Things to do in Orlando for Birthday Celebrations 2024

The first time we went to Orlando it was our daughter’s birthday whilst we were away and we had great fun trying to work out how to celebrate. Whatever age you are, there aren’t many better places to spend your birthday than in Florida and there are so many options when it comes to celebrating so I thought I’d share some of our favourites across the central Florida region.

How to spend a Birthday in Orlando

Magic Kingdom Theme Park

Top of our list, and where we ended up for our daughter’s birthday, is the Magic Kingdom. It’s where dreams come true and a place just full of magic that it’s the perfect place for a fun birthday. Although we chose the Magic Kingdom, the other Walt Disney World theme parks would all be a great options and each has something different to offer depending on whose birthday you are celebrating.

Walt Disney World has so many characters to meet and fancy restaurants to book – and we ended up having lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table, inside the picturesque castle and right in the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort. It was a pretty special experience.

If you’re travelling with older teens or adults, Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour is meant to be incredible or you could try the EPCOT Seas Adventures – DiveQuest for something completely different. 

Universal Studios

If you’d like to spend a birthday in one of the other Orlando theme parks, then the Universal Orlando Resort is a great choice. Universal Studios or Universal’s Islands of Adventure would be amazing options for a perfect birthday day out. More great character meets, incredible entertainment, some of the best rides we have ever been on and fantastic dining options, it’s a great place for anyone to spend their birthday – especially if they love Harry Potter, Minions or superheroes!

Kennedy Space Center

One of our favourite days out is always Kennedy Space Center and it’s a great choice for a birthday. With so much to see, learn and discover, it takes you on a journey through history, through space and into the future. You might even be able to join in with a Q&A session with an astronaut or see a shuttle launch.

Orlando Science Center

Who doesn’t love a science centre? The Orlando Science Center os a great choice for a birthday with so many interactive exhibits, so much to learn and floors full of fun. 

Titanic Artifact Exhibition

Another great museum option is Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. Teaching you all about the Titanic and the lives of the people on board, it’s an insightful, emotive day out perfect for any history fan. Plus, you could even attend the Titanic Gala Dinner and make a real occasion of it. 

Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park

Why not take on Orlando’s most thrilling tree top obstacle adventure for your birthday? With courses that get progressively more challenging and different courses for different abilities, it’s something that you could do with friends or family. Everyone will be pushed out of their comfort zone, having an experience that they’ll remember forever. It’s also one of the most popular birthday party places in Orlando.

iFly Orlando Indoor Sky Diving

Another challenging, exhilarating experience is indoor skydiving. What a way to mark your birthday – having a skydiving experience without even really leaving the ground!

Lake Eola Park

On our last trip to Florida we ventured to downtown Orlando for the first time and got to experience the calm and serenity of Lake Eola Park. If you want a more laid back and relaxed birthday celebration then you could hire a Swan Pedal Boat on the lake, enjoy the farmer’s market and maybe even see a show at The Walt Disney Amphitheater.

Winter Park

Another great option away from theme parks is Winter Park. A beautiful place to wander around, grab lunch and relax, it’s also home to one of Florida’s oldest attractions, the Winter Park Scenic Boat Ride. A great way to spend an hour or two. 

Celebration

Somewhere we always go when we visit Florida is Celebration and you can’t really get anywhere that sounds more perfect to celebrate your birthday than Celebration. A gorgeous lake to walk or cycle round, lovely shops, water fountains for children to play in and some of the best ice cream we have ever had thanks to Kilwins. It’s definitely worth a visit – especially if it’s your birthday.

Crayola Experience

One of the best choices for little ones would be the Crayola Experience, an indoor attraction full of creative fun for all ages but definitely great for preschoolers. It features dozens of hands-on, creative activities creating a colorful adventures that help kids and adults explore art and technology, express their creativity and experience color in a whole new way. Plus, they have loads of Orlando birthday ideas and birthday party packages available too. 

Fun Spot America

Step back in time by visiting Old Town Kissimmee, home of Fun Spot America. A traditional fun fair and theme park that has so many rides, go karts and even a splash pad. Free to enter, you just pay for the rides that you go on. 

Aiguille Rock Climbing Center

Do you enjoy rock climbing? Then visit the Aiguille Rock Climbing Center for your birthday. The biggest indoor rock climbing venue in Central Florida, it’s bound to be a great ways to celebrate birthdays, especially as they offer private group sessions too. 

Planet Obstacle

Who doesn’t love an obstacle course? So why not spend your birthday working through the world’s largest indoor obstacle park, Planet Obstacle? It’s bound to be great fun for the whole family and a great choice for Orlando birthdays.

Wonderworks Orlando

If you’re looking for a completely bonkers day out, visit Wonder Works Orlando. It’s an amusement park for the mind with 28,000 square feet of educational fun. The attraction combines education and entertainment with more than a hundred interactive exhibits that challenge the mind and spark the imagination. Plus, there’s a 4D theatre, laser tag, high ropes and more! They even have birthday party packages available. 

Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Along similar lines to Wonderworks Orlando, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is an attraction that will baffle you! Educational entertainment, so many interactive exhibits and many things you will have never seen anything like before. Great fun and so different!

