Day Trips From Walt Disney World

While there is more than enough to see and do at Walt Disney World, there are lots of fun and interesting places to visit outside the Disney World theme parks. So, we’ve put together some suggestions, including low cost activities on Disney property; other Florida theme parks; as well as places to visit that have nothing to do with Disney at all! Some are are just a short hop from Disney World, others are a bit further away. If you are a Walt Disney World regular, you might find it fun to see a different side of Florida! This page is not intended to be a complete list, but is a guide to some other activities and any discounts they offer. 

All offers are subject to change without notice. Always call ahead and confirm before driving out of your way to take advantage of a particular offer! 

Jump to:

• Things to Do in Disney World, Outside the Theme Parks
• Things to Do in the Orlando Area, Outside Disney World
• Winter Park
• Discovery Cove
• Bok Tower Gardens
• Chase Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservancy
• Kennedy Space Center
• Other Florida Theme Parks
• Transportation Options

Things to Do In Disney World, Outside the Theme Parks

If you plan to take a break from the theme parks, but don’t want to go too far away (or you haven’t rented a car), there are plenty of things you can do on Disney property that don’t require park admission. 

Our FREE and Cheap Stuff to Do at Walt Disney World page has suggestions for things that are inexpensive or FREE. There are lots of nice areas to stroll around and many of the Disney Resort Hotels have activities or scavenger hunts for kids, and are just fun to explore!  

Our Walt Disney World Water Parks, Tours & Activity Discounts page has information about discounts on a variety of activities at Disney World, such as fishing, bowling, spa treatments and miniature golf. These are not necessarily cheap, and some of the activities listed there are in a theme park. But there are plenty of things to do that don’t require a park ticket and give you a change to re-charge .    

Things to Do In the Orlando Area, Outside Disney World

Jump to: 

• Leu Gardens
• East End Market
• Icon Park

Leu Gardens

Leu Gardens is a 50-acre botanical garden with a variety of gardens and is a pleasure to wander through. The gardene was a passion project of Harry Leu, who owned a local Orlando industrial supply company. He donated the garden to the city of Orlando after he retired. The garden has giant ferns, roses, a huge variety of tropical plants, and even a garden that only has plants that existed during in the Cretaceous Period! There are plenty of shady areas to walk in if it is a particularly hot day. It isn’t very far from Walt Disney World and is right near Winter Park. 

East End Market

East End Market, an artisan food hall, is a fun place to stop for a bite! You can get a variety of food to go, or sit at one of the tables outside. There is a cheese shop, a meats and sandwiches shop, a coffee roaster and ramen restaurant, and Gideon’s Bakehouse (see below). It’s very close to Leu Gardens, so very easy to visit both places in one trip.

The East End Market is home to the original Gideon’s Bakehouse, which usually has a MUCH shorter line than the Disney Springs location. If you’ve seen the massive line at Disney Springs and wondered what the fuss is about, this is definitely the way to try the cookies that are tearing up Instagram. We can tell you from experience, the cookies are legit: huge, tasty and entirely unique. The East End store is decorated with the same kind of spooky/fun vibe as the Disney Springs store, but is much, much smaller (it’s really just a small counter). On the plus side, shorter wait time and they are less likely to run out of cookies! You can also pre-order your cookies at the East End Market location, but you need to do it a day or so in advance – see their web site for details. 

Icon Park

Icon Park is located on International Drive, near Universal Studios and SeaWorld and about a 15-20 minute drive from Disney Springs. There are museums, restaurants and even a few rides. The Orlando Eye is a ferris wheel with 360º views of the Orlando and Lake Buena Vista area. There is also a Madame Tussauds, a carousel and as well as a very nice, but small, aquarium, plus a few other shops and restaurants. The Blue Man Group will have performances there starting April 3, 2025. 

Winter Park

Winter Park, FL is a town just next to Orlando. We have had fun exploring it over the last few years. There are upscale shops, art galleries, museums, parks, restaurants and cafes. In the center of town is a train station and a large grassy park. It is a nice place to stroll around, window shop, visit a museum, or get some lunch.  

One of the more unique things to do is the Scenic Boat Tour. There are multiple lakes in Winter Park connected to each other by canals. The boat tour takes you from lake to lake through these small canals. Along the way you get views of beautiful, fancy estates, as well as smaller, quirkier homes from an 18-person pontoon boat. We have done this canal tour several times and just love it! Note: This is a fairly popular activity and you can’t make a reservation; all tours are first come, first served. We have found that getting there 30-40 minutes before the first tour of the day works well. And definitely bring a hat and wear sunblock! The boats are not covered, so you’ll get a lot of sun. The cost is $20 per adult and $10 per child (age 2-11), tax included.

