Visiting Orlando and Not Going to a Theme Park? Try these Offseason Alternatives

Disney Springs

Even though it is located in the middle of the Disney complex, this is Disney World adjacent and does not require a ticket to enter. Parking is free, too. I would recommend going during the week, if possible, and getting there early in the morning. Parking fills up quickly. I would recommend parking in the Lime garage; it is centrally located and will give you options once you get inside the park. Once inside Disney Springs, there are a lot of options:

Shopping in Disney Springs

There is any kind of store you would want on a premium shopping trip. There are a few to note that are fun for children and adults alike.

Coca-Cola store: If you are a Coke fan, then this is a fun store to walk around. The first floor has various Coke products, from salt shakers to clearance apparel. The second floor has Christmas Coke products and is home to the Coca-Cola polar bear mascot. When the mascot is there, you can get pictures taken. The third floor is the rooftop drink bar. They have fountain drinks and a few snacks for purchase. They also have coffee options. There are souvenir cups for purchase. Refills are one dollar after the purchase of a souvenir cup. The rooftop also has a nice view of Disney Springs.

The Lego Store: Out front of the store, they have Lego statues. There are Star Wars, Frozen, and even a Lego "Nessie". There are all kinds of Lego sets on display and for sale inside the store. There is a station where you can customize a Lego figure. You can customize the shirt and it will be printed. Then you pick a head, hair, and legs to finish the customization. The cost is around thirty dollars per customized figure. There is another option in the middle of the store to customize three figures for ten dollars. This option does not allow for the customization of the shirt like the thirty-dollar option. There is a station outside the store that is filled with Lego blocks for the kids to play with.

Dinosaur-themed Build-a-Bear workshop: Inside the Dinosaur-themed restaurant there is this fun version of Build-a-Bear. The prices are similar to workshops outside Disney Springs.

Attractions at Disney Springs

There are a few attractions that seem to be popular. The one attraction I rode and would recommend is the Amphicar Boat ride.

Amphicar Boat Ride: This is a fun, unique attraction. The cost is 125 dollars for a ticket. One ticket is for one car and each car can hold 4 people. The cost sounds expensive, but it is worth the fun. If you are with 3 other friends or if you are a group of two couples, then the cost can be split and make it more affordable. If you have a choice, I would recommend going at night when everything is lit up. More specifically, if you can time it right and go around 9pm you can see the Disney World firework show from the lake. The attraction is a 20-minute cruise around the lake. There are people movers going through the lake so it can get a little choppy but nothing to really worry about but it is something to keep in mind. If you eat in the restaurant associated it the ride, then the tickets will be one hundred instead of one-twenty-five. The restaurant is mostly seafood.

Outside Disney Springs

There are plenty of things to do outside Disney Springs or if it happens to rain and you can't do anything outside.

Main Event: Main Event is a "fun complex". This one near Old Town in Orlando has a bowling alley including "premium" lanes. It has a game room, including some VR games, "Gravity Ropes" and billiard tables. There is a bar and food available to order. Check the website; if you do decide to go, there might be a promotion available. There is a parking garage available, but there is a cost to park.

Dave and Busters: There is also a Dave and Busters available if you prefer instead of Main Event.

Escapeology Orlando: If you like Escape rooms, there are plenty to choose from in Orlando. I chose to try Escapeology. Be aware, when choosing a game on their website, they removed the difficulty ranking from their website. They do have the ranking listed on the counter in the store. If making a reservation online and you are concerned about the difficulty, I would recommend calling and asking. The dim lighting in the room I was in made some of the tasks difficult. The do allow unlimited hints and do not penalize time when asking for a hint. The decor in the waiting area is nice and the staff is really friendly and very helpful.

Lonely Dog Orlando: This was my favorite thing to do in Orlando by far. Check Groupon and see if they have any available. If you get the Groupon, it comes with a five-minute VR experience for free at the end. The normal cost is five dollars. Lonely Dog is an immersive art exhibit that uses and animates the work of Ivan Clarke. The main event is a 30-minute "movie" that uses the animated works and adds a score to tell the story of Lonely Dog. After the impressive "movie" you are escorted to an art gallery that features prints from the Lonely Dog series. Prints are also for sale in the gift area. Then you are escorted to a room full of tables and sheets of characters from the story. Everyone gets to color a character and they display them in a projection on the wall. Then you are escorted into the next area where the VR experience is and a ball pit filled with "whale milk" (if you watch the movie, it will make sense). They have a snack bar where you can purchase snacks when it's open. They also have a "night club" called Coco Kitty, where they have live music on Friday and Saturday nights for a few hours. There is an event room behind the night club that can be set up for birthday parties or other events. This is a fun time for adults and for children.

Outlet Stores: If you like to hit the outlets when traveling then there is some good news. There are a few Premiere Outlets to check out. The outlets have some sort of food court/food trucks if you plan on spending the day shopping.

Disney Springs Dining

There are about 69 places to eat in Disney Springs. I only ate at a couple, but I will list a few others that I thought looked interesting as well.

D-Luxe Burger: I would recommend the BBQ Bacon Burger. It was 13.99 but it doesn't come with fries or a drink. The burger was pretty tasty and was a good size. It was a little salty but overall I believe it was worth the cost. The kid's meal is around $8.99 and came with a small burger, fries, apples slices or another choice and a choice of a small water bottle or a milk.

Enzo's Hideaway: I was at first impressed with the atmosphere of the place. I do not personally recommend this spot but I am writing about it because I ate there. The prices were a little wild. It was $30 for a bowl of spaghetti with meatballs. I ate the Pasta della Nonna. It was house made mezzi rigatoni. The noodles were al dente which is important to know if you don't enjoy your noodles like this. The braised beef was a small lump of meat. There were two meatballs and a short piece of sausage. They were supposed to change out the salsa rossa for just marinara. Whether that happened or not I am not sure but the sauce was really salty. The one attraction of this place is the tunnel to the underground bar. You have to go through the wine nook and follow the bathroom signs. It gives off a speakeasy vibe. It ends up in a bar underneath the Edison restaurant.

The Rainforest Cafe: This is a fun rainforest themed restaurant. I did not eat here so I cannot recommend it but it was busy so it seemed pretty popular. It is dressed up as a rainforest.

The T-Rex Cafe: I did not eat here either but it looked like a fun place to try. When you walk in there is a giant T-rex. Every once in awhile, the lights will dim and the T-Rex will sound off. It is loud.

Non-Disney Springs restaurants

BJ's Brewhouse: One of my favorite places to eat when I can find one. They have a good but kinda pricey menu. They have my favorite dessert: a pizzokie. It is a small fresh-baked (or freshly warmed up I am not sure) cookie in a pan and served with two scoops of ice cream on top. They have different flavors to choose from. At the moment, when you sign up for their rewards program on their app you get a free pizookie. At the moment, when you get your receipt there is a place to donate money. When you donate at least 1 dollar you get a free pazookie on your next visit. So you could pay full price the first time and then just enjoy dollar pizookies all the other times you go. At least while the promotion is still going on. Be sure to use your free pizookie on your rewards account last because it doesn't expire, unlike the dollar pizzokies.

Slices New York Pizzeria: This "hole in the wall" pizza place is in a small strip with nothing but pizza lit up above the door. There is one small round table with two chairs inside. If you plan on getting a pie from here plan on taking it with you. Like the name suggests they sell New York style pizza. The large foldable slices. The crust was firmer so it's not really floppy. It was a good-tasting pizza for a reasonable price.