There are plenty of things to do in the Orlando theme parks that do not involve waiting in long lines or buying souvenirs. Our theme parks have something for everyone, including a great nightlife. From great restaurants to bars and nightclubs, there is something to do for the older crowds looking for a different kind of entertainment. Both Universal Studios Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World have spots for you to check out when you want to dance the night away, have a drink or just enjoy the view.

Over at Disney’s Boardwalk, you have two great entertainment options. For hardcore dancers out there, check out the Atlantic Dance Hall. It plays all kinds of music and hosts special guest DJ’s and bands. Guests have to be 21 and older to get in so you can dance to the best music from the 80’s, 90’s and today. Tuesday through Saturday nights, not only do you get to request your favorite songs, but their videos will also be played on the giant screens inside the Atlantic Dance Hall. If you like your entertainment with a little less dance, check out Jelly Rolls. This dueling piano bar is also for guests 21 and over since alcohol is served at the establishment. Guests can give the piano maestros their requests and see if they will be the one to stump them.

If you’re in Universal Studios Orlando Resort and you head over to CityWalk, you will also find some great places to hang out and enjoy the nightlife. First, there’s the award-winning Latin Quarter, where you can sample cuisine from 21 different Latin American nations while dining in a restaurant inspired by Aztec, Incan and Mayan architecture. Tuesday through Saturdays DJ’s play Latin and Reggaeton music from 6:30 to 10:00 pm. If you would rather enjoy a lounge vibe, head over to the Hard Rock for their Velvet Bar. This lounge, decorated with zebra print chairs, red carpets, purple accents and rock memorabilia also features outside veranda seating. As a special treat during Halloween Horror Nights, anyone with a Horror Nights ticket can come to the Velvet Bar and enjoy Happy Hour specials from 5pm-2am. There is plenty of Orlando nightlife to enjoy; these examples are just the beginning!

After months of waiting fans of Iron Chef Cat Cora can now experience the chefs incredible Greek cuisine at the Walt Disney World Boardwalk. Foodies and Disney world fans have been waiting for this great addition to the Orlando theme park area for quite some time but now everyone can check out this great dining establishment that will takes up the spot where Spoodles used to be.

The interior of Cora’s restaurant features a welcoming décor of dark woods and iron work. There are family pictures all over the walls to give you the feeling you are eating at a family owned restaurant. In many ways you are, because Cora herself designed the menu and waited for her family’s approval before deciding on the final selections.

"I love everything about this menu," says Cora. "But most importantly it has the approval of my family. And trust me, my mom and dad would tell me if it wasn't right. Greeks are very passionate about their food."

You will be able to enjoy scrumptious dishes like pastitsio, Greek-style lasagna, with buccatini pasta, cinnamon and ground beef as well as delicious oak-grilled lamb burgers. For dessert you can have chocolate boudino cake or traditional baklava with spiced nut filling and coffee frappes on the side.

Cat Cora plans to be at the restaurant in Florida at the Walt Disney World Resort as often as she can. Considering she’s the Executive Chef of Bon Appétit magazine as well as restaurant owner, mom and now the owner of her own Coranation Wines, that might be a little difficult. So, Cora enlisted the help of Disney culinary team veteran Dee Foundoukis to help out in the kitchen while Cat’s away.

"She's first generation Greek," says Cora. "She gets what I am trying to accomplish. She has my vision and my passion."

We’re sure Kouzzina is going to be a hit at the Disney Boardwalk. While family friendly this establishment still provides a classy dining setting the entire family can enjoy. After all, it’s nice to treat yourself to something other than park food while on vacation.

She won what is considered the toughest cooking competition and cemented her spot in the food world as the only female Iron Chef. Now, Cat Cora will bring her culinary expertise to the Walt Disney World Resort BoardWalk. With Kouzzina (“kitchen” in Greek), Cora plans to bring “time-honored recipes passed down from my ancestors, as well as my favorite Greek and Mediterranean dishes that my family loves” to the Walt Disney World restaurant family. Cora has been working on the restaurant plans since 2008, but it is not her first partnership with Disney. Cora also worked on a series of Disney Video on Demand shows that taught families how to develop healthier eating habits.

While she already has a barbecue-style restaurant, Cora wanted to go back to her routes with Kouzzina and make Mediterranean food more accessible to the guests that visit Disney from all over the world. Kouzzina takes the place of Spoodles, once popular for its breakfast buffet, and will be having a pre-opening with a special menu.

The special menu will have breakfast, kid’s breakfast, dinner and dessert all with the Mediterranean theme Cora loves. Among the many appetizers guests will be able to sample are goat cheese stuffed grape leaves, Vongole (clams, sausage, wine broth and garlic croutons) and calamari with lemon. For dinner guests will dine on cinnamon stewed chicken, char grilled lamb burgers or spiced briami (oven roasted veggies, oregano and Mazithra cheese with orzo). Don’t forget the dessert! Among the delicious offerings are baklava , galaktoboureko (semolina custard in baked phyllo dough and vanilla-praline ice cream) and loukamathes (freshly made Greek doughnuts dipped with warm honey).

Reservations are already open for the big September 17th premiere, so it might be a good idea to check out Disney’s new online reservation system. Disney recently opened up an online portal for its reservation system. Disney restaurants like Teppan Edo and The Crystal Palace are notorious for filling up fast. If a Disney restaurant has a good reputation, you can count on it having long wait times—especially during the upcoming holiday season! So if you want to get a taste of Kouzzina then make sure you call ahead and reserve your spot if you don’t want to wait hours in line for a meal.

With a new family, her title as Iron Chef, celebrity appearances and her job as the editor of Bon Appétit magazine, Cora’s got her hands full. But we’re guessing guests of Kouzzina will keep their stomachs full with the delicious food Cora has planned for the menu.

