Things to Do in Orlando That Aren't Theme Parks

Orlando gets judged by its theme parks, but some of the best days I've had here didn't involve a single ride.

If you're a local who is tired of the parks, a visitor who wants a day off, or someone traveling with a mix of ages and budgets, here are the things to do in Orlando that aren't theme parks. I've included what each one is like, who it's best for, and what to know before you go.

Ride an airboat through the Everglades headwaters

Central Florida's lakes and marshes are the top of the Everglades system, and an airboat is the most fun way to see them. You'll see gators, birds and cypress, and you'll feel how fast those boats move.

Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures in Kissimmee is about 35 minutes from Disney. Tours normally run 9 AM to 5 PM every day (holiday hours can differ), with half-hour and one-hour rides, plus sunset and night tours if you want something different. The night tour is the one I'd pick if you've done an airboat before.

Best for: first-time Florida visitors, families with older kids, anyone who wants to see a gator in the wild.

Bottle-feed baby highland cows

This is the newest thing on the list and the one people ask me about most right now.

Mini Moo Land is a highland cow experience inside Boggy Creek. Regular admission (from $29.99) lets you pet, hand-feed and cuddle the herd with a guide. This fall they added baby highland calves, and you can bottle-feed them at 10 AM, 1 PM or 4 PM with the VIP experience ($65, admission included).

The calves drink fast and are shameless about it. Have your camera ready.

Best for: families with young kids, couples, anyone who has ever saved a highland cow video. You can also bundle it with a one-hour airboat ride and save $10.

See manatees at Blue Spring State Park

From mid-November through March, hundreds of manatees move into the spring run at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City to stay warm. You watch from a boardwalk over clear water. Swimming in the run is closed during manatee season, which starts November 15.

Best for: cool winter mornings, nature lovers, anyone who wants a quiet day. Arrive early on weekends; the park fills up.

Take the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

A one-hour pontoon ride through Winter Park's lakes and narrow canals, past old estates, with a guide narrating. Boats leave on the hour from the dock at the east end of Morse Boulevard.

Walk Park Avenue afterward for lunch, shops and the Morse Museum.

Best for: couples, grandparents, a slow afternoon.

Gatorland

Gatorland has been on South Orange Blossom Trail since 1949. It's a gator park with shows, a breeding marsh boardwalk, and a zipline over the gator pools if you want a little fear with your gators.

Best for: kids who want to see a lot of alligators up close, and anyone who likes old-school Florida attractions.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

About an hour east of Orlando, the visitor complex has the Space Shuttle Atlantis, a Saturn V rocket and astronaut exhibits. On launch days you may be able to watch a launch from the Space Coast. Check the launch schedule before you plan a day around it.

Best for: space fans of any age. Plan a full day.

Lake Eola Park

Downtown Orlando's park is free: a walking loop around the lake, the fountain, swan boats you can pedal, and a farmers market on Sunday mornings. Plenty of restaurants and bars are within a short walk.

Best for: a free afternoon, a Sunday morning, or a downtown date night.

Wekiwa Springs State Park

A spring-fed swimming area with water that stays around 72 degrees year round, plus kayak and canoe rentals on the Wekiva River. It's about 30 minutes north of downtown.

Best for: hot days, paddlers and anyone who wants to swim somewhere that isn't a pool. It can reach capacity on summer weekends, so go early.

How to pick

• Traveling with little kids: Mini Moo Land, Lake Eola's swan boats, Gatorland.
• Want to see Florida wildlife: an airboat ride, Blue Spring in winter, Wekiwa Springs.
• Date day: a sunset or night airboat tour, the Winter Park boat tour and Park Avenue, dinner downtown after Lake Eola.
• Free or close to it: Lake Eola, a walk on Park Avenue, state parks for a small per-car fee.

Prices and hours change, so check each place's website the week you go. And if you're going to do one thing on this list, make it the one that sounds a little odd. The calf feeding sounds odd. It's the one people end up texting photos of.