By Nate Shelton on
One-of-a-kind adventures meet out-of-this-world affordability. Get our guide to amazing things to do in Orlando that are as memorable as they are value packed (Orlando StarFlyer at ICON Park® pictured).
Expect unforgettable experiences, magical fun and great value for your money when you visit Orlando — named one of the top 5 most affordable cities for family vacations by Forbes Advisor. From high-octane attractions to outdoor adventures, and priceless works of art to wonders you’ll have to see to believe, here are more than 29 ways to enjoy Orlando on any budget … with an emphasis on enjoy.
You can also get authorized discount tickets for top attractions and experiences, including several in this blog, from Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com, plus special offers from our partners. The more you save, the more you can do in Orlando.
Orlando vacation planning made easy — and free. Make a complimentary appointment with Visit Orlando’s Vacation Planners at a time and date of your choosing for the latest insider advice, special offers and more ahead of your next visit.
One of Orlando’s most iconic attractions, The Wheel is normally priced at $28.99 per person when purchased online. You can also get combo packages with other attractions at ICON Park® (more on those in a bit), which is on International Drive, aka I-Drive, in the heart of our tourism districts. Providing a 20-minute, air-conditioned ride with spectacular views from 400 feet up, The Wheel is considered an Insta-worthy rite of passage for many visitors: Don’t miss this prime selfie opportunity.
Discover: Things to Do at ICON Park
Interactive exhibits and artifacts of oddities from around the world can be discovered at this famous I-Drive attraction, which appears to be falling into a massive sinkhole. (Don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere.) Admission to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium is $27.99 for adults and $19.99 for children ages 3 – 11. Kids under 3 are free. Ripley’s newest Orlando attraction, Ripley’s Mirror Maze, is adjacent to the Odditorium and priced at $16.99 for adults and $12.99 for children ages 3 – 11 (tots under 3 are free). You can also get combo pricing on both attractions.
Discover: Things to Do on International Drive
Speaking of unique museums, if your Orlando plans include a jaunt to the east coast of Florida to visit Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, take in a day on the beach or anything else, heads up that Cape Canaveral is home to The Wizard of Oz Museum. It features over 2,000 artifacts related to the books and movie, plus much more, and admission is just $28.99 per person.
Aquatic wonders await at SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, one of many can’t-miss attractions beyond The Wheel at ICON Park. Step beneath the waves courtesy of a 360-degree ocean tunnel, and come face-to-fin with sharks, stingrays, sea turtles and other amazing creatures. Tickets for adults are $27.99 when purchased from Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com, and $23.99 for children.
Save on discount tickets: SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium
Rub shoulders with the rich, famous and even super-heroic at Madame Tussauds Orlando, the ICON Park outpost of the famous London original. Adult admission is $27.99 when purchased from Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com, and $23.99 for children ages 3 – 12. Kids under 3 get in free. It’s the only place in town where you can shoot hoops with Shaq, party with Pitbull, or step on the moon with Neil Armstrong — and meet DC Entertainment’s Justice League while you’re at it.
Save on discount tickets: Madame Tussauds Orlando
Encompassing 800,000 square feet of thrills and fun on International Drive, Dezerland Park is Orlando’s largest indoor entertainment center. On top of free admission, it has a ton of attractions that won’t set you back more than $29 each, including Karting Orlando ($26.95 for adult races), Bowling Orlando ($27.95 for 30 minutes per lane), Jump Start Trampoline Park ($18.95 for 30 minutes), The Pinball Palace ($12 for 60 minutes of unlimited play, or $25 for the whole day), and affordably priced games at Arcade Orlando, plus other ways to play.
Discover: Things to Do at Dezerland Park
Affordable indoor go-karting can be enjoyed at two standalone attractions in the I-Drive Entertainment District. At K1 Speed, a single race is priced at $25.95. Adult races at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games are $19.99 when purchased from Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com, and junior races cost $12.99. Both locations also feature bowling, arcade games and other ways to have fun, as well as gourmet food and full bars.
Save on discount tickets: Andretti Indoor Karting & Games
Founded in 1949, Gatorland is one of Orlando’s longest-running, most iconic attractions — and one of our most affordable, with adult admission priced at $24.99 per person and children ages 3 to 12 at $17.99 each when purchased from Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com. Kids under 3 are free. You can also experience the Gator Night Shine tour for just $19.99 per person. The park features 110 acres with thousands of alligators and crocodiles, plus a flight aviary, petting zoo, nature walk, splash pad play area, Bobcat Bayou and much more. Special combo packages that pair general daytime admission with the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line and Stompin’ Gator Off-Road Adventure are also available.
Save on discount tickets: Gatorland
One of Orlando’s premier STEM attractions, Orlando Science Center (OSC) offers 11,000 square feet of hands-on educational fun for kids and their families in Loch Haven Park, just north of downtown Orlando. Exhibits include the chance to turn ideas into reality at The Hive: A Makerspace, finding fossils at DinoDigs, KidsTown for younger explorers, and much more. Admission is $24 for adults, $22 for students and seniors with ID, $18 for children ages 2 – 11, and free for OSC members and kids under 2.
