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Ballooning | Golf | Miniature Golf | Skydiving
There are many ways to enjoy the outdoors here, but a few activities stand out. You can keep your feet planted firmly on the ground and play golf (or miniature golf), or you can take to the “skies.”
Ballooning
Fodor’s Choice | Bob’s Balloons.
Bob’s offers one-hour rides over protected marshland and even flies over the Disney area if wind and weather conditions are right. You meet at Champions Gate, near Disney World, at dawn, where Bob and his assistant take you by van to the launch site. It takes about 15 minutes to get the balloon in the air, and then you’re off on an adventure that definitely surpasses Peter Pan’s Flight in the Magic Kingdom.
You’ll see farm and forest land for miles, along with horses, deer, wild boar, cattle, and birds flying below you. Bob may take you as high as 1,000 feet, and you may be able to see such landmarks as the Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest mountain and Epcot’s Spaceship Earth sphere. Several other balloons are likely to go up near you—there’s a tight-knit community of ballooners in the Orlando area—so you’ll view these colorful sky ornaments from an unparalleled sightline. There are seats in the basket, but you’ll probably be too thrilled to sit down. Check the website for specials and call Bob to reserve. | Orlando | 407/466–6380, 877/824–4606 | www.bobsballoons.com | $175 per person.
Golf
If golf is your passion, you already know that Arnold Palmer and Gary Player—in fact, almost half of the PGA tour—make Orlando their off-road home. It’s not by accident that the Golf Channel originates from here. The Bay Hill Invitational and several LPGA tourneys (the headquarters is in Daytona) come to Orlando every year. And with more than 170 public and private courses, there’s ample opportunity for you to play on world-class courses such as Grand Cypress or Champions Gate.
Miniature Golf
FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | Hawaiian Rumble Adventure Golf.
Who can resist miniature golfing around an erupting volcano? Hawaiian Rumble combines a tropical setting with waterfalls, tunnels, tiki gods, and flame-belching mountains. There’s also a location in the Lake Buena Vista area. Enjoyed your first round? It’s only a few bucks to play an additional 18 holes. | 8969 International Dr. | 407/351–7733 | www.hawaiianrumbleorlando.com | $9.95 (18 holes), $12.95 (36 holes) | Sun.–Thurs. 9 am–11 pm, Fri. and Sat. 9 am–11:30 pm.
FAMILY | Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf.
Two 18-hole miniature golf courses wind around artificial mountains, through caves, beside waterfalls, and into lush foliage. The beginner’s course is called Captain Kidd’s Adventure; the more advanced course is Blackbeard’s Challenge. There’s another Pirate’s Cove on International Drive. | 12545 State Rd. 535 | Lake Buena Vista | 407/827–1242 | www.piratescove.net | $9.45 (under 10), $10.45 (18 holes), $14.95 (36 holes) | Daily 9 am–11 pm.
Skydiving
Fodor’s Choice | iFLY Orlando.
OK, so technically you aren’t really skydiving, but you come pretty close in this 12-foot-high, 1,000-horsepower wind tunnel that lets you experience everything skydivers do, but closer to the ground.
The experience starts with instruction, after which you suit up and hit the wind tunnel, where you soar like a bird (or try to) under your instructor’s watchful eye. It’s all so realistic that skydiving clubs come to hone their skills. It’s also pretty surreal as you look through the window and see people floating in mid-air. The attraction is safe for anyone under 250 pounds and older than three. The 90-minute introductory experience includes two flights. You can purchase a video of your “jump” for $24.95. | 6805 Visitors Circle | 407/903–1150 | www.skyventureorlando.com | $59.95 and up, depending on package | Daily 10–10:30.