Let me be honest with you.
I’ve lived in Waterford Lakes since 2001. I’ve raised a family here. And every summer, I watch people spend a small fortune on theme parks when half of the best days we’ve ever had as a family cost us almost nothing.
This list is for the locals. The ones who live here, work here, and are trying to keep kids busy for three months without emptying their wallets.
Here’s where we go!
1. Rock Springs / Kelly Park: $5 per car
This is the one.
Kelly Park in Apopka charges just $3 per vehicle for 1-2 people, or $5 for a car with 3-8 people. That’s it. For the whole family.
What you get for that five dollars is a natural lazy river through old Florida forest. Crystal clear, spring-fed water that stays cool all summer. Kids absolutely lose their minds over it!
There are no reservations, it’s first-come, first-served. And in summer, the park will be full within an hour of opening. People regularly line up as early as 6 a.m.
Plan to arrive before 8. Bring tubes, a cooler, water shoes, and cash for the gate. Leave by noon. That’s the move!
2. Wekiwa Springs State Park: $6 per car
Rock Springs is for tubing, Wekiwa is for swimming!
The water at Wekiwa Springs stays a refreshing 72 degrees year-round, which in August feels like the greatest gift on earth. It’s about 30 minutes from most of East Orlando.
Wekiwa now requires day-use reservations, but there’s no additional fee to reserve, you just pay the regular park entry online when you book. Make the reservation before you go. Don’t show up and wing it in July!
Trails, wildlife, kayak rentals, picnic areas. A full day for six bucks.
3. Orange County Library System Summer Reading Challenge: FREE
This one surprises people every year.
The Orange County Library System’s Summer at Your Library program runs June 1 through July 26. Kids ages 0 to 18 can pick up a free reading challenge booklet, and choose a free book to keep, thanks to a donation from the Friends of the Orange County Library System.
Beyond the reading challenge, OCLS is offering events all summer: magic shows, science programs, superhero scientists, bilingual shows, Juneteenth celebrations, and technology classes for every age.
And if that’s not enough: Orange County Public Schools Food & Nutrition Services is providing free lunches to children and young adults 18 and under at six OCLS locations, Monday through Friday, June 1 through July 24.
Free book, free lunch, free AC!
4. Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive: FREE
This free 11-mile drive-thru wildlife sanctuary is open to the public Fridays through Sundays and on federal holidays. Visitors can see alligators, birds, otters, and bobcats.
It’s a car window safari. Kids love spotting gators! You don’t have to get out or break a sweat. Bring snacks, binoculars if you have them, and go early before the heat kicks in!
No admission. No reservations. Just show up!
5. Disney Springs: FREE to Walk
No park ticket, no resort stay, and FREE parking.
Disney Springs is completely free to enter. Kids can dig for fossils at the sandbox outside T-Rex Restaurant, build at the LEGO Store play tables, and cool off at the splash pads behind Earl of Sandwich.
This summer there’s also something new worth noting. LEVEL99, a massive interactive attraction, is opening at Disney Springs’ West Side in summer 2026. Entry to LEVEL99 itself isn’t free, but just wandering Disney Springs with kids for a few hours costs nothing. There’s live music on weekends, street performers, and the Disney vibe without the ticket price.
6. Lake Eola Park: FREE
Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando features two playgrounds, a 0.9-mile walking loop around the lake, and free concerts on select weekends!
Sunday farmers market runs year-round near the park if you want to make a morning of it. And if you take a walk around the trail, you’ll see plenty of swans roaming around!
7. Splash Pads: FREE or Nearly Free
Orlando and Seminole County are full of them. Local splash pads are generally free or very inexpensive to visit.
If you’re in East Orlando, Avalon Park has one. Waterford Lakes Town Center area has parks within minutes. Kissimmee Lakefront Park has a Florida-themed splash pad right on the water. These are the spots locals use on a random Wednesday afternoon when the kids need to burn energy and you’re not trying to spend $30 in gas and parking.
Search “[your zip code] splash pad Orlando” and you’ll find one close to home!
8. Orlando Wetlands Park
This park is a man-made wetland designed to provide advanced treatment for reclaimed water from the City of Orlando, and it has an incredible boardwalk. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday, sunrise to sunset, and closed on Mondays. Free tram tours run Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Over 1,600 acres of Florida wilderness. Alligators, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, herons. Kids who’ve never paid attention to nature will be glued to the window of that tram.
The boardwalk is new and genuinely impressive. Walk it in the morning before the heat rolls in, bring water, and give yourself at least an hour.
No admission, no parking fee. Just show up!
It’s out near Christmas, Florida: about 30 minutes east of downtown Orlando. If you’re in Waterford Lakes or Avalon Park, you’re practically neighbors with it!
One More Thing...
If you’re a family living here and you’ve been thinking about what this market means for you: whether that’s buying your first home, upsizing as the kids get older, or just figuring out where things stand, I’m happy to talk through it.
No pressure, just a conversation.
That’s what neighbors are for!
Ray Lopez Team | Keller Williams Advantage II Realty
📞 407-697-8298 | 📧 closings@raylopezteam.com
What’s your family’s go-to free summer spot in Central Florida? Drop it in the comments, I’m always looking to add to the list!
