All Things Citrus Bowl/Orlando Travel Tips, Plans, Hotels, Tickets, Actities and More

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FYI for everyone staying in the area a few days after the game: UCONN plays at Florida on Saturday 1/3. Might make for a good day trip up to Gainesville, which is about 1.5 hours North
 


e.bigelow said:
1) Yes, as far as I understand, you are correct there. But, although I am not staying at the Hyatt Regency (staying at the Double Tree by Hilton downtown), my familiarity with Orlando, the pep rally is not far from the 'Sota social. Like 3 blocks maybe? It's all located on "I-Drive" or international drive which is a decent area with lots of good restraunts/watering holes and other things, albeit pretty touristy.

2) that is a misprint. The UMAA tailgate will be at the stadium. I will post tomorrow as to exact location as I am awaiting to get that. So, hopefully I will have that soon.
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Thank you for putting together the post with all of the activities, EBigelow. My son and I are still trying to decide where to stay. It looks like the Double Tree downtown is a 20 minute walk to the stadium. That would be nice as we could avoid renting a car.
 

From your link, Lots L & M indicate they are no smoking or alcohol. Do you know of any that allow tailgating? Also do you have any links for other options? We're trying to find an early opening tailgating lot as close as possible to the stadium and where there will be other Gopher fans. As close as the Alumni lot is we don't want to pay their per person price and would rather bring our own food and beverages. If anyone can provide any info it would be greatly appreciated.
 

BleedM&G said:
From your link, Lots L & M indicate they are no smoking or alcohol. Do you know of any that allow tailgating? Also do you have any links for other options? We're trying to find an early opening tailgating lot as close as possible to the stadium and where there will be other Gopher fans. As close as the Alumni lot is we don't want to pay their per person price and would rather bring our own food and beverages. If anyone can provide any info it would be greatly appreciated.
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All lots allow tailgating, except those at the high school.

If I had to guess, I'd say the no smoking and no alcohol is more of a guideline than a hard and fast rule (that is, it's a law but no one is enforcing it as long as you're not a dink). This is from Pitt's site from a few years back: http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/113001aad.html

Possession and consumption of alcohol in public parking areas is prohibited by the laws of the City of Orlando.
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http://buffalowildwingscitrusbowl.com/parking.aspx

There will be ONE first-come, first-served public cash lot at Jones High School on game day (capacity 600), but no other public lots have availability.Please note that tailgating is not permitted on Jones High School property.

Fans should be advised that they are parking in private lots around the stadium AT THEIR OWN RISK.

Tailgating Policies
Parking spaces are for vehicles only
Tailgating items must be confined to a small area in front of or behind your vehicle.
No tents! Guests who take over any additional parking spaces to tailgate will be asked to clear out of those spaces.
NO glass containers, beer kegs or open fires.
Fire extinguishing material is required when grilling.
No couches or indoor furniture.
RVs will be given enough space for awning on one side of vehicle only.
Dumping hot coals in the lot or trash receptacles is prohibited
Please refrain from ball of Frisbee throwing in open lots until lot is completely parked
Cars, tables, chairs, barbeque grills must be confined to one stall
There should not be empty stalls between cars and tailgaters should not expect to occupy empty stalls near their party.
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Thank you for purchasing tickets to the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl in Orlando to watch your Golden Gophers take on the Missouri Tigers at 1:00pm ET at the Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium.* There will be special events surrounding the bowl game for gopher fans, please see below for a full list of events.* All tickets are being mailed today and have been shipped using 2-day delivery through UPS. Make sure you stay updated with all things bowl related by visiting Bowl Central for ticket and event information and Citrus Bowl Bound for team updates. See you in Orlando!*

Throughout the Duration of the Trip

Home of the Gophers
Pointe Orlando
9101 International Drive
Throughout the week this establishment will serve as the home-base for Gopher fans who want to mingle with the Maroon and Gold faithful. Pointe Orlando is a unique and exciting area that contains individual restaurants, stores, attractions, theaters and outdoor areas.

Orlando Magic Center Discounted Tickets
Amway Center
400 West Church Street
The Orlando Magic is offering discounted tickets to select basketball games around the bowl game including Dec. 26 (Cleveland Cavaliers), Dec. 30 (Detroit Pistons), Jan. 2 (New Jersey Nets) and Jan. 3 (Charlotte Hornets). Click here to purchase tickets and enter the promo code GOPHERS to receive discounted tickets. Goldy will be in attendance and participating at the game on Dec. 30!

