Orlando with a toddler

July 22, 2009 7:34 AM

Low-cost suggestions for my daughter (16 months) and I to entertain ourselves in Orlando next week while my wife is at a trade show?

My wife will be at the Craft & Hobby Association trade show next week, and my daughter and I need to find ways to entertain ourselves for about four hours at a time, Sunday through Friday. If you have suggestions for family things to do when my wife can join us in the evenings, that would also be great.

I don't know Orlando well enough to say which section of the city we'll be in, but we're staying at the Westgate Palace (where my wife's boss has a timeshare), but we'll have a rental car and carseat, so some travel (say, 30-45 minutes each way) is OK. Unless we rent one, though, we won't have a stroller.

Inexpensive and/or free things are best. We've already ruled out anything related to Disney as too expensive - plus, our daughter's probably too little to really enjoy it yet. For what it's worth, I don't want to limit us to toddler-focused things (kids' museums, parks, etc). Those are great too, but suggestions for grown-up things are absolutely welcome. Thanks much!

posted by brozek to travel & transportation (13 comments total)

"I don't want to limit us to toddler-focused things (kids' museums, parks, etc). Those are great too, but suggestions for grown-up things are absolutely welcome. Thanks much!"

Not to poop on your thread, but I think you have choose who gets entertained--you or your daughter, i.e. do you want to entertain both of yourselves at the same time, or alternate between her and you? Are you looking for free things that will be entertaining for you and not bore your daughter too much?
posted by mecran01 at 8:01 AM on July 22

Gator Land? It's weird as hell, but there are animals. Way cheaper than Disney World.
posted by oinopaponton at 8:02 AM on July 22

Downtown Disney is free. Free parking as well. There is a very cool Lego store, other fun stores (ice cream, candy mega Virgin store, etc.), and plenty of restaurants to go to when your wife is done for the evening. There is an Irish fish and chips place that is always packed that I've been meaning to try.

Universal City Walk is free and fun. I think you may have to pay for parking.

You could stroll around Leu Gardens. I love the place. It might be tough without the stroller, but maybe not. You could pack a picnic.

Wekiwa Springs would be fun. Swim and explore. Bring or buy a raft. Wekiva Falls Park is close by and is very cool for swimming and lounging.

Winter Park is very pretty. Lots of cool stores for window shopping and pretty parks on Park Avenue.
posted by Fairchild at 8:33 AM on July 22

SeaWorld is pretty stroller friendly, and not too expensive, if I remember correctly.
posted by jrishel at 8:36 AM on July 22

i don't know what age i was exactly, but i loved going to the beach when i was a toddler. you can get to the coast in an hour or two from orlando, depending on where you go. if it were me, i would skip the attractions (which your kid won't remember anyway) and hang out on the beach for 4 or 5 hours every day. just pick up some picnic supplies and some toys for playing in the sand at a grocery store and you're all set.
posted by betsybetsy at 8:36 AM on July 22

oh, I totally read the stroller thing wrong. Do you have a backpack carrier? that would also work well, and pack smaller if you aren't bringing a stroller. My wife loves the patapum we recently got.
posted by jrishel at 8:38 AM on July 22

Ok, so your hotel is right off of International Drive which is pretty much Tourist Central. Tons of tourist junk shops, go-kart tracks, and restaurants. Just up the street from you is Wet & Wild, a large water park but probably not something that your 16 month old would get much enjoyment from.

I will definitely second Gatorland, it is a lot of fun even for young kids. Aside from the obvious gators, there are plenty of other animals there to see and lots of fun shows. It is a family owned park that is a slice of Old Florida from the pre-Disney era, and is very affordable.

If you are interested in going to the beach, Cocoa is only about a 45 minute drive on the Beach Line (Highway 528, just south of your hotel). Kennedy Space Center is also out there, although again it may not hold much interest for a 16 month old. Then again, GIANT ROCKETS!

If you go just a wee bit north up I-4, you could visit the Blue Spring State Park, which is a manatee refuge. It's a really neat park, although I don't know how many manatees will be around this time of year (they tend to come to the springs during cold weather).

Sea World is also very close to your hotel, and there is quite a bit there that a 16 month old would enjoy. You can feed the dolphins, feed the stingrays, see the Shamu show, go through the Shark Tunnel, etc. Not dirt cheap, but not horribly expensive either.
posted by Lokheed at 8:39 AM on July 22

Although you said you ruled out Disney as too expensive, there are some neat things to do that are relatively inexpensive.

As fairchild mentioned above, Downtown Disney is free - there's shopping, eating and entertainment. The atmosphere is fun - outside of one of the stores there's a 8' Mr. Potato Head, and above the door of another store is a giant Stitch that squirts water on unsuspecting people below, and in the evenings there's often "street" entertainers (comics, magicians) wandering around.

A nice evening grown-up activity is to visit one of the Disney hotels that's on the lake with the Magic Kingdom (heading out to the "beach" at the Polynesian is my personal favorite, but the Grand Floridian and Contemporary are also on Bay Lake), and you can watch the Electrical Water Pageant (~9pm) and then the Magic Kingdom fireworks (~10pm). Some of the hotels also have some nice restaurants and bars, but you're not obligated to spend any money to just visit the hotels (and ride the monorail too).
posted by dicaxpuella at 9:27 AM on July 22

You will want a stroller. When we got there we hit a nearby Walmart and picked up a cheap umbrella stroller for about $10. It was a lifesaver. When we left, I looked for a family in the lobby checking in without a stroller and gave it to them. It beat bringing it home on a plane, and made their day.
posted by maxg94 at 9:35 AM on July 22 [1 favorite]

These are fantastic - thanks immensely! Combined with the pool at our building, I think the kiddo and I will be set for the week (especially with a stroller - I love that idea, maxg94)!
posted by brozek at 9:42 AM on July 22

Somewhere in Disney (it's been 30 years since I was there) there's a mall you can go to for free, which has one of those computer-controlled run-through-the-middle-of-it outdoor fountains. This one is three circles in the shape of Mickey's head. It's a great place for a little kid to play on a hot day, and there are always kids there doing that. Even a kid as young as yours will love it.

Be sure to bring a towel, though.

(Sorry, I wish I could tell you where it is, but I can't.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:54 AM on July 22

As a young child growing up in Orlando, Gator Land and Blue Springs State Park were fantastic experiences that I looked forward to at any time. Leu Gardens was great when I was a little bit older (and might be a place you yourself want to check out and bring the kiddo). For what it's worth, Disney is awfully expensive, but even a 16 month old would probably enjoy it. The question becomes, at what cost.
posted by mrmojoflying at 10:26 AM on July 22

Chocolate Pickle is thinking of Downtown Disney, I think. I was going to mention the fountain. Either bring a change of clothes for her or put her in a swimsuit before you go. Hours of entertainment.
posted by cooker girl at 10:37 AM on July 22