7 best outdoor things to do in Orlando

Outdoors in Orlando

Theme park · Walt Disney World

1.Disney's Animal Kingdom

Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris early in the day, when the animals are most active and it is cooler.

Time needed

Full day

Cost

Expensive

• Kids
• Nature
• Iconic

Theme park · International Drive

2.SeaWorld Orlando

Check the day's show and feeding schedule on arrival and plan coaster rides around them.

Time needed

Full day

Cost

Expensive

• Kids
• Active
• Nature

Park · Downtown Orlando

3.Lake Eola Park

Come at dusk, when the fountain lights up, and hire a swan boat for a slow lap of the lake.

Time needed

1–2 hours

Cost

Free

• Free
• Outdoors
• Kids
• Couples
• After dark

Experience · Winter Park

4.Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

Combine it with lunch on Park Avenue and the Morse Museum's Tiffany glass a few blocks away.

Time needed

1 hour

Cost

Low cost

• Couples
• Nature
• History
• Off the beaten path

Zoo · South Orlando

5.Gatorland

Time your visit for the Gator Jumparoo feeding show, and walk the marsh boardwalk in spring to see nesting birds.

Time needed

2–3 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Kids
• Nature
• History

Nature · Apopka

6.Wekiwa Springs State Park

Arrive early on weekends and in summer; the park closes its gates once it reaches capacity.

Time needed

Half a day

Cost

Low cost

• Outdoors
• Nature
• Kids
• Active

Garden · Orlando

7.Harry P. Leu Gardens

Visit in the morning, then have lunch in nearby Mills 50.

Time needed

1.5–2 hours

Cost

Low cost

• Nature
• Outdoors
• Couples
• Off the beaten path

Grouped by area

Booking and timing

Of these 7, 1 free, 3 low cost, 1 mid-priced, 2 expensive. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Disney's Animal Kingdom; group the rest by area to save travel time.

How to fit them into 6 half-days

Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.

• Half-day 1 (Walt Disney World): Disney's Animal Kingdom, at least 6 hours.
• Half-day 2 (International Drive): SeaWorld Orlando, at least 6 hours.
• Half-day 3 (Downtown Orlando and Winter Park): Lake Eola Park → Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, at least 2 hours.
• Half-day 4 (South Orlando): Gatorland, at least 2 hours.
• Half-day 5 (Apopka): Wekiwa Springs State Park, at least 3 hours.
• Half-day 6 (Orlando): Harry P. Leu Gardens, at least 2 hours.

The best months to be outside

• December: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 6 rainy days, very busy crowds. Mild and dry with holiday decorations everywhere; quieter early in the month, then Christmas to New Year is among the busiest weeks of the year.
• January: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 6 rainy days, moderate crowds. Mild days and cool nights; crowds are among the lowest of the year outside holiday weekends, though some water parks close for refurbishment.
• February: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 6 rainy days, moderate crowds. Pleasant, dry and sunny; crowds rise around Presidents' Day weekend.

The neighbourhoods they are in

• International Drive — Hotels, restaurants and attractions along a long tourist corridor
• Kissimmee and Celebration — Vacation homes with pools, budget hotels and Disney's planned town
• Downtown Orlando and Thornton Park — Lake Eola's fountain, bars on Orange Avenue and brick-paved streets
• Winter Park — Park Avenue boutiques, chain-of-lakes boat tours and Tiffany glass
• Mills 50 — Vietnamese restaurants, murals and dive bars north-east of Downtown

More of Orlando

All things to do in Orlando · Where to stay · When to go.

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