You have your Orlando car rental, but have no place to stay and need to kill a couple of hours; now what do you do?You have your Orlando car rental, but have no place to stay and need to kill a couple of hours; now what do you do?
Maybe you have arrived a little early for your Orlando vacation, your hotel room isn’t ready and you need to kill some time before they let you in. Perhaps you have already checked out of your hotel and need to kill a few hours before your flight. There are a plethora of things to do during your Orlando vacation that only take an hour or two and are just a short drive away in your Orlando car rental. Below, I describe them briefly:
This Orlando “Odditorium” is one of Robert Ripley’s 27 such places around the world. If you’ve been to one, you haven’t been to them all, as each Ripley's Believe It Or Not! houses a different collection of the bizarre, ridiculous and unexplainable artifacts that have been collected by Mr. Ripley over the past forty years.
Open 365 days a year from 9:30 AM to Midnight, Ripley's Believe It Or Not! - Orlando is located at 8201 International Drive 2 blocks south of Sandlake road. Before heading over to this unique museum in your Orlando car rental, you can check out their website for more information at http://www.ripleysorlando.com.
One of the best Florida excursions cannot be done in a car. You will, however, need your Orlando car rental to get to it! Located in Kissimmee, FL, the adventures offered here allow visitors to explore the real Florida in airboats, where they will be able to view birds, alligators and other assorted wildlife in their natural surroundings. Boggy Creek Airboat Rides offers three different tours to choose from:
Half Hour Day Tours: These tours explore the natural swampland every half hour and operate from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day of the year except Christmas and reservations are not required. Unless you are part of a very large group, chances are you will be joined by others not in your party on the excursion, currently priced at $24.95 for adults and $18.95 for children age 3-10 (children under 3 are free).
One Hour Night Tours: Nightime is the most active time for alligators and when you are most likely to see them prowling. On this very popular tour, you are sure to see the beady little red eyes of alligators staring at you as they glide through the murky waters. Reservations are a must if you would like to experience this tour, which takes place nightly at 9:00 PM (check-in is at 8:30 PM). Tickets are $42.95 for adults and $36.95 for children age 3-10 (children under 3 are free).
45 Minute Private Tours: If you would like to have the airboat captain/tour guide all to yourselves, this option is also available. Great for small group outings, this tour is available for parties of 2-17 people and gives your group an opportunity to get questions answered one-on-one. Reservations are not required - just show up between 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM for this unique experience which operates every day except Christmas. Prices are $49.95 per person, regardless of age.
Regardless of which airboat tour you elect to take, it is sure to be a fantastic and unique experience. You can discover more information about Boggy Creek Airboat Rides or make reservations for the night tour at http://www.bcairboats.com.
Although this doesn’t necessarily fit in with the “places to kill time” theme of this page and it is certainly not in the price range of the other experiences described here, it is an experience that only involves a few hours and is a spectacular way to begin your day!
This thrilling experience starts at 6:00 AM (okay, maybe that part isn’t so thrilling), where you’ll receive a preflight briefing. Then, you are transported to one of twenty-five launch sites (depending on wind direction) and invited to join in the twenty minute inflation process, bringing your balloon to life. Finally, its up, up and away for a breathtaking sunrise adventure that you’ll remember the rest of your life! After your flight, there is a traditional champagne toast before heading off for an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, where you will awarded a first flight certificate.
The early morning meeting place for this exciting adventure is at the Ramada Orlando Celebration Resort and Convention Center, located at the corner of Parkway Blvd. and Highway 192 in Kissimmee (6375 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway) and reservations are definitely required. Prices are $175 per adult and children age 10 and under fly free with each paying adult. For more information and to receive an online reservation discount, please visit http://www.orangeblossomballoons.com.
Centrally located in the heart of International Drive, this helicopter tour company has been operating for the last eleven years. The state of the art Robinson R44 helicopters offer exceptional comfort and visibility and each pilot provides a narrated tour of the areas you choose to fly over. Before or after your flight, be sure to visit the Model Train exhibit and gift shop located at the premises, as well.
Air Florida Helicopter Adventures offers nine different flights ranging from a quick hop to a tour of the entire Orlando area and they are open from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM. Reservations are not required and prices start at $25 for adults and $20 for children age 12 and under (2 person minimum). Located at 8990 International Drive, you may visit their website at http://www.airfloridahelicopter.com for further details.
