Things to do in Orlando besides golf: parks, springs, rainy days and evenings

Things to do in Orlando besides golf start with the theme parks, which pair well with an early tee time, but go well beyond them: airboats and springs, Winter Park's Park Avenue, Gatorland, indoor museums and arcades for storm afternoons, and Topgolf or PopStroke for the evening. Most of it is within 30 minutes of the courses.

This guide groups the off-course options by type and by area, with the nearest golf for each. Places come from OpenStreetMap pins pulled on November 4, 2026; opening hours, prices and current ownership were not re-checked, so confirm before you go.

Quick facts

• Theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios, Epic Universe, SeaWorld.
• Water parks: Universal's Volcano Bay and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon.
• Old Florida: Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, Gatorland, Wekiwa Springs State Park.
• Rainy day: Orlando Science Center, WonderWorks, SEA LIFE, Andretti Indoor Karting.
• Golf after dark: Topgolf Orlando; PopStroke in Waterford Lakes and Hamlin.
• Free: Disney Springs, Lake Eola Park, Kraft Azalea Garden.

Theme parks around a tee time

The parks are the obvious answer to things to do in Orlando besides golf, and they fit golf better than people expect. The trick is to split the day: golf early and the park late, or a park morning and a twilight round.

Disney Springs is free to enter and works as a non-park evening after golf. Universal's Volcano Bay and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon are the hot-afternoon option after a dawn round in summer. Tickets, hours and park-reservation rules were not verified for this guide. For a full week mixing parks and golf, read the Orlando golf family vacation guide.

Old Florida and nature days

For things to do in Orlando besides golf that feel like the state before the parks, try these:

• Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, at Southport on the south end of Lake Tohopekaliga, about 25 minutes south of Kissimmee: the classic Old Florida outing.
• Gatorland, the long-running alligator park and zipline on South Orange Blossom Trail between Orlando and Kissimmee.
• Wekiwa Springs State Park, north of Orlando near Apopka: spring-fed swimming, kayaking and trails. Parking can fill on weekends.
• Lake Louisa State Park, lakes, trails and cabins in the Clermont hills, near the Lake County courses such as Green Valley.
• Tibet-Butler Preserve, a boardwalk nature preserve on Lake Tibet a few minutes from Bay Hill and the Dr. Phillips and Windermere courses.
• Harry P. Leu Gardens, a botanical garden on Lake Rowena, north-east of downtown.
• Kissimmee Lakefront Park, a long boardwalk and pier on Lake Tohopekaliga by downtown Kissimmee.

Just off the area, Bok Tower Gardens to the south pairs with a round at Lake Wales Country Club, and Blue Spring State Park is to the north. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is about an hour east.

Things to do in Orlando besides golf when it rains

Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms most days, and any month can lose a round to weather. Indoor options by area:

For when storms are likely, see Orlando weather by month and summer golf in Orlando.

Golf after dark and golf shopping

• Topgolf Orlando, on Convention Way off Universal Boulevard near the Convention Center: hitting bays, food and drink, and the standard rainy-afternoon or evening fallback for buddies groups and families. Hours and bay prices were not read.
• PopStroke, the Tiger Woods-backed putting courses, at Waterford Lakes on the east side near UCF and at Hamlin in Winter Garden off SR 429.
• Drive Shack Orlando appears to have closed permanently (closure date not found); do not plan on it.
• Golf stores: Golf Galaxy on Turkey Lake Road near Universal and in Lake Nona, the PGA TOUR Superstore in Altamonte Springs off I-4, and an Edwin Watts mapped near the airport (current status not verified).

Short golf counts too. Disney's Oak Trail is a walking nine for kids and beginners that also hosts FootGolf, and the Tooth at Orange County National is a $15 walking nine that allows juniors from age 5.

Towns worth an afternoon or evening

• Winter Park: Park Avenue's shops and restaurants beside Central Park and the Morse Museum, and Kraft Azalea Garden on Lake Maitland. Play Winter Park Golf Course, a restored 1914 nine, first; it takes about 75 to 90 minutes. See the Winter Park Golf Course guide.
• Winter Garden: historic Plant Street, with restaurants and breweries on the West Orange Trail, a paved rail trail to Apopka. Pair it with Stoneybrook West.
• Celebration: the Disney-planned town centre with a lakefront walk, minutes from Celebration Golf Club and Disney's south side.
• Downtown Orlando: Lake Eola Park's fountain, walking loop and swan boats, a few minutes' walk from Church Street.
• Lake Nona Town Center: dining and shopping near the airport, home to Boxi Park.
• Mount Dora: lunch downtown after a round at Mount Dora Golf Club, about 45 minutes from downtown Orlando. Black Bear in Eustis, also in Lake County, lets juniors play free with a paying adult on weekdays.
• Kissimmee (US 192): Old Town and Fun Spot America's Kissimmee park for an evening with kids; Fun Spot also has a park off International Drive near Universal.

Shoppers can add Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets near Disney Springs, and ICON Park's observation wheel on International Drive is an easy evening.

Fitting it into a golf trip

Of all the things to do in Orlando besides golf, a full rest day in the middle of a four- or five-day trip is the one that keeps legs fresh: a park, the springs or an airboat in the morning, and dinner in one of the towns above. For meals, see where to eat in Orlando; for how a full trip fits together, the Orlando golf trip itinerary and golf near Disney World. Comparing destinations? See things to do in Naples for golfers.

Plan it on the map

Open the Orlando golf map to see the courses closest to each park and town. The plan fits rounds around park days and leaves room for a rest day.