SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium at ICON Park® on International Drive in Orlando

Things to Do in Orlando With Infants & Toddlers

Age range: Newborn to 3 years old

Your children are only young once, but the memories you create in Orlando will last forever. Explore our worlds of wonder together, including theme parks, attractions, outdoor adventures, restaurants and accommodations your little ones are sure to love. In fact, you’ll never run out of unforgettable adventures to enjoy with your children when you visit Orlando.

DiscoverOrlando First-Timers Guide for Parents

  • Children under 3 get free entry into most of Orlando’s theme parks, water parks and attractions, and complimentary amenities are available for parents with very young children. For example, each park has comprehensive baby-care centers. They also offer conveniently located diaper-changing stations in select locations, including men’s, women’s and family restrooms. Check with your favorite theme parks for more information.

    Discover: Tips & Tricks for Visiting Orlando With Small Children

    Photos of the Peppa Pig Florida Theme Park taken from their media preview event.
    Peppa Pig Theme Park at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort Near Orlando

    LEGOLAND® Florida Resort

    Like no other theme park family in Orlando, LEGOLAND® Florida Resort is made especially for kids — starting with Peppa Pig Theme Park, a standalone theme park crafted with preschoolers in mind. Featuring sensory-rich and interactive attractions, themed playscapes, a water play area, live shows and more, the park is also a Certified Autism Center. In fact, all U.S. LEGOLAND® Resorts parks are IBCCES Certified Autism Centers, including LEGOLAND Florida Theme Park and LEGOLAND® Water Park.

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    The DUPLO® Valley section at LEGOLAND Florida Theme Park was also designed for the very littlest ones. It features numerous play areas, rides and activities that will keep your tot occupied for hours, but there’s more for them to do at LEGOLAND. Besides the Tot Spot play zone in DUPLO Valley, you’ll find other Tot Spots in the LEGO® Technic and LEGO City areas.

    Your toddler can also have fun at LEGOLAND’s onsite water park and Cypress Gardens. Carried over from LEGOLAND’s predecessor of the same name, the latter features plenty of space to run around amid a broad variety of exotic and domestic flora, including a massive Banyan tree that was planted in 1939. It’s also the site of LEGOLAND’s newest attraction, Pirate River Quest.

    Walt Disney World® Resort

    Storybook legends and flights of fancy become real at Magic Kingdom® Park at Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando. This park features several parades, shows and rides that are perfect for little ones.

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    Your tot’s eyes will also light up during character appearances throughout the park, including encounters with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Cinderella, Chip and Dale, Donald Duck and others. More characters can be found at all other Walt Disney World theme parks, and character-dining reservations are available if you want to ensure your kids will see a specific favorite.

    Discover: Orlando Character Dining

    Toddlers will also enjoy a visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, where the whole family can visit with amazing exotic wildlife at Kilimanjaro Safaris®. The park’s numerous self-guided walking tours provide even more chances to see mesmerizing animals in action.

    Mom and Daughter looking at a dolphin at SeaWorld Orlando
    ©SeaWorld

    SeaWorld® Orlando

    Family-friendly animal encounters and live shows are the top attractions for toddlers at SeaWorld® Orlando’s main theme park, starting with the Dolphin Nursery — a special viewing area where you and your children can watch baby and mother dolphins at play.

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    Little ones can marvel at a wide range of aquatic life at numerous other viewing areas, plus special shows where the park’s residents strut their stuff. And of course, SeaWorld is now home to Sesame Street Land™, packed with themed rides, character encounters, interactive play, dining and shopping based on the long-running TV series, plus the park's first-ever parade.

    Discover: Sesame Street Land

    SeaWorld’s sister parks, Discovery Cove® and Aquatica® Orlando, offer gentle adventures for infants and toddlers, too. From frolicking in pint-sized waters at Aquatica, to coming face-to-face with wild animals and birds at Discovery Cove, both options promise endless fun for little ones.