Have you ever wanted to try skydiving but the thought of going splat on the earth thousands of feet below was a bit of a turnoff? The solution to your dilemma is here, so head on over to the north end of International Drive in your Orlando car rental for an experience like none other!
At SkyVenture, daredevil wannabe’s can experience a state-of-the-art sky diving wind tunnel that was designed for military and civilian skydive training. 125 mile-per-hour wall-to-wall airflow and multiple ceiling fans are used in the vertical wind tunnels to create a free-fall experience that has participants floating on air in the safest and most realistic skydiving simulation possible - all without the splat factor!
Located at 6805 Visitor Circle - just off of I-Drive and across from Wet & Wild - Skyventure is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 AM until 9:00 PM and on Friday and Saturday from 11:30 AM untill 10:00 PM. Extended hours are available for private groups with advance notice. The current price starts at $44.95 for this "high-flying" adventure that lasts for more than an hour. For further information, please visit their website at http://www.skyventureorlando.com.
With more than 300 animals to see and touch and a variety of other “life on the farm” experiences, this is always a favorite stop for families with little ones. The two hour tour gives visitors the ability to touch and learn first-hand about pigs, ducks, geese, chickens, cows and more. Other experiences include a train ride, the opportunity to milk a cow and a tractor-driven hay ride.
Located at 1368 South Poinciana Blvd. in Kissimmee, Fl, Green Meadows Petting Farm is open from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Admission is $21 for adults and children and there are special group, senior citizen and Florida resident rates available, as well. For more information, visit their website at http://www.greenmeadowsfarm.com.
A short drive away in your Orlando car rental, this relaxing romp with nature is always a favorite with horse loving Orlando vacationers. There are three different guided trails offered here that offer excellent riding opportunities for beginners, intermediate or advanced riders. Depending on the trail, your ride will take from 45 minutes to an hour-and-a-half and opportunities to observe Florida wildlife in its natural habitat are abundant throughout the 750-acre area. Never ridden a horse before? No problem; Horse World offers riding lesson, too!
Located at 3705 Poinciana Blvd. in Kissimmee, FL, Horse World Riding Stables is open at 9:00 AM 7 days a week and reservations are definitely recommended. Prices range from $43.95 to $74.95 all depending upon the trail. For more information or to make reservations, visit their website at http://horseworldstables.com.
No matter where you are staying, its always just a short trip in your Orlando car rental to any one of four spots that specialize in fun! A variety of go cart tracks, arcades and rides for every age group abound at the following places:
Fun ‘N Wheels: With locations in Orlando and Kissimmee, these family parks have no admission price (you do pay per ride, however) and offer excitement within minutes of the entire Orlando vacation area. There are four different go-kart tracks - each specifically made for different age groups with varying driving skill sets. You will also find bumper boats, a Ferris wheel, a miniature golf course as well as video arcades and Skeeball between the two locations.
Magical Midway: This family fun park features two elevated go-kart tracks, two daredevil thrill rides and a collection of classic midway rides. Squirting bumper boats, bumper cars and an arcade round out the fun at this casual attraction which offers several different price options including per ride, 3-Hour unlimited passes as well as all day passes. For more information, visit their website at http://www.magicalmidway.com.
Fun Spot Action Park: This family attraction features four go-kart tracks, six action-packed midway-style rides and seven children’s rides for those under age seven. You can pay per ride or get all-day unlimited ride passes. The 10,000 square foot, two floor video arcade located here is the largest in Central Florida and discounts are available for bulk token purchases as well as an all you can play pass. Visit http://www.funspot.com for more information.
Old Town: Located in Kissimmee, this 1950’s-themed Orlando vacation area mini-attraction includes carnival-style rides, bungee-type thrill rides, unique shops, a wax museum and various restaurants and pubs. Old Town is best known, however, for its Friday and Saturday night "cruises," where you will see a variety of exotic and antique cars. Get more details about this Kissimmee favorite at http://www.old-town.com.
Miniature golf is always a fun thing to do to kill some time at the beginning, the end or even in the middle of your Orlando vacation. There are so many miniature golf courses in the Orlando area, you can’t drive for ten minutes in your Orlando car rental without coming across another one. I don’t think I could possibly name them all and I certainly couldn’t offer a sincere description of most of them if I tried. The best mini golf courses, however, are the Pirates Cove Adventure Golf courses. Please visit our Pirates Cove Adventure Golf page for more information about these courses, which are the best of the best!
So what are you waiting for? Reserve your Orlando Car Rental now; there are enough "places to kill time" in Orlando to fill a whole week!