There are so many parks, playgrounds and splash pads in Orlando so we wanted to compile a list of our Top 5 Favorites. In our opinion, these are the best, less frequented parks in Orlando. Wouldn't it be fun to check out a different one each weekend this fall?
This small playground has such a fun theme and any kids or parents who love airplanes will love visiting this place. It has Colonel Kittinger’s actual F-4 Phantom aircraft on display. You can easily see small planes taking off and landing while you play at the nearby Executive Airport. They even have a box playing radio chatter by the pavilion. The down side is that this park has very little to no shade! It also has no bathrooms or water fountains, so make sure you use the facilities before you leave home. The playground is also rather small, so it seems it is more suited for younger kids. It is fenced in, so you don’t have to worry about runners.
2. Downey Park
This park is expansive, with 2 playgrounds, a splash pad, basketbal courts, a small skate park, sand volleyball, 2 bathrooms, and plentiful parking. The splash pad has plenty of seating, and is usually pretty crowded on the weekends. Cost varies from free to a couple dollars a person depending on the season, check the county parks page for up to date info. When visiting the splash pad, bring only water, as no food or drinks can be inside the gates. Also make sure that little ones are in swim diapers as regular diapers arent allowed. Sunscreen is super important, because there is absolutely no shade while playing in the water. You may bring water friendly toys, but be sure to mark your name on them because toys are a hot commodity here and all of the kids are going to want to play with them! The large playground looked in disrepair when I last visited, but the smaller playground was great. Both have restrooms, and swings, but neither have shade structures. Beautiful vistas overlooking the lake, and tons of picnic tables and grills throughout the entire park.
B-52 Memorial Park is a hidden park adjacent to the Orlando International Airport. Its fairly small, with a few benches and some shade. Its a perfect spot to view a real retired B-52 aircraft. There are no restrooms at this park and it does not have a playground or climbing structure.
4. Warren Park
Warren Park is hidden in a neighborhood within Belle Isle. Warren Park offers plenty of natural shade and has 2 playgrounds, one for younger children and one for larger children. The park offers restrooms on both sides of the park. There are plenty of picnic tables and a covered pavilion with BBQ stations throughout. The park also has tennis courts, a sand volleyball court, and plenty of empty space to run or play sports. There's also a walking trail with workout stations that surround the park.
Warren park is located next to Lake Conway and has a dock where you can enjoy non motorized water activities such as kayaking, paddle-boarding, and fishing.
This was a great park. When you first enter the parking lot, there is a large field set up for soccer games to your left and a huge parking lot to your right. Then there is a large building with clean restrooms and changing rooms. There was a window labeled concession but it was closed. Maybe this is open when they have soccer games going. Behind the building, there is a huge playground. The playgrounds are closed right now but a sign said it was because they were installing sunshades, to be completed in November, 2018. The playground had a lot of areas to climb on and the ground was a nice bouncy rubber floor. There is another smaller playground on the other side of the large parking lot and it is connected to a walking trail. There is a canoe and boat dock by the smaller playground and a small covered area with a few picnic tables.
