First there was Church Street Station. Then the Mercado Mediterranean Village. And then Orlando had major evening entertainment centres all over the place! There was Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs) and Universal CityWalk, plus Pointe Orlando and ICON Park. And then came Sunset Walk on Kissimmee’s Highway 192.
Regular visitors to our holiday hot-spot will probably know all about the first six. They have been a staple of Orlando’s mighty tourism offering since 1972, when Church Street Station became a key component of the evening scene, sparking similar themed developments at Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort. The lively International Drive area also joined in with a variety of choices, most notably the Mercado (1986-2008), then Pointe Orlando (1997) and ICON Park (2015), the latter of which was built on the ashes of the Mercado. Not to be left out, the Kissimmee area added Old Town in 1986, and it remains a fun choice 38 years later.
Sadly, Church Street Station closed in 2009, but there is no shortage of alternatives today, including the “new kid on the block,” Sunset Walk. Those familiar with the Kissimmee area will have noticed this eye-catching complex that has mushroomed next door to the Formosa Gardens area of Highway 192, next to Island H2O Water Park and Margaritaville Resort Orlando. At the heart of it is The Promenade at Sunset Walk, a bustling area of shops, dining and entertainment.
Yes, a once-forlorn area of Tourist Central – where the likes of Splendid China, a Goodings supermarket and Outback Steakhouse all thrived before shutting down – has now made a strong comeback, providing lively options for food, drinks and other pure holiday fun, including the high-thrill quotient of the Sunset Walk Slingshot, a gigantic bungee-style ride set between twin 240ft towers that catapults riders up to 400ft into the sky at up to 100mph. Not for the faint-hearted!
And more is being added all the time, with four new food outlets in 2022 and another two last year, including the hugely popular Cowboy Chicken, which features wood-fired rotisserie chicken and delicious hand-made side dishes.
For those completely new to Sunset Walk, the flamboyant vibe of this extensive development is alluring and infectious, and positively packed with some of the latest and most happening outlets. Island H2O is impossible to miss as it sits right on Highway 192 just before the junction with Daniel Webster Western Beltway (429 toll highway), and it is backed up by The Promenade, which boasts some of the best dining in Kissimmee.
There are currently 28 shops and restaurants, in addition to a dine-in cinema multiplex, elaborate games arcade and that hair-raising Slingshot ride, a live escape game and the new Art Factory, offering caricature art and other unique art-style gifts. In addition to well-known brands like Cold Stone Creamery, Burger Fi and Skechers shoes, there are imaginative, one-off choices like Estefan Kitchen (Cuban cuisine and more), Sunnyside Café (artisanal sandwiches, salads and pastries) and The Wharf (seafood), which all offer distinctive dining. Add in live events like a weekly artisan street market, car and truck show, and live music most evenings, and you have a guaranteed, 24-carat visitor experience. The three key elements are as follows:
Shopping
Fancy soaps, a specialist candy store, Verizon mobile phone outlet and a good old-fashioned Florida gift shop are all in the mix here, while the high-profile Estefan Kitchen restaurant also has its own souvenir store. Open from 10 or 11am through to 7, 10 or 11pm (variously by store), there are seven out-and-out shops, plus the Avalon nails and spa salon.
Of special note are the Naples Soap Company, offering premium organic and natural skin and hair products for home, beauty and health; Skechers fashionable footwear for the whole family; the dazzling sweet-shop-on-steroids of It’Sugar, with all kinds of novelty candy; and the unique products of Everything Lights Up, a toy shop with a difference, including bubble swords, wands and spinners.
Dining
What Sunset Walk does possibly better than any other entertainment centre in this area is provide a wide range of dining options to suit all tastes and pockets. From distinctive, high-end dining to fast-food casual, there is a terrific selection, and there are several places that will seem especially attractive to Brits.
The headline venue is Estefan Kitchen, an all-new creation from Emilio and Gloria Estefan, with a style that is part restaurant, part nightclub but total entertainment, with a real pizazz to its menu and live music and dancing. The Cuban-based flavours are hugely tempting, and there is a weekend brunch that is worth seeking out on its own.
The bar-restaurant crowd are also spoiled for choice here, with no fewer than four contrasting choices, from the seafood specials of The Wharf to the 1920s nostalgia (and great burgers) of Ford’s Garage and the out-and-out rock ’n roll style of Rock & Brews, created by members of classic rockers Kiss and serving comfort food with a twist alongside a fabulous selection of craft beers. Other mouth-watering tastes include Kpot Korean BBQ and BR 77 Brazilian Steakhouse for a real meat feast.
Finally, make a note of Yeoman’s TopGolf Swing Suite, a pretty passable imitation of a traditional British pub, serving typical pub grub along with a range of well-known beers and craft ales while also offering a chance to try your hand at various sports challenges, from golf to football in their simulator bays.
Entertainment
For those looking for an upscale, contemporary film experience, head for the Studio Movie Grill, a combination of cinema and restaurant with in-theatre dining delivered directly to your seat any time during the show. How’s THAT for service?!
For those with energy to spare, there is the Game Time arcade, a 24,000sq ft entertainment venue offering the latest and retro games as well as sports-bar style dining that stays open as late as 2am at weekends. Then there’s the new Escapology escape game, featuring adventures like Scooby-Doo and the Spooky Castle, Batman: The Dark Knight Challenge, Who Stole Mona?, and A Pirate’s Curse. Search for clues, solve puzzles, and decipher codes at different skill levels to make your escape. Finally, you can try your hand at the axe-throwing craze at Lumber Jack’s Axe House, with children catered for with foam bow and arrow sets and mini-golf.
So, if you’re looking for an exciting new experience, Sunset Walk should be high on your list. We’re pretty sure you won’t be disappointed.
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