Discover: Orlando STEM Attractions
Located at The Florida Mall®, the 2-story, 70,000-square-foot Crayola Experience provides a full day of creative, colorful, family fun with dozens of hands-on activities, including drip art, a color playground and much more. When purchased from Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com, tickets are $24.50 each.
Save on discount tickets: Crayola Experience
Part of ICON Park, Museum of Illusions is a brain-bending “edutainment” experience with more than 50 incredible exhibits that are guaranteed to trick your eyes and blow your mind. Admission starts at $24.99 per person, and you can also nab combo passes with other ICON Park attractions.
Discover: Things to Do at Museum of Illusions
Eat, bowl and play at Main Event Entertainment, part of the open-air Pointe Orlando dining and entertainment complex on I-Drive. Prices start at $22.99 for an All You Can Play Activities Pass, which covers bowling, laser tag, billiards, virtual reality gaming and more.
Discover: Things to Do at Pointe Orlando
See more than 500 animals, including rare and endangered species, as well as 23 acres of lush natural beauty at Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford, about 35 minutes north of our tourism districts. When purchased online, admission on non-peak dates is $19.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors (55+), $15.95 for children ages 3 – 12, and free for kids under 3. Peak pricing, which includes weekends, select holidays and other select dates, adds $2 to each ticket type.
Discover: Orlando Gardens
At Kings Dining & Entertainment on I-Drive, you can bowl, eat and lounge in a comfortable, fun environment that also features billiards tables, foosball, an outdoor bocce court and other entertainment options. Standard bowling rates, which are per person per game, start as low as $19, and billiards are $20 per hour.
Discover: I-Drive Must-Do’s
The waterfront mansions you’ll see cost considerably more than the narrated Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour itself, which is $16 for adults and $8 for kids ages 2 – 12, with group rates available. You can also learn about the area’s history from the passionate, friendly tour guides while witnessing the waterways, natural scenery and wildlife of this charming city, located about 25 minutes north of our tourism districts.
Discover: Winter Park Virtual Tour
Besides showcasing local, national and international works of art, Orlando Museum of Art has a Discovery Center for children, ensuring something for everyone in your family or group. Admission is $20 for adults, $12 for seniors (60+), $10 for college students with valid ID, $8 for children ages 6 – 17, and free for active or retired military personnel with valid ID and kids under 6. They’re in Loch Haven Park just north of downtown Orlando, about 20 minutes from our main tourism districts.
Discover: Orlando Arts & Entertainment
On select nights, laugh at improvisational comedy sketches, scenes and songs at SAK Comedy Lab in downtown Orlando, where most performances are family friendly. (Check with their website to see if an event has any recommended age restrictions.) You might even get invited to be an active participant in the fun! Entry for most shows is $20.
Discover: Orlando Comedy Clubs
Take a ride on our tallest attraction: the Orlando StarFlyer at ICON Park. Tickets cost $12.21 at the gate and $11.27 when purchased online, and same-day return rides are $8.45 each. Standing 450 feet tall, making it the world’s tallest swing ride, the Orlando StarFlyer invites you to soar at speeds up to 60 mph. There are no age restrictions, but guests must be at least 44 inches tall.
Discover: Orlando’s Tallest Attractions
To hear many people tell it, no visit to Orlando is complete without taking one of these beauties for a spin. View downtown Orlando’s gorgeous Lake Eola Park from the water and see the famous Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain up close by renting a pedal-powered swan boat, which can seat up to five people at a cost of $15 per boat. (Heads up that they only accept debit or credit.) Rentals are available up to 30 minutes before closing from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays, weather permitting.
Discover: Things to Do in Downtown Orlando
Putt your way through mountain caves, over footbridges and under waterfalls on two 18-hole, pirate-themed courses at Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf on International Drive. When purchased from Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com, each 18-hole course is $13.99 for adults and $11.99 for kids. Coming in at more than $15 each but less than $20, other nicely priced places to putt include Congo River Golf in Kissimmee ($16.99 10+/$14.99 under 10 for 18 holes) and Hollywood Drive-In Golf at Universal CityWalk, part of Universal Orlando Resort ($19.99 10+/$17.99 under 10 for 18 holes). Or, go for something completely different with a 9-hole game of FootGolf, offered by Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course at Walt Disney World® Golf and priced at $25 a round.
Save on discount tickets: Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf
Three miles of paved, scenic walkways wind through a beautiful, cultivated, 50-acre oasis at the lakefront Harry P. Leu Gardens, just north of downtown Orlando in the Audubon Park Garden District. In addition to more than 40 diverse plant collections from all over the world, it features a butterfly garden and a house museum that dates to the 1800s. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for kids ages 4 – 17, $10 for active military and veterans with valid ID, and free for children under 4.
