Central Florida is a haven for high-priced attractions and theme parks, but there are plenty of opportunities to have your kids try something new — and maybe even educational — while saving some cash. For example, one of the annual passes we list below is actually less than $30 (before tax). In fact, the majority of these great places offer annual passes for under $100 a year. That’s a big deal when the cheapest multi-park annual pass at Walt Disney World is about $270.
Here are 10 places that offer the best bang for your buck when it comes to entertaining your family year-round.
The Orlando Eye & SEA LIFE Aquarium
Address: 8401 International Drive, Ste. 100, Orlando, FL 32819
Hours:
- Orlando Eye: Sunday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. – midnight
- SEA LIFE: Open daily, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Annual Pass Price: $149-$279
The Orlando Eye — similar to the famous London Eye — is a giant observation wheel with individual modules that slowly rotate, giving you some of the best views that Orlando has to offer. While the Eye only takes 23 minutes for one rotation, it’s a great way to keep the kids entertained for 23 minutes straight. Plus, anyone who comes to visit will want to see Orlando’s newest landmark, so you’ll get your money’s worth!
The building itself houses a few other attractions, as well — most notably, the SEA LIFE Aquarium and Madame Tussaud’s. Personally, I love going to the aquarium because it’s small enough that you can let the little ones safely explore without losing them in a crowd. Bonus: Octonauts characters hang out here, too!
Click here for details on two levels of membership annual passes to these attractions. The first pass gets you into the Eye, Aquarium, Madame Tussaud’s, and LEGOLAND Florida, LEGOLAND Florida Water Park, and LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta. The second level includes all the LEGOLANDs, Madame Tussaud’s, and SEA LIFEs across the country. You’ll also get access to an attraction called the San Francisco Dungeon, which is in San Francisco.
If you’d like to learn more about general admissions prices, you can visit their official website.
Orlando Science Center
Address: 777 E. Princeton St., Orlando, FL 32803
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Closed Wednesdays
Annual Pass Price: Individual, $115 | Couple, $135 | Family, $155 | Grandparents Family, $155
The Orlando Science Center’s new KidsTown is a personal favorite for my 20-month-old son and me. The area just opened in October 2016, and it’s been really cool for me to see him learn new things from all the interactive displays. There’s an infant zone within the Toddler Town area of KidsTown that’s walled off from the rest of the chaos, so the littles can crawl or enjoy tummy time without getting stepped on. KidsTown also includes the ever-popular waterworks, now called Drip Drop Splash. They have smocks so your kids won’t get wet, but good luck getting them to wear one! My son recently got me to go into Climb-Time, which is about three stories tall, full of secret passages, and definitely not for full-grown adults.
The rest of OSC is always impressive, and exhibits change regularly. Right now, they’re featuring “Astronaut,” which is an area where kids can learn about space exploration and how humans survive in space. DinoDigs and NatureWorks are other great areas for young kids, where they can see giant fossils and interact with small animals.
An extra perk for parents: If you’re an OSC member, you’ll get in free to their monthly Science Night Live events. (And I know where you can find a babysitter!)
A single-day ticket is $19.95 for adults and $13.95 for kids older than 3. Children under 3 are free. Students and seniors get in for $17.95. So, according to my math, a family of three would only have to go to OSC about three times in a year to get their money’s worth from the $155 family membership. There are other membership levels available, as well — as detailed in the information above the photo. These include the Grandparents Family membership, which allows two grandparents to bring as many grandchildren as they’d like! Click here for more details on OSC memberships.
Crayola Experience
Address: 8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32809
Hours: Open daily, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Annual Pass Price: Individual, $29.99 (online special) | Family 3-Pack, $79.99 | Family 4-Pack, $99.96
The first fun thing you get to do when you walk into Crayola Experience: Make your own crayon! They have several machines near the entrance that allow kids to enter their name to be printed on Crayola crayon paper, which they can then wrap around a freshly created crayon of their own color choice. We made three!
And that’s just the beginning. There’s also a live crayon manufacturing demonstration, which I probably found cooler than my toddler did. A huge wall will display your child’s artwork once they’ve finished creating a digital masterpiece. And two employee-operated stations allow kids to Melt & Mold their own creations or spin up some Drip Art.
There’s also plenty of space to host birthday parties or just have lunch with some friends. This was a great stop-off point for us moms as we watched the smaller kids in the nearby play area.
