Explore Florida’s theme parks with this action-packed 8-day itinerary

The kids (and kids at heart) crave Disney – but parents want a little nature, a good meal or two, and some (non-mouse-related) culture. Oh, and you’ve only got just over a week. What do you do?

While you could spend a month or more at world-class fun zones such as Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and Busch Gardens, it’s more than possible to get a thorough introduction to these beloved theme parks, as well as some of central Florida’s many other pleasures, in just a few (ambitious!) days.

With year-round warm weather, there's no bad time to come to the Sunshine State. Here’s how to take in Florida’s heaviest-hitting theme parks, as well other top attractions in and around Orlando and St Petersburg, in eight days.

How to get around

Public transit options are limited in Florida, meaning you’ll need a car to get from theme park to theme park. Expect to pay at least $30 per day for parking at the theme parks, with premium parking options (which come with closer proximity to the entrances, EV charging and other parks) rising from there. Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and Busch Gardens all offer thorough online primers on their parking options.

Days 1–2: Immerse yourself in the magic of Walt Disney World® 

Yes, it is as joyous – and immense – as you’ve heard. From Cinderella to Darth Vader to (naturally) Mickey Mouse, the world’s most beloved fictitious characters inhabit the world’s most famous theme park. Since opening in 1971, this entire resort area – a city, really – has been built around storytelling, and its team pulls out all the stops to create an enchanting destination where imagination reigns.

Walt Disney World’s 25,000 acres cover four different theme parks – plus two water parks, a shopping district and a slew of hotels – meaning there’s no shortage of fun to be had here (and you might never want to leave). While many are drawn to the newer, high-tech rides such as the out-of-this-world Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and the TRON Lightcycle / Run roller coaster, classic rides like Peter Pan’s Flight, the Pirates of the Caribbean and “it’s a small world” transport visitors down memory lane and straight into charming lands inspired by timeless cult characters.

Budget at least two days to bite off a decent chunk of Walt Disney World – with the knowledge that it would take at least a week to experience everything, and you’ll likely be planning your return visit before you leave the gates.

Planning tip: At Walt Disney World, a little pre-visit planning goes a long way. In fact, without identifying just what you want to ride, how you plan to get from park to park and how much you want to spend, you can easily spend a full day staggering around feeling overwhelmed by all the options.

Buy your park tickets well in advance (pricing is dynamic based on demand) and make a plan of attack to maximize every minute at the park. Once you’ve arrived, the My Disney Experience app – which shows current ride wait times, allows you to order food in advance and more if you have a Disney account – is pretty much essential.

Day 3: Enjoy Orlando’s grown-up city pleasures

16.5 miles northeast of Walt Disney World

After all the marvelous Disney madness, grown-up time is on the agenda in surprisingly sophisticated Orlando. Indeed, there is far more to this city than its theme parks, with gracious gardens, rich museums and a restaurant scene that’s miles away from fast food.

In the center of Orlando’s historic Parramore district, the small Wells’ Built Museum celebrates African American history and culture. The museum was once a hotel – its 1930s-era decor is preserved – which hosted such luminaries as Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington during the dark days of segregation.

If it’s not too brutally hot and humid, count on spending some time outdoors in the city. Lovely and centrally located Lake Eola Park sits between downtown Orlando and Thornton Park – rent swan paddle-boats to drift around the many real swans that ply the lake. The 50-acre Eden that is Harry P Leu Gardens boasts lush plantings of roses, hibiscus, bananas, tree orchids and citrus trees that fill the grounds with perfume and color.

Detour: Head a bit out of town to enjoy nature at Wekiwa Springs State Park (40 minutes by car), where you can drift on a kayak between trees laden with Spanish moss, and maybe encounter a few of the dozens of species of bird and fish species, turtles and (yes) alligators that call these turquoise waters home. 

And about 45 minutes out of town, Blue Spring State Park offers the chance to swim, kayak, go tubing, snorkel – and see manatees. Between November and March, you might spot up to 500 of these gentle giants congregating in the spring-warmed waters here.

Days 4–5: Get close to Harry Potter and other beloved screen icons at Universal Orlando Resort

9.5 miles southwest of downtown Orlando

Back to themed fun. One of the world’s premier theme parks – actually, four of the world’s premier theme parks – Universal Orlando Resort is where Hollywood movie magic comes to life. Film and TV show fans will love Universal Studios in particular, with rides like E.T. Adventure and shops like The Film Vault.

