I really like to do Sea World with Universal. They are close together and Universal usually takes about 3 days and Sea World about 1.5 days, so they work well together for a week long trip. Plus, SW has the great add a second day for $10 deal and a dining plan that can save you real money if you have big eaters. Both of these factors make SW an economical choice as well if you have two extra days.
For thrill seekers, I recommend a day at Bush Gardens which is probably one of my favorite parks. However, BG has one major flaw. It is too close to the shore and shuts down everytime there is lightning within a 10 mile radius. During the rainy season, this is pretty much all day long as there is usually a storm off the coast somewhere, even if the park itself is dry. If you can swing the cost for a tour, it is an amazing place to visit as they make sure to get you on the rides during the limited time they are up and running. If you can go during the dry season, it’s great as well, but if rain is forecasted anywhere nearby, forget it. You can’t just throw a poncho on like at all the other parks.
Another option is to visit either Discovery Bay or one of the water parks in the area. Discovery Bay has been on my bucket list for awhile now, but it has never worked out with our schedule. One day.
A few things we’ve really enjoyed and want to do again.
Showcase of Citrus.
It is a pick your own grove. It is free to walk around and to picnic there. They also have a few free activities for younger kids and an optional paid tour through the groves you can do as well. Overall, this was an inexpensive diversion, and we felt it was worth doing at least the once for the experience.
Golf Coast Airboat Charters
We’ve done this twice and plan to do it again. They offer both traditional swamp tours as well as tours of the salt marshes in the ocean which we really enjoyed. We have no desire to do any of the swamp tours, so the salt marsh option was perfect for us. Not knowing why your daughter doesn’t want to go to the beach, this may or may not be something you guys would care about. My sister doesn’t really care for the beach. She dislikes the sand and has no desire to get in the water. She’s not a beach girl at all, but she enjoyed this boat cruise along the shore.
Apollo Manatee Center
In the winter, the manatees migrate to the warm waters here, and you can see them for free. This is another nice picnic spot, and something worth doing at least once while you still have the chance.
Medieval Knights Dinner Show
We did this in Atlanta years ago and have been wanting to go see it again. However, it’s one of those things you can’t take seriously or you’ll hate it. We thought it was lots of fun in a corney way. It definitely gets mixed reviews.
Some other options, shopping at the outlets, the mall, or Disney Springs, Disney side trip, fishing trip, horseback riding, Kennedy Space Center, Gatorland, day trip to Everglades or Miami, trip to Blue Springs State Park. And of course, there a million other small-scale attractions like escape rooms, laser tag, go carts, ropes courses, the Orlando Eye, and the Orlando Aquarium. In Tampa, you have an IMAX, planetarium, science muesem, zoo, larger aquarium, and the Dolphin Tale museum. In St. Petersburg, you have more art muesems, free glass blowing demonstrations, nature centers, and the holocaust museum.
What about Kennedy Space Center, Gatorland, water parks, Disney Springs?
