Orlando - One day in MCO -- what to do other than Disney/Universal?

I may be in MCO for a day next month with a six year old and a four year old (both boys).

Any suggestions for something fun to do with them other than Disney or Universal Studios? Preferably for less than $30/person? We'll have a rental car and be arriving mid-morning.

First off, why NOT Disney for a day? I think once you explain your reasoning it might help folks better understand what some good suggestions would be.

I think the budget is the reason why. You cannot do a single day at Disney for less than $80 per person.

The other suggestion i will say is Fun Spot, it is very kids friendly and around your price range. If I recall correctly, adult admission is around $35.00 for all day fare. Free parking. They also have free retro arcade games, as paid ones too. You can buy an all day beverage cup for $5.00. Other options could be the miniature golf. Myself, personally, I prefer Fun Spot, mostly for the go-karts.

There are free things you can do at both Disney and Universal, although they are designed to lure you in to spend money. For example, Disney has both the Boardwalk and Downtown Disney. And if you didn't want to spend the full price on Disney and wanted to go "Disney-lite" you might want to check out Disney Quest. Disney also has water parks that might fit in the budget more.

If the boys are typical boys that like things that go boom, Cape Canaveral is about an hour away. An hour up the road from there is Daytona Beach, if they like things that go fast. Not just the track, but at one time there was a Corvette museum up there also.

As of 2009, there was a flight museum of some sort about halfway between Orlando and Tampa on I-4. Fantasy of Flight I think is the name, but having never been there, I can't vouch for the quality you might get there.

Really, Orlando is the type of place that once you decide what you want, you'll find it.

Green Meadows Petting Farm http://www.greenmeadowsfarm.com/

You could take them to either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon for the day. They are both nicely themed Disney water parks that will keep you all occupied quite nicely, and still get some of the Disney atmosphere without actually going into a park.

I really like SeaWorld as well.

You could always go to the beach for the day,

You could take them to either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon for the day. They are both nicely themed Disney water parks that will keep you all occupied quite nicely, and still get some of the Disney atmosphere without actually going into a park.

Or wet and wild or aquatica. But for a 4-6 year old, water parks may be the way to go for the price range.

You could always go to the beach for the day,

^ Drive over to Cocoa Beach and enjoy the ocean.

Some additional background. The boys have already been to Disney, and there really won't be time to do it justice in this one day anyway. We'll have been at the beach for the prior week, checking out of our hotel there in the morning, and driving to MCO for the day, arriving around 11 am. Our flight out is extremely early the following day, so we'll want to turn into our one-night hotel room by seven pm at the latest. I just can't see spending $500 for the four of us to spend less than six hours inside a Disney park. By the time you pay to park and for food, Disney is easily $125/head.

The novelty of swimming will have worn off by the time we get to MCO, I'm afraid. The petting zoo suggestion is a great one, or maybe there's some kind of reptile zoo there? Maybe a better way to ask the question is "What do people who live in Orlando do with their kids for fun?"

Some additional background. The boys have already been to Disney, and there really won't be time to do it justice in this one day anyway. We'll have been at the beach for the prior week, checking out of our hotel there in the morning, and driving to MCO for the day, arriving around 11 am. Our flight out is extremely early the following day, so we'll want to turn into our one-night hotel room by seven pm at the latest. I just can't see spending $500 for the four of us to spend less than six hours inside a Disney park. By the time you pay to park and for food, Disney is easily $125/head.

The novelty of swimming will have worn off by the time we get to MCO, I'm afraid. The petting zoo suggestion is a great one, or maybe there's some kind of reptile zoo there? Maybe a better way to ask the question is "What do people who live in Orlando do with their kids for fun?"

Where are you driving from? Maybe something between there and Orlando might be a good idea.

Maybe a better way to ask the question is "What do people who live in Orlando do with their kids for fun?"

Well, many have annual passes so get to spend a few hours at Disney for free.

Someone else suggested DisneyQuest, which is fantastic for kids in yours' age group. Another option that is less expensive but will absorb less time is to play on the Disney miniature golf courses.

When I lived in central Florida, Disney is where I spent most of my time and money. There are lots of other touristy things to do, but nothing at the level of quality, service, and overall fun that Disney provides!

What happened with the religious theme park in Orlando? I can't remember if that ever got built or not.

What about Gator World? Is that the place that had a fire?

Sometimes they just all run together.

What happened with the religious theme park in Orlando? I can't remember if that ever got built or not.

What about Gator World? Is that the place that had a fire?

Sometimes they just all run together.

I think you mean Gatorland and, yes, they had a fire, but they have rebuilt and are now open for business. It's a decent half-day attraction.