Orlando is world-famous for its fantastic theme parks, and rightly so. Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, and other top attractions are unmatched for creating exciting and seamlessly themed attractions that make memories kids and adults will cherish for a lifetime.
But Orlando today is much more than theme parks. It offers hundreds of top-quality attractions and experiences. Its location in Central Florida provides excellent access to nature, Florida's beautiful beaches, rivers, lakes, hiking trails, and so much more.
If you're looking to take a break from the parks, the lines, and the crowds for a few days, read on. Maybe you want to give your wallet a break and save a few bucks, or just mix it up a bit; we've got lots of ideas for you. Orlando makes it simple for you to enjoy nature and the great outdoors, do inside activities to get out of the sun (or the rain), or do active things that allow for a good old family challenge or want to get some exercise.
Here are our tips for some epic things to do in Orlando with kids that do not involve the ticketed theme parks. We've got chocolate factories, dinner shows, hiking, and lots more. Get ready to experience the authentic Orlando.
Fun Things that You Won't Want to Miss
Make your visit to Orlando "out of the ordinary" by creating an itinerary that takes you out of the theme parks.
The Crayola Experience Orlando is a fantastic start for getting out of the theme parks. And the bonus for mom, it is located in the Florida Mall. Crayola Experience offers dozens of creative hands-on experiences. Your little ones will discover the magic of color as they explore art and technology and have a chance to express themselves through color. They will create, name, and wrap their own crayons, visit the "Melt and Mold" area where they choose a crayon, melt it down, and then use moldings to create a ring, shark, car, or seahorse from it. With Drip Art, they will create their own masterpiece with melted wax. You may want to frame them! This is a great way to spend a day in creative play. This is one of the top things to do in Orlando with kids.
Icon Park is an easily accessible entertainment destination with free parking and lots to offer. They have over 40 venues, including many restaurants, boutique shopping, and some great attractions geared for the entire family. The Wheel At Icon Park is the star attraction in ICON Park. You'll soar 400 feet in the air in your private capsule on this observation wheel for a fantastic view of the city and parks. The very brave may want to try out the Orlando StarFlyer as you take a spin on the world's tallest swing, standing at 450 feet. Another fun attraction at ICON Park is Madame Tussauds Orlando Wax Museum, where you can take the ultimate selfie. SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium will bring you face to face with thousands of fish, stingrays, sea turtles, and more. You can plunge into the 360-degree ocean tunnel and meet all sorts of sea life swimming above and around you. When you come back to earth, shop, dine and enjoy this convenient and fun venue. While you’re there check out Top 10 Restaurants on International Drive.
Tree Trek Adventure is a treasure when it comes to adventure parks. It is packed with swings, nets, ropes, trapeze, Tarzan swings, and more. It is designed for kids seven and up. There are 97 aerial challenges, including a 50-foot high bridge system through the pine forest canopy followed by a 425-foot plunging zip line and leaps into hanging nets, crossing swinging logs, climbing 50-foot ladders, and crossing wobbling suspension bridges. Climbers are secured throughout the course and receive safety instructions. This one is for the adrenaline junkies!
Discovery Cove is a water park that SeaWorld operates. They offer a unique marine experience that allows you to swim with bottlenose dolphins, watch sea otters play, feed tropical birds, and more. Take a snorkel along the colored reefs and view thousands of tropical fish, and get close to sharks in their tanks. Try walking on the bottom of the ocean floor with the Grand Reef experience. This is an Orlando marine favorite.
Wonderworks is another International Drive favorite. This unique amusement park is fun from the moment you get out of the car because it is in a building that is upside down! It’s an amusement park "for the mind." Their exhibits are designed to get kids excited about science, and they offer many hands-on exhibits. The concept lets kids' imaginations run wild as they travel through the exhibits and displays that experiment with light and sound, space, and natural disaster simulations. Their 35,000 square feet space offers over 100 exhibits, including The Imagination Zone, Space Discovery, and the Light and Sound Zone. Some highlights are the glow-in-the-dark Indoor Ropes Course and a 4D XD Motion Theater. Allow yourself at least 3-4 hours for this experience. This is one of the best learning things to do with kids in Orlando.
Medieval Times Dinner Theatre is one of Orlando's longest-running and most popular dinner theatres. You'll cross a drawbridge to enter a "castle" where knights will battle to determine the victor of the throne. Suits of armor stand guard as you enter her Majesty's halls. Tour the Torture Museum and the castle before the show. You will be fully immersed in Medieval Spain as you watch a two-hour show of jousting, swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and displays of amazing horsemanship and falconry. You will stay in the Medieval period during the show as you feast on garlic bread, tomato bisque, roasted chicken, and much more. Don't forget to take a photo with the knights.
Pirates Dinner Adventure is another popular dinner theatre that your little scalawags are sure to love. You'll board a traditional 18th-century Spanish galleon that sits anchored in a 300,000-gallon indoor lagoon with night sky lighting. The six-sided showroom of six additional ships is where you'll be seated as you'll watch a cast of acrobats, entertainment, and scalawags chart through a show of danger, romance, and treachery on the 46-foot long galleon with 40-foot masts. You'll see swordfights, songs, sea monsters and enjoy a captain's feast. This is an excellent show for all ages.
LEGOLAND Florida Water Park is where the kids will enjoy the LEGO Wave pool, the Build-A-Raft Lazy River, tube slides, and much more. This one is a must for your LEGO fans.
Farris and Foster's Chocolate Factory is just what your sweet tooth may be craving. Test out their hand-made confections or create your own. They produce specialty chocolates, truffles, sugar-free chocolates, caramel apples, and lots more. The customers love the cookie cups, rice cereal treats, and peanut butter cups. They do team events, and if you have a birthday in the bunch, this may be the perfect spot to celebrate.
Orlando Watersports Complex is perfect for kids who are active and athletic and maybe a bit older. It is an extensive watersports park that features knee-boarding, wakeboarding, waterskiing, wake-skating, and wake-surfing. They have a boating lake equipped with two full-size cable systems and a two-tower system that offers a "get up guarantee" for boat-pulled watersports. They provide boat lessons, stand-up paddleboarding, full outdoor fitness with climbing rope, a beach area with a grill, and picnic tables.
This is a fantastic choice for the fitness and outdoors buffs and is one of our favorite things to do in Orlando with kids.
Day Tripping
The Central Florida location of Orlando makes day trips easy and tempting. Daytona Beach is just an hour to the east. How about a beach day and a visit to the pier in Cocoa Beach, the iconic Ron Jon Surf Shop, and a side trip to Kennedy Space Center? Head west to Clearwater Beach or lovely St Pete Beach. Head to the Florida Everglades for an airboat ride. The opportunities are endless.
There is so much within reach of Orlando without visiting Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, or any other theme park. Park Tickets are expensive, and there is plenty for the entire family to enjoy in and around Lake Buena Vista or on International Drive. Visit cute and quaint Winter Park, make a day of visiting downtown Orlando and Lake Eola Park or Harry P. Leu Gardens. Check out some other indoor activities, or spend a beautiful beach day on one of the Florida coasts. Yes, you are in the theme park capital of the world. But Orlando is all grown up, and Central Florida is rich with family-friendly activities and attractions. There are hundreds of things to do in Orlando with kids. If the heat is getting to you, check out the Best Waterparks in Orlando.