The Best Things to Do in Orlando: A Local's 12 Picks

At a glance

• Where: Orlando, Florida, with Walt Disney World Resort just southwest of the city limits
• Free to try: Lake Eola Park, the Orlando Farmers Market at Lake Eola (Sundays)
• Best base: Downtown Orlando, Thornton Park and Mills 50, all within a few minutes of each other
• Plan ahead: Hours and prices change; check each official site before you go

The best things to do in Orlando are the two big theme park resorts, then the places locals actually spend a free afternoon: Lake Eola Park downtown, Harry P. Leu Gardens, the Orlando Science Center and the food of Mills 50. Most of the picks below sit in or very near the city, and each one lists what to do, how long to give it and a local tip.

Orlando is a bigger place than its postcard. The parks are the headline, but a week here goes better when you pair one park day with a few slow ones. That is the advice we would give a friend flying in.

How we chose

We started from Orlando's own landmarks and neighborhoods, then checked each pick against its own official website for being open and for its address. We kept only places that are open and that you can reach from the city. Where something is outside the Orlando city limits, we say so. Hours and prices change, so we give typical hours only, and you should check the official site before you go. We left out anything we could not confirm.

Which theme parks should you do first?

1. Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort has four theme parks: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, plus water parks and Disney Springs. It is not inside the City of Orlando: it sits in the Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista area southwest of the city.

Give it a full day per park. The official site posts each park's hours day by day, and they differ by park, so check the date you plan to go. Local tip: pick the park first, then book around it, because the parks do not run on the same schedule. If you are staying downtown, budget travel time each way.

2. Universal Orlando Resort

Universal Orlando Resort has four parks: Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Epic Universe and Universal Volcano Bay, plus the Universal CityWalk dining and entertainment district. It sits on Orlando's southwest side, closer to downtown than Disney.

Plan one day for each of the two original parks and a longer day for Epic Universe. Volcano Bay is the water park, best on the hottest day of your trip. Local tip: save CityWalk for the evening of a park day, when you are already on property and ready for dinner.

3. SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando at 7007 Sea World Drive combines marine animal habitats with coasters and shows. Give it most of a day. Local tip: its official site lists seasonal events, and the holiday season brings a Christmas celebration, so check the calendar for your dates.

What is free and easy downtown?

4. Lake Eola Park

Lake Eola Park, at 512 East Washington Street in Downtown Orlando, is the city's front yard. It is open daily, typically from 6:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., and a paved sidewalk circles the lake for about 0.9 miles. The park rents swan-shaped paddle boats, and swans have lived on the lake since 1922. The Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain, built in 1957, was designed to throw 6,400 gallons of water into the air every minute.

Give it one to two hours. Local tip: walk the loop at golden hour, then cross the street into Thornton Park, the brick-street district right beside the lake, for dinner.

5. Orlando Farmers Market at Lake Eola

The Orlando Farmers Market runs every Sunday at Lake Eola Park, at the corner of East Central Boulevard and North Eola Drive, and it has operated since 1987. Most vendors take cards and many accept SNAP/EBT. Leashed pets are welcome.

Give it an hour or two. The Orlando Farmers Market typically runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and weather can delay it, so confirm on the official site before you go. Local tip: do the market first, then walk the lake while the crowds thin.

What are the best things to do in Orlando that are not theme parks?

6. Harry P. Leu Gardens

Harry P. Leu Gardens is a 50-acre botanical garden at 1920 North Forest Avenue in the Audubon Park Garden District. Leu Gardens is typically open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (hours shift by season), with last entry an hour before closing. Give it a slow two hours. Local tip: the house museum has been closed for stretches, so check the garden's site before planning around it. The grounds are the draw, especially on a cool morning.

7. Orlando Science Center

The Orlando Science Center is at 777 East Princeton Street in Loch Haven Park, north of downtown. It is a hands-on museum, and its exhibits rotate, so look at the current ones on the official site. Plan two to four hours. Tickets are sold at osc.org. Local tip: Exhibit halls close for some events, so check the calendar the week you visit.

