As Florida residents, we have a lot of great choices for fun family experiences! This year, we were looking for a trip that we could fit in everything from exploring the outdoors to attending a world class sporting event. Without any hesitation we chose to visit one of our favorite places…Orlando! Our vacation was nothing short of extraordinary, and we can’t wait to share every detail with you! Whether you’re planning your first family vacation or your return trip, our 3-day Orlando itinerary with kids is packed with tips, tricks, and must-see spots to ensure your next adventure is unforgettable.
Day 1: Let the Vacation Begin
Our adventure began at The Grove Resort and Water Park, which we think is the perfect family-friendly resort that offers more than just a place to sleep. With spacious suites, on-site dining, and an awesome water park, it’s a destination in itself. There’s not only so much to do at the resort, but it’s located right on the middle of all of the action in Orlando.
Accommodations at The Grove Resort are more like condominiums than rooms, with two and three bedroom suites. Large, fully equipped kitchens with a refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishes, silverware, and a full-sized washer and dryer. Master Bedroom has a king bed, while the second and third bedrooms come with a queen beds. There’s also a separate living room with a sofa bed that sleeps another two people.
If you’re looking for some other resort recommendations, check out our post on Orlando Resorts.
Morning: Settle In and Explore the Resort
Once checked into The Grove, we took some time to explore the resort. The kids were amazed at the Surfari Water Park, featuring multiple water slides, a lazy river, a double surf simulator, a zero entry pool, and a kids’ splash pad. Meanwhile, my husband and I appreciated the relaxation options, like the spa and poolside cabanas that will come in handy on a 3-day Orlando itinerary.
Afternoon: Having Fun in the Sun
We spent the late morning and early afternoon at the pool, soaking up some sun and playing on the slides and lazy river. We stopped for lunch at the poolside Longboard Bar and Grill , which is the perfect place to take a break from all of the activities in the sun. The fish tacos and the buffalo wings really stood out, so much so that we had to order more for everyone. The kids also enjoyed some fries and chicken tenders, along with some delicious smoothies that came in fun souvenir bottles.
After lots of time in the water, the kids took a quick detour to Flip Flop’s Family Fun Center just off of the pool area at The Grove Resort. This arcade has dozens of old-school games like Pac-Man and air hockey, plus kids can redeem points for cool prizes! There’s also a really neat glow in the dark indoor mini-golf course that stays open pretty late. Great alternative for the kids to take a break from the summer heat.
Evening: Experience the Allstate Continental Clásico
That evening, we were off to Camping World Stadium in downtown Orlando to watch the U.S. Men’s National Team take on Brazil in the second edition of the Allstate Continental Clásico. The game was packed and there was so much energy from the crowd! The kids had so much fun rooting for the USA Team and yelling along with the chants from the stands. The food and drink choice at Camping World Stadium are great, providing that dinner and a show atmosphere. This was such a memorable event and certainly one of the highlights of our 3-day trip to Orlando with the kids.
Tip: Parking can be hard to find near the stadium and the prices can be quite high, requiring cash only. We recommend pre-purchasing your parking pass online at StubHub or another ticketing site, so that you can easily park in the designated areas nearby the stadium.
Remaining Summer 2024 Soccer Events:
- Three-time reigning Premier League champions Manchester City faces Barcelona in an FC Series friendly at Camping World Stadium (July 30).
- Orlando is one of 14 U.S. host cities for 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América, with matches Chile v. Canada (June 29) and Bolivia v. Panama (July 1) at Camping World Stadium.
- MLS’s Orlando City SC plays in 2024 Leagues Cup vs. CF Montreal (July 26) and LigaMX’s Atlético de San Luis (Aug. 4)
- From April to November, Orlando City SC and NWSL’s Orlando Pride play regular season home matches at INTER&Co Stadium.
Check out the best fun restaurants in Orlando for families.
Day 2: Kayaking and Indoor Skydiving
Morning: Head to King’s Landing
Up early, we were off to King’s Landing in Rock Springs to meet our guide Jacob who was ready to take us on an unforgettable journey in some of their one of a kind clear kayaks. Get Up and Go Kayaking adventures included a guided paddle upstream from King’s Landing with a relaxing drift back to the launch site. We stopped several times along the way to take a quick swim in some of the deeper waters, which was very refreshing.
