You step off the plane at Orlando International and the first thing you notice is not a castle or a coaster but the flat green light of central Florida, palmettos and live oaks crowding the road edges all the way down the Beachline. Within half an hour you can be standing in a rose garden or watching a wooden coaster rattle through its first drop, depending on which exit you take.
Orlando suits two kinds of traveller especially well: families who want to build a trip around the theme parks, and visitors who would rather spend their days in gardens, museums and downtown streets and treat the parks as an optional extra. It also works for sports fans, who can catch basketball, soccer or minor league hockey without leaving the city centre.
This guide covers the gardens, museums, major attractions and sporting venues that the source material names, with a one-day plan that strings the best of them together. Note that the Go Orlando City Pass is useful if you intend to pay one price to visit many of these attractions.
Top things to do in Orlando
1. Walt Disney World
The renowned gold standard resort complex, home to four iconic theme parks and much, much more. It sits about 18 miles south of downtown Orlando, so treat it as a full day rather than a stop you squeeze between other plans.
Hours vary by park and season, so check before you commit to a date. If you have limited time, the source material frames the choice plainly: see fewer parks properly, or see a little bit of most of them.
2. Universal Orlando
Top-ranked challenger to Disney and home to Harry Potter, with two theme parks, a nightclub and restaurant complex, and seven resort hotels. It sits on International Drive, which makes it easy to combine with the other International Drive attractions below.
Hours vary by park and season. Because it is close to Fun Spot America - Orlando, Ripley's Believe It or Not! and the Orlando Auto Museum, you can build a whole day along this corridor without crossing the city.
3. SeaWorld Orlando
A beautifully landscaped 200-acre marine theme park featuring thrilling rides, fun exhibits and an ever-shrinking amount of animal shows. It presents itself as a more laid-back alternative to Disney and Universal.
The complex includes the main park as well as the all-inclusive Discovery Cove experience park and the Aquatica water park. Hours vary by park and season, and tickets run $80-170 when buying online.
4. Discovery Cove
A unique companion to SeaWorld, often sold out because admission is limited to 1000 guests per day. It does include all your equipment, food, drink and a 30-minute interaction with the dolphins in the water.
It opens at 7:15AM and closes at 5:30PM, with some selected evenings running until 9PM. Tickets run $150-400 when buying online, so book ahead if this is the centrepiece of your trip.
5. Gatorland
An iconic, small alligator and reptile themed park that was one of the first tourist attractions in the area, predating Disney World. It calls itself the "Alligator Capital of the World" and sits not far from Disney World.
It is open 10AM-5PM daily. Adult tickets are $30, seniors (55+) $25 and children (3-12) $20, with a discount if you purchase online.
6. Harry P. Leu Gardens
Beautiful landscaped gardens and lakes set in nearly 50 acres of land, featuring flora gathered from around the globe since 1936. It includes the largest rose garden in Florida and the largest camellia collection in the U.S. outside of California.
The Leu House, set within the grounds and dating back to the 1880s, has tours every 30 minutes exploring its museum of Florida living at the turn of the 20th century, though it is closed due to Hurricane Irma damage. Open 9AM-5PM daily except December 25, with last admission at 4:30PM; adult $10, child (4-17) $5.
7. The Orlando Science Center
A large hands-on learning center with hundreds of interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages. Images surround visitors on the giant screen of the Dr. Phillips CineDome, and other attractions include the Body Zone, teaching health and fitness, as well as an observatory.
The center has the largest refracting telescope in Florida. It is open Sun-Tue and Thu-Sat 10AM-5PM; adult $21, senior (55+) and student $19, child (3-11) $15.
8. The Orlando Museum of Art
Ongoing exhibitions of American portraits and landscapes, American impressionist works, and art of the ancient Americas. It is a compact, focused stop rather than an all-day one.
Open Tue-Fri 10AM-4PM and Sat-Sun noon-4PM. Adult $15, senior (65+) $8, student $5, child (4-17) $5, and active duty and Veterans free.