    Universal Orlando Resort

    At Universal Orlando Resort, you’ll find imaginative play areas that are perfect for toddlers at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure. At Universal Studios, tots can enjoy Animal Actors on Location! and The Tales of Beedle the Bard, while Universal’s Islands of Adventure has Camp Jurassic, If I Ran the Zoo™, Jurassic Park Discovery Center, and Me Ship, The Olive®.

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    Universal Islands of Adventure also has Seuss Landing™, which features scenery, attractions and shows based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved books. And throughout both parks, live entertainment and chance encounters will bring your toddlers face-to-face with the Minions, Marvel Super Heroes and others.

    Last but not least, Universal Volcano Bay has many ways for younger guests to enjoy themselves, including sandy beaches, tranquil lagoons and dedicated children's play areas.

  • Looking for adventures for your toddler beyond Orlando’s theme parks? The attractions featured here are all geared toward children, and they’re free for kids ages 2 and under.

    Discover: Orlando Toddler Adventures

    Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens guests looking at rhino
    Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford Near Orlando

    Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens

    Located approximately 35 minutes north of our tourism districts in Sanford, Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens will fascinate children with more than 500 animals, including an Insect Zoo and a Reptile House. It’s also home to 23 acres of native gardens.

    Tots will especially love the Barnyard Buddies Children’s Zoo, where they can meet and even feed domesticated animals that include alpacas, goats and llamas. And when your toddler is ready to cool down, treat them to a wet and wild time at the zoo’s Wharton-Smith Tropical Splash Ground.

    Crayola Experience father and son by playground
    Crayola Experience at The Florida Mall® in Orlando

    Crayola Experience

    Crayola Experience offers 26 hands-on attractions that encourage creativity. Better still for younger kids, it includes a special Toddler Town packed with interactive fun.

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    You can also make a one-of-a-kind crayon to bring home with you, or even star in a personalized coloring page using a special photo booth. Crayola Experience is inside The Florida Mall®, about 20 minutes from Universal Orlando Resort.

    Fun Spot America Theme Parks Orlando Splash Pad
    Fun Spot America in Orlando’s International Drive Entertainment District

    Fun Spot America

    With two locations to choose from, including the I-Drive district and adjacent to Old Town in Kissimmee, the family-owned Fun Spot America offers different levels of thrills for all ages — including infants and toddlers.

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    Kids this age will have a blast in the Orlando park’s state-of-the-art splash pad. It features slip-resistant soft flooring, interactive water toys and spraying elements. The Orlando park also has Gator Spot, a 15,000-square-foot oasis where little ones can see real gators courtesy of Gatorland. Speaking of which…

    Gatorland American crocodiles on the shore
    Gatorland in Orlando

    Gatorland

    Less than 20 minutes from Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando, Gatorland is one of Orlando’s longest running attractions. What’s more, kids love watching the park’s resident alligators, crocodiles, bobcats and other wild beasts.

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    Gentler creatures call Gatorland home, too, including llamas, ducks, goats, lambs and turkeys at Allie’s Barnyard petting zoo, plus exotic birds at the Very Merry Aviary. Other options for tots include soothing train rides on the Gatorland Express Railroad, and fun with water at Gator Gully Splash Park.

    A butterfly on a flower at Harry P. Leu Gardens
    Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando’s Audubon Park Garden District

    Harry P. Leu Gardens

    A tropical oasis in Orlando’s Audubon Park Garden District north of downtown, Harry P. Leu Gardens offers 50 acres of cultivated gardens featuring an array of temperate and tropical plants and flowers. With twisting, shaded walkways that run through the grounds, it makes a great backdrop for a relaxing family stroll.

    Discover: Things to Do in Orlando’s Audubon Park Garden District

    On the first Monday of select months, Leu Gardens offers Story Time, a free, indoor event for children ages 5 and under that’s sponsored by the Orange County Library System. And during the holidays, the historic, on-site Leu House Museum becomes a winter wonderland with a wealth of contemporary and antique Christmas decorations that toddlers are sure to love.

    Orlando Science Center Kids at fossil dig
    Orlando Science Center in Loch Haven Park, Part of the Ivanhoe Village Main Street District (Roberto Gonzalez)

    Orlando Science Center

    Part of Orlando’s Loch Haven Park cultural hub, about 15 minutes from downtown, Orlando Science Center is focused on making science fun and approachable for families. All exhibits are kid-friendly, and the facility’s entire second floor is called KidsTown, designed especially for children ages 7 and under.

