Spare Me! No. Really ...

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  Lately, it seems I just haven’t had the time to dust off my bowling shoes and really give my game the attention it deserves. Yes, I pretty much fall somewhere in the “total amateur who occasionally hits 120+” skill range, but hey, I rarely (if ever) come in last, and that’s a win in my bowling book. However, the other evening I was super duper fortunate to not only bowl a few rounds, but my hubby and I got to double date with Jessica and her husband, for a night of amazingness at Splitsville Luxury Lanes at Downtown Disney.

  As former Tampa residents, the husband and I have frequented the Channelside location numerous times, so when we heard the luxury bowling alley was coming to Lake Buena Vista, it immediately topped our Things To Do in Orlando list. The vibe, atmosphere and lighting are different in Tampa (21+ baby!), but the Disney location has its own perks. Like being gigantic! Bowling etiquette states that you use the restroom immediately following your turn, giving you the most amount of time to get back before you’re up again. Ha! At Splitsville you better run. This place is awesomely huge, with two floors of bowling and dining areas, multiple bars throughout, a large outdoor patio with live music, and gift shop. There’s just something about taking that loooooong escalator ride to the second floor that really builds the excitement and anticipation for the game to come.

  After being escorted to our second-floor lane, our über friendly waitress promptly stopped by for our drink orders. In between adding our names to the electronic scoring system, selecting the perfectly weighted ball with the perfectly sized finger holes, and tying our shoes on, we perused the menu. Well, truth be told, Jessica and I didn't so much tie our shoes as velcro them, seeing as our feet are so small. But that just adds to the charm!

  The menu is extensive, and I promise there’s something for everyone! In addition to the typical nachos, burgers, chicken fingers, BBQ and other restaurant favorites, Splitsville has awesome sushi. I don’t know who the sushi chef is, but Bravo sir/madam! Excellent! We ordered some “normal” food, along with two sushi rolls, and obvi the sushi stole the show. Oh, much like my husband, who then proceeded to kick all our a$%&s at bowling.

   

  
  Bowling, sushi and red wine. Good sushi and red wine. What's not to love about this place?!

   

  The lanes are pretty typical, but way shiner and slick than an old-school alley. Watch that invisible foul line. No, an alarm doesn’t go off, but you just might find yourself sliding down the lane with your ball. Right, Jess? ;)

  The computerized scoring makes it incredibly easy to see who’s up next and, of course, who’s winning. What’s really cool is that you don’t just see the scores from your current game, you can also see a running total of your combined score from previous games. You have exclusive use of your lane for two hours, so the faster you play, the more games you can play. Hence, why running to the bathroom all the way across the alley is so key. And no dilly dallying over your delicious red wine and Fantasy Roll (amazing!). When you’re up you’re up. Go go go! If you can hit a strike, even better! Your score benefits and you saved time by only needed one turn. Win-win!

  Oh my gosh, what else?! I feel like there’s so many great things about Splitsville and it’s impossible to get them all into one teeny tiny blog post. The outdoor patio is great! Inside and outside are plenty of seating areas for those who don’t want to bowl or who reluctantly gave up their lane after their allotted two hours. But the patio is the best — there’s almost always live music, and come on, does people watching get any better than at Disney?

  So, to recap — Awesome, awesome bowling alley. Seriously, you’re going to have a difficult time finding one that’s nicer. Sushi. Gotta try it. You just gotta. Full-liquor bar. Enough Said.

  Oh, and did I mention that Jessica and I beat the boys with our total combined scores from all three games? Oh, I didn’t? Well, yep. That happened. It might have been the velcro shoes.