Discovery Cove

One of our favourite days out in Florida is a trip to Discovery Cove. A whole day of relaxation whilst floating along the lazy river, snorkelling in the Grand Reef and just relaxing on a lounger whilst enjoying all inclusive food and drinks. You can also do an underwater trek, swim with sharks or swim with dolphins and with the birthday package you could even have a dolphin deliver a special birthday message to you too. 

Seaworld

Sea World Orlando is another great day out, perfect for a birthday celebration. Incredible rollercoasters, shows, sea life and so many great add on activities too. We loved Dining with Orcas on our last visit.

Busch Gardens

Busch Gardens Tampa would make a great birthday day out. With amazing rides, so many animals, a safari and opportunities to join tours and get up close to so many wild animals too. It’s a great day out.

Legoland Florida

Legoland Florida is a must for any Lego fan and it’s one of our favourite days out near Orlando. A great birthday choice, there are rides, shows, a huge Lego store and more Lego models than you have ever seen before! Here are 10 Things to do at Legoland Florida.

Central Florida Zoo

Another fantastic animal themed day out is a trip to the Central Florida Zoo and Botanic Garden in Sanford, about half an hour drive from Orlando. It’s home to so many animals plus there are keeper talks, train rides, aerial adventures and even the opportunity to feed a giraffe!

Airboat Tour

An airboat tour is one of the top things to do in Florida and it would make a lovely birthday treat. Whether you go to Wild Florida, Boggy Creek or spend the day in the Everglades, it will be an experience you will never forget.

Helicopter Tour

Less authentic than an airboat ride but an incredible experience nonetheless would be a helicopter ride. Seeing the whole of Florida from the sky, pointing out Disney World and Universal. I can’t think of anything else quite like it as far as birthday celebrations go.

Food Tour

Every area has a food tour and it’s a great birthday option for the foodie in your life. There’s the Orlando Food Tour. the Winter Park Foodie Walking Tour or Sanford Food Tours: Orlando’s Best Foodie Adventure plus so many more. Immerse yourself in a taste adventure that you’ll always remember.

Ghost Tour

Getting more and more popular as time passes, ghost tours are a great, different activity to do for a birthday or any other occasion. Plus, you can twin it with a pub crawl to make it even more of an event! Here are the Best US Cities in Florida and Beyond for a Haunted Night Out.

ICON Park

A great place to spend your birthday would be ICON Park Orlando. Home to the Sea Life Orlando Aquarium, Madame Tussauds Orlando and the iconic Wheel at ICON Park, it’s a real hub of entertainment and dining in the heart of Orlando. We loved visiting Museum of Illusions Orlando on our last trip.

Water Parks

Water parks are a great place to spend your birthday. Water slides and rides, lazy rivers or even just hiring a cabana and spending the day reading a good book and drinking cocktails. Universal’s Volcano Bay, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Aquatica are all top choices. 

Disney Springs

Disney Springs has a bit of everything for a birthday celebration. Great restaurants, shops, activities and entertainment. You could have a ride on the Aerophile, seeing the whole of Disney from the sky like a hot air balloon ride, enjoy a dine-in movie, work through a tasting flight at the Coca Cola rooftop bar or have a vintage Amphicar tour. 

Universal CityWalk

Much like Disney Springs, Universal’s CityWalk is a fantastic place to spend your birthday. There are so many top name restaurants, so much entertainment and just loads to see and do. Billed as the Epicenter of Awesome, it’s somewhere most people would happily be when they turn another year older. 

Shopping

Shopping is always a great Birthday pastime and thanks to the amazing malls in and around Orlando you can spend a whole day shopping with ease. The Mall at Millenia, The Florida Mall, Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets and Orlando International Premium Outlets are great choices. 

American Girl Store

One of the most popular shops in Orlando is the American Girl Store and any child would love to visit on their birthday, choosing a doll that looks just like them – along with loads of accessories too! It’s not just a little shopping but a whole experience.

Dinner Shows

If you’re looking for a meal with a difference then a dinner show could be just the thing. With options like Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament or the Pirates Dinner Adventure, there’s something for everyone. Shows suit all ages, cater to all dietary requirements and are great fun and something completely different.

Other fun activities you could do for your birthday are trampolining at the Altitude Trampoline Park, go karting and arcade fun at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, a round of golf at TopGolf Orlando, soft play fun at Monkey Joe’s, skating at Orlando Ice Den, arcade fun at Dave & Busters or finding your way out of one of the rooms at The Great Escape Room Orlando. They have 3 rooms to choose from: Poker Night, Escape Artist, or Mountain Top Murders.

If all else fails, have a day trip to the coast from Orlando and spend the day on the beach. You really cannot beat a birthday at the seaside, seeing the sights, relaxing and having an ice cream!

So I hope that’s given you some inspiration for fantastic birthday experiences that you can have in Orlando Florida, whether you live there, are on vacation or are just passing through. I’ll add more ideas as I find them and if you’re planning a Floriday vacation, these posts may also be helpful:

• Our 2 Weeks In Orlando Itinerary
• Our 21 Day Orlando Itinerary
• Planning your First Disney World Trip
• The best Orlando Dinner Shows
• 14 Things we Loved about Walt Disney World, Florida
• Our 10 Favourite Interactions with Disney Characters at Disney World, Florida
• Our reasons for choosing a Villa in Florida over a Disney Hotel
• 10 Things to do in and around Orlando with Kids {Aside from Disney and Universal}
• Our Ten Disney World Best Bits
• Things I Learnt in 2 Weeks in America