Visit Orlando on Friday announced the donation of $269,272 to Orange County charities that support survivors of abuse in Central Florida, including organizations that shine the light on the dark realities of human trafficking.
The donation was raised through Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, which showcases some of Orlando’s best restaurants, including MICHELIN Guide honorees, through special prix-fixe menus, with $1 to $2 from each meal designated for charity. This was a 44% increase from 2022.
A record-breaking 132 restaurants participated in this year’s Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, including 22 new restaurants to the program.
Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining has raised over $2.5 million for local charities since 2009. The majority of this year’s donation will benefit The Lifeboat Project, a local organization that raises awareness of the issue of human trafficking and empowers the lives of survivors through short and long-term aftercare, residential programs and education.
With 132 Magical Dining restaurant participants, diners had plenty of options throughout the Central Florida region. Visit Orlando recognized four top-performing restaurants during the program based on money raised for charity:
- Seasons 52-Orlando – Top performing restaurant
- The Pinery – Top performing new restaurant: $40 menu
- AVA MediterrAegean – Top performing new restaurant: $60 menu
- The Nauti Lobstah – Largest increase from 2022 to 2023
To ensure the donation has a widespread impact throughout the community, Visit Orlando also awarded a $2,000 donation to one local nonprofit in each of Orange County’s six commission districts that provide services and resources to survivors of abuse in Central Florida:
- Mustard Seed of Central Florida
- Nuevo Sendero
- One Heart for Women and Children
- Salvation Army Orlando
- Samaritan Village
- Wake Up Mentoring
“Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining celebrates our destination’s vibrant culinary scene and makes an indelible impact on our local community,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “In the 18th year of this program, we are appreciative for the enthusiastic support of a record-breaking 132 restaurant participants and grateful to all diners who helped us raise funds to combat human trafficking and support survivors.”“I am so proud of Visit Orlando’s 18-year commitment to growing Magical Dining for the benefit of our community,” said Terry Prather, Board Chair of Visit Orlando.
“It is an essential program and one of my favorites for its perfect three-ingredient recipe: It makes a real impact in Orange County, supports local restaurants and offers great meals for our residents and visitors to enjoy when our restaurants need the business the most.”
Additional information about Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining, including a full list of charities that have benefited over the years and restaurants that participated, is available at OrlandoMagicalDining.com.
About Visit Orlando
Visit Orlando is The Official Tourism Association®?for Orlando, the most visited destination in the United States, Theme Park Capital of the World®?and No. 1 meeting destination in the country. A not-for-profit trade association that brands, markets and sells the Orlando destination globally, we represent more than 1,500?member companies comprising every segment of Central Florida’s tourism community. Visit Orlando connects consumers and business groups with all facets of Orlando’s travel community, whether for a vacation or meeting. Home to seven of the world’s top theme parks — as well as refreshing water parks, activities to connect with nature, vibrant neighborhoods, a dynamic dining scene with Michelin recognized restaurants, and a robust calendar of entertainment?and?sports events —?Orlando is a diverse, welcoming and inclusive community for all travelers.?Find more information at?VisitOrlando.com?or OrlandoMeeting.com.
Visit Orlando is developing a Destination Tourism Master Plan to inform and guide the creation of a roadmap and 10-year vision for visitor-based economic growth and development for Orange County. The benefit of destination planning is that it connects the dots between the visitor economy, economic development and community well-being. Critical to this work will be the input of our stakeholders and residents. They are seeking feedback for the plan, so if you still need to participate in a destination survey, we invite you to share your feedback here: DestinationNEXT 2.0 – Orlando Survey. 
