Visit Orlando: Top 11 must-do Activities
Orlando is a city in Florida known worldwide for its amusement parks, but it is also a destination that has a lot of other things to offer. Cultural visits, shopping, natural sites... a very large number of activities await you in this city! Here is a small preview of what you can do and see during your stay in Orlando
On the agenda of this article
- What to do in Orlando? Have fun in amusement parks!
- The famous Walt Disney World
- Universal Studios
- Orlando museums
- The Kennedy Space Center
- The Orlando Museum of Art
- Ripley's Believe it or not
- Madame Tussauds in Orlando
- The Sea Life Aquarium in Orlando
- Shopping in Orlando
- Attend a sports game in Orlando
- What to do in Orlando? Go to Lake Eloa Park of course!
- See manatees at Blue Spring State Park
During a stay on the American east coast, you cannot miss the city of Orlando, the fourth largest city in Florida. Of course, its particularity is the ten theme parks in the city, including of course the following amusement parks
The famous Walt Disney World
Disney World Orlando is arguably the most famous amusement park in the world. Many visitors who choose to come to this city do so largely for Disneyland! In the United States, it is not the only Disney park since there is also Disneyland California, but that of Orlando is much larger and more impressive with its 4 gigantic parks:
Magic Kingdom, the typical Disney World, with its fairytale castle and attractions taken from the greatest Disney classics.
Animal Kingdom, an animal park halfway between a zoo and an amusement park, where you can see lots of animals and impressive artificial decorations.
Hollywood Studios, a large amusement park entirely dedicated to cinema, with attractions for the whole family, but also parades and shows from all the flagship franchises of Disney film studios (Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, etc.)
Epcot, an educational theme park that brings Walt Disney's vision of the cities of the future to life and is divided into two parts. Future World showcases the latest technological advances and what they could bring to our civilization, with awe-inspiring attractions, like a space shuttle simulator. World Showcase is made up of 11 zones, each featuring a country, with its history and culture.
In addition to all these parks, the Disney World complex is also home to Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, two water parks equipped in particular with gigantic slides and wave pools.
Entrance to Walt Disney World is of course paying, but the Disney Village is the only area of the complex that is accessible free of charge, you can find shops and restaurants in a very pleasant setting, entirely devoted to the Disney universe. . A real paradise for young and old
To book your tickets, you can go directly to the official Walt Disney World website or go through our partner Getyourguide for 2 to 7-day packages on sale from $245per person.
Universal Studios
Without further ado, here is the other iconic park in the city of Orlando: Universal Studios Florida. It, too, opened after its Californian predecessor, Universal Studios Hollywood.
In the beginning, we found there the biggest filming scenes of the company but today, it is a huge complex composed of 3 theme parks, 1 water park and 5 hotels
Universal Studios Florida, a large theme park all about movies, with roller coasters and interactive experiences related to big, well-known movies. One of the most popular parts of the park is the one devoted to the Harry Potter saga, where you can move around in the real sets of the films.
Island of Adventures is everything you would expect from a theme park. If you want to enjoy many very original attractions, get your fill of thrills and be amazed, this is probably the best place you can go to in Orlando. Jurassic Park, Spiderman, Hulk, King Kong… Here too, all the attractions pay homage to the studios' most popular films. It is in this gigantic park that you will find part of the Harry Potter park in Orlando.
Volcano Bay, a water park in a tropical setting, where all the attractions are grouped around an impressive artificial volcano.
To book your multi-park tickets, I found a good plan for you on a French site which will be much easier if you are not an expert in English. You will have the choice between packages for 2 or 3 parks for 2 or 3 days. They are available from €170 per person.
On the other hand, if you also wish to book a hotel room in one of the 5 hotels in the park, you will have to go directly to the official Universal Studios Florida website. You will sometimes find discounted offers there, it can be interesting, provided you master the language.
So here are the most famous parks in Orlando but of course, there are a dozen others that could also interest you and your children. I am thinking in particular of Seaworld, Legoland, Kissimmee or even WonderWorks.
Orlando museums
After spending one or more days in the amusement park of your choice, the time has come to explore the other treasures that Orlando has to offer and I am thinking in particular of its museums, which are also quite numerous.
Maybe cultural visits are not your favorite activity, but there are still some must-sees! This is the case of the first museum I'm going to tell you about just below
The Kennedy Space Center
The Kennedy Space Center is an hour's drive from Orlando, on the Cape Canaveral peninsula. This mythical space base, from which the shuttle that took the first men to the moon in 1969 left, is still very active today.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the part of this center that is open to the public. Both a museum and an amusement park, you can discover numerous reconstructions, often life-size, of shuttles, the NASA space center command room, or even crew quarters. In several galleries, objects that trace the history of space conquest are exhibited, such as rocket parts or moon rocks. Attractions also await you, including an astronaut training simulator.
To book your entrance tickets in advance, it's here! I offer you a ticket at the approximate price of 80$ per person including the entrance ticket to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, all shows & exhibitions, the Apollo / Saturn V center and access to 3D films.
The Orlando Museum of Art
The OMA was founded in 1924, it is today the most popular museum in the city. This art museum exhibits many works that have been made by artists from the region, but it also pays homage to art from all over the world, and more particularly to art from the African continent.
Nearly 2,500 works are exhibited at the Orlando Museum of Art, mainly American and African, and dating from all periods. This museum houses one of the finest collections of Native American art, as well as a very nice collection of contemporary works, which includes works by Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol, among others.
