This list of the best things to do in Orlando will help you make the most of all the leisure activities in this city, including the famous Disney and Universal theme parks, which we already mentioned are the main attractions of this area of the country.
Although the city of Orlando does not have many tourist attractions and, in our experience, does not justify a visit on its own, the most famous and largest theme park complex in the world is concentrated in its surroundings, something that will delight children and adults alike thanks to its dizzying roller coasters, water slides, Disney and MARVEL characters and an endless number of impressive shows, as well as huge outlets for shopping lovers.
To get to Orlando, there is an airport located about 5 kilometers from the city and 20 kilometers from the parks, although many tourists prefer to take a direct flight to
Miami (located 4 hours away) and take a route through the most beautiful places
to see in Florida, dedicating 5 to 7 days to this leisure complex.
12 Unforgettable Orlando Experiences
1. Spend a full day at Magic Kingdom Park
Enjoying all the attractions and shows at Magic Kingdom, Florida’s most famous theme park and the most visited in the world, with more than 20 million visitors a year, is one of the best things to do in Orlando.
Spending a day riding its dizzying roller coasters like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Space Mountain and more classic attractions like It’s a Small World or Peter’s Pan Flight, strolling along its avenues full of magic and pretty souvenir shops, meeting the most famous Disney characters and ending up watching spectacular fireworks in front of Cinderella Castle, will become one of your greatest memories.
Although the attractions are not the most modern in the world, we believe that if there is an essential park to see in Orlando it is Magic Kingdom, the oldest and the one that brings together the true essence of Disney.
2. Enjoy the attractions at Epcot, one of the things to do in Orlando
If you are going to be at this leisure complex for more than one day, we recommend spending the second day enjoying the most brutal attractions at Epcot, another of the most famous parks to visit in Orlando.
EPCOT was the second park to open its doors at Disney World, after Magic Kingdom, and is characterized by having an area dedicated to the most innovative attractions and another made up of 10 areas that each represent a country with its most representative monuments, culture, and gastronomy.
Among our favorite attractions at Epcot would be Ratatouille, Soarin, Frozen Ever After, Guardians of the Galaxy, and for those who want extreme experiences, the orange option of Mission: SPACE.
Other experiences that you cannot miss are eating at Space 220 Restaurant where you will feel like you are in space and ending the day watching the nightly light and water show that takes place over the large central lake.
3. Be amazed by the Star Wars Universe at Hollywood Studios
Even if you’re not a big fan of Star Wars movies, we recommend you go to the Hollywood Studios park to be left speechless by the incredible recreation of the Star Wars Universe that will transport you directly to another galaxy. We assure you that it’s no mere coincidence that it’s on the list of the best things to do in Orlando.
In addition to going to its two main attractions such as Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, it’s worth spending time observing all the details and recreations of Star Wars such as its ships, having a drink at Oga’s Cantina, interacting with characters such as Dark Vader, building your own robot or buying Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber.
After enjoying this experience, this park has more typical attractions such as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and others for the bravest such as the Rock’n Roller Coaster.
4. Feel like you’re in Pandora at Animal Kingdom
Avatar Flight Of Passage, located in Animal Kingdom, allows you to climb onto the back of a banshee (one of the creatures from the Avatar movie) using state-of-the-art 3D technology and speed through the incredible landscapes of Pandora, making it the most spectacular attraction to visit in Orlando.
After pinching yourself and coming back to reality, you can take a walk through the magnificent recreation of the Avatar movie sets and finish with a boat ride through the jungles of Pandora on the Na’vi River Journey.
Other essential and adrenaline-pumping attractions at Animal Kingdom are Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids, as well as the Tree of Life night show.
You should keep in mind that in this park there are some attractions that use animals, such as Kilimanjaro Safari, for the enjoyment of tourists and, from our point of view, we do not recommend them as we believe that they do not promote responsible tourism.
5. Take a ride down the water slides at Blizzard Beach
Blizzard Beach, located between Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, is one of Disney’s two themed water parks and another of the places to see in Orlando.
This park, which recreates a ski resort on Mount Gushmore, an artificial hill with a total elevation of 70 meters, is characterized by its raft rides, its pool, and, above all, by its vertiginous slides that make it one of the best water parks to visit in the United States.
Among the best attractions are Runoff Rapids, Snow Stormers, Steamboat Springs, Downhill Double Dipper, and the Summit Plummet Slide, one of the highest and fastest in the world.
Please note that Orlando’s water parks are usually closed for a few months in winter due to cold temperatures and maintenance.
12 Unforgettable Orlando Experiences
6. Stay at a hotel within the Orlando Parks
To be close to the Orlando parks and be able to enter between half an hour and an hour before the general public, something essential if you don’t want to wait in long lines at the beginning, you should stay in a hotel within the Disney and Universal Parks that also have free transportation to all of them, either by bus, train, boat or cable car.
