Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and ... Dodge

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  In addition to the 5 D’s of dodgeball, you know need to know one J — jump. Rebounderz on international Drive is a trampoline play place that has a huge free jump area, a foam pit for practicing flips, and basketball area with adjustable hoops so you can jump eight feet in the air and dunk. There's also an arcade and birthday rooms! But what really makes this place so special — and what granted it a spot on my things to do in Orlando list — is the dodgeball area. A huge arena-style jumping area with trampolines on the floor and walls, and it’s dedicated solely to the elementary school playground favorite, dodgeball.

  This idea was so intriguing that of course Jessica and I had to try it, dragging my husband and some friends along, because it’s not like we could play with just the two of us. She'd kick my butt.

  Rebounderz hosts dodgeball tournaments, but we figured we should get some practice in before we attempted the big leagues. I mean, it had been more than a few years since I played dodgeball or jumped on a trampoline, so I figured the combo wasn’t going to go smoothly right out of the gate. We visited on a weekday night and got wristbands for one hour of jump time. Time to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge!

  Oh my gosh how do children do this?! It was exhausting! First, I totally suck at the dodgeball part. Second, I thought jumping on trampolines was supposed to be fun; why was I winded after five minutes?! That being said, it was so much fun! After a couple games I got a little better at the dodgeball part — hint, don’t throw the ball when someone is staring right at you and can easily catch the ball because you can’t throw with any kind of force whatsoever — and I accepted that jumping was definitely a workout.

   

  
  I'm confident in our tournament chances. Mostly because the men take competitive sports very, very seriously.

   

  Once we were dodgeball experts (I was totally still the weak link on the team), we tried out the foam pit, where you can bounce, bounce, bounce and then flip into a large pit of foam. Super fun! But geesh that getting out is tricky. On my first turn I jumped feet first and was buried up to my neck in foam. It took at least five minutes to struggle my way over to the side and out of the pit. Wow I needed to work on my trampoline endurance skills.

  After practicing our flips, we tried out the basketball and free jump areas. If it weren't for that whole being exhausting thing, I could have played in the free jump area all day. So much fun!

  Our hour flew by before we knew it. Soaked in sweat and already getting sore, we chugged some water before heading home. I learned three very important lessons that day: 1. Dodgeball is just as fun now as it was as a child, even though I’m not the best at it and my husband hit me in the face twice with the foam ball. 2. Jumping on trampolines is absolutely just as fun now as when we were kids. 3. Jumping on trampolines for an hour, especially while playing dodgeball, is exhausting and an awesome workout. The next day we were all sore, giving me flashbacks to the trapeze class.

  If you’re really good at dodgeball, please don’t feel the need to participate in the tournament to see how much fun it is, because we will definitely be back, and this time we’re competing for cash. But if you and your friends stink like me, you should totally visit Rebounderz and see how fun, challenging, exhausting and funny it is to play dodgeball on trampolines. Not to mention the potential weight-loss benefits! Not gonna lie; as soon as I got home I purchased five one-hour exercise classes at Rebounderz! Gotta love Groupon.

   

  You burned lots of calories, so now it's time to eat!

  You're on International Drive, so that means your options are endless. But you're also probably sweaty and exhausted, so maybe skip the fine dining locales.

  The food is good, but what really makes Friendly's special is its ice cream! You have to try the peanut butter sauce!

  Breakfast for dinner? IHOP reigns supreme when it comes to pancakes and breakfast platters.

  If you're too tired to even get out of the car, Sonic is perfect! Just drive up, order, and have your chili dog delivered to your car window.