Three places in Orlando where you can literally escape

Just in case you weren't painfully aware, there are exactly seven days left before Christmas, a day full of gift-giving, eating, being told what a disappointment you turned out to be, trying to remember what your cousin's wife's name is and – happy birthday, Jesus! – hard-earned hard drinking. If that description leaves you in the mood to do anything other than last-minute hate-shopping this weekend, maybe you'd be interested in taking an hour or so to check out some of the interactive escape rooms that have popped up in Orlando recently. Our live entertainment columnist called them his favorite new attraction genre in his year-in-review article in this week's issue. Here's some info on how to take a break from holiday madness by making a break-out attempt.

The Great Escape Room
23 1/2 S. Magnolia Ave.
thegreatescaperoom.com/orlando
The Great Escape Room in downtown Orlando is located on Magnolia Avenue, right between the Harp and the Celt. The rooms are based on Sherlock Holmes, and you get your choice of two rooms to break out of: the Library (Sherlock's Study) or the Gameroom. Tickets are $28 per person and you must book in advance at their website. Our live entertainment columnist, Seth Kubersky, called the Great Escape Room "an old-school intellectual experience" when he checked it out this summer.




It's a Trap!
6744 Aloma Ave., Winter Park, 407-960-3824 itsatrapgame.com
Winter Park's It's a Trap! takes the escape room genre to the next level by dropping you into fantasy and science fiction-themed scenarios involving evil necromancers, trapped dragons, deadly pathogens and an incoming post-apocalyptic zombie horde. Tickets are $23, though there are discounts available for military, student, or entertainment industry workers, as well as package discounts. Tickets must be booked in advance at their site.




Escapology 11951 International Drive, 407-278-1515
orlando.escapology.com
The newest interactive escape game in Orlando doesn't even open until this coming Monday, Dec. 22. Escapology only has one other location, in Koh Samui, Thailand, but plan on further expansion. They plan to offer four different scenarios, ranging from a Cold War-era nuclear missile control room to a wild west saloon, though only two will be available at launch. Tickets range between $24 and $30, depending on how many people are in your group. If you book during their opening week, Dec. 22-28 and use the promotional code Orlando50, you'll receive 50 percent off of your entire purchase, making this coming week a great time to try to escape.