Best Non Theme Park Activities near Orlando

Let’s face it, while the whole do every theme park all day every day until you drop family vacation is something we all have done and loved, it’s not really something you can do every single time you visit Orlando.

Sometimes the perfect family vacation in Orlando actually means seeking out the cool stuff that you missed the last time you were there. 

Aktion Park (Orlando Watersports Complex)

Aktion Parks is a boat and cable park for those looking to partake in wakeboarding and other watersports. The park boasts two cable courses and a boat for those looking to kneeboard or wakeboard, as well as two areas for paddleboarding. The cable courses offer standard and advanced cables to challenge even the world’s top athletes.

However, they also offer family-friendly courses and lessons for kids under 10 including a 1 hour safety lesson that includes all basic gear and a free 2-hour cable pass to use after the lesson, if they successfully learn the needed skills. Visitors can pack light because the park has all the equipment necessary to participate in any of the activities. It’s a great way to spend the day with the family. 

iFly

Ever thought about jumping out of a plane but haven’t been able to make the proverbial leap yet? iFly offers wannabe skydivers the opportunity to experience the thrilling feeling of freefall without the parachute, the jumping or even the plane for that matter. 

It’s just you. FLYING in the air.

Thanks to the power of vertical wind tunnels family members as young as three can experience indoor skydiving. The entire iFLY experience lasts about 1.5 hours and each flight is the equivalent of 1.5 skydives.

Wekiwa Springs State Park

Located about 20 minutes north of Orlando, just off Interstate 4, Wekiwa Springs State Park is a 7,000-acre Florida State Park in Apopka, Florida. Located at the mouth of the Wekiva River, the state park offers canoe and kayak rentals, 13 miles of trails for hiking or horseback riding, grassy knolls for picnics and of course, the natural springs to beat the Florida heat.

Camping facilities are also available on sight for travelers looking to get closer to nature.

WonderWorks

If you find yourself naturally drawn to mind tricks, Rubix cubes and riddles, you’re going to love WonderWorks. With over 100 hands-on exhibits, WonderWorks’ goal is to challenge your mind from your very first encounter. It’s first exhibit is the building itself!

Visitors tend to notice something seems a little ‘off’ about the building right away as it looks to be upside down. Inside, the building is divided into 6 WonderZones: Natural Disasters, Physical Challenge, Light & Sound, Space Discovery, Imagination Lab, and the Far Out Art Gallery.

Each zone features a mixture of science and wonder for some really awesome exhibits. You can become a human lightening bolt playing with the Tesla coil, or experience first hand what it was like to live through the earthquake of 89, lie down on a bed of nails or play on a giant piano.

Kennedy Space Center

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the only place in the world where you can see the real space shuttle Atlantis, touch a moon rock, meet a veteran NASA astronaut, and get an up-close view of a real Saturn V moon rocket all in the same day.

Families can easily plan an entire 8 hour day at the Kennedy Space Center with the following itinerary:

• KSC Bus Tour of Kennedy Space Center and Apollo/Saturn V Center 2 hours
• Space Shuttle Atlantis® with Shuttle Launch Experience® 2 hours
• Rocket Garden Tour 30 minutes
• Journey To Mars: Explorers 30 minutes
• Children’s Playdome for Junior Astronauts 30 minutes
• IMAX® 3D Space Films 1 hour
• Science on a Sphere 30 minutes
• Dining/Shopping 1 hour

La Nouba – Cirque du Soleil

Located inside Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba takes guests into the attic of make-believe where whimsical characters perform daring acrobatics, arial ballet, and intense choreography set vibrant music. Hailed as “An eye-popping wonder from start to finish” by the New York Daily news, this family friendly show has acts every evening, Tuesday through Saturday, in the summer. 

Forever Florida

Forever Florida Zipline & Horseback Adventures is Florida’s largest zipline & horseback adventure park featuring the only zipline roller coaster in the U.S.! This ecotourism ranch offers more than just thrills, it sits on 4700 acres, encompassing 9 distinct ecosystems; home to all sorts of critters including wild boar, alligators, black bears, white-tail deer and the endangered Florida panther. Whether you’re looking to get in touch with Florida wildlife or just get a little wild yourself, chances are they have an activity for that. The the adrenaline junkies, they also offer night ziplining for an added thrill and the opportunity to walk off the edge of a 7 story platform. Sounds simple, but it’s amazing how difficult it truly is!

The Great Escape Room

While Orlando is renowned for its iconic theme parks, it also boasts one of the nation’s top escape room companies. The Great Escape Room (downtown Orlando) provides a dynamic, engaging, and time-sensitive journey that’s both exhilarating and demanding.

Whether you’re unraveling the mysteries of the supernatural in “Escape Artist: Houdini’s Final Contact” or preventing a nuclear crisis in “Poker Night at The President’s Bunker,” there’s an escapade tailored for every adventurer 

Thank you to Kia Motors America for our ride for the week, the 2016 Kia Sedona, and facilitating our visit. All opinions remain my own.