Orlando Great Itineraries
Away from the Theme Parks
If you need a break from theme parks, if you have people in your group who aren’t interested in them, or if have an extra day or week, it's easy to get out and explore Central Florida. You'll find plenty of things to do and see outside the parks, particularly since Orlando is just one hour from the Atlantic Ocean and 90 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico.
If You Have One Day
If you head east from Orlando via SR528 (the Beachline Expressway, a toll road), you can be at the Kennedy Space Center in about an hour. It's an easy drive if you have a car, but you can also take an organized tour for about $100 per person. The exhibitions on American space travel and the pioneer astronauts who were launched into space from the Cape have enthralled visitors from around the world. The IMAX 3-D films and Shuttle Launch Experience are highlights, but the two most impressive sights are the space shuttle Atlantis, which takes center stage at the wonderfully educational and entertaining Atlantis Exhibit, which is enhanced by movies, simulators, and hands-on experiments. A bus tour will take you to the Saturn V Center, where there's an actual Saturn V built for an Apollo mission that was never launched, as well as early spacesuit protoypes, the Apollo XIV capsule, and even a moon rock you can touch. With the right timing, you might even see an actual SpaceX or Delta rocket rising from the nearby launch pads. On an overnight stay, you can lounge on the blissful beaches of Canaveral National Seashore, catch a wave like surfing legend (and local hero) Kelly Slater, or explore the adjacent 140,000-acre Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. There are also opportunities for horseback riding, hiking, bird-watching, and fishing. Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach make great bases if you want to explore the region further.
If it’s Saturday and you're looking for a quieter alternative, head out early so you can start your spree at the Winter Park Farmers’ Market, where there’s free valet parking. Stalls sell locally sourced foods—including breakfast—and crafts. Regardless of the day, Park Avenue's boutiques and galleries line the east side of the street, opposite an inviting oak-shaded park. An alfresco lunch will carry you through an afternoon of still more shopping. In the evening, head to Orlando's Sand Lake Road for a plethora of multicultural cuisines—from Italian and Mediterranean to Thai, Mexican, Indian, and Hawaiian fusion.
If You Have Four Days
Spend a day at Kennedy Space Center, but then explore Orlando itself. Among the highlights here are the Mennello Museum of Folk Art in Loch Haven Park. If you have kids, the Orlando Science Center, across the street, is a great alternative, and you can check to see what’s playing at the adjoining Orlando Shakespeare Theater. If it’s a nice day, explore the 50-acre Harry P. Leu Gardens, home to subtropical flora and a huge Floral Clock from Scotland. Arrive for one of the day’s first guided tours (they start at 10) of the Leu House Museum.
Before returning to your hotel, a stroll around downtown's tranquil and beautiful Lake Eola Park brings views of the resident swans and waterbirds, along with the centerpiece fountain. Have a snack in the park’s Relax Grill or at one of the many eateries in trendy Thornton Park. Afterward there are many happy hours at the bars or clubs of Orange Avenue. The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts showcases A-list musicians, bands, and stage shows.
On your remaining three days, you can continue your exploration of the museums at the Orlando Museum of Art in Loch Haven Park, with its stunning permanent collection of pre-Columbian artifacts from South and Central America. Downtown's Orange County Regional History Museum offers several floors of family-friendly and gently educational local history. Winter Park’s crowning jewel, the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, houses the world’s most complete collection of Tiffany windows, art glass, and ceramics. If you need some time outdoors, take a picnic on Winter Park’s historic scenic boat tour, which offers a pleasant two-hour voyage through lakes and canals, past luxurious homes and the campus of Rollins College, the Southeast's oldest hall of academe. Central Florida’s subtropical ecosystem contains lush natural greenery and wildlife that can be observed at several nearby state and local parks. The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland houses injured eagles, hawks, owls, vultures, and more who cannot return safely to the wild. Just to the north is Wekiwa Springs State Park, where you can swim in crystal clear waters that power up from the Florida Aquifer, or rent a canoe to slip silently along the river, to glimpse alligators, turtles, herons, eagles, cranes, deer, and even bears. Blue Spring State Park, about 30 miles north near DeLand, is winter home to hundreds of manatees. A raised boardwalk meanders along the river to the springhead so you can observe the manatees without disturbing them.
If You Have Seven Days
Expanding your range, one of Florida's most charming towns is Mount Dora, about 40 minutes northwest of Walt Disney World. The New England–style community rests on the shores of 4,500-acre Lake Dora and is centered on a historic shopping village filled with boutiques, gift shops, bakeries, bookstores, sidewalk cafés, and quiet parks. You could also spend a day shopping at one of Orlando's many outlet malls, explore the old-time Florida attraction Gatorland in nearby Kissimmee, drive out to Lake Wales to see beautiful Bok Tower Gardens, or head to Sanford along the St. John River, where you can visit the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