Islands of Adventure is a favorite for those looking for a more classic experience, thanks to its terrific themes and next-level thrill rides. It’s also home to perhaps the park’s most beloved section: the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade. Anyone obsessed with the books (or anyone who just appreciates a good time) will love immersing themselves in the Potterverse on such rides as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, or by sipping a sweet butterbeer along the extraordinary environment of Diagon Alley.

The brand-new Epic Universe is an additional playground filled with themed lands, rides and restaurants that are pretty much guaranteed to be crowd favorites, from the Viking-inspired thrills in How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk to the interactive games of Super Nintendo World. This place encourages grown-ups to become wide-eyed kids for the day.

Planning tip: As at Walt Disney World, it’s best to do your homework and have a plan to get the most out of your time at Universal Orlando Resort. The official app is filled with interactive maps, real-time ride-wait times, restaurant-ordering options and other priceless info.

Day 6: Learn about marine wildlife at SeaWorld, and the natural world at Bok Tower Gardens

SeaWorld is 8 miles south of Universal Orlando Resort; Bok Tower Gardens is 44.5 miles south of SeaWorld

Head back toward central Orlando for a break from theme parks (well, sort of). After suffering well-justified scorn for the mistreatment of its majestic orcas, SeaWorld Orlando has refocused its attractions toward education and conservation.

While visitors will still see whales in captivity and performing in shows here, they’ll also learn about the park’s rehabilitation of hundreds of marine animals, and the sustainable practices across its Orlando parks. Oh, and there are now rides, such as ocean-themed roller coasters Mako and Pipeline, plus a whole range of drenched fun at the Aquatica water park.

An hour’s drive south of Orlando, dreamy Bok Tower Gardens leads visitors through four diverse native Florida ecosystems – a pine savanna, an oak hammock forest, a wetland prairie and a damp bog – that are home to some 126 species of birds between them. Designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr, the gracious gardens have azaleas, camellias and magnolias that burst into bloom in the spring.

Planning tip: Twice a day, the 23 bronze bells that hang in Bok Tower Gardens’ centerpiece – a 205ft-tall (65.5m) carillon – ring with a melody that reverberates across the grounds. 

Day 7: Combine wildlife watching with roller coasters at Busch Gardens

66 miles west of Bok Tower Gardens

Your next dose of theme park fun lies outside the core central Florida circuit. On the Gulf Coast (about 90 minutes from Bok Tower Gardens and two hours from Orlando), Busch Gardens Tampa Bay blends some very fine roller coasters with a kitschy, only-in-Florida take on an African safari experience.

The fully walkable park has 10 different sections. Highlights include a ride aboard the Serengeti Railway, where you can encounter (from afar) free-roaming herds of African animals like zebras and giraffes. For something more extreme, head to the Iron Gwazi, North America’s tallest (206ft/63m), fastest (76mph/122kph) and steepest (with 91-degree drops) hybrid roller coaster. The new Phoenix Rising coaster is less adrenaline-inducing – but not by that much.

Detour: Nearby Adventure Island has everything a modern, top-flight water park requires – a long, lazy river, a huge wave pool, bucket-dumping splash zones and a swimming pool with jumping platforms, plus sandy lounging areas and enough twisting, plunging waterslides to keep teens lining up until closing. 

Day 8: Get cultural in St Petersburg

30 miles southwest of Busch Gardens

Perhaps Florida’s most culturally sophisticated city, St Petersburg has a rich array of museums, restaurants and attractions that will delight visitors of all ages. Both art connoisseurs and amateurs are sure to find something that catches their eye at the Salvador Dalí Museum, home to a staggering collection of the famed surrealist’s works. The Great Explorations Children’s Museum is as fun as it is educational, while kids will love following the paths that snake through the jungle-like Sunken Gardens.

If you want fun without paying for a ticket, consider an afternoon on the fabulously rebuilt St Pete Pier. This architecturally distinctive structure juts 3000ft (914m) into Tampa Bay, and has a play area, cafes, art installations and plenty of room for running around to let off steam – a delight for both children and their adults.

Detour: Consider squeezing in a day trip north to take in the mermaid shows at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, about a 90-minute drive north of St Pete, where enchanting sirens cavort in underwater tanks, to audiences’ delight. And for a different kind of underwater charisma, the manatees at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, a 30-minute drive from Weeki Wachee, never fail to impress.

This article was adapted from the 11th edition of Lonely Planet’s Florida, guidebook, published in August 2025.