10 Outdoor Things to Do in Orlando This Spring

There are so many amazing things to do in Orlando in the springtime — from picking blueberries at a family-run farm to scooting through swampland at what seems like warp speed.

Thanks to the season’s welcoming weather, you can enjoy wonderful, open-air activities anytime from sunrise to bedtime.

As a local travel expert, I already gave you a starter list of fresh-air activities in Orlando, and since then, I’ve discovered plenty more to do with your family, partner and/or group of friends.

Head out for a day on the lake. Enjoy a meal at a food truck park. Or take part in the countless cultural, natural and even quirky experiences all across Central Florida.

(And with Orange Lake Resort or Orlando Breeze Resort as your home base, you’ll have pools, mini golf, sports courts and more to do in between all those spring adventures.)


^{Orlando Breeze Resort is close to all the Central Florida springtime fun.}

If you’re looking for Fresh Spring Fun, here’s my list of the 10 best things to do in Orlando during this easy, breezy new season.

1. Pick Your Own Fruits at a Local Farm or Market

From fruit-picking to farmers’ markets, Orlando makes it easy to have fresh, natural foods on-hand for baking, cooking, snacking and eating.

Fruit-Picking Farms in Central Florida

In Florida, berries bloom in spring. That means you can head to a local grove and have a “berry” good time picking your own. Gobble them on the go or cook them into pancakes or pie back at the resort or home.

If it’s oranges and tangerines you’re after, pluck a basketful for healthy snacks all week long.



Southern Hills Farm is a top favorite with locals and visitors alike. It has strawberry and sunflower picking, often paired with live music, food trucks and refreshing beers or ciders on-hand for the grown-ups.

Other favorite farms include:

• Beck Brothers Blueberries
• Chapman’s Berries
• Tom West Blueberries
• Premium Peach
• Bekemeyer Family Farm (for strawberries)
• Showcase of Citrus (for oranges and more)

Pro tip: Check the farm’s website and Facebook pages before you go to make sure there’s fruit left to find.

Farmers’ Markets in Central Florida

Not keen on picking your own fruit? Let someone else do it! Visit a farmers’ market in Celebration, Winter Garden, Downtown Orlando or Winter Park.

At each market, vendors offer crates loaded with the season’s best, harvested and ready to eat. Stock up on locally made crafts, condiments and baked goods from area artisans, too.

^{The Winter Garden Farmers’ Market}

2. Go Boating

Don’t know a mast from a motor? Orlando is filled with lakes and wetlands, plus a river here and there, and captains are on call to take you out on the water.

So, sit back and see the sights while someone else does all the steering.

Airboat Tours

Airboats have been part of Florida’s rural life for a century, and they’re big fun for a family tour. Settle into an open-air boat, put on headphones so you can hear the captain’s insights (and block out the noise), and wait for the oversized fan to rev up.

Depending on the location, you might scoot over marsh, around lakes and by grazing cows. Alligator spotting is prime, and the birds are usually amazing, too.

Many outfits operate at the northern tip of the Everglades, and some offer private options for just your posse.


^{Photo courtesy of Spirit of the Swamp}

Airboat operators near Orlando include:

• Spirit of the Swamp
• Wild Willys
• Big Toho
• Boggy Creek
• The Black Hammock

Orlando Lake Tours

For a more leisurely boating experience, take a motorboat tour to see both nature and houses. Walk aboard an open-air vessel and a knowledgeable captain will guide you through a Central Florida chain of lakes.

Orlando Lake Tours points out sports stars’ residences along the Butler Chain of Lakes in Windermere, including the places where Tiger Woods and Shaquille O’Neal used to live.

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour brings you by comedian Carrot Top’s abode and Mr. Rogers’ one-time residence, among other Winter Park Chain of Lakes highlights.


^{Photo courtesy of Visit Orlando}

Premier Boat Tours

If you’re willing to take a longer drive, Premier Boat Tours explores the scenic Harris Chain of Lakes. Quirky homes with colorful decorations, and loads of exotic birds, are highlights.

