There are several free things to do in Orlando with kids which include movie nights, Lego building, playgrounds, splash-pads, museums and more. With scenic views, picnic spots, street entertainers, you can easily find free things to do in Orlando, FL.
Family Friendly Things to do in Orlando for Free
Disney Springs
Disney Springs is Walt Disney World Resort’s designated shopping, dining, and entertainment zone. Unlike the resorts, there is free self-parking and no admission fee. Expect fun restaurants like T-Rex where you don’t need to dine to browse the gift shop or build your own dino, but you can also see the huge dinosaur animatronics roar and come to life. In addition, there is a small fossil dig area.
Whilst activities like the mini train and bowling do have an entrance fee, you can still pop into the Lego store to play for free, (with Lego Duplo for toddlers), watch the free live, entertainment including an erupting volcano and soak in the atmosphere. Disney Springs is one of the popular free attractions in Orlando, especially in the evening. For full details on all the free things to do at Disney Springs see here.
Lake Eola Park
From Farmer’s markets held on Sundays, to community events and various performances year round, there are plenty of things to do at Lake Eola Park. Put on a show at the Chinese pagoda, burn off energy at the playground, picnic in the park, rent a swan boat or promenade around the lake loop which is perfect for little ones.
Visit a splash pad or playground.
Visit Winter Garden and cool down in the splash pads. Play in the unique ‘Castle Park‘: a large community wooden playground with climbing features as well as swings and a slide.
Disney Wilderness Preserve
One of the wilderness places to visit in Orlando for free and spot animals like the Southeastern big-eared bat, Sherman’s fox squirrel, Eastern indigo snake, the gopher tortoise and plants is at the 11,500-acre Disney Wilderness Preserve near Kissimmee. This preserve offers a 2.5-mile hiking loop through a cypress swamp, freshwater marsh, flatwoods, oak hammock habitats and more.
Old Town, Kissimmee
Go back in time to Old Town and explore independent stores and restaurants. Take a leisurely stroll and stop to watch the live entertainment and events or head for a traditional family-fun ride, including the iconic Ferris Wheel, classic carousel or rollercoaster. If you are looking for things to do in Orlando at night for free, look out for the Saturday Nite Classic Car Cruise.
Celebration Town Center
Celebration is a specially designed community by Disney, although control is back in the hands of the town. Buildings are modelled after those found in small American towns and one of the streets, World Drive, begins near the Magic Kingdom. Visitors can peruse the the town’s frequent family friendly events, shop and dine.
Universal CityWalk
One of the fun things to do in Orlando for free is Universal CityWalk. Self-park for free after 6 p.m. (with a few exceptions), then enjoy a leisurely stroll window shopping, watching street entertainers, photo ops and more.
Winter Park Museum
Winter Park History Museum is a small local museum with a children’s area with free entrance and children’s events on certain days. See more things to do in Winter Park here.
ICON Park
ICON Park comes alive after the sun sets. Sit on the grass with an ice cream, watch the world go by, take photos of the brightly lit neon observation wheel and more.
West Orange Trail
Bike on the 22-mile West Orange Trail for a scenic ride of the local area which connects Winter Garden to Apoka. The trail has a playground and bikes are available to hire if you don’t have your own.
Baldwin Park
On the first Friday of every month there is a free, family-friendly sidewalk festival featuring displays from more than 70 local artisans at the Baldwin Park. Note: These are temporarily postphoned due to Coronavirus.
BoardWalk at Walt Disney World
Stroll the BoardWalk at Walt Disney World, where you can enjoy scenic views and free acts from street performers during the evening.
Kraft Azalea Garden
Kraft Azalea Garden is based within Winter Park and is ideal for picnics and family walks. Relax under giant shady cypress trees with and watch the birds in the trees.
Farmers Markets
There are free Farmers markets at Winter Garden and Lake Eola on certain days which make for perfect leisurely free activities in Orlando.
Movie Nights
One of the popular places to visit in Orlando for free are the movie nights! Enjoy free movies at Lake Eola Park or at Winter Park on set days and pack a blanket, camping chair and snacks. At Lake Eola Park, Movieola night normally runs on the last Friday of the month (April-August.) but has run less frequently due to Covid. Check latest updates here.
At Winter Park, free movies run on the second Thursday of each month for Popcorn Flicks. Get free tickets here
For both locations, advanced booking is free but required to ensure social distancing.
There is a surprisingly amount of free stuff to do in Orlando, which activities have you tried or recommend?
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