ORLANDO, Fla. – National Wife Appreciation Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday of September, and it’s aimed at giving those lucky enough to have a wife the opportunity to show their appreciation.
This year, Wife Appreciation Day is closing in fast on Sept. 18, so here are some ideas for a fabulous date night to show your special someone just how much she means to you.
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Take her out for a nice dinner
There’s nothing quite like a nice dinner in a fancy restaurant to make her feel special.
Orlando features several Michelin-recognized restaurants, four of which earned Michelin stars earlier this year. Many of these restaurants have also been featured on News 6′s very own Florida Foodie podcast, which explores the cuisine scene across Central Florida.
If you can manage it, a meal at JuJu in Orlando would be quite the treat. The Showa-styled eatery hosts fancy Japanese cuisine, but according to Florida Foodie’s Thomas Mates, it’s one of the toughest tables to get in Orlando at the moment.
For those on a tighter budget, Orlando’s Magical Dining Month can be an effective way to show you care without breaking the bank. Through Oct. 2, participating restaurants throughout the City Beautiful will be serving up three-course fixed-price dinners for only $40 per person.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below:
Go catch a flick at the movie theater
An oldie but a goodie, a trip to the movies is a great way to have fun together taking in recent releases.
Is she a fan of action-comedy? “Bullet Train” features a score of intense, heart-pounding fight scenes aboard a Japanese high-speed railway as a number of assassins duke it out. The thrilling action scenes are complemented by witty humor that’s sure to have you laughing throughout the entirety of its runtime.
For fans of superhero flicks? Marvel’s “Thor: Love and Thunder” is a continuation of the eponymous superhero’s journey with all the charm and comedy of a typical Taika Waititi film. In this movie, Thor must work alongside his former lover, Jane Foster, to save the children of New Asgard from the villainous Gorr.
Does she enjoy musicals? 2021′s “In The Heights” will be featured at the AMC Dine-in at Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista Sunday at 6 p.m. The adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s famed stage musical follows the small neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City as its residents struggle for a better life.
See a live performance
The Amway Center is set to host a series of concerts throughout September and October, including musical artists like Gorillaz, The Killers and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
However, for Wife Appreciation Day, the center will be featuring Camilo, a Grammy-nominated and five-time Latin Grammy-award-winning musician who is scheduled to make his North American Tour 2022 debut on Sept. 18 at 8 p.m.
If you’re in the mood for an earlier showtime, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts will be showing its rendition of “West Side Story” at 3 p.m. The musical mirrors Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as lovers from two rival gangs navigate a dangerous romance in 1950s New York City.
And speaking of Shakespeare, the Orlando Shakespeare Theater is in the middle of its performance run for the farcical comedy “Noises Off,” which follows a theatre troupe as it tries to put together a production — to hilarious results. The show starts at 2 p.m. Sunday and is a treat for any classical theatre-loving belle.
Hit the parks
If there’s anything Orlando is known for, it’s the theme parks.
Right now, Walt Disney World is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the parks haven’t been shy about it. You can spend the day enjoying new rides like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT while trying to find all of the “Fab 50″ golden character sculptures scattered among the parks.
Come nighttime, the parks will set up their “Beacons of Magic,” which are special lighting events at iconic park locations to celebrate the anniversary. You can take your spouse to watch the dazzling presentations at Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Tower Hotel at Hollywood Studios, Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom and Spaceship Earth at EPCOT.
Over at Universal Studios, Halloween Horror Nights is officially underway, and if you and your wife have a fondness for all things horrific, this may be the place to go.
While Universal’s parks still have plenty of great attractions to choose from, Halloween Horror Nights will feature ten haunted houses based on various film settings. Run from Michael Myers in the “Halloween”-themed scare house, or escape from a bloodthirsty killer in “The Horrors of Blumhouse,” which is based on 2020′s “Freaky” and 2021′s “The Black Phone.”
After surviving those ordeals, you and your better half can enjoy some Halloween-themed treats, tackle late-night rides like Revenge of the Mummy and experience the Scare Zones set up along several stretches of the park.
Enjoy Orlando
Even without theme parks, live shows and fine dining, Orlando still has a plethora of fun activities to show your wife exactly how you feel.
The Sea Life Orlando Aquarium at Icon Park hosts a variety of sea animals, including seahorses, sharks and octopuses. Its 360-degree ocean tunnel will give you a full view of the marine life swimming around you, and the jelly wall exhibit provides a cozy hub where you and your loved one can nestle close to the glow of moon jellies.
Gatorland can give your wife her gator fix with its more than 2,000 American alligators spread throughout the 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve. Those aren’t the only critters present, though, as guests can also find wildcats, crocodiles, flamingos and so much more during their trek of the park.
If you’re looking for a more proactive experience, Escapology Orlando has several different escape games that couples can enjoy. Figure out puzzles and save lives on the Murder on the Orient Express, solve a mystery with Scooby Doo in the Spooky Castle Adventure, or help the crew aboard the Discovery in Star Trek: Quantum Filament.
And if that’s not enough, treat her to the flavor of romance at the Chocolate Museum and Café, located on International Drive. Take a guided tour of the museum’s multitude of chocolate sculptures before chowing down on some of your own at the museum’s chocolate-themed café.