By Holly Cassandra Corbett

Most people equate a family trip to Florida with Disney. Orlando is, after all, known as the Theme Park Capital of the World and is the most visited destination in the United States. Yet Orlando and surrounding Lake County are filled with dining, entertainment, and nature adventures that are worth a trip in their own right. In fact, there are so many family friendly-activities that this part of the Sunshine State tops the list as a fun and convenient destination to take kids. Here is how I spent three days in Orlando and nearby Lake County with my 9-year-old daughter—and made memories that will last a lifetime.

Day One: Orlando And Wild Florida

We arrived at the new Hotel Landy, short for Orlando of course, which is conveniently located about 20 minutes from the airport and less than 10 minutes from Universal Studios. The kinetic design of the hotel, featuring geometric shapes and curving lines, was inspired by Émilie du Châtelet, a mathematician whose work led to the development of roller coasters. 

The place had so many kid-friendly amenities that we could have happily spent four days just lounging at this hotel. After dropping off our bags in our king room with floor-to-ceiling windows and views of Orlando, we set out to explore, playing air hockey in the game room and doing some exercises together in the light-filled fitness center. My daughter and I then changed into our swimsuits and headed to the hot tub and pool area. In addition to the resort-style pool, we found a beach-style courtyard complete with lawn games (we love a good corn hole competition), seating areas, and a food truck called “Liquid Sunshine,” which offers small plates such as fish tacos along with a variety of craft cocktails.

Adventuring In Wild Florida

Though we didn’t want to leave the oasis of Hotel Landy, we drove about 45 minutes south to Wild Florida for a nature adventure. And we were happy we did: this unique excursion to the headwaters of the Florida Everglades could easily take an entire day. The three main things to do here are taking an airboat tour, walking around Gator Park, and driving through the animal safari. 

Though you can make your way through Wild Florida in any order, I’d recommend starting driving through the 170-acre Safari Park that’s home to exotic animals such as zebras, bison and antelope—and that ends with a pit stop where you come face to face with a giraffe on the feeding platform. 

Next walk around Gator Park, where you can see more than 200 exotic and native animals including sloths, capybaras, and bobcats. Don’t miss the twice-daily feedings of Crusher, an American alligator who is more than 13 feet long. There’s also a covered playground for kids to burn off energy and the Hawk Swamp for bird lovers, where you might spot an owl if you’re lucky. When you work up an appetite, Chomps Grill offers fried gator nuggets as well as more kid-friendly options such as hot dogs and sliders.

The highlight of our adventure was taking an hour-long airboat ride through the Everglades. Rather than merely reading about wildlife such as eagles and alligators in a textbook or watching YouTube videos, my daughter got the thrill of seeing the animals in their natural environment as we skimmed atop the swamp, marshes, and rivers. Our watchful captain spotted a mother and baby alligator near a nest made of mud and plants, and was happy to answer many questions from passengers about the alligators’ habitat and eating habits (apparently father alligators have been known to eat their hatchlings). 

On that note, we wrapped up our adventure and drove back to Hotel Landy for an alligator-free meal at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Émilie Bar & Lounge (also named after the mathematician) to refuel with dishes such as fig and burrata and steak frites.

Day Two: Winter Park And Disney Springs

My daughter and I started out day two by driving north towards Winter Park, known for its parks and lakes as well as picturesque shopping district, farmer’s market, art festival, and sidewalk cafes.

But first, we grabbed a cheddar biscuit sandwich plate and artisanal doughnut at The Glass Knife, a cafe and cake shop that features a long communal table at its center displaying a collection of colorful glass knives. Those glass knives belonged to the owner’s mother, a local baker, whose memory and recipes inspired the cozy yet elegant cafe.

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

Next up we had a relaxing hour learning the history of Winter Park, Central Florida’s oldest community, with a Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour starting on Lake Osceola. We listened to the captain, who was quite entertaining, share some scandalous tales of the wealthy Easterners who founded the community in the 1800s, while he expertly navigated through narrow man-made canals connecting the Winter Park chain of lakes.

