Planning a trip to the most popular place in Florida? This huge list of Things To Do In Orlando Besides The Theme Parks is full of interesting activities and experiences for families or adults traveling without children! From unique nature encounters to soaring over the vast city of Orlando, there is plenty to peak your interest and keep you entertained for weeks!
Orlando is bursting with excitement and fun for all ages. Everyone knows about the major theme parks but there are dozens of fabulous attractions that the locals know about and the tourists often miss! From outdoor nature exploration to the best places to spend a rainy, humid afternoon, this list of action-packed ideas will appeal to all ages as there is truly something for everyone!
Things to Do in Orlando
The Crayola Experience
This family center has over 25 activities designed to engage imaginations and bring out your creative side. From making your own crayons to exploring the process of digital coloring, families will love the bright, welcoming atmosphere and the opportunity for tons of hands-on fun!
Image Courtesy GMF
Green Meadows Farm
This family farm adventure offers a peek into agriculture along with an animal petting area, train ride, hay ride, cow milking, and plenty of good ol’ fashioned family fun! Admission includes a two hour guided farm tour. This is a great place to spend a morning away from big crowds and long lines.
Orlando Science Center
Packed with hands on exhibits and fun, kids, and adults, will enjoy a visit to this educational place. Traveling exhibits are rotated throughout the year, the Adventure Theater offers immersive 3D selections, and a large science exhibit area bursting with fun! If you have children along, be sure to visit KidsTown, a fully interactive play area specially designed for younger explorers.
Image Courtesy of Monkey Joe’s
Monkey Joe’s- Pointe Orlando
When you’re ready for a break but the kids are still full of energy, this is the place for you! Relax while the kids bounce, climb, and slide all over this clean indoor playground. Monkey Joe’s prides itself on having an ultra clean, hygenic play area. Socks are required and available for purchase if you forgot to bring them along, adults are FREE and current prices are available via their website.
Image Courtesy Gatorland
Gatorland
Ride a zipline over a swamp filled with alligators, see exciting reptile shows, and participate in daring behind the scenes tours that’ll have you close to real alligators. For the curious and the daredevil, this place will allow you to become a trainer for the day or get really close and try your hand at rookie wrestling of Florida’s gators. Talk about unique things to do in Orlando!
Image Courtesy of AFH
Air Florida Helicopter Rides
See Orlando from 1000 feet in the air, soar over theme parks, sporting arenas, natural settings, and the downtown area on this unique experience! With 9 different tour options, there’s something for everyone’s budget and a memory that’ll last a lifetime!
Paddleboard Orlando
Take a ride on the natural side of Florida, get a quick lesson and spend the day on a stand up paddleboard on an Orlando area lake. The friendly instructors have taught over 20,000 people to use a paddleboard and participate in a guided tour. Participants should be 12 or older, making this perfect for adults and teens.
Image Courtesy Chocolate Kingdom
Chocolate Kingdom
Watch a bean transform into rich, creamy chocolate on a 45 minute tour through this local chocolate factory. This interactive tour will allow you to create your own special chocolate bar and enjoy some world class confections, fun for all ages!
Image Courtesy of Artegon Sky Trail
Artegon Sky Trail
Exciting family outing to this indoor ropes course, this 2 level adventure is great for kids and adults. There are smaller courses for kids as young as 2 and this makes a perfect rainy day activity!
Image Courtesy of Premier Exhibitions
Titanic- Artifact Exhibition
History buffs will enjoy a guided tour through this experience showcasing one of a kind treasures recovered from the ocean depths. There are child friendly portions and kids interested in the Titanic story should be delighted.
Orlando Balloon Rides
Take to the skies with this one of a kind adventure and take an hour long ride above beautiful Orlando. The family feel of this experience will be one remembered for a lifetime and this relaxing, awe-inspiring ride may wind up as the highlight of your trip to the Sunshine State!