As a group we saw lots of birds, so many fish species, a cute little family of otters, and plenty of other native wildlife along our trip. This kayak trip was like no other that we’ve ever experienced and we couldn’t stop talking about it all weekend. We’re already planning our next trip back with friends on another 3-day itinerary this summer!
Tip: When meeting up at Kings Landing, be sure to bypass the lineup for Kelly Park, which can be very long during high season. After passing the Kelly Park entrance you will see the gates for King’s Landing shortly after on the right hand side. Park across from the gates along the forest line and walk in.
Afternoon: Back to the Resort
Headed back to The Grove Resort to wash up and head to the pool for our day at the Surfari Water Park Cabana. It was so nice to sit by the pool with some nice shade, a cooler full of ice and water, and a television for the kids to veg out on. We spent the rest of the afternoon here, ordering more snacks from the Longboard Grill until it was time to get ready for our next adventure.
Surfari Water Park cabanas include:
- Dining Set with 4 Chairs
- Lounge Chairs
- Cooler with Ice
- 4 Bottles of Water
- Cable Television
- Dedicated Wait Staff
Evening: Indoor Skydiving and Dinner at JoJo’s
All cleaned up from our fun-filled day in the water, we were ready to take the action indoors. iFLY Orlando Indoor Skydiving is newer to International Drive. If you have never experienced indoor skydiving before, you must do it with iFLY Orlando, as they have a great facility and outstanding instructors. My youngest daughter, only 8 years old, enjoyed it the most and was high flying on only her second attempt.
It’s really hard to explain how it feels when you step into the tube for the first time, but I will say that there is nothing like it! All of my kids said they would defiantly do it again on our next trip to Orlando.
Tip: While you don’t need to go more than a few times on your first visit, it does help to get repetitions to get comfortable with the technique of flying. They do offer discounts for your next visits to help with the cost. They also offer photos and videos of your session so you can track your progress.
After our exhilarating indoor flying session, we headed over to JoJo’s ShakeBAR Orlando. JoJo’s is a next-gen restaurant and bar at Pointe Orlando that is most well known for its walk-up window for insanely good to-go shakes. Its 80’s and 90’s inspired decor and arcade game tables really make for a fun environment for kids and families. But it’s their amazing food, drinks, and shakes paired with excellent service that keeps everyone coming back for more!
Our favorite bites were the Smash Burger, the Onion Ring Tower, the Health Nut salad, and the Gold Digger shake (although there wasn’t a bad shake in the house). We will certainly be back to JoJo’s on our next trip to Orlando to try some of their other plates and several of the other shakes!
Day 3: Universal Orlando and AquaGlow
The last day of our 3-day epic Orlando adventure starts at the one and only Universal Orlando Resort. Bright and early to enter as soon as the gates opened, we were anxiously anticipating the opening day of the NEW DreamWorks Land. What a great park for both kids and adults alike, especially for those faithful DreamWorks fans!
Morning: Voodoo Doughnut
Quick stop into Voodoo Doughnuts at Universal Citywalk Orlando for breakfast, where every doughnut is something to behold. Voodoo Doughnuts makes and serves more than 50 types of doughnuts every single day at Universal Citywalk. We chose the Creamsicle, the Strawberry, and the giant Apple Fritter to share among us and they were all so delicious. We’ve tried the classics before, like the Voodoo Doll and the Voodoo Bubblegum and they also do not disappoint.
Tip: If they are out of something at the counter, do not hesitate to ask the manager to make something fresh for you. They were very eager to help and offered to make us a fresh one that we did not see in the display case. Very friendly staff!
Afternoon: DreamWorks Land and Harry Potter
DreamWorks Land is a very cool addition to the Universal Orlando Resort portfolio. Geared toward smaller children, there were lots of great character interactions and smaller rides for younger ones. The New Trollercoaster was probably our favorite in DreamWorks Land. We also really enjoyed the character meet-ups, especially the Swamp featuring Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey.
Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp was another really fun experience, with an awesome play area and a fun interactive show. Overall, the new DreamWorks Land is a hit with all the kids and offers some really great rides, shows, snacks, and smiles.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was also a highlight of our trip, as our girls are big fans, having recently read the series. The Escape from Gringotts, Hogwarts Express, and Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure (Islands of Adventure) were definitely the favorite themed rides, especially for our eleven year old.
Second to that, we made a stop in Minion Land for some fun-filled excitement with the little yellow guys. Minion Mayhem is always a laugh, with a really cool simulation ride. Minions at Villain-Con, which was just added, was so much fun and quite different than any of the other interactive attractions. After such an amazing day, we realized how much we really love Universal Orlando Resort!
@mrsblinks We are obsessed with the new DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Florida ✨ @Visit Orlando @@Universal Destinations #atuniversal #hosted #FamilyTravel #visitorlando #vacationideas #TravelWithKids ♬ original sound – Mrsblinks
Tip: We were able to fit in so many rides in one day, because we used the Universal Express Passes. Express Passes allow you to skip the regular lines at most of the popular rides and attractions.
Evening: AquaGlow at Aquatica Orlando
AquaGlow at Aquatica is a brand-new after-hours event that transforms the water park into a really awesome neon paradise. With limited capacity, we were able to enjoy reduced wait times for all the water attractions, which is so great when you have lots of kids to entertain. Our favorite had to be floating down Roa’s Rapids, as the currents take you through thrilling new enhancements including light up mist effects, projections, and immersive light tunnels.
We must have gone down the rapids at least a dozen times together, each time choosing different paths. We also really enjoyed the Electric Tides that had a very cool laser light show in the sky above you. There were pop-up foam parties, unlimited soda stations, and really upbeat music throughout the entire park that made our summer night an absolute blast.
@mrsblinks So much fun ✨ #FamilyTravel #orlandowithkids #vacationideas #TravelWithKids #visitorlando #aquaglow @Visit Orlando @AquaticaOrlando ♬ Cumbia Buena – Grupo La Cumbia
Tip: If you are planning to pack a bag, pack light so that you can fit it into a locker for the night. If you can pack even lighter and just leave your shoes at the front, you will make it easier on yourself.
**Experience AquaGlow at Aquatica Orlando on select summer nights until August 31, 2024.**
Day 4: Heading Home
Up early, we visited the Valencia Restaurant at The Grove on our way out. Because it was a weekend, we were lucky enough to get their breakfast buffet, with choices of waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, along with fresh fruit and other great eats. Valencia also offers a daily à la carte menu with traditional breakfast favorites like eggs Benedict and french toast. What a great way to wrap up our 3-day Orlando itinerary!
Tip: Many people eat at Longboard, but forget that the Valencia is open in the afternoon and evening, serving specialty entrees like Pan Seared Salmon and Sirloin Steak. Kids’ menus are also available.
Family Travel Tips for Visiting Orlando
- Plan Ahead: Book tickets and reservations in advance to avoid long waits and ensure you get to experience everything on your list. Be sure to take advantage of Express Passes if available.
- Stay Hydrated: Florida’s heat can be intense, so keep water bottles handy and take regular breaks.
- Use Apps: Download apps like the Universal Orlando Mobile App to stay updated on wait times, show schedules, and more. There’s also a great Visit Orlando app for all things Orlando.
- Pack Smart: Bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a lightweight stroller for younger kids. It’s always a good idea to carry an umbrella or ponchos for outdoor events as well.
Additional Summer 2024 Events in Orlando:
Summer BRICK Party at LEGOLAND Florida Resort: Features all-new shows, costumed characters and plenty of bricktastic fun on select dates through August 11, 2024.
¡Celebración Encanto! at EPCOT: The summer sing-along runs until September 6, 2024.
The Lion King 30th Anniversary Celebration at Disney’s Animal Kingdon: Celebrate with specialty food, character experiences and more until September 6, 2024.
Bands, Brew & BBQ at SeaWorld Orlando: Available weekends this summer through August 25, 2024.
Join the Conversation!
Have you been to Orlando with your family? What were your favorite experiences? Share your stories and tips in the comments below. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and TikTok for more family travel inspiration and updates!
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