Orlando has plenty of things for families to do, but it also has a lot of something else — rain. So when the popular outdoor theme parks are not an option — or you just want a change of pace — release your inner 90’s kid and head down to the local mall!
Crayola Experience Orlando is housed right inside The Florida Mall on Orange Blossom Trail. It was the perfect escape for my family on a recent chilly, rainy day we spent in Orlando. We left our Disney resort and took our rental car out for the under-20-minute drive to Crayola, so my son could flex his creative muscles and release some energy indoors. With 70,000 square feet of space, there’s plenty of room to create and play here! We knew the theming would be adorable as soon as we saw the colorful, playful characters from the parking lot!
Crayola Experience is a hands-on art attraction based on Crayola products, with five locations across the U.S. As the company says, it’s “where the magic of Crayola comes to life.” Every inch of this space was colorfully designed and delightfully planned. It looks like a giant crayon factory and the wide open spaces and open-concept design are a welcome change in a typically crowded tourist city like Orlando.
It’s a great place for little ones, but suitable for kids of all ages, especially if you have a creative in your crew. My ten-year-old son is incredibly artistic so he absolutely LOVED this place! There are attractions for every skill set and age, and we even got to have pizza and popcorn that my son enjoyed at one of the many colorful seating areas.
Some spots, like the indoor playground called Toddler Town, are geared toward little ones, and seemed to be a big hit with that crowd. But there are plenty of activities to get older kids creating too.
Our favorite activities included naming and wrapping our own crayons with a custom-printed label, creating spin art, and melting crayons and molding them into fun shapes. There are staff members available at most of these machines to assist with their operation, and everyone who worked there was very pleasant.
From a parent’s perspective, I felt the best part about this place is the flexibility. All the attractions are located on one floor, and children essentially have the run of the place, with freedom to choose whatever activities they wish to do while parents can join in or take a rest at one of the many seating areas. A few of the activities do require a special coin or ticket to operate, but you will receive several with your admission.
Besides interactive activities, there are some great exhibits to learn about. You can watch a film about how crayons are made. You can learn all about the history of the Crayola Company.
And you’ll definitely want to check out Bluetiful, the world’s largest Crayola crayon! Bluetiful is on permanent display here so it’s the only place you can find it now. Weighing in at 1,352 pounds and measuring 15.6 feet long, this real crayon is the real MVP of Crayola.
Speaking of special crayons, the Crayon Tour hits Crayola Experience Orlando this Spring and Summer, enabling guests to meet some of the company’s adorable crayon characters. Check the website for meet-and-greet times so your family can hug some crayons too! Other seasonal events include Halloween festivities and Christmas celebrations, complete with colorful decorations.
Once you are finished playing and creating inside the Crayola Experience, you’ll head downstairs and exit through a gigantic gift shop.
I loved it here! There are tons of colorful Crayola merch and only-get-it-here souvenirs (we were sure to pick up some magnets for our refrigerator’s travel collection!) Since the door to this store heads out into the mall, it’s possible for you to shop at the store even without an entry ticket to the Crayola Experience.
If you plan on visiting the Crayola Experience in Orlando, you can purchase tickets online and search for promotions and coupons which often become available. Without promotions, tickets are about $29.99 per person aged 3 and up. If you plan on coming back within the year, annual passes are $44.99 and include 20% off food and merch, which means it will more than pay for itself in two visits.
The Crayola Experience is a great choice for anyone looking for something to do indoors, or families who may be overstimulated by Orlando’s theme parks. While it obviously doesn’t offer as many options a theme park, it is certainly much more reasonably priced, and can offer you a few hours of slow-paced, creative fun for young artists. The Crayola Experience is a great example of why it’s important to check out all Orlando has to offer beyond the parks.
What Lara Wrote 