In our case, we opted for Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in the Disney parks, a huge hotel with all the services, well connected by bus to all the parks, and with an extensive gastronomic offer. In the Universal parks, we stayed at Universal’s Aventura Hotel located just 2 kilometers from the attraction complex. Other famous hotels in Universal Orlando are the Hard Rock Hotel, the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, and in Disney, the Walt Disney World Dolphin Complex, the Swan Resort, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
If you have a tighter budget, you can choose a hotel located near the parks, which usually offer free transfers to the entrance of each one.
7. Spend a morning at Disney Springs
If you have extra time on your way to Universal from the Walt Disney World parks, you can make a half-day stop at Disney Springs, a shopping complex with around 100 shops, numerous restaurants, and a wide range of entertainment, which is undoubtedly another of the best things to do in Orlando.
In this open-air shopping center with wide avenues, you will find fantastic stores such as LEGO, M&M Store, Coca-Cola Store, Star Wars Galactic Outpost, and, above all, World of Disney, the largest store in Disney with all the gifts you will find in each of the parks.
This complex is also perfect for eating at some of its most famous restaurants such as The Boathouse, D-Luxe Burger, Reglan Road, and Earl of Sandwich. Remember to leave room for dessert as there is a Ghirardelli store here, where you cannot miss out on trying their delicious ice cream.
8. Take a dip in the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon
Taking a dip in the world’s largest wave pool at Disney Typhoon Lagoon, located in Lake Buena Vista, next to Disney Springs, is another of the things to do in Orlando.
Considered the most visited water park in the world, Typhoon Lagoon is inspired by the legend of a typhoon that destroyed a beautiful tropical paradise, leaving behind remnants such as surfboards, buoys, and an iconic shrimp boat perched on top of a mountain.
In addition to the large Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool, other attractions worth checking out include Castaway Creed, Crush n’ Rusher, Humunga Kowabunga, and Mayday Falls.
9. Immerse yourself in the world of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Florida
If you are a fan of Harry Potter and the most famous Universal films, you should definitely visit Universal Studios Orlando , located 10 kilometres from the Disney parks and geared towards a less childish audience.
This park, along with its neighbor Islands of Adventure, recreates a large part of the world of Harry Potter and is connected by the Howart Express train, which you can only enjoy if you have a “park to park” ticket that will allow you to change parks during the same day.
After buying a magic wand with which you can cast spells and do magic at various points in the iconic Diagon Alley, you can get on the fantastic Scape from Gringotts game, which offers an immersive experience in the world of Harry Potter.
Other essential attractions at this park are Transformers: The Ride 3D, the Revenge of the Mummy indoor roller coaster, the incredible The Bourne Stuntacular show, and for the bravest, the Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster.
10. Ride the roller coasters at Islands of Adventure
If you enjoy riding the most brutal roller coasters, we suggest you spend a day at the Islands of Adventure park, dedicated to comic book characters and MARVEL superheroes such as Spiderman and Hulk.
If you arrive on the Hogwarts Express, you can start the route by taking the Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure roller coaster and then complete the Forbidden Journey, a thrilling ride through the interior of Hogwarts Castle.
The rest of the day can be spent getting your adrenaline pumping on the VelociCoaster and The Incredible Hulk Coaster roller coasters, as well as taking other rides such as Skull Island: Reign of Kong and The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman.
Without a doubt, as you can see, amusement parks are another of the places to see in Orlando.
11. Volcano Bay, another of the water parks to visit in Orlando
Taking a ride down the tallest water slide in the United States (38 meters high) at Volcano Bay, Universal’s only water park is another of the best things to do in Orlando.
Inspired by a tropical island in the Pacific, this park has as its icon the artificial volcano Krakatau, from which fire and water emanate, creating beautiful waterfalls that flow into a large lake. From the top of the volcano start some of its most spectacular water slides and roller coasters such as the Krakatau Aqua Coaster, Ko’okiri Body Plunge, and Kala and Ta Nui Serpentine Body Slides, two fast slides that run through the interior of the volcano.
Other water experiences include the Honu ika Moana raft slides, the Waturi Beach wave pool, the Ohyah & Ohno Drop Slide, and the Krakatau Volcano light show.
12. Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets
For shopping lovers, there’s nothing better than spending a day at Orlando Vineland, located between Disney and Universal parks, which is also considered one of the best outlets to visit in Orlando and the United States.
Located outdoors, this huge outlet is perfect for taking a breath of adrenaline and looking for incredible bargains (discounts of 25% to 65%) on brands such as Nike, Adidas, Gap, Hugo Boss, Oakley, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Converse, as well as more expensive ones such as Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Jimmy Choo, Prada and Ralph Lauren, in its more than 160 stores.
Other interesting outlets in Orlando that have a wide range of restaurants and good deals are the Premium Outlet International Drive, The Mall at Millenia Florida and The Florida Mall.