Winter Park is a historic neighborhood with plenty of shopping and dining along the main downtown street. In fact, some of Orlando’s best restaurants are located in Winter Park, like The Ravenous Pig and Prato. The cute neighborhood hosts a large Farmers Market every weekend, as long as the unpredictable Florida weather cooperates. After walking around downtown, consider hopping on the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, which takes passengers on an hour-long tour of the area’s many lakes with an expert driver who shares lively stories about Winter Park.
Roller coasters are fun (trust us, we get it), but the best things to do in Orlando beyond theme parks offer more than just long lines and sugary churros. In fact, ask any local to name their top thrills in the City Beautiful and they’ll likely tell you a long list of things to do that are far away from the amusement parks and tourist districts.
What’s happening beyond the gated parks, you wonder? Breeze through Orlando’s historic neighborhoods, hop on a boat tour or head to a basketball game (or a soccer match, if that’s how you roll) to cheer on the city’s pro teams. Looking for something interactive? You can feed giraffes and learn about local conservations efforts, or you can even zip line over live gators (this is Florida, after all). In other words, there are more thrills in this city than roller coasters—here are the 14 best things to do in Orlando beyond the theme parks.
RECOMMENDED: our full guide of the best things to do in Orlando