So my family and I just got back from Orlando. We had a great trip. We found cheap hotel offers through Expedia (check out Orbitz too) and we were able to stay at a Disney Hotel. Did you know if you stay at a Disney hotel, parking is FREE at the theme parks?

So guess what, we had a great time and didn’t even set food in a theme park!

FREE/Cheap and FUN Things to do in Orlando

The Gaylord Palms – check out this cool conference center and hotel. It has a VERY large atrium with three destinations – two of which we found very cool – The Everglades which had REAL alligators, a Spanish Castle, and pathways through the everglades (simply amazing) and Key West – there was a large boat which was a bar inside the atrium. This is also a good even on a rainy day as you feel like you are outside but you are covered by a glass ceiling – Negative: it did cost $12 to park.

The Animal Kingdom Resort – My daughter LOVES animals. We were able to visit the Animal Kingdom Resort and even ate dinner there. I recommend you get there in the late afternoon/early evening. They were feeding the animals and we had a enough time to see them. Then at 6 pm there was a large bonfire. You can also make reservations to eat there (though it is a little bit on the pricey side – but isn’t ALL of Disney?)

The Disney Downtown Marketplace – Wonderful! We loved this place so much we went back twice. My 18 month old daughter LOVED The LEGO Imagination Center – they have stations where the kids can put LEGOs together themselves (two sizes for younger and older kids.) There also was a play ground which she enjoyed a lot and a lot of displays of items built out of LEGOs – cities, dinosaurs and her favorite dogs! It simply was amazing. She also enjoyed the shops as her father and I did do. I would love to meet the marketing team at Disney. I wanted to buy EVERYTHING! They not only win over the kids but the parents too – so watch your wallets! We did eat at two of the pricier restaurants – The Rain Forest Café and The T-Rex Café . I must tell you BOTH of these restaurants are experiences in themselves. Your child will not be restless sitting in the restaurant waiting for their meal. The experience was simply amazing. You can get a $5/$25 coupon for the restaurant Here.

The Boardwalk Resort – This resort is adorable. Modeled after Atlantic City’s Boardwalk, there are many fun attractions. While we were there, there was a magician on the boardwalk which was quite funny and entertaining. They also offer boat rides for the kids to enjoy something fun.

Other FREE/Cheap places we did not experience – Orlando Science Museum and Monkey Joes (inside gymnasium or area for climbing.) Both are also great for rainy day activities. You can also check out other Disney resorts as they all have many unique features and activities.

Don’t forget you can get The Entertainment Book Here ($5 off plus FREE Shipping) as well for bonus discounts in the Orlando area.

*Note: The resorts offer FREE parking, but at times they do require you to either have reservations to eat or to be staying at another Disney resort. At the gate they ONLY ask for a photo id so you should be okay just saying you are visiting.

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