9. Orange County Regional History Center
Features exhibits and artifacts from the earliest days of the region to the modern day. It includes information on everything from the time of the Seminole Indians to the founding of the city to the Civil Rights era to the Disney period to today.
Open Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM and Sun noon-5PM. Adult $8, senior (55+) and student $7, child (5-12) $6.
10. UCF Arboretum
An arboretum and botanical garden covering 80 acres, containing more than 600 species of plants in cultivated gardens. Its cultivated areas include a Conservatory, a bromeliad sanctuary, cycad garden, fern garden, palm collection, rose garden, swamp habitat, and a wetland plants display.
It is open sunrise to sundown daily and is free, with donations accepted. It sits at the University of Central Florida, so pair it with a look at the campus sports venues if you are already out that way.
11. Orlando Auto Museum
A large auto collection, many of them used in Hollywood movies and television sets. It sits inside Dezerland Park Orlando on International Drive.
Open Mon-Thu noon-9PM, Fri noon-midnight, Sat 11AM-midnight and Sun 11AM-9PM. Child (4-12) $22, adult (13-64) $32, and $25.50 for seniors, college students and military.
12. Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In a building artfully constructed to appear as if it were collapsing to one side, visitors can explore bizarre artifacts, strange collections, weird art and interactive exhibits in 16 odd galleries. One example is a scale model of a 1907 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost automobile made entirely of matchsticks and glue.
It is seriously schlocky, yet fun, and open 9AM-midnight daily. Adult $22, child (3-11) $15, with a discount on the website.
13. Fun Spot America - Orlando
A small unthemed amusement park with go-karts, thrill rides, and roller coasters, including Orlando's only wooden coaster. It is not far from Universal.
Open 10AM-midnight, with all rides at $45. It is a good half-day filler if you want a coaster fix without committing to a full theme park day.
14. Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe
This extravagant, 2,000-seat Catholic church has become a tourist attraction thanks in part to the millions of Catholics from around the world who visit it and the rest of Orlando every year.
Keep in mind that it is not a parish and therefore cannot perform weddings, funerals, or baptisms. Open Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-19:00 and Sun 7:00-14:00, and free to enter.
15. Orlando Magic at the Kia Center
The Magic play in the National Basketball Association and are Orlando's only representative in the U.S. big four sports leagues. The Kia Center is at 400 W Church St.
If you are in town during the season, this is the simplest way to spend an evening downtown. The Orlando Solar Bears and Orlando Predators also play at the same address, so check what is on while you are there.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Harry P. Leu Gardens when it opens at 9AM, before the heat builds, and walk the rose garden and camellia collection. If you would rather stay closer to the theme park corridor, swap in the UCF Arboretum, which opens at sunrise and is free.
Afternoon. Move to International Drive and pick one anchor: Universal Orlando if you want the full park experience, or the Orlando Auto Museum and Ripley's Believe It or Not! if you would rather sample smaller attractions along the same stretch. Fun Spot America - Orlando is the option if you want Orlando's only wooden coaster in a short visit.
Evening. Head downtown to the Kia Center at 400 W Church St for an Orlando Magic game if one is on, or to the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe if you are visiting on a Saturday, when it stays open until 19:00. If neither fits, finish at the Orange County Regional History Center earlier in the day instead and keep the evening free.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to choose between the major theme parks?
If you have limited time, yes. The source material puts it directly: you have to choose between quality and quantity, going to fewer parks and seeing all of them, or seeing a little bit of most of the parks.
Is there a pass that covers multiple attractions?
Yes. The Go Orlando City Pass is very useful to pay one price to visit many of these attractions.
Which Orlando attraction should I book ahead?
Discovery Cove is often sold out, because admission is limited to 1000 guests per day. It is worth reserving in advance if the dolphin interaction is the reason for your visit.
What can I do in Orlando that is not a theme park?
Plenty. Harry P. Leu Gardens, the UCF Arboretum, The Orlando Museum of Art, The Orlando Science Center and the Orange County Regional History Center all sit outside the park corridor, and the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe is free to visit.
Decide how many park days you want, pick your gardens and museums for the rest, and start mapping your Orlando itinerary around the opening times above.