Suggestions for lowkey things to do outside of park

[holden]

Archery and horseback riding at Ft. Wilderness.

 

[sdk1231]

Archery and horseback riding at Ft. Wilderness.

Yes! The Tri Circle D ranch horses at Ft Wilderness are lovely. And you can rent bikes or hire a boat to do catch-and-release guided bass fishing from Wilderness Lodge. My CM cousin's husband is one of the fishing "captains" at Wilderness. He was formerly the "captain" of the Liberty Belle Riverboat in Liberty Square at MK.

 

[Marthasor]

I concur with PPs with the suggestion of going to Ft. W for the day - you can visit the stables, rent canoes/kayaks, bikes, go fishing and gem mining. We also really enjoy the QS there - very good food at affordable prices. Visiting the stables, bike/canoe/kayak rentals, fishing and gem mining do not require reservations. If you would like to do some of their other activities -horseback riding, archery experience, fishing excursion on a pontoon, or meals at Hoop Dee Doo or Trails End, make sure to make reservations.

 

[greeneyedchick]

Black Hammock swamp boat tour with alligators, or for a slower-paced vibe, a Winter Park boat tour of the fancy homes on Lake Virginia followed by an afternoon of shopping and dining on Park Ave. in Winter Park. The Morse museum there also has a wonderful Tiffany glass collection.

Enjoy a leisurely day of shopping and dining in historic Mount Dora.

Tu Tu Tengos on I-drive is one of my favorite restaurants.

The Orlando history museum right by Lake Eola park is also a nice way to spend a couple of hours.

 

[Mousetopia]

Hey everyone! Long time no chat! Finally making our next trip happen in 2023! My wife & I are trying to find a happy balance in what we're looking for in this trip and so I'm trying to respect her desire to not spend every waking moment inside a Disney Park, lol Ostensibly on off-days we'll be recharging for the next day in the park. We'll be staying at Old Key West resort. While I respect the notion of spending all day running ourselves ragged trying to do everything at the parks, I also know I and our daughter will start to want to do SOMETHING besides just hang around the resort all day.

Wondering if people had some suggestions for non-Disney park activities nearby that are a little less amusement park themed. For example, she sent me a link to a manatee tour "relatively" nearby.

If there's a pre-compiled list out there (I did a search on the site but didn't come up with anything) I apologize and please feel free to correct me and I can pull this post.

I have a resort day and lay by the pool then end the day with something special like dinner at another resort to explore like AKL, dinner at disney springs, Hoop Dee Doo..always easier on a non Park day, or Drawn to Life There is entertainment some times of the year at Disney Springs. I also plan any parties on rest days to recharge before an eve of MVMCP, etc.

 

[piccolopat]

There is a very nice Tiffany stained glass museum in Winter Park.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

Leu Botanical Gardens in Orlando is nice. Also, we had fun at World of Citrus (maybe 20-30 minutes south of the parks?), where you can ride on an open air school bus with monster truck tires through a citrus grove.

 

[Stefien Quix]

I have a resort day and lay by the pool then end the day with something special like dinner at another resort to explore like AKL, dinner at disney springs, Hoop Dee Doo..always easier on a non Park day, or Drawn to Life There is entertainment some times of the year at Disney Springs. I also plan any parties on rest days to recharge before an eve of MVMCP, etc.

We're going to be there in the end of January, so the pool is unlikely to be a viable option. This was our original plan until we were like, "OH RIGHT! JANUARY IS NOT WARM WEATHER!"

 

[Mousetopia]

We're going to be there in the end of January, so the pool is unlikely to be a viable option. This was our original plan until we were like, "OH RIGHT! JANUARY IS NOT WARM WEATHER!"

70's is the average with some 80s kow anf then. Warm enough for me!

 

[Stefien Quix]

70's is the average with some 80s kow anf then. Warm enough for me!

That's fair, and it might be warm enough for our daughter too, especially if the pool is heated (Note to self: look into if the pools are heated at OKW!) But DW & I generally prefer it to be warmer, but either way, you make a good point!