We’re just getting warmed up, be sure to see our post about Even More Things To Do In Orlando, you’ll be too busy to visit the parks! We’ve also got a list of 10 Free Things To Do At Downtown Disney, newly renamed Disney Springs. As Florida moms, we’ve got tons of great information about unique experiences your family will love, visit our Florida Family Travel page more ideas!
Do you have any ideas for unique things to do in Orlando?
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Heck yes I’d go to the Chocolate Kingdom! Though probably in between theme parks, haha. I don’t think I could ever go to Orlando and not visit Islands of Adventure.
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Rebecca Kelsey Sampson
Believe it or not, I have never been to Orlando before. However, I’ve always wanted to visit!
The Crayola Experience is on the top of my list. My kiddo is obsessed with all the colors of the rainbow so he will be totally into that one! We did Gatorland several years ago, and it was okay. I also don’t mind exploring Disney Springs for the day – lunch, shopping, hanging out!
We are planning a trip with my youngest daughter and as much as I want to visit Disney, she does not love amusement parks. I love your activity ideas. I think she would really love the farm
You had me at chocolate kingdom. I would LOVE to take my kids to some of these places!
Chocolate Kingdom? Yup I’m sold! Sounds like so many fun ideas in Orlando!
We went to Gatorland years ago with my kids and we all loved it! I love the science museum as well. Great picks.
one of my brothers live in orlando so this is good to know about. we have been to the science center and that was so cool and everyone seemed to really enjoy it – highly recommend
My husband went to Orlando years ago before we were married. I know he’d love us to all go one day.
There are so many great things to do in Orlando! I would totally go to them ALL.
Hehehe I lived in Orlando for about 8 years and can say I have done al of these things!!! Fun to get away from the theme parks!
We typically go to the parks when we are in Orlando, but we have been to some really amazing dinner shows! That Crayola Experience looks awesome!
I love Orlando. Chocolate Kingdom is now on my list of places to visit!
Southern Soul
Ooh everything looks so so fun. Never been to Orlando, would love to but also visit the parks! The zip line looks amazing 🙂 hope you had fun!
All of these sound so fun. We will have to remember this next time we visit my husband’s grandma in Melbourne.
I feel bad for the rest of orlando sometimes. The theme parks are so huge that I’m sure some of the other parts, with fantastic things to do, get left behind. great post.
we’ve never been to orlando! but I definitely want to go and I had no idea there was all these other fun activities to do, theme parks are great but shouldn’t make up a whole holiday!
We love Orlando! I wish I was going there today instead of going to work.
Orlando has so much to offer, besides the usual Disney and Universal experiences. Thanks for sharing these suggestions for great places to take the kids and the adults.
We’ve been to Orlando lots of times and I have never heard of many of these. I can’t wait to check them out. There is so much to do there!
Orlando sounds like an amazing destination. Saving your list to my special travel folder! Thank you for sharing
Oh man, I wish I would have had this handy list last year when we went to a wedding in Orlando. We ended up using our extra for Magic Kingdom and it was fun, but we spent more money than we wanted to by the time it was all said and done. Great list!
Very cool! When I think of Orlando I only think of theme parks, so this is eye opening.
Thank you so much for this list! Bookmarking and saving to share with my clients who maybe want a break from the Theme Parks.
I am very curious about Chocolate Kingdom because I am a chocoholic! The opportunity to make my own chocolate is tempting! Thanks for sharing these places. Now I know there are alternatives to Theme parks!
Pinning this for the next time we visit Orlando.
We were there in January and we had no idea what else we could do.
I’m kicking myself for missing out on so much!
Wow – there is a LOT of options besides Disney in Orlando that I never heard of! That chocolate place (nom-nom-nom) and the Crayola one look amazing! What fun!
Karen | GlamKaren.com
We are in Orlando a lot, but we stay on Disney property and don’t rent a car. I would love to check out Gatorland, though.
Cool list. I had no idea about some of these attractions. Looks like we need an Orlando trip soon.