When you mention Orlando to people, their thoughts immediately go to Disney World or Universal Studios. But, there’s more – much more – to do in Orlando besides spending a week at theme parks. From airboat adventures to eating like a medieval knight, exploring Orlando offers unique and fun attractions.
Here are 10 outstanding attractions to visit in Orlando, where you won’t need mouse ears or to stand in line for hours.
Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures
American bald eagles, Sandhill cranes, storks, and, yes, even, alligators, await your viewing aboard a Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures tour. Taking you to the headwaters of Florida’s everglades, tours offer views of tall grass and all kinds of wildlife as you zip around the famous Florida swamp land at 45 mph. In case you don’t see any gators on the tour, you may want to visit Boggy Creek’s gator farm, home to about 30 young alligators. If you’re up to the challenge, buy some gator food and enjoy your own gator feeding. The park is also home to its version of a Native American village and fossil and gem mine. You may want to grab a bite to eat at Boggy Creek’s barbecue restaurant.
Bok Tower Gardens
With 50 acres of botanical gardens, hiking trails, and a singing tower, a visit to Bok Tower Gardens takes you away from the land of theme parks and into a world of beauty and tranquility. The estate’s nine gardens will appeal to everyone in your group. Beginning with the River of Stone, the pebble stone path features 30 species of Tillandsia, commonly known as an air plant. Watch butterflies, bumblebees, and birds work their magic in the Pollinator Garden. Learn about key Floridian plants and flowers at the Endangered Plant Garden. Watch birds, reptiles, butterflies. And other creatures thrive in their natural habitat in a Florida bog at the Window by a Pond. As you explore the rest of Bok Tower Gardens, enjoy the sounds of the Singing Tower, a 205-foot-tall carillon tower, one of only 185 in the United States.
The Escape Game Orlando
Imagine being stuck in a room with your family or friends for a full hour…of fun. The Escape Game Orlando challenges your problem solving and escape skills as you work to solve the clues that await you. Rooms such as Playground, where you need to find the missing report card before starting summer vacation, and Mission: Mars, an exploration of the red planet that went tragically wrong and you’ll need to solve the clues to escape and return to Earth. While games are targeted for people 13 and older, younger children are allowed, if they have an adult guardian with them.
Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex
A day trip from Orlando is just what the scientist ordered. Head to the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex, about an hour east of Orlando, for an out-of-this-world adventure. Explore the United States’ space history with a walk through the Rocket Garden, where you’ll see the rockets that took astronauts to space and on to the moon, including a Mercury, Apollo, and Gemini rocket. Then, stop in at the Astronaut Hall of Fame, where you can learn about the men and women who have walked in space and more. Tour the Space Shuttle Atlantis, and see what life in space was like for those astronauts. Learn about the plans to explore Mars, including putting astronauts on the planet. Kennedy Space Center offers so much that you may want to stay for another day.
Madame Tussauds Orlando
Are you faster than a speeding bullet? Can you lift heavy buildings? You can always check out the Justice League characters at Madame Tussauds Orlando, instead. Challenge The Flash to a race, lift weights with Superman, check out Wonder Woman’s lasso, and more, as you roam around the museum checking out the waxed figures that resemble your favorite superheroes and others. You can shoot baskets with Shaquille O’Neal or discuss national policy with past American presidents. From Elvis to Taylor Swift, sing a duet with your favorite recording star, or pose for a picture with your favorite TV or movie star.
Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park
With courses designed for children and adults, Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park offers a truly fun day of adventure for families, couples, and friends. As you take on each obstacle course, challenges arise, leading you across tightropes and swinging logs, and more, as you finish each obstacle course with a ride on a zipline. Each course becomes more challenging, and each zipline ride even more fun than the last, including a 425-foot long ride. While it takes about three hours to complete, players can always end their course earlier. Children need to be at least 55 inches tall to participate on the courses.
Giraffe Ranch
Whether you stay in your own car or join others in a ranch-provided vehicle, guided safaris take you on an adventure of a lifetime as you explore wild animals roaming freely at the Giraffe Ranch, a working wildlife preserve. Located about an hour west of Orlando, the Giraffe Ranch safaris include giraffes, bongo antelopes, pygmy hippos, rhinoceroses, and zebras, as well as views of nature, including native orchids, pastures, and wetlands. You’ll learn about the ranch’s conservation efforts. The Giraffe Ranch also offers unique safaris, such as guide-led Segway tours, as well as llama treks, where you lead a llama on a stroll, and camel safaris, where you ride a one- or two-hump domesticated camel. Tours last 1-1.5 hours.
Gatorland
Travel 1,200 feet along a zipline as it takes you over pools of alligators and crocodiles during a visit to Gatorland. The Orlando attraction is known for its exciting and breathtaking shows as people step into sand pits with gators to showcase the animals’ survival skills, as well as face-to-face encounters herding alligators. During shows, visitors can meet some of the performers, such as deadly spiders and snakes. Animal encounters include viewing wild cats, such as panthers, tortoises, alligators, crocodiles, and all types of birds. You can also sign up for an adventure hour, which safely brings you within a few feet of alligators and other animals. You can complete your visit to Gatorland with a ride on the Stompin’ Gator Off-Road Adventure, which takes you on a 15-minute ride through swampland, including alligators, as you ride in a vehicle 12 feet off the ground.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
More than 100 years old, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Is home to thousands of unique and unusual exhibits. With 16 galleries, the “Odditorium” is home to all types of strange items, from exotic figures to unique art pieces. You’ll have a blast exploring the museum and its wonders, from things such as a shrunken head and a spinning tunnel. Family friendly, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! features interactive exhibits for kids of all ages.
Medieval Times Orlando
Raise your goblet as the Queen summons her best knight to take on all challengers in a jousting competition as part of your feast at Medieval Times Orlando. A perfect night out for the family, or as a couple, Medieval Times Orlando features a four-course meal starring roasted chicken (vegetarian and vegan options are available). Kids may even want to eat their food the medieval way, sans silverware. After the jousting, you can watch as knights fight for their lives with swords and shields. Will Her Majesty’s knight win? Or, will there be a new shining knight?
The neat thing about visiting Orlando is you don’t have to stand in line for hours for a two-minute ride, if you don’t want to do that. Instead, leave the mouse hats to others, and explore what Orlando has to offer. From knights of the round table to gator bait, you can also explore the stars and the strange and offbeat during your Orlando experience.
Looks cool, been near here once, parents visited there, lots of fun filled activities.
Best holiday I’ve ever been on and I can’t wait to be able to take my 2 girls at some point! We went to the Space Centre while there but these are great ideas so will bear them in mind!