We also enjoy visiting the Morse Museum, which has one of the biggest collections of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s jewelry, stained glass, art and pottery, along with replicas of some of the rooms from his Long Island estate. We always take a moment to sit in the Daffodil Terrace and enjoy the surroundings. While the museum welcomes children, there aren’t any special kid activities and strollers are discouraged, so definitely consider your child’s interest and temperament before going. On the plus side, admission is only $6 per adult (age 18 and up), $5 for seniors (age 60 and up), and $1 per student, tax included. Admission is FREE for children under 12, so if you can’t stay long, isn’t an expensive activity. FREE admission is offered every Friday from 4 pm – 8 pm, November through April.

Discovery Cove

Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort run by SeaWorld Parks. Guests can enjoy one-of-a-kind animal encounters, including a world class Dolphin Swim Program. In addition to the dolphin experience, there are many activities as well as beautiful places to lounge both in and out of the water. There is a lovely snorkeling lagoon filled with tiny colorful wrasses, yellow tang and large parrot fish along with gentle, velvety sting rays and an enclosed area housing reef sharks. There’s also a warm freshwater wading / swimming lagoon where you can watch playful otters dive underwater and scout their surrounds while curious marmosets nap on high branches or swing on vines in a rainforest canopy. For land lovers, a walk through the aviary or just kicking back on the beach with a cool drink may be just the thing. You will truly feel like you have entered a tropical paradise away from it all.  

If you are looking for a quieter day, with fewer crowds and a relaxing atmosphere, Discovery Cove offers a truly remarkable and unique experience.  Attendance is restricted to about 1,300 guests per day, so a reservation is required, and booking well in advance is suggested. It is located adjacent to SeaWorld, about 15 minutes from the main gates of Walt Disney World.

Bok Tower Gardens

Bok Tower Gardens, in Lake Wales, FL, is one of our favorite spots for a mid-trip break from Disney. It is a bit of a drive, about 45 miles from Walt Disney World, but you will definitely see a quieter, more rural side of Florida. The gardens were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr., hired by Edward and Mary Bok to create a bird sanctuary and “spot of beauty” near their winter home. The centerpiece of the gardens is the carillon Tower, a beautiful art deco and neo-Gothic bell tower surrounded by a reflection pool. The Tower has concerts several times a day, which you can hear from anywhere in the gardens. Some are recorded and some are live, depending on the time of year. 

You can stroll around the gardens, feed the koi, and enjoy the calm and quiet. In addition to the main gardens, there is a children’s garden with activities, so young kids have a chance to get some wiggles out. There are designated picnic areas if you want to bring your own food, or you can dine at their café. There is an exhibition hall where you can learn more about Edward Bok and the design and history of the gardens and bell tower. 

While at Bok Tower, for an additional charge, you can take a docent-led tour of El Retiro, a 1930s Mediterranean-style mansion built as a winter home for a Bethlehem Steel executive. The docents do an excellent job and the house is quite lovely and has some unique features. However, be aware that the house is NOT fully accessible by wheelchair or stroller and there is no elevator. 

Admission to the Garden only is $20 per adult and $10 per child (age 6-17). Admission to the Garden and El Retiro is $30 per adult and $15 per child (age 6-17). Admission for children 5 and up is FREE.  

Bok Tower Gardens is about 30 miles from Legoland Florida, so you could combine the two, but depending on your kids’ passion for Legos, you may want to allow yourself at least a whole day for Legoland. 

On our drive back to Walt Disney World, we like to stop at Davidson of Dundee. This family-run candy company has been making all kinds of citrus candies, marmalades and jellies since 1967. We usually buy some jams for ourselves and for gifts. Depending on the time of year, they will have fresh oranges to sample or purchase.  It definitely gives you a taste of old Florida!

Chase Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservancy

If you or someone in your family are true animal lovers, Chase Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservancy is a unique place to visit, and well worth the trip. The sanctuary is  located off the beaten track, about 36 miles northeast of the Walt Disney World parks, outside the small town of Webster. It’s about an hour’s drive from the Disney area, and depending on your route, you can drive by several of Florida’s wilderness preserves and wildlife areas for a different glimpse of Florida. 