One of the best things about the holiday season is all of the delicious treats. From candy canes to gingerbread houses, there are plenty of seasonal snacks to satisfy your sweet tooth. And at Walt Disney World resorts, you’ll naturally find all kinds of incredible holiday desserts, such as carousels and trains. Wait – you say carousels and trains aren’t edible? Well, stop by some of Disney’s resorts to see some fantastic holiday displays made out of gingerbread, candy, and other sugary goodness. These giant masterpieces of pastry are 100% edible. And though you might cause a scene if you start gnawing on one of them, they’re definitely a sweet sight to see.

One must-stop this holiday season is Disney’s Beach Club Resort, which features a giant gingerbread carousel in the hotel lobby every holiday season. Every visible part of this display is edible, from the gingerbread floor and canopy and sugar poinsettias to the chocolate and fondant horses and star anise and cinnamon accents. The carousel even features white chocolate figures of Mickey Mouse and his friends.

It took a team of pastry chefs ten hours to assemble the carousel, which required 96 pounds of flour, 36 pounds of honey, 50 pounds of dark chocolate, and 100 pounds of icing. The carousel is also made up of 2008 pieces of gingerbread, one for every year. And since this is the ninth year that Beach Club has put up its holiday carousel, there are nine hidden Mickeys in the display. Each year, an additional one is added. See if you can spot them all!

Equally impressive as the carousel is the life-sized gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. This huge piece of sugary real estate draws visitors every year as soon as it opens during November. The holiday centerpiece of the lobby along with a large Christmas tree, the gingerbread house requires even more ingredients than the carousel: 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 800 pounds of flour, 700 pounds of chocolate, and a whopping 1,050 pounds of honey. This is the tenth year that the Grand Floridian has put up this special display, which fills the resort’s lobby with the scent of gingerbread.

What’s most incredible about the almost entirely edible gingerbread house is that it’s actually a gingerbread shop! Guests can actually go inside the house and purchase gingerbread and chocolate cookies, lollipops, gingerbread ornaments, chocolate Disney characters, and more. The Grand Floridian gingerbread house is open from 10 am to 10 pm.

Though it’s worth making a special trip to see the displays at the Grand Floridian and Beach Club resorts, each of the other Disney resorts is also featuring a special holiday display. At Disney’s Contemporary Resort, guests can see a gingerbread holiday village on the fourth floor. At Disney’s Polynesian Resort, the Ceremonial House features an exotic gingerbread village with volcanoes and edible palm trees. At Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, a 15-by-20-foot chocolate and gingerbread boardwalk display greets visitors with a five-foot-tall Ferris wheel and carousel. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Boma-Flavors of Africa is featuring an entirely edible miniature African village. And at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, a miniature gingerbread train races around a sugar mountain village in the lobby.

If you’re hankering for something sweet on the eyes this holiday, be sure to stop at Disney Resorts to take in the phenomenal holiday displays and maybe even buy a gingerbread house of your own. Each resort features its own unique holiday decorations and is a great attraction to visit after a day at the Disney theme parks.

With the departure of Pleasure Island, the spotlight has now shifted to other hot nightlife spots located at Walt Disney World. Visitors do not have to venture off Disney property when the theme parks close in order to experience some nighttime entertainment. While many of the resorts have bars and lounges for some much-needed adult time, there are over-looked gems outside the parks that will entertain those looking for live music to rock out and dance to!

House of Blues at Downtown Disney - Jake and Elwood Blues would fit right in with the funky atmosphere, southern-style foods and snacks, and of course, the music! Dress code is “come as you are,” and the down-home comfort food completes the laid-back atmosphere. Live music can be found on the front patio almost every evening. Favorites from classic rock to the latest rock hits are performed by local and regional musicians. Concerts take place in the music hall, where legends perform, and new, up-and-coming bands play all genres of music. Don't forget the soulful Gospel Brunch on Sundays, heavenly-inspired music that will keep your toes-a-tappin'!

Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort - Dance to the latest music at this elegant venue, which features a variety of hot sounds and music videos. The club really gets going with a DJ Dance Party, featuring all your favorite music. This beautiful art deco interior has a twinkling ceiling of stars that shines down on the huge, open dance floor. The young, well-dressed 20-somethings make this cool club come alive! Doors open from 9 pm to 1 am, Tuesday through Saturday.

Jellyrolls at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort - Sing along to your rock and folk-based requests at this "Disneyesque" piano bar. Experience the fun as two keyboardists duel for the most audience participation with crowd-pleasing favorites. This is the place to be on the BoardWalk for wholesome entertainment, but for adults! Open from 7 pm until 1:45 am. There is a $10.00 cover.

Rix Lounge at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort - Rix Lounge is a new, upscale lounge at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. A nightly DJ plays a variety of Top 40 music, while on select evenings, a percussion band performs. The Lounge offers a nighttime experience with house music, specialty drinks, tapas-style appetizers, and rotating entertainment. More than a dozen specialty drinks such as the Rix Bouquet (champagne with rose petals and limes mulled up) may be paired with tapas-style appetizers such as the chorizo flat bread and the seafood cappuccino. State-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, a Mediterranean-inspired atmosphere, and stylish couches create a first-class, sophisticated ambiance. The lounge is open daily from 5 pm to 2 am.

Tourists and local residents alike yearn for a safe, clean, and friendly nightspot to visit for that special occasion or perhaps a romantic date. From Bachelorette parties to the office's “night out,” Walt Disney World caters to the night owls with swanky and funky club atmospheres in which to get down, get out, and party!

Thanks to Marilyn Emrick, a Customer Service Representative for OrlandoFunTickets.com, for this informative article!