Orlando - New Year's Eve in MCO?

We'll be in Orlando over New Years, and are trying to decide where to go for dinner. Any suggestions welcome.

We're 2 middle-aged (sigh) couples, perfectly happy to eat early and do the champagne and noise-makers back at the hotel (though 2 of us - husband and I - would love some dancing).

Food - Norman's is a bit pricey for us, but up-scale otherwise is fine. We are reasonably sophisticated diners, used to Chicago, New York, SF, DC, etc. Not too rich, prefer to have fish options as well as meat.

I really don't want to fight crowds at Disney, Universal, etc unless someone convinces me it's worth it!

So, any ideas?

I would suggest Hemingway's at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. Their food is delicious and lots of fish dishes. They usually have a special New Year's Eve menu. Afterward there is live music etc in the hotel lobby to celebrate New Years.

There is no finer dining in central Florida than Victoria & Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian resort.

Disney tends to do a very upscale dinner and dancing party at the California Grill atop the Contemporary Resort on NYE. This is where Michael Eisner used to ring in the new year.

If you feel a bit more adventurous, try dinner at the Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe Dining Room at Downtown Disney (the nicer, upstairs part) with food & service to match that of any fine-dining establishment in the cities you listed. Then head over to Pleasure Island for dancing, fireworks, etc. in a multi-club venue that is uniquely Disney.

In case you missed the subtlety *wink*, I am trying to convince you that it's worth fighting the crowds at Disney. I wouldn't go to a theme park, but for fine dining and safe, clean adult entertainment nobody does it better.

I would suggest Primo at the JW Marriott http://www.primorestaurant.com/. We used to go there all the time when we lived in Orlando. I'm not sure what they offer for New Year's Eve, but the food was always delicious and the service fantastic. If you're looking for known steak houses, there's both Mortons steakhouse on Restaurant Row (sand lake rd) and Flemings in Winter Park.

As for dancing-- good luck. :cool:

A word about driving around Disney on New Year's Eve... give yourself PLENTY of time. The traffic is the worst I've ever seen. It will take you twice as long to get anywhere.

I was there last year and did not want to go near the parks or hotels. I did go to Downtown Disney for an early dinner and went back to the Hyatt to spend the evening.