The Boathouse

If you’re quick to pick the most colorful boating option, head to Disney Springs™. There, outside The Boathouse restaurant, you can take a water ride in a pastel-hued “amphicar.”

Your 25-minute excursion will be within a land-and-water vehicle that looks like a vintage auto, fins and all.


^{Photo courtesy of The BOATHOUSE® Orlando}

3. Dine Outdoors

Spacious patios with spread-out seating make for the ultimate in mealtime relaxation, and Orlando offers good options.

Bright sun, twinkly stars, people-watching, lake views — choose an outdoor table and you’ll reap far more than a tasty meal. Here are our top picks.

Disney Springs

Walt Disney World® Resort has an open-air, mega-mall complex loaded with restaurants, stores and entertainment. It’s called Disney Springs.

Both entry and parking are free. Outdoor eating options are seemingly unlimited with:

• Food trucks
• Snack stands
• To-go windows outside
• Table-service restaurants
• Patios and terraces at upscale restaurants

If you pick up, say, a donut, a Cuban sandwich or bowl of ramen from a counter, you can easily find tables, ledges and other seating options nearby.

Universal Orlando CityWalk™

Similarly, Universal’s CityWalk™ is filled with places to snack and drink en route to roller coasters, live performances and retail stores.

Sandwiches, burgers, pretzels, franks … grab and go as you wish. You can also sit outdoors, or indoors in spaces with open sides. We’re looking at you, Cheeseburger in Paradise.

You’ll probably have to pay for parking to visit CityWalk, but you’ll already have paid it if you’re going to one of the Universal Orlando theme parks on the same day.

Some outlets in both Disney Springs and Universal CityWalk offer mobile ordering. Simply pre-order and pay on your phone, then quickly pick up your order and eat it wherever you’d like.

Kabooki Sushi

Eat inventive Asian foods while seated alfresco at Kabooki Sushi’s Dr. Phillips establishment. Get your sushi and sashimi fix here along with handmade dumplings and a choice of five edamame flavors. The weekday happy hour menu has great deals.


^{Photo courtesy of Kabooki Sushi}

La Boucherie

A few steps away from Kabooki, La Boucherie cooks up French-style steaks and invites you to dig in while seated in an open-sided patio dining room.

Eden Bar

Eden Bar is the restaurant outside Maitland’s Enzian arthouse movie theater. It serves burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads and salads, along with tiki-style cocktails, in a lush garden setting.

Francesco’s Ristorante · Pizzeria

Francesco’s Ristorante · Pizzeria will bring its New York-style, Italian American red sauce classics, plus hearty pizzas, to you at three outside seating areas.

Columbia Restaurant

In Celebration, Columbia Restaurant offers its Cuban specialties on a pair of large patios. Cool off with a chilled gazpacho soup and iconic 1905 Salad, or go for a ropa vieja steak, red snapper, or chicken and yellow rice. (And it all pairs mighty fine with a fresh pitcher of sangria!)

DOMU

The edgy DOMU dishes up original ramens and will route them to your outside table at its restaurant in the Sand Lake area.

Rocco’s Italian Grille

For an Orlando date night vibe, choose Rocco’s Italian Grille for European flavors in a quiet, brick-paved courtyard with greenery and a fountain.

Bem Bom on Corrine

Downtown Orlando’s neighborhoods are filled with tempting alternatives. Portugal and Mexico are both on the menu at Bem Bom on Corrine, an Audubon Park Garden District restaurant with covered, open-air seating.

Reyes Mezcaleria

You’ll find southwestern flavors at the sidewalk area of North Quarter’s Reyes Mezcaleria, where creative chef Wendy Lopez weaves the flavors of Mexico and Texas with modern sensibilities.

SOCO Thornton Park

Try the upmarket southern fare at Thornton Park’s SOCO, where chef Greg Richie brings shrimp and grits, cauliflower (chicken-fried!) and brunch staples to new levels, with ample sidewalk seating. Bourbon and whiskey lovers will marvel at the variety.

