Airboat tours
Kissimmee is airboat country. Operators on the chain of lakes and out toward the headwaters of the Everglades run rides through the marshes, with a good chance of spotting alligators, turtles and wading birds. Morning trips are cooler and the wildlife more active; book ahead in peak season.
Old Town
A retro entertainment strip with a classic-car cruise, fairground rides, go-karts and dozens of small restaurants and shops. Free to walk around, open late, and an easy low-cost evening when you do not fancy another park.
Gatorland
Half theme park, half wildlife reserve, and a Central Florida institution. Alligators and crocodiles by the thousand, a breeding-marsh boardwalk, zip-lines over the gators for the brave, and shows through the day. Good value and genuinely memorable for kids.
The lakes
The Kissimmee chain of lakes is made for boating, bass fishing, jet-skiing and lakeside sunsets. Rent a pontoon for a lazy afternoon, hire a fishing guide, or find a lakeside restaurant and watch the birds.
Golf
The area is dense with well-kept courses, many attached to the resort communities themselves, at prices well below the coastal resorts. Twilight rates are the value play, and several communities include or discount rounds for guests.
Eating in Kissimmee
From proper barbecue and Latin American food to the big family buffet restaurants, Kissimmee eats well and cheaply. Highway 192 has the volume; venture a little off it for the local spots. Or lean on the villa kitchen and the nearby Publix for the nights you would rather stay in.
Where to stay nearby
Kissimmee's resort communities — Storey Lake, Windsor Hills and more — put water parks and lazy rivers on your doorstep, minutes from the theme parks. Browse Kissimmee homes and add an airport transfer to the same booking.