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| Great Attraction beyond the Big Three |
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So…are there really attractions worth experiencing after Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld? You had better believe there are!
There are plenty of things to do in and around the Orlando area even after you’ve experienced the magic of Walt Disney World, the edginess of Universal, and the ecoadventures of SeaWorld -in fact there are over 95 attractions in the Orlando area alone.
This doesn’t even take into consideration the numerous, not to mention spectacular, natural attractions that central Florida has to offer. Below you’ll find some of the kidfriendliest attractions beyond the big three.
Half-Day and Smaller Attractions
The following attractions are perfect if you have a half day set aside for a quieter, less intense day of sightseeing, or if you simply need a break from all of the hustle and bustle of the larger parks. The smaller attractions with touring times of between 1 and 3 hours (or so) are just right for an afternoon or evening out. They can even serve as a great way to start off or even end your vacation on those somewhat oddly timed travel days.
Gatorland
Rating: Fantastic (for everyone in the family)
14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando
Phone: 407-855-5496 and 800-393-JAWS
Web site: www.gatorland.com
Hours: Open from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; show times vary by season.
Admission: Adults $19.95; kids 3-12 $12.95 (additional up close encounters including “trainer for a day” and “night shine tours” are offered at an additional cost – annual park passes are also available)
Average touring time: 4 hours
You simply can’t miss the park’s entrance along the roadside as the oversized green gator head with its large white teeth awaits and welcomes you to enter through its wide open jaws.
This wonderful attraction has been around for over 50 years. Opening back in 1949, it is one of the area’s original attractions, astounding visitors long before that famous mouse came to town. It is touted as Florida’s best half-day attraction, and I find I must wholeheartedly agree.
If your kids are at all fascinated by alligators, crocodiles, and snakes, this is the place to go. Far more low-key and relaxed than the other area attractions, this park offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy Florida’s more natural side. There are 110 acres filled with boardwalk-lined marshes; an observation tower where you enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the gators in their natural surroundings; an alligator island; the flamingo lagoon;
Allie’s barnyard, a petting zoo where the kids can pet and touch the chicks, goats, lambs, deer, and more; and the aviary, where lorikeets can be found flying about. There is a small children’s water play area aptly named Lilly’s Pad with a splash zone, water jets, slides and towers, and with a covered seating area just nearby where parents can sit and relax while they watch the kids.
Throughout the day, 3 unique shows are offered to entertain and amaze visitors including the Up-Close Encounters snake show, the Gator Jumparoo show, and Gator Wrestling – there are even croc feedings scheduled throughout the day. Each experience offers an up-close look at the reptiles as the stadiums are rather small (especially when compared to the tremendous stadiums found at the large theme parks), so you are never very far away from any of the action.
There’s even a train ride to take you around the park. Kids will get a kick out of holding a snake or gator for a unique and one-of-a-kind photo op. I still have my key chain with a picture of my 3 oldest boys, a croc on their laps and a huge snake entangled around their necks. If you get hungry, there is a small counter-service eatery offering kid-friendly fare like hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries, as well as a handful of more unique offerings including gator nuggets.
Gatorland is by far one of the best and most unique attractions in Orlando and a fabulous place to take the kids. The slower-paced, low-key, and less commercial atmosphere is almost calming, definitely more relaxing, and thoroughly enjoyable. While there are certainly plenty of visitors, it is never so crowded that you will find yourself completely stressed out over it. You can walk around at a pace that allows you to take in the surroundings without having to feel like you have to hurry off to the next exhibit or show before you might miss something.
Because it really does take only a half day, this is a great park to head to on one of the days set aside for a quieter, more relaxing experience, or even for the day you arrive (depending on what time that is). For the many visitors who are perplexed about what to do that first day, when they want to jump right in and get to the sightseeing, Gatorland is the perfect answer. My kids ask to return here each and every time we head to Florida, and believe me – we’re more than happy to oblige.
Green Meadows Petting Farm
Rating: Fun for younger kids (under age 10)
1368 Poinciana Boulevard, Kissimmee (behind U.S. 192 and not far from the Medieval
Times Dinner Tournament)
Phone: 407-846-0770
Web site: www.greenmeadowsfarm.com
Hours: Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (with the last tour starting at 4:00 p.m.)
Admission: Adults and kids $19; children under 2 are free.
Average touring time: 2-3 hours
The farm offers a quieter country setting for kids to interact and touch the over 300 farm animals that call Green Meadows home. During the 2-hour tour, kids can learn about the animals, milk a cow, ride a pony, ride in the tractor-drawn hayride, and ride the Green Meadows Express train, all in addition to petting those 300 animals along the way.
