Orlando is a place in Florida, full of many hotels, motels, restaurants and resorts, golf courses, and many other attractions. You will find surprisingly many things to do in Orlando. If you thought Orlando was primarily a family destination, with activities aimed at children, that’s a misconception. Adults will also find lots of fun, enjoy unique attractions, make enjoyable getaways in beautiful sites, find themselves in a space center, and so on. In the list below you will see a special selection of the best places in Orlando that are worth not to be missed:
ICON Park Orlando
It is no coincidence that ICON Park is in this position, as the place is more than amazing. Among the things to do in Orlando, this is a must-see one. ICON Park is a 20-acre outdoor entertainment destination where you can ride, dine, have a drink, and explore all around. The focus of ICON Park is The Wheelhouse, a remarkable restaurant serving authentically prepared international meals.
Located on Orlando International Drive, ICON Park offers over 40 amazing restaurants, bars, chic shops, and attractions for kids and adults, all anchored by The Wheel, a huge observation wheel 400 feet in the air.
Website: iconparkorlando.com
Address: 8375 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819, United States
Universal Theme Parks
Universal Theme Park is an attraction for everyone, especially interesting for teenagers. Designed in consultation with Steven Spielberg, this place is a theme park and a working studio in one. In it, visitors find an interactive experience with the film industry.
Attractions include seven theme parks, each dedicated to a film franchise – including Seuss Island, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon, Skull Island, and Marvel Superhero Island. Also, the Magic World of Harry Potter is included, along with Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade.
Universal Studios Florida also offers regular events and celebrations for the whole family. City Walk, which is also part of Universal, is a large entertainment complex with dining, shopping, movies, all kinds of day and night entertainment.
Website: www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/theme-parks/universal-studios-florida
Address: 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819, United States
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is one of the most coveted day trips from Orlando. And there is good reason for this – this is one of NASA’s most famous operational centers. You will see the Heroes and Legends exhibits, which acquaint the guests with the life and career of those, thanks to whom the space program became possible. Here is the Hall of Fame of astronauts in the United States, as well as the Rocket Garden, where you can see the rockets from some of NASA’s most famous flights.
One of the main highlights is the exhibition presenting the original space shuttle Atlantis. This will take your breath away – in front of you is the legendary machine which the marks of the flight remain on. In total, over 60 exhibits provide information about the space shuttle and the program. Other exciting exhibits include astronaut training, moon exploration, shuttle launch, IMAX theater, and Cape Canaveral Air Force launches.
Website: www.kennedyspacecenter.com
Address: Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953, United States
Walt Disney World Parks
Walt Disney World Parks is still the most popular family attraction in Florida, so has been for many years. There are four parks, of which Magic Kingdom is the most famous, with Cinderella’s Castle standing in the center of the park. This paradise for children is the magic you have to touch while in Orlando.
Here, kids will see the Earth’s geosphere on the Epcot spacecraft, which stands at the entrance to this park in an exhibition-style, and includes Future World and World Showcase – a unique experience around the world that allows visitors to peek into different cultures and to meet popular Disney international heroes. Apart from that, the Hollywood Studios park allows visitors to see the world of movies with stunts and special effects, even to take tours of a real film studio.
We can add the Kilimanjaro safari experience at Animal Kingdom where you’ll see African animals run free in a natural habitat, and the huge Tree of Life which is a dreamy backdrop for family photos, along with fireworks and parades – the fun is relentless every moment you set aside to spend in Walt Disney World Parks.
Disney Springs
Disney Springs is the former center of Disney which is now a famous place for eating and entertainment. Here, you will find yourself among more than 100 shops, over 60 restaurants and eateries, and 23 shows and events every day. At Disney Springs, the fun activities literally never stop 24 hours a day. Also, here you can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the world’s largest hand-painted helium balloon. And not to mention the Gothic Edison, where cocktails are famous, as well as entertainment only for adults, with the participation of aerial artists, stilt walking artists, cabaret-style dancers, etc.
Gatorland
If you want to see alligators, crocodiles, and other reptiles up close, Gatorland is the place. Some of the reptiles are featured in daily shows and demonstrations, such as the Alligator Jumparoo Show and the Gator Wrestlin Show. There are also rare white leucistic alligators here that you will hardly ever see anywhere else.
The facility has a small train following a certain route around the terrain, and an observation tower gives you a view of the swamp and the surrounding area. For those of you who are less adventurous, there is also something to offer – a self-driving marsh walk, as well as a tour of Gator Gully Splash Park.
Website: www.gatorland.com
Address: 14501 S Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32837, United States
Discovery Cove
For lovers of natural beauty is Discovery Cove, located next to SeaWorld Orlando. The place has the status of a park and in it guests have the opportunity to interact with natural ocean life, snorkel on a coral reef, see the underwater creatures where life abounds, and swim with dolphins. There is also a huge aviary where you can be close to exotic birds, as well as a river where you can also snorkel, and a tropical swimming area where you can enjoy the pools and the lovely beach.
Harry P. Leu Gardens
Harry P. Leu Gardens are a quiet paradise for those who want to escape the noise. You find yourself in a botanical paradise, located just minutes from the city center. These gardens were founded in the 1930s by a local industrialist, Mr. Leu, who traveled the world, bringing back rare plants and seeds along the way to create beautiful gardens. Among the things to do in Orlando, this is one of the most enjoyable. Exploring the tropical and semi-tropical gardens on an area of 50 acres is relaxing, with all the streams, winding paths, 200-year-old oaks, and massifs of camellias. Each plant blooms at its corresponding time of year, and that makes the view constantly changing.