    As if that wasn’t enough, KidsTown’s seven zones include Toddler Town, where your child can be amazed by a multi-level water table among other activities. They’ll also have fun at DinoDigs, where they can uncover faux fossils and examine real, fossilized dinosaur eggs.

    Children look at turtles at SEALIFE Orlando Aquarium
    SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium at ICON Park® on International Drive in Orlando

    SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium

    Part of the lineup of attractions at ICON Park® on International Drive, SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium boasts Orlando’s only 360-degree underwater tunnel, where toddlers and their parents can gaze in wonder at sharks, seahorses, stingrays, jellyfish and other aquatic life — all without getting wet.

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  • people riding swan boats on Lake Eola at dusk
    Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando

    “Mild” is a better watchword than “wild” at this age, so take a stroll around Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. In addition to a mile-plus walking path, the park has paddleboats shaped like swans, a fountain that lights up at night, and plenty of shaded, grassy places to sit and relax. Plus, this park is at the center of all of downtown’s acclaimed dining options.

    Discover: Things to Do in Downtown Orlando

    You might also consider a trip down the West Orange Trail, which runs from Winter Garden in the south to Apopka to the north, all west of our tourism districts. The paved, 21-mile path is perfect for biking or walking. You can even rent bicycles with child trailers from West Orange Trail Bikes & Blades Co.

    Discover: Things to Do in Winter Garden

  • Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs™ interior
    Rainforest Cafe at DISNEY SPRINGS®, Part of WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort in Orlando (Landry’s Inc.)

    In all, Orlando has more than 6,000 restaurants representing a wide range of cuisines, including numerous MICHELIN Guide honorees, and many of them cater to families with young children. In other words, even when your children are this young, you won’t have any problems finding dining options.

    Discover: Visiting Orlando With Multiple Generations

    If your children are old enough to appreciate it, this might also be the ideal time to delight them with character dining opportunities at theme parks, when available. (Please note: Character dining opportunities might not be available at the time of your visit. Please check with your preferred venues for their current status.)

    Discover: Character Dining in Orlando

    Walt Disney World Resort traditionally has numerous options, including classic Disney animated characters at Chef Mickey’s inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Other toddler-friendly eateries at Disney include Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs® and Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, as well as T-REX™ at Disney Springs and Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, with the latter offering the chance to see giraffes, zebras and gazelles grazing outside the window.

    Universal Orlando Resort offers meals with Marvel Super Heroes. And at SeaWorld, you can enjoy a family feast while learning about the park’s pilot whales at Dine With Orcas near Orca Encounter. Check with the respective parks for more details.

  • JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek kids bedroom in a family suite
    JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa

    With your children being this young, resorts and hotels with connected suites are a great idea, giving Mom and Dad a chance for some time together while the little ones nap in an adjacent room. Options along this line include JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa, Caribe Royale OrlandoLake Buena Vista Resort Village & SpaReunion Resort, and Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort.

    Discover: Orlando Resorts With Family Suites

    Naturally, you’ll find numerous choices at official theme park properties — and highly imaginative ones at that. At Universal Orlando, look into Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal OrlandoLoews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, Hard Rock Hotel® at Universal Orlando, and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando.

    At Walt Disney World, hotels with suites include Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s Yacht Club ResortDisney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

    We also have many vacation home rentals to choose from, ranging from basic accommodations with kitchenettes and laundry rooms to palatial palaces with every extra imaginable. If you need babysitting services, several local companies can help. Top options include Destination Sitters LLCJovie of Orlando, and Tootles Event Sitters, all of which offer professional services for individual families and large groups such as weddings and reunions. Let them help you enjoy a night on the town the next time you’re in Orlando.

Plan the Perfect Family Getaway in Orlando

Endless family adventures await in Orlando — and Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com can help you save on admission to top theme parks, attractions and experiences. Take advantage of our free planning tools to discover more ways to save money in the Theme Park Capital of the World.