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Wasn’t it just last week when your kids were posing under the tree in your front yard, wearing their first day of school clothes and holding signs saying First Day of Kindergarten, 7th Grade, Senior Year? Time flies by so very quickly when you have children, and before you know it will be the first time when you won’t be posting a picture of any of your children’s first days, making your summer vacation in Orlando a very important time again. Your family will never look the way they do this summer, and to celebrate how much you love these moments, we at Tropical Villas Orlando have created this guide to planning the perfect summer vacation in Orlando, ensuring that you don’t miss out on a single wonderful adventure, including the ones you can enjoy at home in our resort retreats!
The Theme Park Capital of the World
We’re not going to bury the lead here, we know that a very large number of our guests are here for the theme parks, Orlando and Central Florida is known as the “Theme Park Capital of the World” after all, but we do want to share some information about some theme parks you may not have heard about, increasing your options for a magical time during your visit. Disney and its six parks and Universal Studios and its four parks (including its newest one, Universal Epic Universe, that opened on May 22 in 2025) are definitely on your list, but if you have the time, be sure to explore these other theme parks that will enhance your theme park vacation!
LEGOLAND Orlando, 1 Legoland Way in Winter Haven
Although we as parents dread stepping on LEGO bricks in the middle of night, a visit to LEGOLAND park is an adventure that all ages will enjoy. It offers festivals that celebrate holidays and seasons, thrilling rides that include a new INDOOR roller coaster scheduled to make its debut in 2026, and all manner of shows, restaurants, and exciting LEGO displays. Even more exciting is the opening of their Sea Life Aquarium, offering a soft opening on Memorial Day Weekend in 2025, and bringing the ocean to life in such wonderful ways, SeaWorld may feel threatened!
Gatorland, 14501 S Orange Blossom Trail
It is very probable that Gatorland has not yet entered your realm of consciousness, something we hope to change with this shout out to one of our favorite hometown theme parks. As you may have guessed from its name, the state reptile is the focus of this park which calls itself the Gator Capital of the World. Offering animal and reptile experiences, a petting zoo, rock climbing walls, zip line adventures that will have you flying over the alligator enclosures, and their all new Stompin’ Gator Off Road Adventure, its history goes back to the 1940s, making Gatorland the OG of theme parks in the area!
SeaWorld Orlando, 7007 Sea World Drive
We debated amongst ourselves about whether we should include SeaWorld in the “standard” theme parks, but after years of controversy, the park has undergone some changes that make it worthy of discovering anew. Focusing on a new mission, one of conservation and education, they are moving away from the big orca shows and offering ways to explore the world under the sea. Still fun, still exciting, and still offering the thrilling rides that make you feel glad to be alive, this park deserves a fresh look and should be added to your vacation itinerary.
Water Adventures in Orlando
Although we don’t have the sea in our backyard, there are plenty of water adventures you can enjoy during your summer vacation in Orlando, ensuring that you will be able to stay cool as you play hard. Summers will be hot and muggy, so your wardrobe should be light, and in most cases, flip flops will be the ideal shoes to wear as you explore these different water adventures during your Florida summer getaway.
Marsh Landing Adventures/Orlando Airboat Tours, 2830 Neptune Road in Kissimmee
An airboat is a boat specifically designed to handle the shallow waters of the vegetation heavy Everglades, and an airboat tour offered by Marsh Landing Adventures will be a thrilling experience that not many people in the world have ever tried. Taking you to where the alligators roam, the eagles fly, and the turtles swim, the knowledgeable guides will also stop the boats so you can hear the call of wild animals, take pictures of alligators sunning themselves on the banks, and answer all your questions happily!
Ride the Swan Boats at Lake Eola Park
Lake Eola Park is an oasis in the middle of the urban surroundings of downtown Orlando, offering a place to enjoy fireworks on July 4th, picnic tables, and a paved path that circles the lake at its center. It are the swan boats, however, that may be your favorite part of this adventure, allowing visitors to pedal their way around the lake in boats that are designed to look like swans. Offering an awning that will help guard your skin from the summer sun, there really is no greater pleasure than pedaling around the lake, perhaps lingering close to the fountain in the middle of the lake, letting its spray cool your skin.
Epic Paddle Adventures, 1600 N Orange Avenue
Kayaking and paddleboarding are two popular summer adventures and Epic Paddle Adventures offers rentals for those who want to go it on their own, and guided tours that are designed to thrill. Their tours include the fantastic bioluminescence clear paddle tour on the Indian River Lagoon, the LED Glow in the Dark Clear Paddle in Urban Paradise, and Manatees and Monkeys Paddle at Silver Springs, and we can promise that each adventure will be one that you will never forget. The bioluminescence tour is a seasonal one that is only available from May through October, so your summer vacay is the perfect time to experience it.
