Things to do in Orlando with Little Ones

I’m sure you’ve seen that Orlando was rated the Best U.S. City for Families (according to United Airlines’ Hemisphere Magazine’s Readers Choice Awards). As an Orlando Mom you know that Orlando offers a plethora of fun for all ages! But if you don’t, here are a ton of things to do in Orlando with little kids!!

Visitors to the City Beautiful can find an abundance of places to play, stay and dine that’ll delight even the youngest of travelers. From character-themed family suites with bunk beds and resort pools with water play areas designed just for little ones to dining with their iconic characters or enjoying a kids nights out, kids enjoying a staycation with their family or visiting Orlando on a vacation will have so much to choose from.

Visit Orlando has some great tips for maximizing an Orlando vacation with small kids can be found here.

THEME PARK ATTRACTIONS

LEGOLAND Florida Resort

• The world’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park opens Feb. 24, 2022 at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. The standalone theme park, crafted with preschoolers in mind, will feature sensory-rich and interactive attractions, themed playscapes, a water play area, live shows and more. The park will also be a Certified Autism Center. Just steps away at LEGOLAND® Florida Theme Park, little ones can enjoy attractions like the DUPLO® Tot Spot, designed specifically for children under the age of two, and Ford Driving Jr. School, a driving course for ages 3+.

Walt Disney World Resort

• Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a first-of-its-kind show that puts little ones in the middle of the Disney and Pixar Cars universe.
• The Disney Junior Play & Dance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a high-energy musical celebration where families can sing and dance along with Disney Junior characters like Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, Timon and Mickey Mouse. · The Advanced Training Lab, located in World Discovery at EPCOT, is a high-tech play area featuring space-themed games and activities for all ages.

SeaWorld Orlando

• Sesame Street Land at SeaWorld Orlando is an immersive opportunity to stroll through Sesame Street, meet beloved characters like Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster, enjoy themed attractions like Abby’s Flower Tower, and dance along with the Sesame Street Party Parade. Sesame Street Land is also a Certified Autism Center.

Universal Orlando Resort

• Seuss Landing at Universal’s Islands of Adventure includes attractions like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish aerial carousel ride, The Cat in the Hat indoor ride and Caro-Seuss-el, a classic carousel with a Seuss twist.

HALF-DAY ATTRACTIONS

• Crayola Experience at The Florida Mall brings the magic of color to children while stimulating their creativity with dozens of hands-on attractions, including the newest, Meltdown, where guests can paint with melted wax.
• SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium at ICON Park features 5,000 creatures from oceans across the globe. Each Tuesday, SEA LIFE hosts Toddler Time, created specifically to connect little ones with the amazing world beneath our oceans.
• The KidsTown exhibit at the Orlando Science Center offers seven dynamic and interactive zones for kids ages 7 and under. From experimenting with cause and effect using massive water tables to learning how oranges travel from tree to table, little ones are encouraged to play and learn in a setting designed just for them.

GET OUTDOORS

• At Gatorland, in addition to learning about Florida’s native reptiles, little ones can cool off and enjoy the Gator Gully Splash Pad or take a ride around the park in the Gatorland Express train.
• Fun Spot Orlando offers carnival-like rides for little ones, including the Sea Serpent, a coaster made with gentle turns and dips, and the Kiddie Swings, a classic ride made especially for kids.
• Located on the west side of Orlando and near Walt Disney World Resort, Tibet-Butler Nature Preserve features a butterfly garden, picnic area and various hikes and trails. · Along with hundreds of animals, Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens offers a splash pad, playground and petting zoo featuring animals like llamas, chickens and goats, along with a special area to feed giraffes.

