For those who may be looking to go all out in Orlando, a few days where you can rein in the spending a little could prove welcome! To that end we have compiled a list of places in Florida where you can have a fantastic day out with the family on pay-as-you-play terms.

Arcade City

Under the watchful eye of The Wheel at ICON Park, pay a visit to the bright lights of Arcade City – an amusement arcade located near Madame Tussauds. After making use of the free parking, load up a card with as much – or as little – money as you wish, then swipe it to play on the brightly coloured machines! Kids of all ages will find something to keep them occupied as they try to win tickets, teddies and prizes. Also while you are here, you could don the 3D glasses and arm yourself with a laser gun to help you on your quest in the 7D dark ride experience – you can also combine it with your card to the arcade to give you even better value for money!

Magical Midway Thrill Park

Free admission and free parking is on offer at the Magical Midway Thrill Park! Open until midnight every day, you won’t have to be in any rush to get around it all. Haven’t had an excuse to scream at the top of your lungs recently? Head to the Sling Shot! After taking your seat and buckling yourself in, you’ll be lowered into the heart of a ‘volcano’! When this erupts, you are sent flying 390ft (118m) into the air – experiencing between 3 and 5 Gs of force! Liked the feeling of wind in your hair? Great! Pull up a seat on the Starflyer to get swung around 230ft (70m) above the ground at 50mph! All that time in mid-air is bound to get to you eventually, so spend a bit of time seated as you power around any of the go-kart tracks! Those who are at least 12 years old and 58” tall can experience either of the Avalanche or Alpine tracks – both containing amazing elevated parts, where you can race against your pals. After that you can really get competitive in the bumper cars and bumper boats! You can also get sent in a spin by the merry-go-round, or get a spring in your step from the trampolines! Once all the high-octane fun has been had, it’s time to head indoors to the on-site arcade to enjoy racing simulators, air hockey, basketball, skee ball or to watch the crab racing!

Fun Spot America

With two locations in Florida (one in Kissimmee, the other in Orlando), Fun Spot America is a great place to spend some time on thrilling rides outside of the theme parks. In Kissimmee those between 24” (2ft) and 36” (3ft) tall have their own mini theme park with its own selection of small child-friendly rides, including Baron Planes, Castle Mania, Convoy, Cyber Jets, Kiddie Bumper Cars and the Kiddie Coaster. Whilst in the main park, those taller than 36” are able to go on the carousel, two-storey fun slide, bumper cars, Flying Bob, Screamer, Tilt-a-Whirl, Surf’s Up and the Screaming Eagles! They can also be accompanied by an adult to get strapped into a go-kart as they whizz around the blue or yellow tracks! Those 42” (3½ft) tall can get flung about by the Yoyo, or reach new heights in the SkyCoaster – a cross between skydiving and paragliding! People 46” (3ft 10”) and over can line up for the Paratrooper, with those 48” (4ft) tall being allowed on the Hot Seat and Rockstar. Finally, the members of your group 56” (4ft 8) and over can test their driving skills on the green or red go-kart tracks.

Just off International Drive is the Orlando Fun Spot America. Like its Kissimmee sister park you can choose to pay as you ride here, or buy a ticket allowing unlimited rides on the majority of the park’s attractions. With areas designated for the youngsters in your group, as well as a range of thrill rides this is a great way to spend time with the family, without the queues that you will find at the major theme parks! Enjoy the views of Orlando and International Drive from your position atop the Ferris wheel, or whizz around on the steel suspended Freedom Flyer roller coaster! If you are a coaster fanatic, the White Lightning – the only wooden roller coaster in Orlando – is sure to get your pulse racing! Like the Kissimmee Fun Spot America, there is a multi-level karting track here, with four separate tracks suitable for riders of all heights and ages, so why not put your driving skills to the test?

