It may be the domain that Disney built, but there’s far more to Orlando than Mickey and the gang. Here’s a rundown of the best places beyond the Magic Kingdom for families and solo travellers to get animated about.

WITH THE KIDS

by Heather Greenwood Davis

EAT

Hungry children aren’t happy children, but no one wants to sacrifice fun for dull meals. Spots such as Café Tu Tu Tango, where artists create among diners’ tables, and the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen (don’t worry — it serves sky-high milkshakes and vegetables) at Universal Orlando Resort’s CityWalk theme park keep the smiles going.

STAY

Parent of a Legomaniac? Then watch them go gaga for a night at the LEGOLAND Resort Hotel, where four themed room options — Pirate, Adventure, Kingdom and LEGO Friends — await. With Master Model Builders on site, an in-room scavenger hunt and nightly LEGO-building competitions, kids will be as happy at the hotel as they are at the theme park. 

PLAY

The Andretti Indoor Karting and Games centre offers everything from electric go-carting to a ropes course, while at the I-Drive 360 complex, divided family interests are all satisfied with attractions such as the 122-metre-high Coca-Cola Orlando Eye observation wheel, the Sea Life Aquarium and the Skeletons: Museum of Osteology, which showcases the bones of creatures great and small. Outdoor enthusiasts looking for thrills shouldn’t miss an air-boat ride at Wild Florida or the tandem hang-gliding experience at Wallaby Ranch.