Budget Friendly Things to Do in Orlando With Kids

You know those blogs you see that promise to reveal the secrets of how to make a Disney World trip a budget-friendly family vacation? Yeah- this isn’t one of those ones. I read those blogs and came to the conclusion that I have a wildly different definition of “affordable.” But I still wanted an Orlando family vacation full of Florida magic- just the kind of Florida magic that doesn’t also leave a permanent mark on your bank account. So here were our favorite budget friendly things to do in Orlando with kids for a fantastic (and much less financially stressful) family vacation.

For Wildlife: Blue Springs State Park

Blue Springs State Park is absolutely magical. Known as the “Winter Home of the Manatees,” if you’re visiting in the winter, Blue Springs is a MUST. November to March is peak manatee viewing season when the manatees migrate from cooler waters to the warm waters of the springs.

There’s a manatee count posted daily, and I’ve regularly seen numbers ranging from 700-900 manatees during peak season.

The park is incredibly accessible for kids. All of the trails are boardwalk trails and if you give a toddler a boardwalk, they’re going to light up. The springs are absolutely stunning and viewing the manatees was one of the most unique experiences I’ve ever had.

Beyond the natural beauty, there are kayak rentals for the river, a small eatery, a playground for kids, and a great gift shop.

With quite a bit of boardwalk trails to do, you can easily spend several hours here.

If you do come during peak manatee season, be sure to get here early. The line to get in is long and the wait can be well over an hour. Eventually they’ll start only admitting cars on a “one out, one in” basis and the wait will be even longer. Plus, as the waters warm throughout the day, the manatees will venture out into the river more.

However, if you’re here when it’s not peak manatee season, the springs are still worth viewing.

This was by far our favorite thing we did in Orlando. Even my two year old kept asking for “more manatees” the whole way back home.

And as for the budget- admission comes in at $6 a carload! Can’t be beat.

For Water Activities: Wekiva Springs State Park

If you’re looking for more water activities in springs, check out Wekiva Springs State Park. Wekiva Springs are beautiful, but don’t seem quite as undeveloped as Blue Springs do. This is a natural spring that has been built up for swimming.

When crowded, it can definitely feel more like a large swimming pool. However, in the winter there were just a few people swimming and you could see the crystal clear water much better.

In addition to the springs, there are several miles of trails, many of which are on a boardwalk. It’s a great way to see some of Florida’s natural beauty away from the crowds of the springs.

Since the springs are a great place to escape from the Florida heat, prepare for crowds if you’re visiting in warmer weather.

Regardless of when you’re visiting though you do need to make a reservation for day access.

And just like Blue Springs State Park, admission was only $6 a car. (Which is somehow even cheaper than our city pools at home.)

For Pristine Beaches: Cape Canaveral National Seashore

If you’re looking for pristine beaches (while maybe also even adding in some learning activities), check out Cape Canaveral National Seashore.

We visited the Apollo Beach area and it’s absolutely stunning. This stretch of seashore is completely undeveloped, giving you incredible views.

Additionally, you can explore areas of cultural significance at Turtle Mound, one of the largest archeological sites of its kind in the area. A boardwalk will take you around the mound while also teaching about the history of the Timucuan people.

Also, be sure to check out the visitor center. As it is a part of the NPS, kids can participate in the Jr. Ranger program here (for free!) to learn more about the area. After completing the different activities they can take a pledge to promise to protect these areas and earn a badge.

Plus, the visitor center had great exhibits for the kids about different animals in the ecosystem and the importance of preservation.

The entrance fee is $25 a carload. However, to make it even more budget friendly- check out different fee free days that the National Parks offer every year or consider purchasing a National Parks annual pass if you plan on visiting multiple national parks in a year. Lastly, fourth graders are eligible for a free annual pass!

For a Kid-Centered Activity: The Crayola Experience

If you want to include an activity on your trip that is kid-centric but that is still cheaper than Sea World or Disney, check out the Crayola Experience.

From the very entrance my daughters were HYPED about this. Upon entry you immediately smell Crayola crayons everywhere, which in my opinion, is the best smell in the world.

In the experience you can make your very own Crayon wrapper with your name on it, pick out the color you want it to be, and then use a little machine to wrap the Crayon yourself. (I could have played with the wrapping machine all day long. It was relaxing.)

You can also melt Crayons into molds, make drip art, and paint with melted wax.

They have coloring stations set up around the area, an option to make your own coloring sheet, and scribble with chalk all over a wall. They also have two playground areas- divided by age group.

It was fun and exciting, but it was also very loud. After a couple of hours my girls were completely wiped, but that was plenty of time to do everything.

If your children are particularly sensitive to noise and crowds, go earlier in the morning or check out their sensory-friendly hours. We got there fairly early and it wasn’t that crowded, but as we were leaving it definitely had filled up.

Budget Tips

This cost more than the other things we did on this list, but if you are a teacher, you can get a free annual pass with proof of a valid teaching certificate and this also provides discounted tickets for the people in your group. Plus, you get a lot of souvineers to take home that are included in the cost, so that was fun.

And if you don’t want to pay for the admission, but do want a taste of the experience, check out their gift shop. It’s open to the public and there’s every sort of Crayola product you can imagine- including a wall FULL of crayons where you can pack your own personal box of crayons.

For A Quaint Downtown Area: Sanford

If you enjoy calm river walks, window shopping, or trying out great restaurants, check out downtown Sanford- just outside of Orlando.

It’s a historic downtown with unique shops that you can explore- without actually having to spend a dime.

Kids will love the river walk area that’s peaceful and the palm tree lined sidewalks make it have a very “Florida feel” without the Florida price tag.

Plus- Sanford has a Kelly’s ice cream shop which is some of the greatest ice cream I’ve ever had. Worth every penny. Seriously.

More Florida Trip Ideas for Families

Just a few hours north of Orlando is St. Augustine- a fantastic city to get kids hooked on history with. Check out my post here on it.

And if you are ever in the panhandle (which has some of my favorite beaches ever), check out my post here.

And lastly, if you’re looking for at-home learning activities for preschoolers all about Florida, be sure to sign up for email updates or follow on Facebook to get notified of when that preschool unit theme is finally available.