Ages 3 and up pay $19.99 for a single-day ticket if purchased online, or $22.99 if purchased at the Crayola Experience. And that makes the price for Crayola’s annual pass such a great deal. Right now, it’s just $29.99 for an annual pass, or $34.99 if purchased at the ticket counter. They have 3- and 4-packs, too, both under $100. Click here for more details about becoming a passholder at Crayola Experience.
If you’d like more information about general admission tickets, check out their website.
Leu Gardens
Address: 1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando, FL 32803
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Annual Pass Price: $35-$1,000 (Individual $40, Household $50) | Children (4 and under), Free
A beautiful, pristine garden is not the first thing I think of when deciding where to take my very active and independent toddler. However, Leu Gardens provides so many extras beyond a peaceful stroll among the flowers that you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time here.
Leu regularly holds movie nights, where kids are permitted, and so is alcohol. (BYOB!) The next one is Aug. 4 at 8:30 p.m., when they’ll be showing “La La Land.” It’s PG-13, so kids under 13 will need a parent or guardian with them in order to get in. Buy some snacks from Curbie’s Sidewalk Cafe, and Peak Season Pops will be on hand with popsicles and popcorn for purchase.
There’s also a really excellent storytime once a month, put on by the Orange County Public Library System, during which a very silly adult will dance, sing, and read to a huge room of babies, toddlers, and kids. This usually happens the first Monday every month, unless it’s near a holiday, so be sure to check the website for an updated calendar before heading out. The event is held rain or shine, but it’s very popular (we almost always end up in overflow parking), so plan on walking a bit to get to the main house where they hold storytime. Infant Time (up to 18 months) is 10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Toddler Time (18 months to 2 years) is 10:20 a.m. – 10:35 a.m. Preschool Time (3-5 years) is 10:40 a.m. – 11 a.m.
A single-day ticket to Leu Gardens is $10 for adults and $3 for children 5 and older. Kids 4 and under are free. Leu Gardens has several membership levels, which include various discounts as the pass price increases, starting at $35 and ranging all the way to $1,000 a year. Their most-purchased pass is the Individual for $40. This includes a single membership, two guest passes, and a 10 percent gift shop discount. The Household pass for two adults includes four guest passes and a 10 percent gift shop discount, and is $50 a year.
Click here to learn more about becoming a Leu Gardens member.
Gatorland
Address: 14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32837
Hours: Open daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Annual Pass Price: Adults, $39.99 | Children, $27.99
Gatorland is the place native Central Floridians take visiting out-of-towners to acquaint them with the local wildlife. It’s unsettling knowing a large part of this structure is just a big wooden dock constructed over a huge, muddy alligator-filled pond/swamp. But the kids will have a blast! It’s actually very safe and well-managed, and offers some great alternatives to just staring in awe at piles of reptiles.
There’s a petting zoo that sells food to feed the goats and cows, and there’s a fun playground and shaded picnic area nearby. Don’t forget to bring the kids’ swimsuits so they can run through the splash pad!
But, of course, you’re there to see alligators, and they have a few of those. The Gator Wrestlin’ show is always entertaining, and you can pay an extra $10 to actually sit on a live alligator. In the Gator Jumparoo show, you’ll see some very large gators use their tail to propel themselves completely out of the water to chow down on the dead chickens being dangled over the water by a trained Gatorland employee.
A single-day ticket is $26.99 for adults and $18.99 for children ages 3-12. Right now, it’s only $39.99 for an adult annual pass, and $27.99 for kids.
Click here for pricing on Gatorland’s annual passes.
Kennedy Space Center
Address: Kennedy Space Center, S.R. 405, Titusville, FL 32899
Hours: Open 9 a.m. every day | Closing time varies 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Check hours here.
Annual Pass Price: $60-$260
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers some of the coolest things a kid will ever see. Everything is larger than life and about as educationally interesting as it gets. It’s a full-day experience, so plan to spend morning through evening checking out all things astronomical.
Daily guided tours take visitors through the impressive Rocket Garden to see the history of space travel vehicles up close. There are also plenty of training simulators for budding space explorers to test their skills.
The new Heroes & Legends attraction celebrates NASA pioneers and includes a “4D multisensory theater.” And there’s a chance to meet a real astronaut at the Astronaut Encounter Theater.
A single-day ticket is $40 for kids 3-11, and $50 for those older than 12. By comparison, KSC’s Multiday Admission ticket gives you an unlimited number of visits for the year at $60 for kids and $75 for adults. Other levels of annual passes include perks like free parking, discounts, tours, and collectible souvenirs.
Click here for details on KSC’s annual passes.
