Yes, it’s crazy outside. But yes, there is the option to steam and stand side by side for a ride. Orlando has many indoor attractions to fill in overheated vacations and time spent. There are five combo packs that provide direct sunlight only while traveling from the car to the gate.
Merlin Mind
Icon Park has some 1-2 attraction punches, but consider strolling through the Orlando Madame Tussauds arc before sprinting through the Sea Life Orlando Aquarium. They are both located in large buildings at the foot of Orlando Eye, so there is no heat or rain surrounded by stops. All three of these attractions are owned by Merlin Entertainments, so there is a ticket bundle.
Tussauds features wax-based replicas of famous people ready for close-ups and selfies. The most recent addition is a new version of Taylor Swift, one of 13 poses created by Tussauds Outlets around the world. Sea Life features sharks, turtles, stintrays, jellyfish, and seahorse creatures. The structural highlight is the ocean tunnel, which is likely a comprehensive view of underwater life on a dry landing aircraft.
Merlin also runs the Sealife Florida Aquarium, which opened in Winter Haven earlier this year next to Legoland Florida.
More information: Madametussauds.com and Visitsealife.com
GO: Cart and Car
Deselland Park, which charges itself as Florida’s biggest indoor attraction, doubles driving-related activities. The building has an electric go-kart course that includes major hairpins. Nearby is Orlando Auto Museum, which has 2,000 vehicles worth $200 million. Some are old and rare, some are famous on big screens, others are completely rare.
These attractions are ticketed separately. There are additional Deserland options to blend sports and trampolines, including bowling, ax throwing, pinball, laser tags, cinemas, jumpstarts and more.
More information: dezerlandpark.com
Old and new technologies
More than a century ago, the Titanic, a marvelous modern ocean progression, sank into the Atlantic Ocean. Approximately 200 items (and replicas) of the liner are on display at Titanic. An artifact exhibition containing formidable masses of the ship’s actual hull. The attraction recently added a black glass necklace recovered from the seabed, and considered it another possible relic from the ship.
Tech Today allows for adventures with headsets. Traveling the International Drive south from the Titanic attraction is the newly opened Sandbox VR at Pointe Orlando. The attraction features a headset and full-body motion capture for the experience entitled “Squid Game Virtuals,” “Amber Sky 2088,” and “Curse of Davy Jones.”
Details: Titanicorlando.com and sandboxvr.com/orlando
Ripley Entertainment / Courtesy Photo
Visitors interweave Ripley’s mirror maze. (Courtes of Ripley Entertainment)
Believe it 2
That’s strange, and it’s fine. Ripley’s unbelieved museum has many items related to heaven and earth, including rooms dedicated to the Freak Show, Florida. But there are also filmmaking tributes, and I feel like I’m far away. The Space Section will also show off a 3,197 pound met stone and a “Star Wars” lightsaber equipped on the screen by Luke Skywalker.
Its next door neighbour is the mirror maze of sister charm Ripley, ruining your mind with reflections (and reflections) and LEDs that distort the passageway.
Not by chance, Ripley’s Daily Manga on Monday said, “The human brain cannot make complicated decisions if it’s too hot outside.”
More information: Ripleys.com
Escape from i-drive
The two Orlando Museums have fresh supply, but I don’t recommend walking between the two this week.
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the city’s founding, Orange County Regional History Center presents Orlando, a collection of items related to pop culture, politics, parks and more. This Friday, the Downtown Museum will have a “lunch and learning” session on creating the exhibition.
Meanwhile, the Orlando Science Centre (approximately 2.5 miles north of Rock Haven Park) will have four levels of exhibits and films, as well as the current exhibit called “DC Superheroes: Discover Your SuperPowers.” A cape is provided.
More details: osc.org and thehistorycenter.org
Please email dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Bluesky: @themeparksdb. Thread account: @dbevil. X Account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters.
Original issue: July 28, 2025, 4:55pm EDT
