I know we've had a bunch of different threads in the past, but now that we are in the final week, I thought it would be good to post all of the available information in one location. IF A MODERATOR CAN PIN THIS FOR THE WEEK, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. I will update this throughout the week if anything changes. If you have any questions this week, send me a PM, I have already responded to several people who are going to the game. Some of you know that I am a VP with the Orlando Alumni Association, so I will mention an event (below) that we are doing that is open to EVERYONE, even if you are not a UM alum.
General Transportation - if you are driving/parking, the stadium is very close to the intersection of I-4 and the East-West Expressway (408). There is a lot of I-4 construction, but the traffic should not be too bad. Because Orlando has a lot of tourism, there should be plenty of Uber/Lyft drivers in the area. There will be a Lynx Bus shuttle running from near-downtown to the stadium. The departure point is on the WEST side of I-4, and will be on S. DIVISION AVENUE, in between W. Central Boulevard and W. Pine Street. This spot is just 2 blocks north of the Amway Arena (Orlando Magic). The drop-off point is on the EAST side of Camping World Stadium, at Lake Lorna Doone Park, on S. NASHVILLE STREET, in between W. Central Boulevard and W. Church Street. PLEASE NOTE, if you have tickets that you purchased from UM, we will be on the WEST SIDE of the stadium, so you will still need to walk a couple of blocks from the shuttle drop-off to your entry gate. There will also be an army of pedi-cabs running along the same route, and there are Lime Bikes as well.
Parking - The main parking within a 2-3 block radius of Camping World Stadium is already taken by Florida Citrus Sports and MOSTLY the UF crowd, UM did NOT negotiate for parking, and UM had to do a last minute deal to get Tinker Field for the "official" 2 hour tailgate. They have sold 1,200 tix, there are only 1,500 slots, just passing along the information. Then, this area around the Stadium will be cordoned off, and you will need a GAME ticket to get access. It's kinda like what we saw in Dallas last year, just without the fancy iron fences. This is the blue collar version.
Beyond the 2-3 block perimeter, to the NORTH and SOUTH and WEST of Camping World Stadium, you will be dealing with a situation similar to the OLD Orange Bowl. There will be lots of cash lots in front yards, apartment complexes, churches, and businesses. There will be plenty of cops and plenty of game day services (meat-on-a-stick), but it has historically been very safe in that area, even if it is not fancy. I have no idea how much the prices will be, so bring cash.
To the EAST of Camping World Stadium, and east of US 441, is where there will be more "traditional" parking lots, particularly downtown and around the Amway Arena and the Orlando City Soccer Stadium. I will post some links below, and I mentioned the Lynx Bus shuttle that will be running (above) in the General Transportation section.
Here is the City of Orlando website, they have both the GEICO garage (which is to the south of, and attached to, the Amway Arena), and a number of other garages and surface lots near downtown. The best one is the "Orange Lot" at 522 West Central, though when you print out your ticket, it usually says 521 West Pine Street. You can get into the lot from either street. This lot is city-owned, and I am not sure that it will allow for grilling/tailgating, but it is right next to the shuttle stop.
Guarantee a good event parking spot by purchasing it online in advance.
www.orlando.gov
Here is the website for several privately-owned parking lots which DO allow grilling and tailgating. I have already spoken to the operator of these lots, and the ones near Central (there are 2 of them) will open at 1 pm (though he told me 11 am over the phone) and you can set up grills and pop-up tents. I have already purchased 3 spots at 521 W. Central Boulevard, this is the largest of the lots. They also have a smaller lot at 530 Grove Park Drive, which is one block north of the 521 W. Central Boulevard lot. Both of these lots are a block away from the Lynx Bus shuttle stop. They are also selling 777 W. Central Boulevard. This is directly north of the Orlando City Stadium. HOWEVER, full disclosure, the city has just torn up Parramore Street right there, so I'm not sure what the access will be. You would also have to walk a few blocks to catch the shuttle. Finally, the 99 N. Garland Avenue lot is on the EAST side of I-4. So you would have to walk a few blocks extra, but that lot is close to Tin & Taco, Planet Pizza, and Gringos Locos, which is a bonus.
FRIDAY NIGHT EVENTS - The Orlando Alumni Association is doing a free "Spirit Night" event at Ace Cafe on the SECOND floor (since the UM Alumni Association **** the bed on planning an event). Ace Cafe is at 100 W. Livingston Street. This is the location where the Orlando Alumni Association will be doing UM Game Watch parties during 2019. Ace Cafe is ENORMOUS, the food is great, the drinks are great, the decor is British motorcycles, and they have both indoor and outdoor bar areas. This event starts at 6:30 pm, and CANESWEAR will have a little pop-up store during the event. ALSO, IF YOU ORDER FROM CANESWEAR THIS WEEK, YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR ORDER AT THE FRIDAY NIGHT EVENT, just be sure to let them know when you check out. If you need more info, contact me or go to the Orlando Canes page on Facebook.
From the 305 to the 407 ... we bleed ORANGE & GREEN! Go 'Canes! The Official Facebook Page of the Orlando Chapter of The University of Miami Alumni Association.
www.facebook.com
"AllCanes" (now owned by Follett, who also owns the UM campus bookstore) is also doing a Friday night event at Celine on North Magnolia (near Lake Eola). This is a ticketed event.
I JUST REALIZED, ON FRIDAY NIGHT ORLANDO CITY SOCCER WILL BE HOSTING ATLANTA UNITED AT 8 PM, SO SEVERAL OF THE DOWNTOWN BARS WILL HAVE PRE-GAME AND POST-GAME FOR SOCCER, PARTICULARLY AT THE CHURCH STREET AND WALL STREET BARS, AND ALONG ORANGE AVENUE BETWEEN CHURCH AND WALL.
I also think that NJCanetoFla is trying to do an event on Friday night, but it is in Sanford, at The Barn. Larry the Cable Guy used to hang out at The Barn all the time when he lived in Orlando (that's true, I'm not joking), so if you prefer this event over downtown, that's up to you.
SATURDAY EVENTS - As mentioned above, the UM Alumni Association is doing a $50 ticket tailgate event at Tinker Field (just west of Camping World Stadium). They have sold 1,200 tickets, and there are about 300 tickets left.
Canes United is doing their tailgate near Jones High School, south of Camping World Stadium, on the other side of the East-West Expressway. I believe that parking and food are now sold out. I know that parking is, without a doubt.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TICKETS, Ace Cafe is going to be doing a big watch party, with a huge screen. They have been running ads on Real Radio 104.1, so if anyone without tickets needs a place to go, this is the best spot.
SUNDAY EVENTS - Lots of great brunches around, Santiago's Bodega, Se7en Bites, BriarPatch (Park Avenue), East End Market, White Wolf, The Glass Knife, Maxine's on Shine, The Hammered Lamb, The Porch, The Boheme, SoCo Thornton Park, Stubborn Mule, Underground Public House, Avenue Gastrobar, Dexters, Ace Cafe (particularly if you slept there), Hamburger Mary's (particularly if your log-in name is NY State of Mind)
Hope that helps, PM me if you have any questions.