Central Florida Zoo
Address: 3755 US-17, Sanford, FL 32771
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Annual Pass Price: Single, $55 | Family, $99
When I was growing up, Henrietta Hippo and Maude the Elephant were local celebrities. Although they’ve both moved on to the big zoo in the sky, they left behind a wonderful legacy — and that legacy is a place filled with hundreds of well-cared for animals, as well as the employees and volunteers who love them.
The zoo opened a new giraffe exhibit in 2014, which features three male giraffes that guests can feed for an extra $5. There’s also a really fun rhino encounter, where kids can touch an Indian rhinoceros. Kids get an even more up-close-and-personal experience with more domesticated animals at the Barnyard Buddies Children’s Zoo.
Additional experiences at the zoo include the zipline course — ZOOm Air Adventure Park — and a splash pad called the Wharton-Smith Tropical Splash Ground. So, make sure you bring swimsuits for the kids!
A single-day ticket is $19.50 for adults and $13.75 for kids 3-12. Children 2 and under are free. The Annual ZOO Pass is $55 for one adult (Single), $99 for 2 adults and up to six kids under the age of 18 (Family), or $145 for up to four adults and up to six kids under 18 (Premier Family).
Click here for details on annual Zoo pass options.
Volusia County Beach Pass
Address: All Volusia County beaches
Hours: Open to vehicles Nov. 1-April 30, sunrise-sunset | May 1-Oct. 31, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Annual Pass Price: $100 ($25 for Volusia County residents)
Volusia County’s beaches are the closest to Central Florida, and most locals’ choice for a quick day trip.
Daytona Beach is world-famous for its NASCAR attractions, but the beach itself is always bustling with visitors going to concerts at the Bandshell or enjoying one of its many festivals. Cocoa Beach is touted as the closest drive from Orlando. It can get pretty busy, but it’s the shortest distance when you’ve got little ones still taking their midday naps. New Smyrna and Ormond beaches offer the calmest, most serene beach days in the area. Bring the shovel and pail and make yourself a sand castle!
There’s a $10 daily per vehicle fee to drive on the beach. If you’re going to be coming back often, opt for the $100 annual beach pass. They’ll give you a sticker to put on your vehicle, and that vehicle will then have unlimited entry to all Volusia County beaches for the year. This same pass is only $25 for Volusia County residents.
Click here for details on Volusia County’s beach and park passes.
Explorations V
Address: 109 N. Kentucky Ave., Lakeland, FL 33801
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Annual Pass Price: $70-$250
I had never heard of Explorations V before doing research for this article, but now it’s at the top of the list to take my son on our next free day.
This small children’s museum is located in Lakeland, just a short drive from Orlando, and offers three floors of exhibits and programs. The featured exhibits are based on on the idea that kids use all five of their senses to learn and play, so the museum curators try their best to engage each of those senses. There’s a children’s art gallery, as well as interactive math and science exhibits. There’s also a music studio, a grocery store, and a news station that were built for kids to learn about these professions, along with many others.
The “O is for Oranges, from Seed to Our World” exhibit helps teach kids about local Florida history. They can pick and sort oranges here, which is similar to an exhibit at the Orlando Science Center that kids love.
A single-day ticket is $9 for everyone over the age of 2. Kids 2 and under are free. But, if you really want to get the most bang for your buck, you can become a museum member through one of their various membership packages, including Family for $90 or the One on One for $70.
Click here for more information on Explorations V memberships.
Green Meadows Petting Farm
Address: 1368 South Poinciana Blvd., Kissimmee, FL 34746
Hours: Open daily, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Annual Pass Price: Individuals (3+), $45 | Children (2 and under), Free
Green Meadows is an elementary school field trip staple in Central Florida. If you grew up in the area, you’ve been to Green Meadows with at least one class trip. That’s why going just for fun with my son ended up being such a great idea. Oh, the nostalgia!
They do tours throughout the day, where kids can milk cows, hold chickens, pet bunnies, feed goats, and meet lots of other domesticated farm animals. Green Meadows has special events, such as Imagination Days, where they ask kids to come dressed as their favorite superhero. And they always celebrate holidays in a fun way, like with their Easter Egg Hunt in the spring and their Pumpkin Patch in the fall.
A single-day ticket ranges from $5 for 2-year-olds (kids under 2 are free), $20 for ages 3-12, and $23 for ages 13 and up. Florida resident adults get in for a discounted $21.
Click here to learn more about annual passes at Green Meadows. Or, you can call Green Meadows directly to inquire about annual passes at (407) 846-0770.