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing one of our favorite things, getting lost. Park Avenue is made for wandering, with tree-lined blocks bordered with more than 100 specialty shops, salons, and restaurants. We found gifts for our family at the Rifle Paper Co., tried handmade chocolates at Peterbrooke Chocolatier, and window shopped at the women’s clothing boutique The Impeccable Pig.

Disney Springs

While we didn’t visit Disney World’s theme park, we did continue our wandering streak later that evening at Disney Springs, an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment area bordering the theme park. The walkways were buzzing with shoppers, and we ducked into the Summer House on the Lake, a light-filled California-style eatery with a beach house feel and outdoor seating overlooking the lake. You don’t have to sit down to order a homemade cookie from the cookie bar, and you might want to take some home with flavors such as sea salt chocolate chip, fudge bomb, and berry oatmeal.

Later that night we did experience the magic Disney World is so famous for that infuses storytelling with heart, and combined it with thrilling acrobatics, by going to a performance of Drawn To Life By Cirque de Soleil at La Nouba Theater in Disney Springs. As we were waiting for the show to begin, it was clear that the audience were co-creators of the experience along with the actors: My daughter got selected to go onstage with about a dozen other children to draw a piece of art that was projected onto a big screen for the rest of the audience to see. 

Once the lights dimmed, we couldn’t take our eyes off the actors’ sheer physicality as they gracefully danced and performed breath-stopping stunts. But it was the spirit of the story itself that truly drew us in: The plot focuses on a pre-teen girl who finds a half-finished collection of sketches left behind from her deceased father, who was an animator. She embarks on a journey into her imagination, where she is joined by a cast of funny muses and also a dark character who might be described as her inner critic. After trying to run away or battle her inner critic for much of the show, the girl finally decides to face and embrace this dark character. It is only by facing her fear that she is able to overcome her creative block and bring the animation to life—an important lesson for children and adults alike.

After the finale and joining the crowd in a standing ovation, we headed back to our home base at Hotel Landy, ready for bed and sweet (Disney) dreams.

Day Three: Southern Hills Farms And Mount Dora

On day three we left the city behind and drove west to Clermont, one of the 14 districts in Lake County, towards open fields and big blue skies to visit Southern Hill Farms. This is a third-generation family farm that lets visitors pick crops such as blueberries, strawberries, and peaches. The idyllic farm off a dirt road in Lake Country has become a destination for tourists and locals alike, a place for people to be out in the fresh air and sunshine and close to the earth and the crops.

Besides being able to pick fruit, there are also u-pick sunflowers and zinnias. But what makes Southern Hills Farms a popular agritourism hub is that there are dozens of activities to awaken all of your senses, from tasting fresh-baked muffins made with the farm’s own blueberries, to listening to live music under one of the covered pavilions, to smelling the homemade sugar scrubs (my favorite is the lemon lavender) in the onsite market, to touching the sand in the onsite playground’s sandbox, and seeing the view of the farm from above while riding the Berry Trouper in the Kids Zone.

Then it was time for the final leg of our trip and to check into our next hotel, the Key West Resort on Lake Dora in Tavares (known as “America’s Seaplane City” because of the number of seaplanes making splash landings) and grab a quick lunch next door at Puddle Jumpers.

Our final activity was heading to the quaint town of Mount Dora, which hosts more than 30 art, music and food festivals a year, to join Premier Boat Tours for a two-hour eco-tour of Lake Dora and Harris Chain of Lakes. The pontoon boat drifted through canals and under hanging cypress trees, where we spotted a rare soft-shelled turtle sunning itself on a fallen limb and an endangered egret standing regally in the mangrove. 

We celebrated a vacation well spent with dinner at my favorite restaurant of the trip, The Goblin Market in historic downtown Mount Dora. The owners named the restaurant and bar after Christina G. Rossetti’s 18th century poem, which they read together in college while they were dating. The walls of the three intimate dining rooms are lined with bookshelves and art, the ceilings are lined with wooden beams, and the feel is that you are in someone’s living room. 

Over my daughter’s favorite drink, a Shirley Temple, we talked about our favorite trip moments because it was too hard to pin it down to just one. There is a reason Central Florida is one of the country’s most popular family-friendly destinations. I hope our vacation in the Sunshine State will be etched into her mind as one of her happy childhood memories, because it will forever live in mine.