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In our October 20, 2026 edition, the best thing to do in Orlando is EPCOT, followed by Magic Kingdom Park and Universal Epic Universe. We weighed 21 options on public reputation, recognition from independent sources and how well each fits the people who go there; this is the October 20, 2026 edition.
Covers Orlando, including the Walt Disney World and Universal resort areas
Orlando Weekly readers voted EPCOT the area's best theme park in 2026, and its Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster won best theme park ride in the same poll.
It pairs rides with World Showcase, an area of pavilions themed to different countries, and it drew about 12.3 million visitors in 2024 according to the TEA attendance index. The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival runs through November 21, 2026.
Magic Kingdom was the most-visited theme park in the world in 2024, with about 17.8 million guests according to the TEA Global Experience Index, and it has more Google reviews than any other attraction on this list.
The park is laid out in six themed lands with rides, costumed characters and parades. Plan on a full day, and note that some evenings are given to separately ticketed events such as Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which runs through October 31, 2026.
Universal's newest park opened on May 22, 2025, and won the 2026 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in a theme park, plus three more Theas for individual rides and lands.
Its five worlds include Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic and How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk, and Orlando Weekly readers ranked it second among local theme parks in 2026. Its public Google rating, 3.9 on about 10,900 reviews, is well below the other parks here, so it ranks below EPCOT and Magic Kingdom despite more awards.
Islands of Adventure placed third for best theme park in Orlando Weekly's 2026 readers' poll and holds a 4.7 Google rating across more than 110,000 reviews.
Its eight themed lands are built around thrill rides such as Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the Jurassic World VelociCoaster and the Incredible Hulk Coaster. One-park tickets start at $124.99 plus tax and change by date.
Open since 1949, Gatorland is a 110-acre wildlife park on South Orange Blossom Trail with alligators, birds and wild cats, educational shows and a zip line.
In Orlando Weekly's 2026 readers' poll it won best zip line and placed second both for best attraction that is not a theme park and for best place for family fun. It holds a 4.7 Google rating on more than 27,000 reviews, the largest review base of any non-theme-park pick here.
Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando won best city park in Orlando Weekly's 2026 readers' poll and has a 4.7 Google rating on nearly 25,000 reviews.
A 0.9-mile sidewalk circles the lake, pedal-powered swan boats can be rented Tuesday through Sunday, and the Orlando Farmers Market sets up on Sundays. Entry is free, and the park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Orlando Weekly readers voted the Orlando Science Center the best museum in Orlando in 2026.
Its hands-on exhibits, planetarium shows and giant-screen films are all indoors, which makes it the strongest rainy-day pick on this list. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. but usually closed on Wednesdays, except during Orange County Public Schools breaks.
Four of the seven are theme parks, split between two resorts. EPCOT and Magic Kingdom sit at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, while Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe belong to Universal Orlando. Magic Kingdom drew about 17.8 million visitors in 2024, more than any other theme park worldwide, and Epic Universe opened only on May 22, 2025.
Plan on a full day at any of the four theme parks. Gatorland and the Orlando Science Center fill about half a day each, and Lake Eola Park needs an hour or two for its 0.9-mile loop and swan boats. That makes a half-day attraction plus a lake walk a realistic plan for a day away from the parks.
Epic Universe won the 2026 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in a theme park, plus three more Theas for its lands and rides, yet its Google rating stood at 3.9 on about 10,900 reviews in October 2026. EPCOT, Magic Kingdom and Islands of Adventure each held 4.6 or 4.7 on more than 100,000 reviews.
For things to do we weigh public reputation, recognition from independent travel guides and how much of Orlando each one shows you, and we keep at least two picks outside the theme parks.
Places are ranked by evidence, not by a single number, and nobody paid to be listed. Figures like drive times and prices change; each one shows where it came from and when. Read the full method.
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Disney Springs, Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney's Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Gatorland, Harry P. Leu Gardens, ICON Park, Kelly Park / Rock Springs, Kennedy Space Center / beaches, Lake Eola Park, Magic Kingdom Park, Orlando Science Center, SeaWorld Orlando, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Universal Epic Universe, Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, Universal Volcano Bay, Wekiwa Springs State Park, Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour.
EPCOT ranks first on our 2026 list: Orlando Weekly readers voted it the area's best theme park, and it holds 4.7 stars on more than 164,000 Google reviews. Magic Kingdom, #2, was the most-visited theme park in the world in 2024.
Our top non-theme-park picks are Gatorland, a wildlife park open since 1949 with animal shows and a zip line; Lake Eola Park downtown; and the Orlando Science Center. Each finished first or second in at least one category of Orlando Weekly's 2026 readers' poll.
Visit Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando, which charges no admission and is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. A 0.9-mile path circles the lake, swan boats can be rented for a fee Tuesday through Sunday, and the Orlando Farmers Market runs there on Sundays.
Go to the Orlando Science Center, Orlando Weekly readers' pick for best museum in 2026, where the hands-on exhibits, planetarium shows and giant-screen films are all indoors. Adult tickets are $29 online or $32 at the door, and it is usually closed on Wednesdays except during Orange County Public Schools breaks.
As of October 2026, one-day tickets for EPCOT and Magic Kingdom start at $119 before tax for ages 10 and up, Islands of Adventure starts at $124.99 plus tax and Epic Universe at $139.99 plus tax. Prices change by date, and the same day can cost more at one park than another.
Magic Kingdom suits families with kids and first-time visitors, with six themed lands, costumed characters and parades. Away from the parks, Gatorland has alligators, birds, wild cats and animal shows, and its child tickets for ages 3 to 12 cost $24.99 plus tax, with $3 off single-day admission when bought online.
Islands of Adventure is built around coasters such as Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the Jurassic World VelociCoaster and the Incredible Hulk Coaster. Epic Universe's Stardust Racers won Best New Coaster in the 2025 Golden Ticket Awards, and EPCOT's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind won Orlando Weekly readers' 2026 vote for best theme park ride.
The Orlando Science Center uses a paid parking garage at 782 Princeton St, which charges $4 per hour. The center is at 777 E Princeton St in Loch Haven Park and opens 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with most Wednesdays closed. Youth tickets for ages 2 to 12 cost $22 online or $25 at the door.