The Monroe

In Orlando’s new Creative Village neighborhood, The Monroe dishes up its kooky takes on Southern specialties on an outdoor patio located by a boldly hued mural. The area has table and lounge seating.

^{Photo courtesy of The Monroe}

George’s Café

Freshly roasted meats and oversized, house-baked cookies make lunches on the patio of Winter Park’s George’s Cafe especially popular. Grab quart tubs of deli classics like chicken salad and homemade applesauce for munches back at home or the resort.

Sideward Brewing

In the Milk District, unwind over a BLT, pimento grilled cheese or simply a plateful-to-share of warm, soft pretzels with beer cheese dip on the lengthy terrace at Sideward Brewing — one of the many amazing breweries in Orlando.

Financier Bistro & Wine Bar

People-watching is only half the fun at the sidewalk seats of Financier Bistro & Wine Bar.

Set in the center of Winter Park’s charming Park Avenue, this small, family-owned spot plates up French bistro classics, like smoked salmon and steak frites — a Gallic take on steak and fries, along with coffee drinks and imported wines.

Loading… Gastrobrunch

In quaint, historic St. Cloud, the daytime-only restaurant Loading… Gastrobrunch weaves breakfast faves like maple syrup into nearly every dish. Waffle tacos are the specialty.

4. Watch a Live Performance Under the Stars

Orlando musicians, and visiting bands, sometimes bring their sounds to eager audiences outdoors. Schedules are thinner during spring and summer, but concerts are on calendars here and there this time of year.

Symphony Under the Stars

With more than 70,000 students, the University of Central Florida is one of the nation’s largest. Student musicians from that population comprise the UCF Symphony Orchestra, which performs outdoors, for free, every spring.

The program is called Symphony Under the Stars. No ticket is necessary. Simply bring a blanket and settle in for an evening of music.

^{Photo by Nick Levya, UCF, and features UCF Symphony Orchestra Director Chung Park}

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Orlando’s state-of-the-art performing arts center has three top-notch theaters inside, but that’s not all.

The facility’s expansive front lawn, known as the Seneff Arts Plaza, hosts concerts, festivals and an array of other events, too. Better yet, many of them are free.

Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

The Orchestra bops around with its musicians performing outdoors at the Dr. Phillips Center, outside The Plaza Live theater, and even in Winter Park’s Central Park and the Exploria soccer stadium.

Camping World Stadium

Camping World Stadium is primarily a venue for college bowl sports games, but acts as an open-air arena for concerts several times a year, too.

If your visit doesn’t line up with a grand musical performance, maybe the venue can interest you in Monster Jam, Wrestlemania or SuperCross instead.

^{Photo courtesy of Camping World Stadium, photo by Katarina Benzova}

5. See Swampland at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

If you’re craving nature without a challenging hike or the company of strangers, hop in the car. At the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, you’ll meander through wetlands, spotting flittering birds and napping alligators—all from the comfort of your sedan or SUV.

Originally farmland around the northern edge of a large lake, the best part of this destination is the drive itself. It involves easily crawling at 10 miles per hour along one-way rural roads and watching wildlife through the windows, open or closed.


^{Photo courtesy of Michael Feldman Original Photography}

With luck, you’ll spot swallow-tailed Kites, anhingas (snakebirds) and red-shouldered hawks, while hearing the music of songbirds; 360 bird species in all spend time within the 50,000-acre ecosystem.

You might also spot a bobcat, armadillo or otter, too.

Want to get out and take pictures? Designated areas invite parking along the way. To learn about what you’re seeing, tune into an audio tour via your smartphone. It’s all free.

6. Pop-up Entertainment

Look for the little guys providing entertainment, too. Creative types regularly conjure up pop-ups and performances outdoors.

There’s some type of other-worldly immersion every spring at Harry P. Leu Gardens. A few events involve oversized, inanimate creatures tucked among the 50 acres of camellias, bamboo gardens and such.

Others are after-dark affairs with theatrical costumes, lighting and scripts. (In autumn, Halloween has its own roster of immersive, open-air performances.)


