Looking for fun orlando activity for teens

Team Happy Haunts

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 22, 2018
Messages
56
We are going to be at Floridays Resort for a week in March. we are doing disney and then have 2 non disney days planned. 1 will be Daytona beach and the other we are not sure. Our girls are 16,16,16,19,21. We don’t want to do seaworld or universal this trip and want to use our two down days for things that aren’t theme parks. We looked into ripleys but doesn’t seem too exciting. Wonder works looks interesting. any other ideas or suggestions we are kind of racking our brains lol. thanks so much
 
First, I stay at Floridays regularly and I'm a local; it's a great resort.

How about Andretti Karting (more than just electric go carts)? Next to it is Top Golf (always fun and you rent a bay per hour).
 
How about an Airboat trip ?

Look up Midway Airboat Trips at Christmas on Hwy 50 ( Titisville end )

OR

A Pontoon River Tour at Blue Heron Boat Tours At Hontoon Island (near Deland North of Orlando )
 

We are going to be at Floridays Resort for a week in March. we are doing disney and then have 2 non disney days planned. 1 will be Daytona beach and the other we are not sure. Our girls are 16,16,16,19,21. We don’t want to do seaworld or universal this trip and want to use our two down days for things that aren’t theme parks. We looked into ripleys but doesn’t seem too exciting. Wonder works looks interesting. any other ideas or suggestions we are kind of racking our brains lol. thanks so much

If the weather is nice, you could sleep in, go to the pool for a while and then do an activity. In March you may or may not be able to use the pool.

Where to go:
You could go shopping at The Mall at Millenia or one of the outlets. One outlet is quite close to you.
Winter Park is another good shopping venue if you want more boutiques and upscale shops.
Disney Springs and Universal Citywalk are free. You have to pay to park at Citywalk, however. Disney Springs is much larger.

In the end, taking a day to not doing much at all is a good thing.
 
Aquatica water park is so much fun. There is plenty for everyone to do. The fast river Roas rapids is great for adults and the slides and wave pool are fun for kids.

The Orlando watersports park looks fun for kids, but a lake may be a bit cold in March.

Last year, parking was free at Citywalk after 6pm and would be a fun evening out. We love to ride the boat and explore the resorts.
 
Your kids are older, so I'm keeping that in mind when I give you my recommendations.

Definitely a waterpark is worth considering. Aquatica is our favorite of all of them in Orlando, hands down. It was our son's #1 choice when he was an older teen/young adult.

Mini golf was also always a family favorite. Congo River takes top spot for us, but we have also golfed Pirates Cove, the two courses at Universal Citywalk, Hawaiian Rumble, Gator Golf, and Lost Caverns. The two latter that I mentioned are currently deeply discounted on Groupon, if you're looking to save a little $$.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is GREAT for self-loving teens. Combine that attraction with a ride on the Wheel for a nice afternoon out.

Gatorland is a great half day attraction. Even better, consider the Gatorland Night Shine tour.....you get to go into the swamp, after dark, with nothing but flashlights and a big bucket of gator chow, and feed the alligators as their eyeballs glow orange. You also have the chance to meet and hold a bunch of other Gatorland creatures......we got some incredible photos holding massive snakes, a tarantula, a giant skink, and more. At about $20 a person, it made for one of our favorite nights out on our last vacation.

An airboat tour is also a ton of fun. We have done Wild Willy's and Wild Florida, and enjoyed both very much.

The monster truck tour at Showcase of Citrus is a good outing, especially when you top it off with one of their fresh orange slushies after your ride. Soooo yummy!

We rented a pair of jet skis one trip (with the size of your group, you'd obviously need more than 2), and spent a couple of ours zipping around Lake Minneola and Lake Minnehaha in Clermont. The skis seat 2 each, and we had an absolute blast. The scenery was stunning.