The Museums of Orlando
Summer can be warm down here in the south and it can also be rainy, making a day of indoor adventures a good thing to add to your itinerary. This is a family vacation, of course, and if you are traveling with wee ones, they may not be too hyped about a visit to a museum where they have to be quiet and keep their hands to themselves, and we have thought of that, making this list of museums one that your kids will appreciate as well!
Orlando Fire Museum, 814 E Rollins Street
Firemen are everyone’s heroes, but your toddlers and tweens find them even more heroic and a visit to the Orlando Fire Museum is sure to get them super excited. Only open on Fridays and Saturdays, the museum provides a fascinating peek into the history of firefighting, including an early horse drawn fire truck amongst its many exhibits, and the fact that the building is a former fire station, built in 1926, will add an extra layer of fun to your adventure.
Orlando Science Center, 777 E Princeton Street
Most big cities offer their own science centers and Orlando is no exception. The Orlando Science Center was built to inspire an interest in science and if this is your first time visiting a place such as this, don’t be surprised to find yourself discovering your own interest in science. Offering interactive exhibits that fascinate all ages of visitors (seriously, it is impossible not to join in the fun), our center often offers special events that may celebrate superheroes and a fascinating exhibit that tells our planet’s story from the viewpoints of the animals who inhabit it! Have a wedding in your future, the Orlando Science Center has often been utilized as a unique wedding venue as well.
Museum of Illusions, 8375 International Drive in Icon Park
The Museum of Illusions is one of our newest establishments, featuring optical illusions, immersive illusions, and a fantastic perspective challenging selection of rooms that will have you reconsidering everything you have been taught about gravity. Kids really do love this unique experience and the only problem you may have with yours is when it comes time to drag them out!
A Taste of Orlando
You can’t enjoy a vacation in Orlando without experiencing a taste of the town and even though your Tropical Villas Orlando seasonal sanctuaries do offer fully equipped kitchens, you need to get out and enjoy epicurean adventures as well. The restaurants we have listed below are family friendly ones that even your pickiest eaters will find nothing to complain about.
Benihana, 12690 International Drive
Now under normal circumstances we try to avoid chain restaurants, knowing that you probably have it in or near your hometown, but Benihana is different. There is never a bad time to gather round a hibachi table, watching Japanese chefs perform magic with delicious food. Your kids will love the idea of catching food in their mouth, and the traditional onion volcano never fails to impress, while the dad jokes will have your 9 year old laughing hysterically. (And he will probably eat his veggies without complaint!)
The Yardery, 415 E 4th Street in Sanford
We’re sending you a little further out, about 27 miles outside of town, for this next restaurant, The Yardery, but trust us, your entire family is going to love it. Offering the slogan, “Eat, Drink, and Play” you can already tell it is going to be a place that will become your new obsession, offering a huge backyard filled with games, picnic tables, and a stage from which live music is nearly always playing. The menu is filled with favorites, including barbecue, burgers, and nachos and their drink menu is refreshing and innovative.
The T-Rex Café, 1676 E Buena Vista Drive in Lake Buena Vista
Our final family friendly restaurant has a Disney flair, the T-Rex Café located in Disney Springs and is actually really cool, offering a fossil pit in which your kiddos can dig for dinosaur bones! Animatronic dinosaurs turn an ordinary meal into an extraordinary adventure worthy of a Jurassic Park movie, there will also be simulated meteor showers and a creek water mill that lets your kids pan for precious gems, stones, and more fossils. Oh, and its menu is an exciting and fulfilling read, featuring everything from pasta to steaks to seafood and more.
Summer Adventures at Home with Tropical Villas Orlando
Obviously there is quite a lot to do while on summer vacay in Orlando, but there is almost as much to do at home in your Tropical Villas Orlando seasonal sanctuary. Located in the best resorts in Florida, you already know to expect comfort, luxury, and themed bedrooms inside our escapes, but do you know about all the resort amenities that will add to your vacation experience? Game rooms, theater rooms, and resort pools are just the start and as you explore children’s playgrounds, splash pads, waterslides, hiking trails, fitness centers; the list of resort amenities are easily as long as the list of interior amenities, making this vacation one you will never forget.
Double the Fun
One of the things you may really enjoy are your choices. Yes, there are resort pools that may feature water slides and children’s areas, but many of our properties will also feature private pools and hot tubs where privacy meets fun and midnight swims or soaks are not out of the question. Some of our larger homes may offer game rooms or theater rooms of their own, others may feature fitness rooms or simply a spot equipped with yoga mat and other gear so as to give visitors a relaxing start to each day. Fully equipped kitchens and propane barbecues will make cooking fun, and many resorts may also offer an onsite restaurant, perfect for those evenings when you don’t want to venture far from your home sweet vacation home but also don’t want to cook.
Reserve your favorite Tropical Villas Orlando seasonal sanctuary today!
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