While most people head down to Orlando for Disney World, or one of the other major theme parks, these aren’t the only things that the city has to offer. And, if you’re tired of crowds and long line-ups, then one of these smaller scale attractions might made an interesting diversion from spending time with Mickey and Co.
If you’ve ever wanted to get scarily close to alligators and watch people actually wrestle with them, then you won’t be disappointed at Gatorland. This attraction is pretty laid back (it has a great playground and spray park, so take bathing suits) and low stress, but still really fun. They recently installed zip-lines at the park if you feel the need for a roller-coaster free adrenaline rush.
Despite the fact that this is a chain, and you can replicate the experience in many cities worldwide, this is still really good family fun. The horsemanship, fake fighting, tacky effects and implausible story are still amusing to adults and absolutely thrilling for kids.
After you’ve overdosed on all the craziness that Orlando has to offer, tone down the sensory overload and get a culture fix at this surprisingly great art museum. With a mix of contemporary and traditional exhibitions, there’s always something worthy to look at in their collections, and you can’t get a much quieter spot to sit and unwind than in here.
Ditch the kids and grab a cold one at this, the world’s largest permanent ice bar (actually, if your kids are older than 8, they are allowed in between 7 and 9pm). There are ice-sculptures throughout, and yes, the bar itself is made of ice. Beat the Florida heat and chill out (no pun intended) here.