^{Photo courtesy of Harry P. Leu Gardens}

The roster of Central Florida’s pop-up events changes frequently. To see what’s on the calendar all around town, check out:

• OrlandoAtPlay.com
• VisitOrlando.com
• Central Florida Community Arts
• Experience Kissimmee
• Visit Central Florida
• Visit Lake, FL
• Downtown Orlando

Visit Creative City Project, Bungalower and Eventbrite, too, in case other one-of-a-kind experiences are available.

7. Unique Outdoor Dining Experiences

Yes, I know this is another list of food recommendations, but these are all about outdoor dining experiences — not just restaurants.

So, when you’re looking to add a little variety to your traditional restaurant rotation, check these out.

Food truck gatherings happen throughout Central Florida regularly, but you don’t need to track down a schedule to have dinner at the places listed below.

Each one is different and offers several types of food—generally street foods, often conceived by chefs—from a variety of counter-service vendors all in one place.

You’ll find plenty of seating too, and sometimes even live music.

À La Cart

À La Cart, one of the best craft beer spots in Central Florida, is a permanent collection of food trucks in downtown Orlando. Head over for a range of options, maybe tuna poke, Swedish meatballs, barbecue or donuts, along with a local brew.

You’ll find a covered, open-air pavilion and plenty of courtyard seating. A second À La Cart will open soon southeast of Downtown Orlando.

^{Photo courtesy of À La Cart}

World of Food Trucks

Similarly, Kissimmee’s World of Food Trucks gathers at least six mobile restaurants for lunch and way more for dinner daily. Seating is under the shade of umbrellas, and DJs entertain for special events.

Munchies Live BBQ

At the lakefront Munchie’s Live BBQ, book your spots for a two-hour experience that involves your choice of fishing, canoeing and swinging in hammocks, followed by an all-you-can-eat, chef-prepared barbecue feast.

Or, swing by the rustic, outdoors-only Munchie’s property in Gotha to pick up a pre-ordered meal to eat back at your home, hotel or resort.

Boxi Park

Boxi Park in Lake Nona is a collection of food vendors with elevated takes on quick-service flavors from lobster rolls and chicken fingers to maple cream cheese-stuffed donuts, along with plenty of outdoor seating.

Live music and DJs entertain, and adult beverages are available. QR codes also allow guests to read menus on their phones. It’s open Thursday through Sunday evenings, and during the day Saturday and Sunday.

Twistee Treat

Trying to find the perfect spot for a sweet treat? End any evening like a local; pull up to a nearby Twistee Treat and get the whole family soft-serve sundaes, twirls and swirls—all from a freestanding, 25-foot-tall structure that resembles an ice cream cone.

8. Take to the Streets for a Festival or Special Event

Orlando loves a street party and usually has upbeat, themed events on weekends throughout the year, including spring.

Look for two types: annual events held at theme parks and celebrations across Orlando communities—art, music, culture, religion, you name it.

EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival

Every spring, flower lovers, gardening fans and Disneyphiles alike flock to Walt Disney World® Theme Parks for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.

You’ll take photos aplenty of topiaries resembling Disney characters. They’re sculpted from flowers and greenery.

While you’re there, taste foods created just for this event at kiosks called Outdoor Kitchens, and watch the Garden Rocks concerts at the America Gardens Theatre.


^{Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort, taken by Olga Thompson}

Seven Seas Food Festival

SeaWorld® Orlando’s Seven Seas Food Festival brings in extra foods with global flavors each weekend through early May every year.

Fifty dishes, 75 craft beers, and 75 wine and craft cocktails are offered Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with outdoor amphitheater concerts at Bayside Stadium regularly.

^{Photo courtesy of SeaWorld® Orlando, photo by Brandon Bruce}

Universal Orlando™ Resort

At Universal Orlando Resort, New Orleans-style Mardi Gras festivities last for close to three months. Rest assured, you’ll arrive back at home or the resort wearing strings of colorful beads after visiting the festive Mardi Gras at Universal shenanigans.

Expect classic NOLA cuisine, like Cajun and Creole foods, as well as concerts and parades with upbeat music.

