Kid-Friendly Fun at I-Drive
February 27, 2015
You’re having a magical time in Orlando but decided you need to take a rest day from all the theme park fun you’re having with us! – Because let’s be honest, there is nothing more fun than spending a whole day riding thrill rides and watching fantastic shows, but one NEEDS a rest day in between all that walking around!
The kids on the other hand are still running on their regular 150% battery power, so you need to figure out a way to keep them entertained on your “day off.” Well, we have picked five of our favorite places to take the kids that are located right by our hotel on International Drive. Here are our top five:
This place has it all. Arcade games, laser tag, good food and of course, WhirllyBall- “The world’s only totally mechanized team sport” – which is best described as a combination of basketball, hockey and jai-alai played while riding an electrically powered machine, similar to a bumper car, called a WhirlyBug. The WhirlyBug resembles a bumper car, but it is a far superior machine that powers you and your team down court in a four on four game.
The WhirllyBall playing court is approximately 4,000 sq. ft. and there are 8 WhirlyBugs on the playing court at one time. In one hand the player has a Jai-Alai style plastic scoop and in the other hand a steering crank. The ball being tossed around is a softball sized whiffle ball.
At each end of the court, there are vertically hung backboards with a 15 inch hole in the center. Behind the hole is a plexiglass swing gate equipped with a buzzer to notify the referee when a score is made. The referee is the person sitting in the elevated booth above the court who will call play by play during the game, keep score and assess any penalties incurred. Before you go out on the court, the referee will go over the rules and give you a brief rundown on how to play WhirlyBall. Each game lasts about ten minutes and costs $8 per person.
It’s also worth mentioning that the fun is not limited to kids. They have a bar and plenty of adults eager to play a Whirlly game!
You will find replicas of what things inside the Titanic looked like and even some original artifacts that were obtained during past Titanic expeditions. You will tour Titanic rooms and learn about different passengers and their stories. The coolest part is getting to touch an “iceberg” at the end of the tour.
Purchasing tickets in advance is not necessary, but is encouraged. They suggest arriving 30 minutes prior to the hour you would like to attend the guided tour, but you can also tour the museum on your own anytime.
The amazing 10,000 square foot “Odditorium” looks like it’s falling into a Florida sinkhole! Hundreds of fascinating, outrageous and interactive exhibits will entertain the entire family. Explore an unbelievable variety of artifacts and displays in 16 unique galleries that pay tribute to the odd and strange. Marvel at our collection of weird and unusual relics and rare treasures. Self-guided, self-paced tour allows guests to fully enjoy Orlando’s most bizarre attraction. The Odditorium is self-guided, allowing you to walk through at your leisure. You can take between 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Fun fact: More than 2,500 women believe the Legendary Fertility Statues located at Ripley’s helped them get pregnant. Touch them for FREE… if you dare!
Kids absolutely love this place! WonderWorks is an amusement park for the mind with 35,000 square feet of “edu-tainment”. The attraction combines education and entertainment with more than 100 hands on exhibits that challenge the mind and spark the imagination.
The story behind the park is that it used to be a top-secret laboratory located in the Bermuda triangle, but once an experiment went awry it lifted the laboratory carrying it to International Drive in Orlando, Florida where it landed upside down.
You have to pass through the inversion tunnel to realign yourself and start your adventure, because with the ceiling under your feet and the ground above your head that would be impossible. It’s pure magic!
If you love arcade games you will LOVE Dave & Buster’s. The games look brand new and the whole environment is a blend of fun teenager club and sophisticated game room! You can buy an Eat and Play pass for as low as $16.99 and let kids run free and have the time of their lives after they eat dinner or lunch!
There are hundreds of games to play, and hundreds of prizes, too. Kids can cash their tickets at the Winner’s Circle and take home some of the fun!