Tuesday, December 30

Florida Citrus Parade
10:00am - Downtown Orlando
The Florida Citrus Parade is an annual tradition that has grown to be one of the largest sports-affiliated parades in the nation. The event is distinguished by signature floats made of citrus fruit parading down a 1.7 mile stretch of downtown Orlando. The parade also features a celebrity grand marshal, participating bowl game marching bands, select high school bands from across the nation and other family entertainment. The grandstand and broadcast area is located on Rosalind Avenue adjacent to Lake Eola. In addition, curbside seating is available all along the streets of Downtown Orlando. More details can be found at floridacitrusparade.com.


Wednesday, December 31

Kickoff Luncheon
Noon - 1:30pm
9801 International Drive
The kickoff event, hosted by ESPN on ABC Talent, features both participating teams. The program will feature interviews with the head coaches, band and spirit squad performances and a special challenge for the players. Limited tickets are available for $62 per person and can be purchased at buffalowildwingscitrusbowl.com/tickets.

Gopher Pep Rally
4:45pm
Orlando Bowl Week Fan HG on International Drive
Pointe Orlando
9101 International Drive
Gather with other Gopher fans at the official pep rally at Orlando Bowl Week Fan Headquarters. The University of Minnesota band and spirit squad will perform and Coach Jerry Kill will make a special appearance. The Pep Rally is free and open to all Gopher fans. NOTE: The Missouri Tigers will have their pep rally at this same location at 4:00 pm.

'Sota Social and KFAN Radio Show
5:00 - 7:00pm
Hyatt Regency Orlando, Plaza International Ballroom
9801 International Drive
Gather with other Gopher fans at this University of Minnesota tradition called ‘Sota Social. The University of Minnesota band and spirit squad will perform, along with appearances by Coach Jerry Kill, Director of Athletics Norwood Teague and University President Dr. Eric Kaler. The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl Preview Show will be broadcast live on KFAN from 5:30 to 6:30. The ‘Sota Social is free and open to all Gopher fans, it is recommended that attendees RSVP in advance by clicking here. A cash bar is available with light snacks provided.

Ring in the New Year - New Year's Eve Options
Pointe Orlando
9101 International Drive
Gopher fans will have lots of dining and entertainment choices on New Year’s Eve in Pointe Orlando. From casual to elegant you will enjoy great food and ambiance with a variety of options. Click here for more information.

Caribe Royale Orlando
8101 World Center Drive
407-238-8000
Gopher fans will also enjoy this setting for their New Year’s Eve celebration with several dining options, champagne, balloon drops, jazz band and “Dueling Pianos” that will play popular songs for the Minnesota delegation. This venue is located 1.5 miles from the Walt Disney World® area, and 7.2 miles from Pointe Orlando. Click here to view available New Year’s Eve options.

Thursday, January 1

U of M Alumni Association Tailgate
10:00 - 1:00pm
Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium
Lake Lorna Doone Park (north of the stadium)
Join fellow fans at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association Official Gopher Pregame Tailgate Event. Enjoy a hot buffet, beer, wine and entertainment before heading over to the big game. Tickets are $69 per person and can be purchased at gophersfantravel.com.

Kickoff at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium
1:00pm
The Golden Gophers will take on the Missouri Tigers at 1:00 pm ET on ABC.
 



WorkingMyTailOff said:
Thank you for putting together the post with all of the activities, EBigelow. My son and I are still trying to decide where to stay. It looks like the Double Tree downtown is a 20 minute walk to the stadium. That would be nice as we could avoid renting a car.
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No problem! Actually, it didn't take all that much time to put together. Just a quick copy & paste from my email from the Pres. of the Goal Line Club. :)

Myself, my girlfiend and a friend are staying at the Double Tree downtown as well. I am pretty familiar with Orlando and that is a decent area to stay in as Downtown has a lot of cool bars and things on Church Street.
 

For those staying at the Caribe Royale, it's a very nice hotel and a great place to spend the afternoon around the pool. I've stayed there every year now since 1998 (Daytona 500), and now I'm taking two trips there this year!
 