LEGOLAND® Florida

Ninjas take center stage at LEGOLAND Florida Resort during the yearly LEGO^® NINJAGO Days tradition. Most weekends in May, families can learn Ninja moves and snap selfies with characters, all included in the price of a ticket.

Special Orlando Events

Elsewhere in town, you’ll have plenty more options. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival and the Mount Dora Spring Festival of Arts and Crafts feature stellar line-ups of painters, photographers, jewelry makers and others.

Every spring you’ll find events including Gay Days, the Florida Puerto Rican Parade & Festival and—well, ok, this one’s in fall, but we hate to leave it out—the Dragon Boat Festival.

A short ride away, the Florida Strawberry Festival offers up food, rides and concerts every March.

County Fairs

Old-time fun, like pig races, midway games and thrill rides, are part of the draw to state and county fairs.

If you’re in Orlando during the spring months, seek out the Central Florida Fair, Seminole County Fair or Lake County Fair for a dose of wholesomeness.

9. See Outdoor Murals, Art Displays & Sculptures

Orlando’s creativity is on display all over town, even far from the Imagineering that goes on in Mouseland.

Seek out sculptures in public places. In addition, wall murals bring vibrant colors to city neighborhoods, and you can see them at your own pace. Just hop in the car.

Murals in Central Florida

You’ll find an inspiring variety of hand-painted works—pretty, powerful and/or poignant. There are so many murals on building walls all around town, from edgy neighborhoods to high-end enclaves.

One piece of street art suggests you eat more ice cream. Another recognizes victims of the Pulse nightclub tragedy.

^{Photo courtesy of Luma Arts}

The Diversity Mural (pictured) by Cherie Bosela of Luna Mosaic Arts is a mosaic of hearts from around the world; it’s on the side of the Lamp Shade Fair building and has been accepted into the Society of Mosaic Arts.

Some neighborhoods, including the Mills 50 District, add art in other clever ways. Scoot around to find one-of-a-kind paintings on utility boxes, dumpsters and more unlikely, otherwise-eyesores located on city streets.

Kissimmee Art Displays

Closer to Orange Lake Resort, Kissimmee has its own array of outdoor artwork.

Via Osceola Arts’ ARTisNOW public murals project, you can see about a dozen bold paintings on what were plain, concrete walls, mostly on Broadway.

Seek out the “Snowy Egret” at 108 Broadway and “The Wild Ones” nearby at #120, for starters. You’ll also find an owl with a tremendous wingspan and a Florida panther.


^{Photo courtesy of Lemonhearted.com}

Mennello Museum

The Mennello Museum of American Art specializes in the works of American artists, including painter Earl Cunningham.

Stay outside this Orlando museum and you can look, touch and even picnic among the artworks on display in the Sculpture Garden. The pieces change about once a year.

Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens

Just north in Winter Park, the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens has a large, lakefront lawn.

Sculptures abound around the three acres; some of the 23 on display have been here since 1949. Pack a lunch and picnic as you tour.


^{Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens}

Monument of States

Continue your sculpture hunt at Kissimmee Lakefront Park. Its Monument of States is a quirky, 50-foot statue that’s made of stones from around the country and the world.

Long-ago local Dr. Charles Bressler-Pettis built it in 1943 to demonstrate unity in response to World War II, and to attract tourists.

Downtown Orlando Sculptures

Scoot around downtown Orlando to find The Muse of Discovery, Monument in Right Feet Major and Take Flight, among others.

Newer sculptures, by Bill Starke, are on the exterior of the GEICO Garage at the Amway Center and depict people climbing on ladders. They’re among the 300 pieces of art inside and out at the Amway Center.

College Collections

Several of the University of Central Florida’s 250 works on the east side of town are in the open air.

And at Rollins College in Winter Park, you’ll find a bronze statue of the celebrated children’s TV character, Mister Rogers.

Added in 2021, the 7-foot likeness is called “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” and it shows Mr. Rogers with several children and Daniel Striped Tiger.

