For many toddlers, a day in Orlando, Florida is synonymous with Disney World. Magic Kingdom keeps most toddlers occupied for days. But beyond the Mouse, Orlando has many other toddler activities. LEGOLAND Florida, with rides and LEGO building, opens in fall 2011. And, although winter temperatures can be too cold for swimming, playgrounds can be found throughout the city. In the heat of the summer, head to water playgrounds, with toddler-sized slides, sprays and fountains.
See hundreds of animals at Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens. The zoo has a toddler-friendly Animal Adventure Children's Zoo where kids can pet and feed sheep, goats and llamas. The zoo also has a train ride and animal carousel. When it gets hot, head to the Tropical Splash Ground, where toddlers can stand in sprays, crawl through a water tunnel or get wet under the dump bucket.
The theme park Universal's Islands of Adventure has a kiddie area, Seuss Landing, perfect for toddlers. Little kids will recognize the bright colors and skewed perspectives from Dr. Seuss' books. The books come to life in rides like Caro-Seuss-el, a merry-go-round with Horton the Elephant and other Seuss characters; The Cat in the Hat, where you sit on a couch and go through scenes from the book; and a water ride, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.
Gatorland, a low-tech theme park opened in 1949, has alligators and crocodiles, reptile shows and a petting zoo. Toddlers can walk through the aviary and along the swamp. There is also a small playground in the park. Note that one of the shows, the Gator Jumparoo Show, has alligators jumping in the air, which can frighten some small children. Daring kids can safely wrestle with an alligator.
The Orlando Science Center has interactive exhibits, including a Science Park where toddlers can make a laser show, explore hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, and make waves at an echo tube. KidsTown, a special toddler area, has a water play exhibit, an Orange Grove Factory, and a garage. In Let's Play Railway, toddlers can climb into train cars. There are also models of planes and the space shuttle for kids to explore.
