Forget what you know about the city that’s home to the most “magical place on Earth”. There’s plenty more to see and do in Orlando than paying outrageous prices to stand in a crowded line with screaming children under the hot sun. Here’s our list of things to do in Orlando if you just can’t do another theme park.

Go Jump in a Lake

Even though Orlando is landlocked, there are around 100 named lakes, which means plenty of fun on the water! No boat? No problem. Buena Vista Watersports offers water skiing, wake-boarding, and tubing on Lake Bryan. You can rent canoes at Wekiwa Springs State Park or take pontoon tours of the Winter Park Chain of Lakes. Take a 1/2-mile nature walk in the middle of Downtown at Lake Eola Park, where you can feed the swans and ride across the lake in a swan paddle boat. Lake Eola is also surrounded by shops, cafés, wine bars, and restaurants if you need a break from the Florida sunshine. Not to mention, it’s near a few of our picks for Orlando’s best neighborhoods.

International Drive

Just 10 minutes from Universal Orlando Resort, and less than 20 minutes from Walt Disney World® Resort and SeaWorld® Orlando, International Drive (aka I-Drive) is a long street connecting all of Orlando’s major attractions. An indoor amusement park doesn’t count as a theme park, right? Get your edu-tainment on with more than 100 hands-on exhibits at WonderWorks. Design your own roller coaster or lie on a bed of nails at this upside-down construction which also houses laser tag and a 36-foot-tall indoor ropes course. Enjoy a cocktail served in a custom carved ice glass while admiring the ice sculptures at ICEBAR Orlando, the largest permanent ice bar in the world with over 70 tons of hand-carved ice. Chocolate lovers will be in paradise at the Chocolate Kingdom. And, curious minds will enjoy the Titanic: Artifact Exhibition—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Icon Park

Located in the heart of I-Drive is Icon Park, a 20-acre, walkable entertainment destination with restaurants, bars, boutique shops, and attractions, all anchored by The Wheel. Formerly ICON Orlando and the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye, The Wheel is the tallest observation wheel on the East Coast. See 360-degree views of central Downtown Orlando, the theme parks, and more at 400 feet up (from the safety of your climate-controlled capsule, of course). Check out the realistic life-size wax figures at Madame Tussauds, or see the sharks, rays, and turtles at SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando. Stop in at the Sugar Factory for decadent treats or even a candy-infused cocktail. You can truly do it all at Icon Park.

Airboat Tours

Head about an hour south to Kissimmee to explore the Central Florida Everglades with Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures. During the 30-minute boat tour, see beautiful cypress trees, alligators, turtles, birds, and other native wetland species while skimming the water’s surface at up to 45 mph. Pro tip:your best chance for an alligator sighting is before 10am. If you’re visiting during the summer, consider an evening tour to avoid the midday heat. An airboat tour where you get to see gators? We think this is one of the coolest things to do in Orlando.

Orlando Balloon Rides

Get a bird’s eye view of O-Town from a hot air balloon. The 1-hour ride takes you up several thousand feet in the air, overlooking swamps, orange groves, and the crowds at the theme parks you’re avoiding. The catch? You have to get up pretty early in the morning. Orlando Balloon Rides departs just west of the Disney area in Davenport, FL one hour before sunrise. The best part (besides watching the sun come up over Orlando)? A champagne toast upon landing. 

Shop

The Mall at Millenia offers an upscale shopping experience, with luxury brands including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, SAINT LAURENT, Versace, Tory Burch, Lilly Pulitzer, Bulgari, and Tiffany & Co., plus department stores like Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s. Minutes from the Orlando International Airport and Walt Disney World Resort, The Florida Mall is Central Florida’s largest shopping center. Spanning 1.7 million square feet, the Florida Mall boasts more than 250 retail, dining, and entertainment options including 23 restaurants and eateries. Highlights include ZARA, The American Girl Store, M&M’s World store, and Carlo’s Bakery, home of the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro. Plus, you can create your own crayon at The Crayola Experience! Located next to the crayon-tastic amusement center is the Play Park, a 3,000 square foot interactive play area for the kiddos.

Eat

Sure, Orlando has its fair share of chain restaurants, but it also has chef-driven restaurants, like Prato, located on Park Avenue in the charming Winter Park neighborhood, plus Urbain 40 American Brasserie and Lounge, Soco Restaurant, Seito Sushi, and more. 

The East End Market is a really cool culinary hub (and one that we highlighted in our things to know before moving to Orlando post) located in a converted church, where bakers, butchers, brewers, and coffee roasters sell their goods next to local farmers offering fresh produce. Orlando’s most diverse collection of restaurants can be found in The Mills 50 District, which is also home to the city’s largest Vietnamese population. Located close to the Orlando Museum of Art, Mills 50 is known for its many restaurants, retail landmarks, and nightlife spots. Although Orlando doesn’t have its own cuisine per se, a major staple is gator tails, which you must at least try at some point.

Sports

With the most places to tee off in the US, Orlando is a golfer’s haven. You can choose your favorite 18-hole course from the 54-hole Orange Lake Resort Golf Course, or tee off at Dubsdread Golf Course, North Shore Golf Club, or the famed Waldorf Astoria Golf Club. There’s also a Topgolf and mini-golf courses if you’re just looking for some fun. Basketball fans can catch an Orlando Magic game at Amway Center – the NBA’s first LEED-certified arena – downtown and soccer fans can catch the Orlando Pride and Orlando City Soccer Club play at Exploria Stadium.

Cultural Attractions

Loch Haven Park is full of cultural attractions, namely the Orlando Museum of Art. Known as one of the best museums in the South, the Orlando Museum of Art showcases local artists and famous works from across the country in several rotating exhibitions. There’s also the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, the Orlando Repertory Theatre, the Mennello Museum of American Art, and the Orlando Science Center, which features four floors of exhibits, a cinedome in a spherical theater, and live programs. Downtown, The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts has three theaters and an outdoor plaza and entertainment venue. Catch a show at The Vanguard, a nightclub set in an old tire store with an incredible sound system. 

Between air-boating with gators, shopping ‘til you drop, and watching the sunrise while flying high in the sky in a hot air balloon, you won’t miss Mickey and Minnie. Find your Orlando apartment and get to know all the cool things (that don’t involve theme parks) this city has to offer.

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