! I was again lucky enough to be invited out to check out the grand opening weekend of their brightest holiday event and it did not disappoint! Different entertainment and special things are offered throughout the day, so I would check the schedule for the day you are interested in going to ensure you get to do everything you want to do.  My friends and I decided to go a bit later in the day so that we could enjoy the food and drink booths in the "Christmas Town Village" - always a favorite of mine, plus see all the beautiful lights, and the fireworks! We had perfect chilly weather, which really added to the feeling of the holiday season.  Let’s talk drinks. This year I really enjoyed the frozen eggnog, but I think my favorite was the apple brandy hot toddy. When it got cold enough outside I order one and it was just SO good! My significant other ordered the Jack Fire, which was too strong for me but he loved it - definitely high on the alcohol content, so if you are looking for bang for your buck - that is your drink! Between the four of us that night, we had 3, 8-punch sampler cards, which I highly recommend. The sampler cards are the BEST way to try out different drinks and if you love one, then buy it in the bigger size. Plus, you can use it on the food, which is normal size. Seriously, an AMAZING DEAL - I always recommend this!  Totchos: Sweet Potato Tater Tots, Smoked Brisket, Bacon Onion Jam, Beer Cheese, Green Onions  Bison Chili Mac: Gemelli Pasta, Sam Adams Beer Cheese, Parmesan Crumbs  Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie: Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Vanilla Whipped Cream For food, I was a little bit limited on what I could eat. Although many of the food options sounded good, many of them included some form of pork, which I do not eat. I was able to have them make me the totchos without the bacon onion jam and it was still very good - but my friend got it with so that is the picture that you see. The bison chili mac was outstanding - honestly, so good. My friends agreed it was one of their favorite things of the night. The maple bourbon pecan pie was very good too. There were a few other items I wanted to try but I waited too long and they sold out - so be sure to grab what you want when you can - you don’t want to miss out if something is popular!  As always, the lights around the park were beautiful. I love how they use such colorful lights, especially near the kids area, I feel like you never see these colors anywhere else and it is just so magical! One of my favorite places every year is the bridge that is full of lights that change to the song that is playing. I definitely spent a little time in there in awe as always.  We used this park visit to feel like kids again and we took a ride on the merry-go-round, which if you haven’t been on it, they have some pretty cool looking horses - even a camel! We also rode one coaster before deciding it was back to food and drinks before fireworks, because hey - who doesn’t like more holiday beverages and fireworks?   There is a special viewing area for the fireworks, but I recommend watching from the Christmas Town Village. You get a wonderful view while still being able to drink and/or eat if you want, and be around less crowds. The fireworks went off at 9pm, but the park did not close for another hour, which was nice, as we were able to continue enjoying the park a bit before heading out.  You can experience Christmas Town daily - which is included in park admission - until January 2nd! Fireworks are on select days. Looking forward to returning next year! As always, thank you for reading and if you go, let me know what your favorite food and drink were! I am a Busch Gardens blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.
 Save up to 60% on Tickets and Fun Cards during SeaWorld Orlando’s Black Friday sale taking place for a limited time November 15 through November 26 Just in time for the holiday season, SeaWorld is offering unbeatable deals and great low pricing during the 2021 Black Friday sale, beginning November 15th. Save on tickets, Passes, Fun Cards, upgrades and more! Guests can take advantage of these unbeatable offers during SeaWorld’s Black Friday sale November 15 through November 26!
Additional offers include:
I am a Seaworld blogger ambassador. In exchange for sharing upcoming information sometimes I receive complimentary admission to events. As always, all opinions are my own.
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Hey y'all!
I’m Michelle - a lifestyle blogger since 2017. I share fun things to do in & around Central Florida, nearby cities, and beyond. I’m a 30-something Millennial foodie who loves discovering new restaurants, local hotspots, theme parks, dog-friendly adventures, & more! This space is all about sharing real experiences, capturing the moments, & inspiring you to explore a little more. Thanks for being here—I hope you enjoy following along!
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