Dr Philips Playground

Dr. Philips Playground is a small but highly-regarded neighborhood playground in the Dr. Phillips area of southwest Orlando — the same community known for Restaurant Row on Sand Lake Road. It's modest in size, but families who've discovered it give it consistently excellent reviews for being clean, well-maintained, and refreshingly uncrowded.

For a family staying near International Drive or the Universal/Disney corridor, this playground is genuinely close — roughly 10-15 minutes from the theme park area. The residential neighborhood setting makes it feel like a real break from the tourist density of that corridor. You won't find tour buses or long lines; you'll find local families, clean equipment, and a quiet green space that kids enjoy without the sensory overload of major attractions.

The playground is best for kids in the 2-10 range with standard play structures. It connects directly to the Dr. P. Phillips Community Park complex, which has additional green space and amenities. Combining both into a single visit is easy and extends the outing.

The bigger draw for families may actually be the location: Restaurant Row is minutes away, which means you can pair a morning playground visit with lunch at one of dozens of restaurant options on Sand Lake Road. This makes it an easy half-day plan — playground in the morning when it's cooler, lunch at a real sit-down restaurant, and then off to afternoon theme park plans.

Fully free and open year-round with no admission requirements. Go early in summer to beat the heat; fall and spring mornings are the most comfortable for extended outdoor play.