Fun options: 21 awesome Orlando attractions outside of Disney and Universal

Magical Midway Thrill Park
7001 International Drive, 407-370-5353, magicalmidway.com

Elevated wooden go-kart tracks, a ginormous slingshot ride, bumper cars and boats, a carousel and an arcade, all in one plaza right on I-Drive.
Photo via jimvid.smugmug.com

Gatorland
14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail , 407-855-5496, gatorland.com

Gatorland is a roadside attraction turned eco-preserve. The flesh-eating beasts roam (almost) free, along with many more scary things.
Photo via Flickr user pgoldman

Orlando Science Center
777 E. Princeton St., 407-514-2000, osc.org

How can you not love a museum that's home to SimMan, a life-sized simulated sick person whose vital signs you can follow until he flatlines? The science center also has Florida's largest refractor telescope and all sorts of hands-on learning experiences that'll appeal to kids and adults alike.
Photo via Expedia

Ripley's Believe It or Not!
8201 International Drive , 407-354-0501, orlando.ripleys.com

You've probably seen Ripley's Believe It or Not "odditoriums" at pretty much every tourist trap you've ever visited. This one is home to a full-sized car made out of matchsticks, a portrait of Beyoncé made out of candy and an actual human shrunken head, all housed inside a building that looks like it's falling into a sinkhole.
Photo via Today's Orlando

Fun Spot America
5700 Fun Spot Way, 407-363-3867, fun-spot.com

Go-karts, bumper boats, carousels, slides, an arcade and an awesome wooden rollercoaster make this park worth checking out. Pay by the ride or buy an armband for unlimited fun.
Photo via Willie Allen, Jr. on Flickr

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
State Road 405 east of Titusville, 321-449-4444 , kennedyspacecenter.com

Space junkies, this complex is worth the drive to Titusville: Take guided tours of launch areas, see historic rockets, ride the Shuttle Launch Experience and see the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Photo via Orlando Sentinel

WhirlyDome
6464 International Drive, 407-212-3030, whirlydome.com

Play a game that's a combination of hockey, jai alai, basketball and bumper cars at this unusual I-Drive attraction. There's also an arcade, lazer tag, lazer frenzy, a restaurant and bowling, which makes it the perfect one-stop attraction for days when it's too rainy to take in the parks.
Photo via WhirlyDome on Facebook

WonderWorks
9067 International Drive, 407-351-8800, wonderworksonline.com

Housed in an upside-down building, this attraction has high-tech effects that simulate earthquakes, hurricanes and a hang-gliding experience; plus indoor zip lines, a 4-D theater ride and more.
Photo via Today's Orlando

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
3755 N.W. Highway 17-92, Sanford, 407-323-4450, centralfloridazoo.org

The Orlando area's only zoo is home to more than 400 animals, as well as the Zoom Air Adventure Park.
Photo via Flickr user John A

I-Drive 360 Entertainment Complex
8445 International Drive, 407-601-7907, i-drive360.com

They say that on a clear day, you'll be able to see the Kennedy Space Center from the top of the Orlando Eye, a 400-foot-tall observation wheel that's the centerpiece of the newest of I-Drive's entertainment destinations. Catch the breathtaking view, then check out one of the other attractions: Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the Sea Life Aquarium or the Skeletons museum. The complex is scheduled to open on May 4, 2015.
Photo via @TampaAmazeMe on Twitter

Escapology
11951 International Drive, 407-278-1515, orlando.escapology.com

Escapology only has one other location, in Koh Samui, Thailand, but plan on further expansion. They offer three different scenarios – a Cuban missile crisis, a Wild West saloon shootout and a shanghaied ship – and they're planning a fourth based on a virus that threatens humanity. Tickets range between $24 and $30, depending on how many people are in your group.
Photo via Escapalogy

Artegon Marketplace
5250 International Drive, 407-351-7718, artegonorlando.com

This repurposed mall is now an open-air market of sorts that houses booths where artists, artisans, craftspeople and more hawk their wares.
Photo by Tom Hurst Photography

Forever Florida
4755 N. Kenansville Road, St. Cloud, 407-957-9794, foreverflorida.com

Eco-safaris of a 4,700-acre Florida nature preserve by horseback, open-air coach or zipline offer views of a traditional Cracker-style ranch, gators, black bears and other wildlife. Overnight horseback tours available.
Photo via Orlando Sentinel

Wet 'n Wild
6200 International Drive, 407-351-1800, wetnwild.com

Experience thrill rides with vertical drops, multi-person tubing rides, toboggan slides and more. If you like your water rides on the milder side, float along the lazy river or splash in the wave pool.
Photo via Flickr user Ricky Brigante

It's a Trap!
6744 Aloma Ave., Winter Park, 407-960-3824, itsatrapgame.com

Winter Park's It's a Trap! drops you into fantasy and science fiction-themed scenarios involving evil necromancers, trapped dragons, deadly pathogens and an incoming post-apocalyptic zombie horde. Tickets are $23 and must be booked in advance at their site.
Photo via It's a Trap on Facebook

I-Drive NASCAR Indoor Kart Racing
5228 Vanguard St., 844-437-4831, idrivenascar.com

This indoor go-kart race facility isn't just for the little ones – big kids will also enjoy racing the environmentally friendly electric carts around the half-mile track at up to 45 miles per hour.
Photo via Orlando Sentinel

Aquatica
5800 Water Play Way, 888-800-5447, aquaticabyseaworld.com

SeaWorld's water park. Enjoy a variety of slides alongside animal attractions. Hours vary seasonally; admission prices vary with deals for Florida residents.
Photo via aquatica.com

The Great Escape Room
23 1/2 S. Magnolia Ave., thegreatescaperoom.com/orlando

The Great Escape Room in downtown Orlando is located on Magnolia Avenue, right between the Harp and Celt. The rooms are based on Sherlock Holmes, and you get your choice of two rooms to break out of: the Library (Sherlock's Study) or the Gameroom. Tickets are $28 per person and you must book in advance at their website.
Photo via The Great Escape Room on Facebook

Titanic the Experience
7324 International Drive, 407-248-1166, titanictheexperience.com

The 20,000-square-foot interactive museum offers a guided tour of authentic artifacts by costumed actors portraying the famous passengers and crew of the "unsinkable" ship.
Photo via Flickr user cliff1066

CSI: The Experience
7220 International Drive, 407-226-7220, orlando.csiexhibit.com

Hands-on science experience gives visitors a chance to pretend they're investigators trying to crack a crime.
Photo via CSI: The Experience