We did a helicopter tour one trip, and it too was a great memory maker. Our flight was over the Kissimmee area and it was an incredible experience to see the area from a whole new vantage point.

We have also done Wonderworks and it was 'okay' but there are better places to spend money, IMHO. Ripley's was a disappointment. Sea Life Aquarium was good, but may not be of interest to your older teens. There are a couple of chocolate museums in the area (we have done both) which are worth it if you can get deeply discounted admission (check Groupon for those, too).

A visit to Disney Springs can be a lovely way to spend a few hours. Have a drink on the rooftop bar at the Coke Store, and splurge on cupcakes from Sprinkles or cookies from Gideons. Go for a ride on the Characters in Flight balloon, and browse some of the shops.
 
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How about volunteering for the day at Give Kids the World? Sure, it's not as exciting as going to a park, but I would argue that volunteering there really is a lot of fun. Even the 16 year olds will be able to participate. GKTW only just reopened and I'm not sure how many volunteers they are looking for these days, but it might be worth checking out. Each shift is 2-3 hours, so you could even do half a day of volunteering and the other half doing something else. Plus it's always good to give back!
 
We are going to be at Floridays Resort for a week in March. we are doing disney and then have 2 non disney days planned. 1 will be Daytona beach and the other we are not sure. Our girls are 16,16,16,19,21. We don’t want to do seaworld or universal this trip and want to use our two down days for things that aren’t theme parks. We looked into ripleys but doesn’t seem too exciting. Wonder works looks interesting. any other ideas or suggestions we are kind of racking our brains lol. thanks so much
Spa day. :)
 
Your kids are older, so I'm keeping that in mind when I give you my recommendations.

Definitely a waterpark is worth considering. Aquatica is our favorite of all of them in Orlando, hands down. It was our son's #1 choice when he was an older teen/young adult.

Mini golf was also always a family favorite. Congo River takes top spot for us, but we have also golfed Pirates Cove, the two courses at Universal Citywalk, Hawaiian Rumble, Gator Golf, and Lost Caverns. The two latter that I mentioned are currently deeply discounted on Groupon, if you're looking to save a little $$.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is GREAT for self-loving teens. Combine that attraction with a ride on the Wheel for a nice afternoon out.

Gatorland is a great half day attraction. Even better, consider the Gatorland Night Shine tour.....you get to go into the swamp, after dark, with nothing but flashlights and a big bucket of gator chow, and feed the alligators as their eyeballs glow orange. You also have the chance to meet and hold a bunch of other Gatorland creatures......we got some incredible photos holding massive snakes, a tarantula, a giant skink, and more. At about $20 a person, it made for one of our favorite nights out on our last vacation.

An airboat tour is also a ton of fun. We have done Wild Willy's and Wild Florida, and enjoyed both very much.

The monster truck tour at Showcase of Citrus is a good outing, especially when you top it off with one of their fresh orange slushies after your ride. Soooo yummy!

We rented a pair of jet skis one trip (with the size of your group, you'd obviously need more than 2), and spent a couple of ours zipping around Lake Minneola and Lake Minnehaha in Clermont. The skis seat 2 each, and we had an absolute blast. The scenery was stunning.

We did a helicopter tour one trip, and it too was a great memory maker. Our flight was over the Kissimmee area and it was an incredible experience to see the area from a whole new vantage point.

We have also done Wonderworks and it was 'okay' but there are better places to spend money, IMHO. Ripley's was a disappointment. Sea Life Aquarium was good, but may not be of interest to your older teens. There are a couple of chocolate museums in the area (we have done both) which are worth it if you can get deeply discounted admission (check Groupon for those, too).

A visit to Disney Springs can be a lovely way to spend a few hours. Have a drink on the rooftop bar at the Coke Store, and splurge on cupcakes from Sprinkles or cookies from Gideons. Go for a ride on the Characters in Flight balloon, and browse some of the shops.
Thank you so much for all of these great suggestions!!!
 












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