debra

What should we see in 3 days with a 4.5 year old (we can't take him to WDW itself; his father wants to do it)?

Lori

I don't understand the question here. Are you staying at one of the WDW resorts and need activities outside of the parks or are you on the loose in Florida and need other parks and such other than Disney to explore?

Debra

No, we're staying in ORlando, outside of WDW and want things to do besides Disney, because we're not going to Disney

Lily

Debra: Gatorland is a really cool way to see ALOT of wildlife and very entertaining for a young child. Also, we like Silver Springs which is about 1.5 hour drive from Orlando in Ocala, FL. Animal Kingdom is of course part of WDW but should not be missed. Last but not least try Universal Studios.

Cyndy

Sea World is also great for kids that age. My daughter (4 also)enjoyed the Orlando Science Museum. It has several hands on exhibits and she was thrilled with the 9 story IMAX theater featuring dolphins. There also is a place next to Point Orlando ( a neat shopping area with restaurants, shops and FAO Schwartz on International drive) called Wonder Works (can't miss it, the building is upside down!) and I hear the kids love it. We plan on taking our daughter soon. Hope this helps!

Joy in VA

I have a 6 year old, she LOVES Sea World, they have lots of touch tanks & you can purchase food at feeding time to feed seals, skates, & dolphins. The staff at Sea World also are terrific with little kids & take time to tell them about the animals in a way the kids can understand. Also a play area where kids can climb & get wet. There is a farm / petting zoo off Poinciana Drive (Road?) that is fun for little kids. The Islands of Adventure park at Universal has Dr. Seuss land that the little ones love. We rode The Cat in the Hat 5 times last year! (All the roller coasters There have height restrictions & my kid was too short to ride them last year.) And, the least expensive & one of my little girl's favorite places is the Sand Lake Road McDonald's Play Park - easy to find, they have billboards all over town. Remember to build in rest time for your child & let him set the pace to avoid those preschool meltdowns that can happen if your schedule is too packed.

Debra

Thanks everybody for the responses!

Noah

I commend you for not going to WDW. See the discussion I started entitled,

'Taking Disney to Task'