ACCOMMODATIONS

While most Orlando accommodations offer amenities geared toward families, these hotels and resorts go above and beyond with immersive themed suites:

Themed Rooms & Suites

• JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa‘s new collection of family suites offers exclusive amenities and two separate rooms with kid-approved loft beds, whimsical design elements and interactive surprises, including chalkboard walls and a book nook. The connecting room layout gives adults their own retreat.
• Universal Orlando Resort features themed Kids Suites, with decor based on Jurassic World at Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Despicable Me at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel and stage space for a Future Rock Star at Hard Rock Hotel Orlando. Select property resorts also offer child-proofing upon request, including outlet guards, bedrails, Pack ‘n Plays and cribs.
• At Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort’s rooms received a new look inspired by the Disney-Pixar film The Incredibles, featuring futuristic and modern décor. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort features family suites designed after different
• Disney films, including Finding Nemo, Cars and The Lion King and traditional guest rooms inspired by The Little Mermaid. · Created especially for kids, the LEGOLAND Hotel offers four different LEGO-themed rooms for guests to choose from. They can participate in in-room scavenger hunts with daily LEGO prizes. At the LEGOLAND Pirate Island Hotel, families can enjoy immersive pirate themed rooms.

Water Fun

• The Grove Resort & Waterpark offers an onsite Surfari Water Park with dual water slides, a 695-foot lazy river, kids activities pool and zero-entry pool. Smaller children have a two-story play area to run around in, including three waterslides, waterfalls, spouts and a wading pool, for hours of free fun.
• At CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort Orlando’s onsite park little swimmers can enjoy a special lagoon created just for them, featuring pint-sized slides and fountains. Each guestroom booked includes four tickets to the water park, and children under 36 inches tall always receive complimentary entry even when not staying at the hotel.
• At Orlando World Center Marriott, little ones can learn to swim with the exclusive Baby Otter Swim School program. The outdoor resort pool complex offers a zero-entry heated pool and a children’s water playground with fountains, bubblers and small water slide.

Kids Camps

• At the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, kids ages 4-12 can enjoy the complimentary Kids For All Seasons complimentary camp, featuring indoor and outdoor activities like themed crafts and supervised swim time.
• Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort’s Camp Dolphin – an evening kids club within the resort for a fee – features activities from arts & crafts to interactive games and more, so there’s plenty of fun for little ones ages 5-12 while the grownups enjoy a meal.
• The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes’ Ritz Kids resort experiences tap into curiosity and creativity and strive to inspire their youngest guests with kid-friendly activities through storytelling, lessons on recycling, arts and crafts, physical activities and much more. The drop off program for children ages 4-12 is complimentary for all Ritz-Carlton guests for up to two children per room, per day between the hours of 12-3 p.m.

DINING

An incredible destination for dining enthusiasts, Orlando offers fun, unique dining experiences for even the youngest of foodies.

Character Dining

• Walt Disney World Resort offers a variety of dining experiences for guests to meet their favorite characters. One of the newest character dining options, where theme park admission is not required, is Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera at Disney’s Riviera Resort. The rooftop restaurant offers a storybook dining experience with Mickey and friends, along with French and Italian cuisine. More Disney character dining experiences can be found here.
• At SeaWorld Orlando, kids will love the seasonal dining experiences offered at Sesame Street Land. Options like Count von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast and the Sesame Street Christmas Breakfast gives kids of all ages the chance to enjoy a delicious meal with popular characters from the classic show.

Themed Ambiance

• For the ultimate dinosaur enthusiast, T-REX Café at Disney Springs, an interactive attraction that includes a full-size restaurant with life-sized animatronic dinosaurs and simulated meteor showers, as well as a kids play area with a fossil sandpit.
• The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen at Universal CityWalk is every chocolate-lover’s dream – no matter the age. Little ones will enjoy interacting with Penelope Tibeaux-Tinker Toothsome, the restaurant’s creator, and Jacques, her robot friend, who walk around the restaurant.
• At Boxi Park located in Lake Nona, families can experience outdoor fun, food and events. With food trucks made from shipping containers, this venue features a playground, special kid-friendly green area for children to run around and live entertainment.

What is your favorite thing to do with littles in Central Florida?? Tell us in the comments!