The real Fred Rogers, who died in 2003, studied at Rollins as a young man. You can take a guided or self-guided Mister Rogers walking tour, which leads you around noteworthy places in town and even by the home he stayed in.

^{Photo courtesy of Rollins College}

10. Visit Orlando’s Theme Parks & Waterparks

Orlando has long been known as the Theme Park Capital of the World, so if you’re planning a theme park vacation, you’ve come to the right place, at the right time.

Walt Disney World^® Theme Parks

Walt Disney World Theme Parks is a massive complex with four theme parks. Each has its own theme, or multiple themes, plus coasters, rides, entertainment and food.

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is Orlando’s take on Disneyland. This is where you’ll find Cinderella Castle, Space Mountain and Frontierland, among other forever classics.

EPCOT

EPCOT is two parks in one. Half is dedicated to innovation, science and imagination. The other is a series of mini “countries,” including Morocco and Japan, called the World Showcase.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios celebrates all things on the Silver Screen, from Toy Story to Star Wars.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom offers many ways to see exotic animals and birds, with areas that feel like Africa, Asia and the fictional world of Pandora — The World of Avatar.

Universal Orlando Resort™

Universal Orlando is home to two theme parks (noted below), each with sections themed around Harry Potter as well as a host of other offerings. A third theme park, Universal’s Epic Universe, is under construction in a nearby part of town.

Universal Studios Florida

At this park, you’ll feel like you’re on a movie set. Many of the rides are set on streets that resemble, say, New York or Hollywood. It’s best known for thrill rides.

Islands of Adventure

Universal’s Islands of Adventure™ offers immersions into fictional worlds involving The Cat in the Hat, Marvel characters and Jurassic Park, plus more thrill rides.

SeaWorld^® Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando is all about aquatic wonders. It’s educational, yet also has some of Orlando’s wildest coasters.

Ride forward and backward on the Ice Breaker, scoot around a lake in a flamingo paddle boat, and watch bottlenose dolphins perform, all outdoors.

Gatorland

Gatorland has been here longer than any of the others. It has an Old Florida feel, lush and woodsy. It also has a whole lot of alligator fun.

Of all the land-based parks, Gatorland is perhaps the most suited to those committed to remaining outdoors.

Over its 110 acres, the alligator-themed mecca mostly involves strolling over wooden walkways to see alligators lounging and performing.

There’s also a petting zoo, splash pad, zip lining, off-road adventure and behind-the-scenes tour.


^{Photo courtesy of Gatorland}

Waterparks in Orlando

Waterparks are a thrilling way to cool off in the Florida sun, and you have several to choose from.


^{Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando® Resort}

Your choices are:

• Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon
• Universal’s Volcano Bay™
• SeaWorld’s Aquatica^® Orlando
• Island H2O Water Park
• LEGOLAND’s Water Park
• Nona Adventure Park

Discovery Cove by SeaWorld, is another type of waterpark altogether. It’s more like an all-inclusive manmade Caribbean island.

For the entrance fee, you get an entire day in an outdoor, upscale, resort-like expanse. It includes breakfast and lunch (you’ll pick up your food indoors, but eat outside), unlimited snacks, and access to snorkeling, swimming in heated waters, a lazy river and an aviary.


^{Photo courtesy of SeaWorld® Parks & Entertainment, Inc.}

Towels, wetsuits and other amenities are all included.

For extra fees, you can spend time with a dolphin, feed stingrays, learn about interesting animals, swim with sharks, mingle with flamingos and try SeaVenture, an easy take on diving that requires no experience.

Splurge on a private cabana to have space for just your group.


^{A lazy river, 7 pools, mini golf and more are all waiting for you at Orange Lake Resort.}

In water, on water, with music, around art, often delicious and always outside. There are all kinds of outdoor things to do in Orlando in the springtime that will keep your clan entertained.

And Orange Lake Resort is the perfect home base for all your Fresh Spring Fun, whether you visit for a weekend or a month.


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All information is subject to change. This article is a curated guide and is neither sponsored nor considered an official endorsement. Please be sure to check information directly with any/all tours, guides or companies for the most up-to-date and direct details.