Orlando with kids

Best things to do with kids

Theme park · Walt Disney World

1.Magic Kingdom

Disney's original Florida park, opened in 1971, is built around Cinderella Castle and lands such as Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Adventureland. Classic rides include Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, and the evening fireworks over the castle are the high point for many families.

Arrive before the official opening time; the first hour and the afternoon parade are the quietest moments for the most popular rides.

Time needed

Full day

Cost

Expensive

Book ahead

Tickets are dated and prices vary by day; buy in advance on the official site and consider paid queue access for busy dates.

• Iconic
• Kids
• After dark

Theme park · Walt Disney World

2.Disney's Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom mixes a zoo with a theme park: Kilimanjaro Safaris drives through savannah habitats with giraffes, lions and elephants, while Pandora – The World of Avatar has the Flight of Passage ride and glowing forests after dark. The Tree of Life, carved with hundreds of animals, is the park's centrepiece.

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 · Universal Orlando

3.Universal Studios Florida

Universal Studios Florida is built around film and TV sets, with Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter films, home to Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, plus thrill rides and shows based on movies. The Hogwarts Express train links it with Islands of Adventure for visitors with a park-to-park ticket.

Arrive before opening and head straight to Diagon Alley, where queues build fastest.

Time needed

Full day

Cost

Expensive

Book ahead

Buy dated tickets online; you need a park-to-park ticket to ride the Hogwarts Express between the two original parks.

• Kids
• Iconic

Theme park · Walt Disney World

4.EPCOT

EPCOT combines rides such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Test Track and Soarin' with World Showcase, a lakeside ring of pavilions representing 11 countries, each with its own food, shops and architecture. Seasonal festivals for food, flowers, the arts and the holidays run for much of the year.

Eat your way around World Showcase in the evening, when it is cooler and the pavilions are lit up.

Time needed

Full day

Cost

Expensive

Book ahead

The most popular rides may use a virtual queue or paid access; check the Disney app for the current system on your date.

• Iconic
• Kids
• Food
• After dark

Zoo · South Orlando

5.Gatorland

Open since 1949, Gatorland is an old-Florida attraction with thousands of alligators and crocodiles, a breeding-marsh boardwalk with a wading-bird rookery, feeding and wrestling shows, and a zip line over the gator pools.

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

Museum · Loch Haven Park

6.Orlando Science Center

In Loch Haven Park north of Downtown, the Orlando Science Center has four floors of hands-on exhibits, a dinosaur hall, a giant-screen theatre and an observatory with a large refractor telescope used on some evenings.

Pair it with the Orlando Museum of Art next door in Loch Haven Park on a wet or very hot afternoon.

Time needed

3 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Kids
• Rainy day

Park · Downtown Orlando

7.Lake Eola Park

Lake Eola Park circles a lake in Downtown Orlando with a walking path of about 1.5 km, the illuminated fountain that is a symbol of the city, swan-shaped pedal boats and resident swans. A farmers market is held around the lake on Sundays.

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

Nature · Apopka

8.Wekiwa Springs State Park

About 30 km north of Downtown, Wekiwa Springs State Park has a spring-fed swimming area where the water stays around 22°C all year, plus canoe and kayak routes along the Wekiwa River and woodland hiking trails.

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

Rainy-day ideas

• Orlando Science Center — Pair it with the Orlando Museum of Art next door in Loch Haven Park on a wet or very hot afternoon.

Where families should stay

Family travel tips

• Check height requirements for the rides your children most want to do before choosing which parks to visit.
• Use the official park apps for wait times, mobile food ordering and ride reservations.
• Pack ponchos, sunscreen and spare clothes; summer storms arrive most afternoons and water rides soak you.
• Many rides offer a rider-switch option so adults can take turns without queuing twice.
• Never let children play at the edge of lakes or ponds, where alligators may live.

Day trips for families

• Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (About 1 hour by car) — On Merritt Island, the visitor complex displays the Space Shuttle Atlantis and a Saturn V moon rocket, runs bus tours towards the launch areas and hosts astronaut talks.
• Cocoa Beach (About 1 hour by car) — The nearest Atlantic beach to Orlando has wide sand, the Cocoa Beach Pier and surf shops including the large Ron Jon Surf Shop.
• Blue Spring State Park (About 45 minutes by car) — In winter, hundreds of West Indian manatees gather in the warm spring run at Blue Spring near Orange City and can be watched from boardwalks; outside manatee season, the spring is open for swimming and tubing.
• St. Augustine (About 2 hours by car) — Founded by the Spanish in 1565, St.
• LEGOLAND Florida (About 1 hour by car) — In Winter Haven, LEGOLAND Florida is aimed at children of roughly 2 to 12, with gentle rides, LEGO models of US cities and a water park, built on the site of the old Cypress Gardens, whose botanical garden survives inside.
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (About 1.5 hours by car) — Busch Gardens combines big roller coasters such as Iron Gwazi with an Africa-themed animal park, where a safari ride passes giraffes and zebras on an open savannah.

When to go with children

The best months overall are January–February and October–November. March, June–July and December are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.

Questions travellers ask