8. Orlando Museum of Art

The Orlando Museum of Art, at 2416 North Mills Avenue in Loch Haven Park, is typically open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from noon to 4 p.m. It is closed Mondays and holidays. It also closes for stretches to install big exhibitions, so check the dates. Give it about 90 minutes. Local tip: pair it with the Science Center next door in the same park for a full indoor afternoon when it rains.

9. ICON Park

ICON Park, at 8375 International Drive, is home to The Orlando Eye observation wheel, with SEA LIFE and Madame Tussauds beside it, each ticketed separately. Give it two hours. Local tip: the ICON Park garage typically offers free parking on floors 4 through 7, but that policy can change, so confirm on the official site. For more of the area, see International Drive.

Where should you eat on a day out?

10. East End Market

East End Market is at 3201 Corrine Drive in the Audubon Park Garden District, a few minutes from Leu Gardens. Its Market Hall is typically open daily with early opening times, and vendors include Domu ramen and Gideon's Bakehouse. Give it an hour. Local tip: go for a late breakfast and then walk to the gardens. Hours here may have changed, so check the official site.

11. Gideon's Bakehouse

Gideon's Bakehouse, inside East End Market at 3201 Corrine Drive, is typically open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and closed on major holidays. Its other location is at Disney Springs, which is outside the city. Give it 30 minutes, longer if there is a line. Local tip: the Orlando shop offers next-day preorder pickup, which lets you skip the line. See Audubon Park Garden District for more nearby.

12. Pig Floyd's in Mills 50

Pig Floyd's at 1050 North Mills Avenue in the Mills 50 district serves oakwood-smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs and wings, with a happy hour typically on weekday afternoons. It is typically open every day, later on Friday and Saturday. Give it an hour. Local tip: the City of Orlando describes Mills 50 as home to one of the largest Vietnamese populations in Florida, so after barbecue, walk the block and look at the street murals and markets. See Mills 50.

Can you see Orlando in three days?

Yes: give one day to a park and two to the city, in this order.

1. Day one, parks: Walt Disney World Resort or Universal Orlando Resort, whichever you have your heart set on.
2. Day two, slow Orlando: East End Market breakfast, Harry P. Leu Gardens, then Orlando Science Center or the Orlando Museum of Art in the afternoon.
3. Day three, downtown: Sunday market at Lake Eola, a loop of the lake, dinner in Thornton Park.
4. Evening add-on: Pig Floyd's in Mills 50.
5. Always: check hours on each official site the week before you go.

Where to go from here

Now that you have the picks, go deeper by neighborhood: Downtown Orlando, Thornton Park and Mills 50 are the three that reward a local-style evening. For events on your dates, see the events calendar, and for the forecast before an outdoor day, see Orlando weather.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best things to do in Orlando?

The best things to do in Orlando are the big theme park resorts (Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort), then Lake Eola Park, Harry P. Leu Gardens, the Orlando Science Center and the restaurants of Mills 50. Pair one park day with a few slower days in the city.

Is Walt Disney World in Orlando?

Walt Disney World Resort is near Orlando but sits outside the City of Orlando limits, in the Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista area southwest of the city. Universal Orlando Resort has an Orlando address.

What are free things to do in Orlando?

Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando is free to walk, and the Orlando Farmers Market there runs on Sundays. Harry P. Leu Gardens and the Orlando museums charge admission, so check official sites for current prices.

How long is the walk around Lake Eola?

The paved sidewalk around Lake Eola in downtown Orlando is about 0.9 miles long. Most people take 20 to 30 minutes at a relaxed pace.

What are good things to do in Orlando on a rainy day?

The Orlando Science Center and the Orlando Museum of Art, both in Loch Haven Park, are good indoor options. Check each official site for current hours before you go.