Maybe you have arrived a little early for your Orlando vacation, your hotel room isn’t ready and you need to kill some time before they let you in. Perhaps you have already checked out of your hotel and need to kill a few hours before your flight. There are a plethora of things to do during your Orlando vacation that only take a an hour or two and just might be the perfect way to fill a hole in your day. Below, are brief descriptions of the best time killers. Click on the name of the attraction, and you will be taken to that place’s web site:

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! - This Orlando “Odditorium” is one of Robert Ripley’s 27 such places around the world. If you’ve been to one, you haven’t been to them all, as each one houses a different collection of the bizarre, ridiculous and unexplainable artifacts that have been collected by Mr. Ripley over the past forty years.

Boggy Creek Airboat & Swamp Buggy Tours - Located in Kissimmee, the adventures offered here allow visitors to explore the real Florida in air boats or giant all-terrain vehicles, viewing birds, alligators and other assorted wildlife in their natural surroundings.

Fun ‘N Wheels - With locations in Orlando and Kissimmee, these family parks have no admission price (you do pay per ride, however) and offer excitement within minutes of the entire Orlando vacation area. There are four different go-kart tracks - each specifically made for different age groups with varying driving skill sets. You will also find bumper boats, a Ferris wheel, a miniature golf course as well as video arcades and Skeeball at the two locations.

Magical Midway - Magical Midway features two elevated go-kart tracks, two daredevil thrill rides and a collection of classic midway rides. Squirting bumper boats, bumper cars and an arcade round out the fun at this family park which offers several different price options including per ride, 3-Hour unlimited passes as well as all day passes.

Fun Spot Action Park - This family fun park features four go-kart tracks, six action-packed midway-style rides and seven children’s rides for those under age seven. At Fun Spot Action Park, you can pay per ride or get all-day unlimited ride passes. The 10,000 square foot, two floor video arcade located here is the largest in Central Florida and offers discounts for bulk token purchases as well as an all you can play pass.

Full Speed Race & Golf - This is the only mini-attraction of its kind in the Orlando vacation area. Located on the Hwy. 192 corridor of Kissimmee, Full Speed Race & Golf has six full motion hydraulically supported ride experiences that are as close as you can get to actually driving in a NASCAR race yourself. Also featured here, is the world’s only 18-hole indoor black light racing-themed miniature golf course. Pay per play, combo and unlimited play passes are available.

Orange Blossom Balloons - Although this doesn’t necessarily fit in with the “places to kill time” theme of this page and it is certainly not in the price range of the other experiences described here, it is an experience that only involves a few hours and is a spectacular way to spend that small segment of time. This thrilling experience starts at 6:00 AM (okay, maybe that part isn’t so thrilling), where you’ll receive a preflight briefing. Then, you will be transported to one of twenty-five launch sites (depending on wind direction) and invited to join in the inflation process, bringing your balloon to life. Then its up, up and away for a breathtaking adventure that you’ll for remember the rest of your life! After your flight, there is a traditional champagne toast before heading off for an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, where you will be awarded a first flight certificate.

Air Florida Helicopter Adventures - Centrally located in the heart of International Drive, this helicopter tour company has been operating for the last eleven years. The state-of-the-art Robinson R44 helicopters offer exceptional comfort and visibility and each pilot provides a narrated tour of the areas you choose to fly over.

SkyVenture - Have you ever wanted to try skydiving but the thought of going splat on the earth thousands of feet below was a bit of a turnoff? The solution to your dilemma is here! At SkyVenture, daredevil wannabe’s have the opportunity to experience a cutting-edge sky diving simulator/vertical wind tunnel that was designed for military and civilian skydive training. 125 mile-per-hour wall-to-wall airflow and multiple ceiling fans are used in the vertical wind tunnels to create a free-fall experience that has participants floating on air in the safest and most realistic skydiving simulation possible - all without the splat factor!

Old Town - Located in Kissimmee, this 1950’s-themed Orlando vacation area mini-attraction includes carnival-style rides, bungee-type thrill rides, unique shops, a wax museum and various restaurants and pubs .

Green Meadows Petting Farm - With more than 300 animals to see and touch and a variety of other “life on the farm” experiences, this is always a favorite stop for families with little ones. The two hour tour gives visitors the ability to touch and learn first-hand about pigs, ducks, geese, chickens, cows and more. Other experiences include a train ride, the opportunity to milk a cow and a tractor-driven hay ride.

Orlando Science Center - Located in the Winter Park area, just north of Orlando, this entertaining museum offers visitors the opportunity to learn science through fun, family-oriented interactive displays and exhibits. Also featured are the CineDome theater, an observatory and a planetarium. Nighttime shows set to rock music are always a favorite at the planetarium.

Horse World Riding Stables - Conveniently located in Kissimmee, this relaxing romp through nature is always a favorite with horse loving Orlando vacationers. There are three different guided trails offered here that offer excellent riding opportunities for beginners, intermediate or advanced riders. Depending on the trail, your ride will take from 45 minutes to an hour-and-a-half and opportunities to observe Florida wildlife in their natural habitat are abundant throughout the 750-acre area.

Charles Hosmer Morse Museum Of American Art - This museum, located on Park Avenue in the quaint Winter Park area, houses the world's most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) including Tiffany jewelry, pottery, paintings, glass, leaded-glass windows, lamps, and the chapel interior he designed for the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago. The Museum's holdings also include a major collection of American pottery and representative collections of late 19th and early 20th century American paintings, graphics, and decorative arts. After visiting the museum, the shops of Park Avenue offer a variety of one-of-a-kind items that are sure to catch the eye of shopping enthusiasts in your group.

Orlando Museum Of Art - Located on the north side of downtown Orlando near Winter Park, this museum presents exhibitions of local, national and international significance, and provides educational and outreach programs in the visual arts. Its permanent collections include American art, art of the ancient Americas and an impressive African art collection. Constantly updated with “visiting exhibitions” from around the world, this museum offers something different every time you visit.

Just Mini-golf: Miniature golf is always a fun thing to do to kill some time at the beginning, the end or even in the middle of your Orlando vacation. There are so many miniature golf courses in the Orlando vacation area, you can’t drive for five minutes without coming across another one. I don’t think I could possibly name them all and I certainly couldn’t offer a sincere description of them if I tried. But, if you need to kill an hour or so, they’re here, they’re there, they’re everywhere!