SeaWorld
Do you love the oceans and seas? SeaWorld of Orlando is your place to visit! It is famous for its huge aquariums, dolphin and whale shows, attractive pools and interesting walks. You have the opportunity to pet dolphins in the interactive pool and this is the least you can do. If you take a close-up of dolphins, killer whales, sea lions, penguins and even sharks, you will be fascinated for life. There are other tours that include a behind-the-scenes look at SeaWorld activities, such as the dolphin farm, where they take care of the little ones.
Many additional walks and entertainments are offered in the Sea World. Among the most popular entertainment in the park are trains, fireworks, Mako hyper Coaster, as well as Manta Coaster and Kraken Virtual Reality Coaster.
Website: seaworld.com/orlando/
Address: 7007 Sea World Dr, Orlando, FL 32821, United States
Orlando Science Center
Even if you’re not a man of science, you wouldn’t be indifferent to a visit to the Science Center in Orlando. There are presented several branches of science – from mechanics to biology and applied technologies. Among the various themed exhibits, the most popular is often “Children’s City”, which is available for children under 48 inches tall, and is full of interesting, fun interactive exhibits.
In addition, the science center is worth seeing the laser shows and widescreen films at Dr. Phillips CineDome, as well as tourist exhibits from all over the country.
Blue Spring State Park
This special park is actually home to a manatee. Especially in the winter months, it is best to see, as in the spring the manatee goes up to the northern part of the city. For visitors, there is an option to walk along the promenade, which is about a third of a mile long, so that these amazing-looking creatures can be easily seen and photographed. During the warmer months, Blue Spring State Park is also worth a visit, as it offers 51 campsites, 6 rental cabins, picnic tables, and great opportunities for all kinds of water sports: canoes, kayaks, diving, and more. Divers are often spotted browsing caves, and swimmers can to enjoy crystal clear 73-degree waters all year round.
International Drive
International Drive is a landmark road around which all the interesting parts of Orlando seem to merge, or at least collect, including theme parks, large water parks and beautiful resorts. There is no way to get bored here, because you will not run out of what to see. There are many places to explore, including themed restaurants, tourist attractions, spectacular hotels, nightclubs, shopping malls and more. You shop, eat and drink, enjoy everything around you, and your eyes will get full of impressions!
Fun Spot America
You’ve already noticed that Orlando is full of theme parks and you may find it confusing who to see next, but Fun Spot America is a must-see, especially if you like the good old-fashioned amusement park. You have free admission, exciting walks at will, such as the White Lightning; you have at your disposal a wooden train with a drop of over 20 meters and a maximum speed of 44 miles per hour, as well as the 76-meter-high SkyCoaster. Of course, there is a classic type of walk for the whole family – whatever you can think of: a fair, games, merry-go-rounds, strollers, go-karts and many other fun things to do in this place in Orlando city.
Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures
Florida is also known for its wetlands and mangrove forests, exemplified by Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures. Four hours from Orlando is the 32-acre Everglades National Park by the lake, where there is a variety of wildlife species, including alligators and turtles. You can sit on an airboat moving at 45 miles per hour to explore around. Thrill-seekers will appreciate these trips as perfect, and for the even more fearless there is a suggestion to drive the airboat yourself. If you do not want extreme, you can just go around by bike. Sunset cruises are also available here for romantic couples.
IFly Orlando Indoor Skydiving
And again for adrenaline lovers – simulated parachuting, but, of course, completely safe under the guarantee of iFly Orlando Indoor Skydiving Center! We offer you an innovative wind tunnel technology that makes the experience safe even for children from the age of 3. You will be given a personal instructor and appropriate equipment, you will be taught the correct positioning of the body before entering the wind tunnel. The parachute jump simulation itself lasts 60 seconds unless you choose a package that allows you to enter the wind tunnel several times. The total time required for beginners is about an hour and a half.
Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Do you want a huge zoo and botanical garden? Here is your place! This zoo, which is only a 20-minute drive from Orlando city, is home to more than 205 kinds of animals, including llamas, lizards, giraffes, rhinos, and leopards; here is the largest collection of venomous and non-venomous snakes in the southeast; insects and herbarium. Even if you don’t stop your attention on the animals, the Central Florida Zoo has more to do and see: an aerial adventure course, a walk in the splash ground to cool off; Barnyard Buddies Zoo, which is ideal for younger children, as they will be given the opportunity to feed the animals.
Legoland Florida
Legoland Florida is a beautiful 150-acre theme park filled with lush greenery. It is divided into many lands, in which there are many performances and walks. If you are a family with children, this is definitely one of the fun things to do in Orlando. There, visitors will be able to view models of famous monuments and landscapes, from the Kennedy Space Center to places in the Star Wars universe. It will also be interesting for children between the ages of 6 and 13, who will enjoy learning how to drive at Legoland’s Driving School, while their families will enjoy the rest that Legoland Water Park offers for getting out of the heat.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
Museums are part of any destination that has something to show for history. The exhibition of artifacts about the Titanic should definitely be on your list of things to do in Orlando. The exhibition opened in Orlando on the 100th anniversary of the tragic crash of the Titanic and presents more than 400 artifacts successfully recovered from the wreckage, including a 3-ton piece of the ship’s hull.
The exhibition also has 17 galleries, which show exact copies of the decor of the famous ship, such as the First Parlour Suite, Boiler Room, the Grand Staircase, and others. The tours are delightful, with actors who transport you into the atmosphere of the time. And finally, you personally have a chance to touch a frozen iceberg.
As you can see, the city of Orlando in Florida may be best known for Disney World and Universal, but it’s also full of a lot more fun things to do. The climate is wonderful, warm, and inviting to entertain with adventures, nightlife, sightseeing, and more for collecting great memories of your travel in Orlando.