Discover: Things to Do in Orlando Neighborhoods
Presenting family-friendly, amusement-park fun at its I-Drive and Kissimmee locations, Fun Spot America offers a-la-carte pricing via the pay-as-you-go Fun E-Card. What’s more, most attractions at both locations are $7 to $12 each, and admission is always free. If you want to make a full day of Fun Spot, consider a single-day pass. They provide unlimited rides and are available from Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com for $59.95.
Save on discount tickets: Fun Spot America
Stretching from Winter Garden in the south to Apopka in the north, the paved, 22-mile West Orange Trail is one of Central Florida’s most scenic paths with ample amenities along the way — including playground equipment. Explore it by bicycle on an hourly, daily and weekly basis with fees starting at $7 per hour when you rent from Winter Garden’s West Orange Trail Bikes & Blades Co., about 20 minutes west of our tourism districts. Hotel delivery and group tours are also offered at an additional cost, and child trailer rentals are available for kids who can’t keep up with Mom and Dad.
Discover: Things to Do in Winter Garden
You won’t find a more comprehensive collection of works by American artist Louis Comfort Tiffany than at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in the heart of Winter Park. In addition to Tiffany’s signature glasswork, exhibits include his pottery, jewelry and even paintings. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors (60+) and $1 for students with valid ID. Kids under 12 are free.
Discover: Things to Do in Winter Park
At this Smithsonian Institution affiliate in downtown Orlando, explore 12,000 years of Central Florida history through a variety of exhibits and programs spread over four floors of a historic, 1927 courthouse. Pricing for the Orange County Regional History Center is $8 for adults; $7 for students and military with valid ID, plus seniors (55+); $6 for kids ages 5 – 12; and free for children under 5. You can also get free admission from 5 – 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. Admission to the adjacent Heritage Square Park, which features eye-catching statuary, is always free.
Discover: Orlando Museums & Galleries
Meet the cattle barons, citrus farmers, gunslingers and NASA engineers who put Orlando on the map long before Walt Disney came to town. Presented by Voicemap for Apple and Android devices and priced at $5.99, Orlando’s Historical Highlights Walking Tour takes about an hour to complete. It will guide you past established landmarks such as the Orlando Public Library, Lake Eola Park and Church Street Station, as well as numerous downtown restaurants and bars — feel free to take as many breaks as you wish along the way.
Discover: Orlando History
For a really wild time, dive into the natural world of Central Florida’s gorgeous, crystal-blue, freshwater springs, where swimming, hiking, and amazing flora and fauna — including manatees — await. Standouts such as Blue Spring State Park, De Leon Springs State Park, Rock Springs Run State Preserve at Kelly Park, and Wekiwa Springs State Park are within an hour north of Orlando’s core. Entry starts at $6 per vehicle. Numerous amenities and upgrades are also available, including picnic facilities, pavilions, campsites and more. Paid kayak tours are another option, including those from Epic Paddle Adventures and Get Up and Go Kayaking.
Discover: Orlando’s Natural Springs
Minutes from Walt Disney World® Resort, Old Town recreates the look and feel of a classic Florida town with 18 acres of tree-lined brick streets that are home to more than 70 affordable shops and restaurants. Best of all, admission is free — as are weekly events such as classic car shows and live music. Numerous reasonably priced attractions are also available, both in Old Town itself and the adjacent Fun Spot America, including some activities that are $7 or less.
Discover: Things to Do Beyond the Parks
Get your game on in style at In the Game ICON Park. In addition to affordably priced games — most of which will cost you considerably less than $5 — this indoor attraction has a mirror maze, escape room, X-D motion theater and virtual-reality experience, all priced between $12 to $22. (And players, take note: The more game credits you buy at once, the more you save.) Or, take a whirl on the Carousel on the Promenade, a hand-crafted masterpiece that costs just $5 per person.
Close to downtown Orlando in Loch Haven Park, view artist Earl Cunningham’s creations and contemporary American folk art at The Mennello Museum of American Art. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (60+), and $1 for students with valid ID and children ages 6 – 17. Admission is free for kids under 6, as well as for active and retired military personnel and their families. Plus, every second Sunday of the month is Free Family Fun Day.
Discover: Unique Public Parks in Orlando
Orlando offers even more fun, no-cost activities for all ages. Of particular note are a wealth of museums and galleries with no-cost or donation-based admission.
Discover: Free Things to Do in Orlando
They include Rollins Museum of Art at Rollins College and Hannibal Square Heritage Center in Winter Park, the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida in Maitland, the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts in historic Eatonville, and CityArts (a unique arts collective with ever-changing exhibits) and historic Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture in downtown Orlando. You can even view an awe-inspiring gallery in the great outdoors courtesy of the Lake Nona Sculpture Garden, adjacent to the Lake Nona Wave Hotel minutes from Orlando International Airport (MCO). Get out there and enjoy them all.
Discover: Things to Do in Lake Nona
Use this interactive map to track down all of the attractions and activities featured in this blog. (Click here if you found us via Google and don’t see a map or images.)
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