The ultimate thrill seeker will find it hard to resist the temptation of the park’s SkyCoaster. At both parks this is a separately-ticketed attraction, that isn’t for the faint of heart! You’ll get a fantastic view of Orlando and the surrounding area as you are hoisted high into the air above the park, before the drop which leaves you swinging back and forth, as you soar through the air!

Keep your feet on the ground and discover the wilder side of life in Orlando, and I don’t mean the wild rides, but Gator Spot! A collaboration between Gatorland and Fun Spot America, this is a great chance to get up close to some of Florida’s snappy residents!

Ten Pin Bowling in Orlando

You’ll need good hand-eye coordination over at the ten-pin bowling lanes around Orlando! There are several locations where you can challenge family and friends to a game – so prepare to be bowled over!

At the heart of Disney Springs is Splitsville – a two-storey, 50000sqft location featuring bowling, pool, bars and live entertainment! Open from 10.30am to 1am on Monday through to Friday, and 10am to 1am on Saturday and Sunday, there is plenty of opportunity to experience bowling with a touch of Disney magic! Play a game of pool while you wait, or head to the restaurant to grab a bite to eat. With burgers as well as sushi on the menu, there is bound to be something for everyone to enjoy!

There are also two bowling locations on International Drive. The first, Main Event, is open from 11am to 11pm Sunday to Thursday, with longer opening hours at the weekend, and has 20 bowling lanes – so there is plenty of opportunity to get in a game or two! There is more than just bowling here – enjoy a game of pool or test your balance on the Gravity Ropes, an up-in-the-air obstacle course! Why not while away some time in the arcade, playing everything from the classics to the latest interactive games? Take the virtual reality experience one step further in a spectacular multiplayer free-roam VR game that is unique to the Orlando centre! With a range of games suitable for all ages this is something you’ll be coming back to time and time again. Head to Main Event on a Monday, for an evening of all-you-can-play fun, from 4pm to close – at only $10.95 per guest! Here, you can try you hand at any of the activities in the centre, as many times as you can manage!

Along the road, Kings Orlando is a 30000sqft location holding 22 bowling lanes, as well as a range of gaming tables, bocce (a game in the boules family), bars and a restaurant. Enjoy a cocktail after winning your match, or order something to nibble on from the sharing menu – the Sampler Platter, for example caters for four, and includes pulled pork sliders, chicken wontons, stuffed mac and cheese bites as well as southwestern chicken spring rolls!

Andretti Indoor Karting

Over at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games you can also try bowling, but the main attraction is the kart racing! Get an adrenaline rush in the electric karts as you whizz around the world’s longest indoor track with the most changes of elevation, as well as banked turns! You can even carry on the race experience over on the state-of-the-art simulators, which put you in the driving seat of a racing car. There is more simulated fun in Hologate – where four players can head into the VR universe to experience out-of-this-world graphics and an exciting challenge! Do battle on the XD Dark Ride – an interactive 3D movie experience where up to 12 players compete for the highest score – zapping a host of enemies with lasers! Not had enough laser fun yet? Test your hand-eye coordination and work with your team in the laser tag zone!

You’ll need to keep your balance on the overhead Sky Trail, a lofty adventure course above the arcade, which features a unique curved zipline. There are two trails for beginners and advanced adventurers! If that all sounds a bit high octane, head to the arcade to try your luck! There are 3D and multiplayer games, as well as many classics to play – who will get the highest score? Don’t forget to cash in your points for some great prizes!

As you can see, there is plenty of opportunity for spending as much, or conversely as little as you want at these venues and they’re all conveniently located to our villas in Orlando too! It is always worth seeing if there is a multi-buy or play-all-day option if you plan to spend a lot of time at any of these locations, as this will work out a lot more cost-efficient.

Do you have anywhere that you would recommend for a pay-as-you-play day out in Orlando or the surrounding areas? We’d love to hear any suggestions or see your photos from these venues, so reach out to us using our social media channels!

Image credits:

• Roller coaster images: Aaron Clausen (wikimedia)
• Indoor karting track: Andretti Facebook