Ripley's Believe it or not
Here is a particularly original museum, which aims to highlight strange, often funny things and objects, as well as the most incredible records. Ripley's Believe it or Not was founded by Robert Ripley, a sports journalist who collected all the craziest discoveries he could make during his many travels, and displayed them for the first time at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. Since then, dozens of museums have opened around the world, including the one in Orlando.
In this museum that will please the whole family, you can visit 16 galleries to discover hundreds of objects and live interactive experiences. In particular, you can see the life-size statue of the tallest man in the world, a collection of shrunken heads, astonishing alligator fossils and many other unusual things.
Madame Tussauds in Orlando
The original Madame Tussauds was created in London in 1935, but you can also admire the extremely realistic wax statues of the biggest stars in the world in the museum located in Orlando.
Music icons, sports champions, film legends, film characters, you can find a large number of statues of celebrities, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, Selena Gomez, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson or David Beckham.
This museum is located in the heart of the I-Drive 360 complex, where you can also visit two other great attractions:
The Sea Life aquarium, where you will have the opportunity to admire 5000 aquatic species, including several species of sharks. I'll tell you about it right after
Orlando Eye, a Ferris wheel from which you can enjoy a very nice view of a good part of the city and the marshy areas that surround it.
You will find most of these attractions in the different Orlando tourist passes! It all depends on the type of stay you are doing, for example if you only come for the amusement parks, it will not be worth it. On the other hand, in all other cases, the pass will be the most advantageous. For short stays I would recommend the GoCity Explorer Pass and the GoCity All Inclusive Pass for longer trips.
The Sea Life Aquarium in Orlando
After taking pictures of the wax replicas of the biggest stars, why not take a tour of the aquarium, which features no less than 5,000 aquatic species from around the world? It will also be the perfect opportunity to go through the tunnel from where you can admire magnificent rays, tropical fish and sharks
Also head to the Coastal Rocks Pool where you can touch starfish and sea anemones. Finally, meet Ted, the townspeople's favorite turtle.
Besides, I found you a good plan! This is a combined ticket for visiting Madame Tussauds and the Sea Life Aquarium, priced around $45per person.
Shopping in Orlando
Apart from the amusement parks, Orlando is also a very famous destination for shopping. In addition to many shopping centers, you can find two large outlets, the factory outlets, which take the form of real small shopping districts, where all the brands have their own little shop. In these stores, you can find products at much lower prices than elsewhere.
The Orlando International Premium Outlets is the most popular place for shopping enthusiasts. In this large complex are shops of major brands such as Adidas, Nike, Gap, Hugo Boss, Victoria's Secret and Old Navy. Many restaurants are also present on site.
The Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets is a little less crowded, but just as interesting. Here too, you can find many big brands like Armani, Asics, Calvin Klein, Converse, Ralph Lauren, Prada and many others.
In Orlando, unlike most other major American cities, outlet stores are also located right in the city. At any time of the year, the prices offered there are much lower than those of conventional supermarkets. On old collections, it is even possible to find reductions of up to 65%.
Attend a sports game in Orlando
If you fancy catching a sporting fixture while you're here, there are plenty of opportunities to do so in Orlando and other nearby cities, such as Tampa, which is only about an hour's drive away.
Florida sports clubs are present in the major championships of the 5 most popular sports in the United States. If you want to attend a basketball game, you can see an Orlando Magic meeting, which plays in the NBA, from the end of October to April.
I also have an article dedicated to the purchase of NBA tickets in the United States but you will also find the Hello Tickets site with all the next meetings of the Orlando Magic. Depending on when you go to Orlando, the NBA season will be more or less advanced and the closer the season is to the end, the more expensive the tickets are. The prices therefore vary between 35 € up to a few thousand euros as close as possible to the field!
For a football match, you can watch Orlando City SC play in MLS between March and October. Finally, throughout the year, you can also attend ice hockey (NHL), American football (NFL) or baseball (MLB) matches in Miami or Tampa.
What to do in Orlando? Go to Lake Eloa Park of course!
How to visit Orlando without passing by the symbolic fountain of the city: the fountain on Lake Eloa! You can also walk around this lake and take the most beautiful panoramic shots of the city at this location.
By really taking the time, this ride will take you one to two hours maximum, unless you decide to board a pedal boat. Indeed, the walk is only 1.5 km, so I strongly recommend the pedal boat or a family picnic! Be careful, however, not to get your food bitten by the swans
See manatees at Blue Spring State Park
If you decide to go out of town and discover some typical American landscapes, I would advise you to go to Blue Spring State Park, located about 50 km from Orlando, especially if you are in the area between April and October. For what ? Simply because you will have the chance to observe these very special mammals: the manatees.
But the park is also accessible all the rest of the year, when the manatees are not there, it is then the opportunity to indulge in other activities such as snorkeling, swimming, kayaking or tubing. . If you've never heard of tubing, it's very simple and suitable for everyone. Simply lay down in a buoy and let the current of the St. John River sweep you away. You can bring your own buoy or equip yourself in the store located in the heart of the park!
For the little anecdote, at Blue Spring State Park, the water temperature never drops below 22°C, making it the largest hot spring in the United States.
From Orlando, I invite you to take part in a kayaking trip to Blue Spring State Park if your dates of stay do not allow you to observe the manatees. On the other hand, you may have the opportunity to meet otters and alligators! The price for this 3 hour hike is around $80 per person
I hope you enjoyed this article and that it will make you want to come back to Florida or continue your adventure a little further south, in Miami. I have dedicated a whole guide to know what to do in Miami! If you prefer road trips, I also have an article that will tell you exactly where to stay in Florida!
