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By
Matt Mathrani
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Click on the link for a handy PDF version of our December 2008 Florida travel feature!
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Some 50 million people come to Orlando each year. Most tourists come for the theme parks, thrill rides and family-fun that have made this city famous. Plenty of gay tourists join them, but Orlando's gay scene offers other kinds of thrills: the chance of Mickey and Donald (the men) coming home with you!
Homosexuality and theme parks
go together hand-in-glove during Orlando's annual Gay Days
. This "lesbigay" vacation, expo, and entertainment event takes place at world-famous attractions, gay clubs and other venues with exclusive parties. It's set for June 2 to 8, 2009. Visit Gaydays.com for specifics.
For local listings and updates for Central Florida, pick up a copy of What's Happening. For information about Central Florida's Gay Pride parade and festival see Comeoutwithpride.org.
Lodgings, bars and restaurants
Parliament House Hotel
(400 North Orange Blossom Trail; 407-425-7571), a local favorite since 1975, has new owners and a new energy, packing all you need for a great time into one destination. This motel and entertainment resort at the heart of Orlando's gay nightlife has 130 rooms with cable TV and phones, a big pool area with daily happy hour drinks, disco, a lakefront beach and a cluster of six bars, stores and a restaurant. Everything stays open till 3 am. Among many attractions here there are drag and cabaret shows from the Footlight Players, the area's hottest male dancers, headliner guest performers, Latin nights, pool parties and happy-hour buffets. On Sundays make a day of it -- from poolside, to no-cover t-dance until 3 am interspersed by a free buffet at 8 pm and three showtimes. Other weekly events include Monday Karaoke, Tuesday Talent Nights, and Latin Thursdays. You may never want to leave, nor will you really need to!
Pulse
(1912 South Orange Avenue), in downtown Orlando, is sleek and state-of-the-art, with great sound, lighting and special effects. Orlando's young, mixed-sex and multi-preferenced clubbers flock here. There are three distinct nightclubs: a color-changing Ultralounge; the Jewel Box, with a complete-surround digital audiovisual experience; and Adonis, where a variety of young, nearly-nude dancing guys, the Men of Pulse, perform on-stage and atop the bar. Let's just say these dancers have more-than-the-usual enthusiasm and imaginative flair. Drag and other performers also grace the stage, and the crowd is exuberantly responsive.
Revolution Club/Hydrate Video Bar
(375 South Bumby Avenue) -- along with Hydrate video bar and Majestic Theater and Lounge -- are a seven-day-a-week mixed but mostly gay nightclub complex pulling a young crowd. Their nightly events include Monday's Noche Latina, Tuesday shows and midnight strip contests, Wednesdays all-male revues, Friday "Go-go Gods" and Saturday Burlesque shows and dance party for men and women both. There's nightly dancing and a Sunday beer bust and free barbecue, too.
Savoy Orlando
(1913 North Orange Avenue), with two bars and a patio garden, serves many kinds of beer, with full liquor offerings, too. Their hot, shirtless bartenders are joined by shirtless customers. Happy hour here runs 5 to 9 pm. They also feature the hot dancers Men of Savoy, Tuesdays through Sundays.
Bear Bar
(4453 Edgewater Drive) is Orlando's only bear and leather bar, with a popular Thursday underwear night and dress code-enforced Saturday nights.
Other bars include Hank's
(5026 Edgewater Drive), New Phoenix
(7124 Aloma Avenue); Paradise Orlando
(1300 North Mills Avenue), and Wylde's
(3557 South Orange Avenue). Club at Firestone
(578 North Orange Avenue) is a mixed concert and entertainment venue with a gay following. Stardust Lounge
(431 East Central Boulevard) is a women's club with a nearby sister restaurant, Beacon
(100 South Eola) that's the Sunday brunch spot for downtown sophisticates.
Stonewall Bistro
(741 West Church), Blue Bistro & Grill
(815 North Mills Avenue) and Little Fish Big Pond
(512 South Sandord Avenue) are other gay-favorite dining spots. Pom Pom's Teahouse and Sandwicheria
(67 Bumby Avenue) is a "teahouse and sandwicheria" of note, with a gallery showcasing local gay artists.
Funky Monkey Wine Company
(912 North Mills Avenue) is a downtown restaurant and wine bar for lunch, brunch and dinner, owned and operated by Tasters Guild Orlando. Hamburger Mary’s
(110 West Church) has a menu that's familiar to most, and a fabulous Wednesday night of Miss Mary'oke with Dame Edna. For great take-out food or outdoor seating, 903 Mills Market
(903 South Mills) has nice breakfast and sandwiches.
Fifi’s
(100 South Eola Drive, suite 104) is a bistro and wine bar in downtown Thornton Park, with stylish pink and white dŽcor. Known for gelato, Dina's berry shots and great Sunday brunches, they also have special drag shows every third Monday.
Sauna and shopping
Club Orlando
(450 East Compton Street; The-clubs.com), part of the national chain of private men's clubs, is one of the nicest bathhouses to be found -- anywhere. The club has an outdoor Olympic-size pool with wrap-around deck and jacuzzi, steam room, dry sauna, a tropical garden, patio, satellite-TV lounge, plus 43 cubicles for your pleasure and relaxation. At their full-range gym a hunky certified instructor is on hand to help you with your workout, and all the courteous staff are helpful when you need them, but never intrusive. Doing your thing is the name of the game here. There are free Sunday cookouts and pool parties from 1 pm, plus free feature movies and popcorn Thursdays from 7 pm. See their website for more details, directions and updates for this and the other clubs around the country.
Urban Body
(12 Summerlin Avenue) is a fashion boutique, and Ritzy Rags
(928 North Mills Avenue) features baubles, wigs and many a cross-dressing staple. Naked Gun Video
(476 North Orange Blossom Trail) has a good selection of video DVDs, both Hollywood fare and adult themed, plus lubes. Back Room Store
(5026 Edgewater Drive) carries accessories such as lubes, toys and rings. For fine-tuning the perfect Florida tan, Manhattan Tanning
(653 Maguire Boulevard) has all the latest bells and whistles.
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