Founded in 2008 as a dog, cat and bird rescue, this 501c3 non-profit has developed into a major exotic animal rescue and preservation sanctuary. The sanctuary is staffed by the founders and volunteers, and is devoted to caring for numerous critically endangered Ruffed Lemurs, Cotton Top Tamarins, Vervet monkeys and other exotic primates, along with two-toed sloths, southern tamanduas (lesser anteaters), deer, antelope, cavy, bat-eared foxes, tortoises and beautiful toucans, cockatoos and other colorful rare birds.  

Group and private tours are available, as are experiences like Painting with Primates, or Lemur Yoga. We did the Lemurs and Friends Interactive Private Tour and highly recommend it. You will get to enter some of the animal enclosures with your guide and interact with and feed various animals. The guides are very knowledgeable and share information about the animals, how and why they came to be there, as well as the sanctuary’s overall mission and objectives.

The experiences are a bit pricey, but occasionally are there discounts for various events — sign up for their email list if you would like to receive notice of those. Group tours are $75 per person, and most of the add-on experiences are $75 per person. That said, 100% of admissions go directly to feed, housing and care for the animals. 

The Chase Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservancy is open by appointment only, and space is often very limited, so you’ll want to book your animal experience in advance. Children must be aged 8 and up for tours, or 13 and up for Painting with Primates. 

Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center is located near Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral, about one hour’s drive from Walt Disney World and very close to Disney’s Port Canaveral cruise terminal. If you are interested in space exploration and rockets, there are a TON of things to see and do here. One day may not be enough!

There are exhibits about astronauts, rockets, the Apollo missions to the moon, a bus tour that shows you NASA launch sites as well as other restricted areas. You can walk around the Space Shuttle Atlantis, have lunch with an astronaut, and learn about current and future NASA missions.

Other Florida Theme Parks

There are several theme parks within a 1-2 hour drive of Walt Disney World. Use the links below to see our information about ticket discounts, membership deals and other offers that can save you money!

Aquatica Orlando – Aquatica Orlando is a 59-acre water park run by SeaWorld Orlando. It has wave pools, lazy river rides, eight-lane racing slides, interactive water play areas and 36 waterslides, including a 300-foot-long enclosed waterslide that plunges riders down a 42-foot drop and through a lagoon populated by black-and-white Commerson’s dolphins. There are also water play areas for younger children. It is located across the street from SeaWorld Orlando, about 15 minutes from the main gates of Walt Disney World.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is an African-themed animal theme park with a variety of rides, including several major roller coasters, and multiple animal exhibits. One highlight is the Serengeti Safari, a 30-minute drive through the Serengeti Plain, home to zebras, giraffes, ostriches and more. Their Animal Care Center is set up so that visitors can watch veterinarians and animal trainers perform regular exams, treat injured animals, or even perform surgery. It is in Tampa, about an hour and a half drive from Orlando.

Legoland Florida – Legoland Florida offers rides, shows and attractions, including a water park. The rides are fairly tame, compared to Walt Disney World Universal Orlando, but that can make it a great place to go with younger kids, especially those who have never been to a theme park before. And Lego fans of all ages can enjoy the Lego-themed décor and Miniland USA, which features US landmarks created entirely with Legos. It is located in Winter Haven, about 45 minutes south of Walt Disney World.

SeaWorld Orlando – SeaWorld Orlando has theme park rides, including many well-regarded roller coasters (such as Kracken and Manta), live animal shows and animal exhibits. The animal exhibits feature stingrays, sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, sharks and other marine animals. It is located about 15 minutes from the main gates of Walt Disney World.

Universal Orlando – Universal Orlando has two major theme parks: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, plus a beautiful water park: Volcano Bay. The theme park areas have a variety of rides and attractions as well as two Harry Potter-themed areas: the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmede (in Island of Adventure) and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley (in Universal Studios Florida). It is about 20-40 minutes from Walt Disney World, depending on what part of the World you’re starting from and how much traffic there is on I-4. 

Transportation Options 

Renting a car is the most straightforward way to get from the Walt Disney World are to other Orlando-area and Central Florida attractions. There are several places on Disney property where you can pick up and drop off a rental car, if you haven’t already rented one for your entire trip. 

You can also take Lyft to any of these locations, though prepare for some sticker shock if you take one all the way to Busch Gardens ($75-$90) or even Legoland ($45-$55). Taking Lyft to Universal Orlando is very reasonable – usually $20-$25 each way. Winter Park or the Leu Gardens is another 20 minutes and $15 or so more.