Living in Orlando means two things are guaranteed: your car’s A/C better work, and you always need a backup plan for the rain. It’ll be sunny one minute, then boom—clouds roll in like they’re late for a meeting. I can’t even count how many park days I’ve had to cancel mid-sunscreen.
When my kids were little, I used to scramble for ideas, googling “rainy day fun in Orlando” like my sanity depended on it (because honestly, it did). After enough trial and error, I’ve got a pretty solid list of indoor places and ideas that actually work—meaning they keep the kids engaged and don’t drain my wallet or my energy.
Where I Take My Kids When It’s Pouring
Some places are obvious (we all know about the Science Center), but here are a few that aren’t always on the typical mom radar—and they’ve saved me more than once.
- Crayola Experience at Florida Mall – Yes, it’s in a mall, but hear me out. It’s way more than coloring. There’s melted wax art, digital drawing stations, and my personal favorite: the make-your-own-crayon-label booth. I let my kids burn off steam while I sneak in a decent coffee from the food court.
- Boardwalk Bowl – Not just bowling. They’ve got laser tag, arcade games, and even a mini escape room now. We do the “Mom vs Kids” score challenge, which they always win because I’m weirdly terrible at bowling.
- Ripley’s Believe It or Not on I-Drive – I avoided this place for years because I thought it was just for tourists. Turns out, it’s surprisingly fun and even a little educational if you squint. The spinning vortex tunnel got me dizzy, but the kids thought it was the highlight of their week.
- The Escape Hatch – This one’s better for older kids or teens, but if your crew loves puzzles, it’s a hit. We did the “Alien Encounter” room last summer when a thunderstorm rolled in. It gave “family bonding” a whole new meaning. There was yelling, laughter, and at least three arguments about who had the key. We didn’t escape—but we still talk about it.
The Stuff I Keep in My Trunk (Just in Case)
After the third time we got caught in a parking lot monsoon, I started keeping a little rainy day emergency stash in the back of the SUV. It’s not fancy, but it’s saved us from meltdowns more than once.
- Fold-up umbrellas (the colorful kind that won’t start a sibling war)
- Extra socks
- $10 in quarters for old-school arcade machines
- A small dry towel (for wiping off soaked slides or kids who “accidentally” walked into puddles)
- Uno cards, because you can play it pretty much anywhere
Low-Key Indoor Options That Still Feel Special
Some days you just don’t have the energy to go anywhere crowded. On those days, I set the vibe at home like we planned for it—movie marathons, pancake-for-dinner nights, and indoor scavenger hunts. My youngest once spent an hour searching for a rubber duck I forgot to actually hide. He was thrilled when he found it in the fridge. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d just tossed it in there randomly earlier that morning.
Another easy win? Let the kids “camp” in the living room. Throw some blankets over chairs, bring out flashlights, and eat microwave s’mores. Somehow, doing it inside makes it feel more exciting than real camping (plus, fewer bugs).
When All Else Fails: Target and a Snack Bribe
I’m not proud of this one, but desperate times call for desperate Starbucks. There are days where I just walk the aisles of Target with my kids and let them pick one thing from the dollar section. We pretend it’s an adventure. Add a cake pop and boom—mood lifted.
Also, side note: the Target on Colonial has the best layout for strollers, if you’re toting around a tiny one.
Sometimes You Just Wing It
Look, no mom has a perfect rainy day plan every time. Some days you knock it out of the park and other days it’s grilled cheese and screen time. That’s life. The goal isn’t to have Pinterest-worthy activities queued up—it’s to make it to bedtime with everyone still speaking to each other.
Honestly, some of our funniest memories have happened because plans got rained out. Like the time we ended up doing yoga in the garage because the power went out, or when my daughter made an entire “rainstorm restaurant” menu and charged me fake money for soggy cereal. It’s not always pretty, but it’s ours.