You know how it goes. You spend months planning the perfect trip to Orlando and you get here and wah wah-the forecast predicts rain. Before you allow your kids to get too upset, know that there are some fantastic options for families in Orlando on rainy days. Here are our 5 favorite family-friendly Orlando indoor activities.
The Crayola Experience
Located at the Florida Mall in Orlando, The Crayola Experience is a great Orlando indoor activity. From making your own crayon to making paper frogs dance there are plenty of creative and hands-on activities for all members of your family. The Crayon factory show is a 15-minute presentation showing you the process a crayon goes through to be created. You can plan to spend 3-4 hours at the venue but you can also make a full day of the experience.
The Crayola Experience is located in the Florida Mall which also provides other activities on a rainy day. Inside the mall, there are indoor play spaces. You can also stop by and visit the M &M store.
My children love the Crayola Factory and always ask to go again. If you order the tickets online you can save $3 per general admission ticket. They also offer other packages when you purchase online.
Orlando Science Center
Another one of our favorite Orlando indoor activities is the Orlando Science Center. We recently went here for a field trip and my children loved it! There is so much to do that I can easily say you might not be able to do it all in a day.
The museum is divided into exhibits. You can get up close and view live animals in Nature Works. Head over to Dino Digs to experience giant fossil replicas or pretend to be a paleontologist as you uncover and examine fossils. Kinetic Zone and Kids Town were the two favorites areas for my children. In Kinetic Zone you can experiment with electricity and design with your engineering skills. Kids Town is full of fun. There is a stage where you can put on your own performance. There is also a water play area that is always a favorite. In the Our Planet section, you can pretend to be a meteorologist or experience an earthquake or hurricane. The Hive is a section for children 8 and over where they can create using real tools and materials and mentors to guide the process.
Also included in your ticket is admission to watch giant films in the Dr. Phillips CineDome, educational films in the Digital Adventure theater, and one Hollywood film. Science live programming is also provided throughout the building.
If you want to take a tour with us through the Orlando Science Center click the video below. While your over there be sure to subscribe to stay up to date with our family-friendly travel recommendations.
As you can see the Orlando Science Center is full of activities for your family on a rainy day. Your children will not be disappointed!
Sea Life Orlando
Located in the I-360 Complex, Sea Life is another fantastic choice for a rainy day. Walk inside Florida’s only 360-degree tunnel to see stunning ocean life. There are unique dive shows and so many wonderful ocean creatures to see. For an additional fee, you can also take a behind the scenes tour.
I will say that this is not a full day activity. We were able to see the entire exhibit in about an hour but I could see it taking longer on busier days. The good thing is that there are several other exhibits located at the Complex as well as several restaurants to choose from. Sea Life is one of the great family-friendly Orlando rainy day activities.
Madame Tussauds Orlando
Located in the same building as Sea Life you will find Madame Tussauds wax factory. Get up close and personal with some of your favorite celebrities (made out of wax of course). These wax features look so realistic is sure to be a fun outing for your family to escape the rain.
Wonderworks
The next choice for an indoor activity in Orlando is Wonderworks. Located on International Drive Wonderworks is a great indoor activity. With over 100 hands-on activities there is something for every member of your family. The featured exhibits include Natural Disasters, Physical Challenge Zone, Light and Sound Zone, Space Discovery, Imagination Lab, and Far Out Galaxy. Also included in your ticket is the 4D XD Motion Theater, Laser Tag, and the Glow In the Dark Ropes Course (just be sure to wear closed-toe shoes).
It’s a good idea to get your tickets ahead of time especially if you are traveling during a busy season. You can purchase your tickets here. If you would like to preview Wonderworks, check out our YouTube video below.
We all know afternoon thunderstorms are common in Florida. It’s a great idea to have a backup plan for those rainy days. The five places I mentioned are perfect family-friendly Orlando indoor activities. They are also great attractions to visit on sunny days. Be sure to visit and subscribe to our Peachy Keenes YouTube channel for more family-friendly Central Florida destinations. Stay Peachy!
I keep trying to get my husband to visit Orlando, but he does not want to go and just have a Disney trip, he wants to do other things. Wonderworks looks like something he and our two girls would really enjoy. I’ll remember that for whenever we finally make it to Orlando!
Shavon
Thanks for dropping by. There are certainly lots of things to do in Central Florida instead of Disney. Wonderworks is fantastic! Depending on their ages American Girl store in Orlando is a lot of fun as well. I could really go on and on about all there is to do in the Orlando/Central Florida area. Hopefully your husband will come around and you can visit😀
We have done Wonderworks and the Orlando Science Center before and loved both of them. We did go to the Crayola Factory in PA a few years ago and had a blast. I’d love to check out the Orlando one to see if it’s comparable! Great ideas here, thanks for sharing.
Pam
Thanks for stopping by. That’s so great that you’ve been to both Orlando science Center and wonderworks before. I’m sure you would enjoy the Crayola factory in Orlando as well. We’ve never been to the one in Pennsylvania but I would love to go. Stay peachy 😀
Thanks for this list! We are going to Disney next year and have a couple of free days that we plan on exploring the Orlando area, we’ll have to check out the Crayola Experience, I didn’t know that was there!
Kailee,
I’m so happy my list was helpful! I hope your children enjoy the Crayola Experience as much as mine did. There are so many great family friendly activities in Orlando. I hope your family has a fantastic trip! Stay peachy 🙂
Such a great list! I lived in Orlando for 5 years and its funny that people think all there is to do is go to theme parks. Orlando has so many other great family activities. I know I loved the science center even without kids haha
Melanie,
Thanks so much! I totally agree! There is such an unlimited supply of family friendly activities in Orlando that some of the best get overlooked. So funny that you said you enjoyed it without the kids-I think I had just as much fun as my kiddos 🙂 Thanks for dropping by-stay peachy 🙂
Great info! I haven’t done a lot in Orlando outside of Disney, so this is interesting! I have been to Sea Life in Kansas City and Minneapolis, so I know those are fun! And Branson, Missouri, is getting a Wonderworks, so that will be fun to try. Thanks for the info for Orlando!
Stacey,
I’m happy you enjoyed it and it gave you some ideas of places to try. I think sometimes people don’t realize how much there truly is in Orlando besides Disney. I would love to hear what you think of Wonderworks once you go. Happy travels!
I hope that you won’t stop writing such interesting articles. I’m waiting for more of your content. It’s so good that i’m going follow you!
Thank you so much for your kind comments! I’m happy you are enjoying the articles! Stay peachy!