Kissimmee Lakefront Park

Kissimmee Lakefront Park is one of the best-kept secrets in the Orlando area for families — a massive, beautifully maintained public park on East Lake Tohopekaliga with over 9,000 Google reviews at 4.8 stars. That extraordinary rating is the first thing you should know: locals absolutely love this park, and most Orlando tourists have no idea it exists.

The park has a lot going on. The centerpiece is the lakefront setting — actual Florida lake views, not a man-made resort pond — with fishing piers, open promenades, and the kind of natural water scenery that's genuinely calming after days in the theme park corridor. But there's also a splash pad that kids under 12 go absolutely crazy for in warm months, a playground, an amphitheater that hosts regular community events, and wide open lawns that invite picnics and ball games.

For families staying in the Kissimmee/Disney area (which includes a huge share of Orlando visitors), this park is 25-30 minutes away and does not require a car with GPS-level navigation — it's well-signed and easy to find on the Kissimmee waterfront. Lakeview Drive leads directly to the park and there's free parking.

Evening visits deserve special mention. Unlike most outdoor parks that close at 6pm, Kissimmee Lakefront stays open until 10pm. Post-dinner visits on summer evenings — when the sun goes down, the temperature drops, and the park lights up — are genuinely lovely and a totally different experience from the midday heat.

Several waterfront restaurants are within walking distance if you want to make a dinner-plus-park-walk evening out of it.

Bring a change of clothes for any kids who plan to hit the splash pad. Bring fishing gear if older kids want to try the piers. Bring nothing if you just want to sit by a lake and do nothing for an hour — this park accommodates that just as well.