 

[Mousetopia]

That's fair, and it might be warm enough for our daughter too, especially if the pool is heated (Note to self: look into if the pools are heated at OKW!) But DW & I generally prefer it to be warmer, but either way, you make a good point!

I like to swim a bit but primarily lounge by the pool in the sun with a nice beverage!

 

[scrappinginontario]

That's fair, and it might be warm enough for our daughter too, especially if the pool is heated (Note to self: look into if the pools are heated at OKW!) But DW & I generally prefer it to be warmer, but either way, you make a good point!

All pools at Disney resorts and water parks are heated. We've swam often in January.

 

[Shellyred8]

Bok Tower Gardens is a lovely place to walk through. We've been here and really enjoyed it. It was just nice and peaceful to walk around. We also happened to time it so the orange trees were blossoming when we went, so we got to smell that loveliness as we were driving there.
There are a couple of Botanical Gardens in the Orlando area. We just recently heard about them, so we haven't been to them yet, but they are now on our radar.
There are also some State Parks that look really nice that are within an hour's drive or so. Blue Spring and Wekiwa Springs State parks are the ones that I see most frequently recommended. We haven't been there yet, but they on our list.
Lake Eola in downtown Orlando is a nice option. There is a walking path around the entire lake. They have swan boats that you can rent (peddle boats). There are several eating options around the lake to choose from too.

 

[DVCjj]

If you have a car, drive 55 minutes to Cocoa Beach and hear the ocean waves.

 

[jade1]

Not all "low key" but

Hit D Springs a lot for drinks/dining/shopping/strolling/bowling (yes even a movie once, maybe the balloon).

Cirque du Soleil

Clearwater Beach day.

US/IOA day.

Bay Lake Bass Fishing morning.

Golf Morning.

Resort/ Pool Hop.

Skyline to Riviera Topolino's Terrace views.

Check out the animals at AK Lodge.

Trader Sam's and POLY beach for fireworks.

Geyser Point WL for drinks/dinner on the beach.

 

[bakerworld]

One of the first things we discovered when we finally spent a day at the pool is the 4p family activities. I guess we were always in the parks or getting ready to go to the parks at 4p. Our other 'surprise' was the evening performers at Disney Springs, along with bowling (reserve!), free chocolate sample at Ghirardelli's, Irish performs at Raglan Road, and the balloon. The Boathouse has vintage boats along the pier and the amphibious car rides. The Springs usually have a type of scavenger hunt - maybe some else here would know more about that - which is usually seasonal related.

There's also a open mini golf (? Winterland) at the closed Blizzard Beach along with two types of mini golf beyond the Reserve.

 

[Stefien Quix]

One of the first things we discovered when we finally spent a day at the pool is the 4p family activities. I guess we were always in the parks or getting ready to go to the parks at 4p. Our other 'surprise' was the evening performers at Disney Springs, along with bowling (reserve!), free chocolate sample at Ghirardelli's, Irish performs at Raglan Road, and the balloon. The Boathouse has vintage boats along the pier and the amphibious car rides. The Springs usually have a type of scavenger hunt - maybe some else here would know more about that - which is usually seasonal related.

There's also a open mini golf (? Winterland) at the closed Blizzard Beach along with two types of mini golf beyond the Reserve.

Sorry, 4p?

 

[godfather927]

How does the mini golf compare to other mini golf places? More or less the same, or above and beyond per the Disney standard?

 

[greeneyedchick]

Sorry, 4p?

I think they mean 4pm activities at the resorts.

 

[mary lou]

Drive over to Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral and spend the at the beach. It's really nice and you might see a ship or two leaving Port Canaveral.

We're going to be there in the end of January, so the pool is unlikely to be a viable option. This was our original plan until we were like, "OH RIGHT! JANUARY IS NOT WARM WEATHER!"

Swimming is always a possibility. We always go Jan-Feb (from Canada)