Before heading to the Orlando airport, we decided to make a quick stop nearby at Old Town in Kissimmee, Florida. Celebrating “40 years of Quirky Cool” during out 2026 visit, Old Town is sort of an outdoor mall with fun, unique shops and restaurants combined with an amusement park or carnival. Best of all, it is free to park and enter.
Even though it was lunchtime on a Sunday, Old Town was still pretty quiet and waking up when we hopped out of the car, which meant we had plenty of space to look around and explore. Many rides and attractions were still closed, but a variety of shops and restaurants were open.
Among the attractions, the “Mine Blower” is one of the coolest. This coaster is a combination of steel infrastructure and wooden track and even does an inversion — not something you see everyday!
Another attraction that looks really cool is the “Mortem Manor” haunted house. It claims to be one of the scariest in the country. I would have definitely checked this out if it was open!
“Quirky Cool” is a good way to describe Old Town. The combination of cool shops, restaurants and rides make it a pretty cool spot to wander and explore. I can see it being a nice alternate (possibly cheaper and less crowded?) way to spend a day in Orlando-area for anyone a wanting a break from Disney World and the other major parks.