There are chickens, cows, horses, goats, sheep, turkeys, ducks, geese, donkeys, and even bison. Little red wagons are available to rent for the younger kids who prefer to ride rather than walk about the park. There are picnic areas if you have brought your lunch,
or, if you’re in the mood for just a snack, there is a small concession area as well. This is a great place for younger kids to explore and experience the fun of a farm and all of its animals, along with an entertaining way to spend a quieter afternoon, taking a break between some of Orlando’s larger attractions.
WonderWorks
Rating: Fun + to Fantastic (for everyone in the family)
9067 International Drive, Orlando
Phone: 407-351-8800
Web site: www.wonderworksonline.com
Hours: Open 9:00 a.m. to midnight daily (365 days a year)
Admission: Adult $19.95, kids 4 to 12 $14.95
Average touring time: 1 1/2 -2 hours. *Allow extra time if you intend to stay and play the Lazer Runner Extreme Lazer Tag, use the arcade game area, or see the “Outta Control Magic Show,” each of which are offered at an additional charge.
It’s hard to miss this gigantic upside-down building found along International Drive (right next to Pointe Orlando). The unique building looks as if it had been picked up and thrown about in a tornado only to land upside down smack in the middle of IDrive, pillars and all and remarkably undamaged. This hands-on interactive museum offers over 100 fun and unique exhibits throughout its 3 floors, with something for everyone in the family from tot to teens (adults too). You’ll find a simulated earthquake and hurricane, a bed of nails, the Bridge of Fire, the Wonder Coaster, and so many more.
Just entering the museum is an experience, as it requires that you walk through a spinning tunnel (though the walkway is perfectly stationary). Don’t laugh until you discover just how long it takes you to get through it. (It’s really pretty mild, but even I lost my bearings and balance momentarily). The museum is filled with special effects that trick the eye and boggle the mind, all in addition to the other more interactive and hands-on exhibits.
Younger kids will appreciate the giant piano keys laid out on the floor, where they can jump about and play a tune; the huge bubble sheets and gigantic bubbles they can create on the bubble machines; the life-size pushpin exhibit, where they make an impression of their hand or even their entire body; and the shadow wall, where the impression they leave is phosphoric. Older kids will appreciate the Virtual Roller Coaster, where they even have a hand in the coaster’s design before they ride.
While I am certainly no fan of arcade games (especially when their cost is additional), there’s a handful to choose from on the upper level along with a Lazer Tag arena, also at a separate cost.
If you get hungry, there is a small eatery that offers pizza and snacks, but since the museum is located along I-Drive, there are plenty of great restaurants within walking distance if you’re in the mood for more of a meal.
In the evenings you can catch the Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show, where you can enjoy the mysteries of magic with a rather comedic flair, all while enjoying unlimited pizza, popcorn, and drinks. This show is at an additional cost as it is considered a dinner show, but combination tickets that include admission to the museum and the magic show are available.
All in all, there really is something for every age at this unique hands-on and interactive museum, making it a great place to spend a rainy afternoon, an evening out, or simply a few hours on a day off between the bigger attractions.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not Orlando Odditorium
Rating: Fair + for younger kids, Fun for preteens and older
8201 International Drive, Orlando
Phone: 407-363-4418
Web site: www.ripleysorlando.com
Hours: Open daily 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. (365 days a year)
Admission: Adults $18.95; kids ages 4-12: $11.95 (children under 4 are free)
Average touring time: 1 hour
This is another fun place to go on one of those afternoons or evenings when you have a bit of spare time or if you just want to head somewhere a bit less overwhelming.
There are hundreds of unique and odd exhibits (hence the name “Odditorium”) throughout its 16 galleries, from shrunken heads to the two-headed calf, and everything in between. Older kids (8-10 and up) will be far more appreciative than younger ones of the artifacts and oddities found throughout the museum as some of them are truly quite strange and, for tinier tots, at times a bit scary.
Fun Spot Action Park
Rating: Fair +
5551 Del Verde Way, Orlando (just off of I- Drive)
Phone: 407-363-3867
Web site: www.fun-spot.com
Hours: Open on daily from 10:00 a.m. to midnight during peak seasons and on holidays; during non-peak seasons the park is open from noon ‘till 11 pm Mondays through Thursdays, from noon ‘till midnight on Fridays, from 10 am ‘till midnight on Saturdays, from 10 am ‘till 11:00 pm on Sundays.
Admission: Rides are $3 each, and the Go-Karts run $6 per ride. Armbands are available
for all-day riding with three different configurations available.