Coach Limegrover's tie:

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Glad Limegrover was able to locate that tie. It's a beauty :)

For those still looking at hotels, the options are getting thin quickly. The downtown DoubleTree as well as the Hyatt at 9100 Intl drive are both sold out for Dec 31st. We ended up booking 3 nights at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress which looks to be about 6 miles further SW from the more desirable Hyatt.
 

per Sid:

• Gophers fans might outnumber Missouri fans at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, with a chance of more than 10,000 Gophers supporters attending, thanks to a big Florida delegation from Naples and Fort Myers, where a great number of Minnesota natives spend the winter. … Byron Helgeson, a member of the Florida Citrus Sports group that runs the Citrus Bowl and pushed for the Gophers to be invited, graduated from Gustavus Adolphus. … The Gophers are expected to take 103 players to the game.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/286475731.html

Go Gophers!!
 

Can someone remind me where the shuttle service is? I'm driving in from Jacksonville and am not paying stadium parking fee. I think the shuttle was like $10 or something like that.
 

There has usually been a free shuttle from downtown Orlando originating near the West Central Parkway/ Interstate 4 overpass intersection. I have seen conflicting maps regarding the pickup points for that shuttle, but the cost to park downtown in a garage is $10 or $15, and the metered on street parking is probably free in Jan. 1.

This may be outdated:

http://www.orlandocitrusbowl.com/plan-your-visit/event-transportation
 

Just booked a stay at the Doubletree Downtown, got a great deal on Priceline. A mile walk to the Citrus bowl shuttle, and a 1 hour bus to the airport. Looking forward to the trip.
 

The Sun Country Flights are just about Full. A win for both the Airline and the Fan's
Hopefully, Sun Country will add extra flights again next time.
 

Traffic Report for those driving, considering driving.
We left at 12:10 am, 12/26 (from near Rochester, MN)
Arrived in Dalton, GA 16 hours later.
Smooth sailing until we hit rush hour / returning holiday travelers in Chattanooga.
Delayed us 1 hour. Went Avenue of Saints route south of Iowa City to St. Louis, then through southern Illinois and down. No construction going on. Couple of zones but traffic was 55-60.
Lowest I saw gas was 1.93/ Gallon. Highest 2.26/ Gallon. Average range 2.10-2.15 / gallon.
 

Buck_Buchanan said:
Traffic Report for those driving, considering driving.
We left at 12:10 am, 12/26 (from near Rochester, MN)
Arrived in Dalton, GA 16 hours later.
Smooth sailing until we hit rush hour / returning holiday travelers in Chattanooga.
Delayed us 1 hour. Went Avenue of Saints route south of Iowa City to St. Louis, then through southern Illinois and down. No construction going on. Couple of zones but traffic was 55-60.
Lowest I saw gas was 1.93/ Gallon. Highest 2.26/ Gallon. Average range 2.10-2.15 / gallon.
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Fun read. Thanks for sharing. Kind of wish I would have done a road trip.
 

Buck_Buchanan said:
Traffic Report for those driving, considering driving.
We left at 12:10 am, 12/26 (from near Rochester, MN)
Arrived in Dalton, GA 16 hours later.
Smooth sailing until we hit rush hour / returning holiday travelers in Chattanooga.
Delayed us 1 hour. Went Avenue of Saints route south of Iowa City to St. Louis, then through southern Illinois and down. No construction going on. Couple of zones but traffic was 55-60.
Lowest I saw gas was 1.93/ Gallon. Highest 2.26/ Gallon. Average range 2.10-2.15 / gallon.
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Good idea to post and a classy move at that. Thanks.
 

Iceland12 said:
Good idea to post and a classy move at that. Thanks.
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Need to also say a special thanks to BilldGopher for being classy and giving me information on Andersonville. Our family is grateful for the information / questions he answered and WE'LL worth the side trip. Found grave of only Wasioja soldier buried there. Found graves of other southeastern Minnesotans as well.
 

Buck_Buchanan said:
Need to also say a special thanks to BilldGopher for being classy and giving me information on Andersonville. Our family is grateful for the information / questions he answered and WE'LL worth the side trip. Found grave of only Wasioja soldier buried there. Found graves of other southeastern Minnesotans as well.
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Great to see Buck. It was meaningful for us too.

Let's now top This trip off with a win on New Year's Day!

Go Gophers!
 

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Go Gophers!!
 

Apologies if I missed it above, but where are people watching the Gophers basketball game by the airport? On the student bus now headed that direction and we are 20 minutes away.
 


According to the UMAA desk, there were 2,000 tix sold for their tailgate, and the Gopher tailgate tent is "much bigger" than the Missouri tailgate tent.
 

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