*The Kidspot armband for kids ages 2-6, are good only for the smaller toddler-friendly rides and are available at a cost of approximately $14.95
*The Rides armband, which includes all of the rides, costs approximately $24.95
*The Go-Kart band (for kids ages 10 and up), which includes all of the rides with no exceptions, sells for approximately $34.95.
Average touring time: 2 hours with smaller kids (longer if your older kids want to keep on riding the go-karts).
Located along I-Drive, this family-oriented park offers plenty of rides and games for kids of all ages to enjoy. From the gigantic Ferris wheel to bumper cars, from bumper boats to go-karts (some of the more unique and challenging tracks around, I might add), there is something for everybody. The Kid’s Spot offers younger kids an array of rides to choose from as well, including the carousel, kiddie swings, tea cups, the El Paso Train, and more. There is of course an arcade as well, though with a pay-one-price deal it is relatively reasonable as arcades go. While I am not particularly a fan of arcade games, at least here the kids can play to their hearts’ content without having to fork over a fortune.
There is a small snack bar if anyone gets hungry or thirsty, but if you’re in need of a meal, there are many eateries along I-Drive.
For families that simply thrive on rides the Fun Spot Action Park is a great place to ride just a few more.
Orlando Science Center
Rating: Fun + (for everyone in the family)
777 East Princeton Street, Orlando
Phone: 407-514-2000
Web site: www.osc.org
Hours: Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; with additional hours on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Closed on Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
Admission: Adult $14.95; kids 3-11 $9.95; seniors and students $13.95 ; admission after 6 pm runs $9.95 for adults and $4.95 for kids ages 3-11. Tickets include access to all of the exhibit halls, the CineDome (where you can catch the large-screen movies and the planetarium shows), the Darden Adventure Theater, observatory tours, and live science shows.
Special Guest Services: Strollers are available at no charge.
If you get a chance to take the kids to visit the actual city of Orlando, as beautiful as it is, a stop at the Orlando Science Center is in order. There are plenty of hands-on interactive displays and exhibits for kids of all ages such as the DinoDigs exhibit, where young paleontologists-to-be can unearth dinosaur bones; Kids Town, where preschoolers can play in a miniature tot-sized town; NatureWorks, where you can touch a gator, feed a turtle, and explore Florida’s outdoors even if you’re indoors--and that’s just the beginning. With 10 uniquely themed exhibit halls to discover and explore, kids will be entertained for hours. Kids can test their abilities, both physical and mental, at exhibits like Measure Me and the Body Zone; they can experiment at the Inventor’s Workshop
and the Science City Power Station; learn about lights, lasers, and 3-D landscaping at Tech Works, and so much more.
There is a variety of shows and scheduled demonstrations, but for the most up-todate information regarding what is currently being offered and the best times to visit, call the OSC or check their Web site just before visiting. The Science Theater often offers special demonstrations and educational entertainment while the Dr. Phillips CineDome features large-screen films and planetarium shows. In addition, there is the Crosby Observatory--Florida’s largest publicly accessible observatory--where you can view the stars through the custom refractor telescope.
If you get hungry, there’s a good-sized café with plenty of kid-friendly favorites including burgers and sandwiches, along with a handful of other offerings.
Overall, the Orlando Science Center offers a pleasant escape from the sometimes overwhelming and often mind-boggling attractions that have drawn you to Orlando in the first place, making it a great place to visit on one of your “days off.”
Old Town
Rating: Fair
5770 U.S. 192, Kissimmee
Phone: 407-396-4888 and 800-843-4202
Web site: www.old-town.com
Hours: Open 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily (the rides generally open at noon)
Admission: Most rides run approximately $2 per ride, all day wristbands are available for kids under 42” tall at a price of $15 and for adults at a price of $24 – on family Sundays if you purchase your wristbands between the hours of noon and 6 pm they cost only $15 no matter your age.
Old Town is reminiscent of an old-fashioned carnival, with its Ferris wheel, roller coaster, and midway games. There are go-carts and old favorites like the Mixer, Scrambler, merry-go-round and Tilt-A-Whirl, with plenty of others as well. There are walk-through attractions like the Hollywood Wax Museum and the Haunted House, or-- for those of you who prefer to be part of the action--you can try your hand at climbing to the top of Gator Rock. With over 75 unique shops lining the brick streets of Old Town, you won’t have far to go to find just the right souvenir, and with 8 eateries to choose from, you certainly won’t go hungry either. Some of the choices include Fred Marion’s Sports Grill, Flippers Pizza, and an A & W. And if you happen to be there on a Friday night, you can catch the classic cars being shown off at the Friday Night Cruise. There’s even live entertainment from time to time. For those staying along U.S. 192, it makes for a fun evening out, and it’s only a short distance - walking distance in some instances - to a handful of the area’s recommended hotels.
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