DAY IN A LIFE: CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE ORLANDO

If you're visiting Orlando, you're undoubtedly aware of all the theme park alternatives. Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World are all massive tourist sites that draw significant visitors to Orlando each year. However, there are times when you need a vacation from the theme parks and are seeking activities to do on your day off. For families with small children, the Crayola Experience in Orlando is an excellent choice. (See their webpage here.)

Crayola Experience Orlando can be found in the Florida Mall at 8001 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32809.

It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

I recommend visiting as soon as the Crayola Experience opens at 10 a.m. You'll beat the crowds and get to see some of the more fascinating displays before they fill up.

You are not permitted to carry food into the Crayola Experience, so eat something before you arrive. If you wish to eat lunch at Cafe Crayola, you may do so as well. It's reasonably priced, and there are lots of kid-friendly meal selections.

WHAT IS THE DURATION OF THE CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE?

I would put aside at least 2 hours. If you want to get your money's worth and accomplish all there is to do, it will probably take closer to 3 or 4 hours.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AT THE CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE?

The Crayola Experience was packed with exciting activities for kids, and some of the displays and attractions even had us, adults, interested. The ticket office and gift store are on the first floor, while all of the attractions are upstairs.

WRAP IT UP

The wrap-it-up station is right when you enter the second floor. We didn't do it right immediately since we saw it needed you to use the tokens you received when you purchased your tickets, and we weren't sure whether we'd need the tokens for anything else.

We didn't, as it turns out. You won't need your tokens for anything else unless you wish to buy modeling clay or paint to undertake any of the creative projects.

Wrap It Up is a kiosk where kids may choose their favorite crayon color and name it, then print out their own wrapper. They may next proceed to the wrapping station and either hand-wrap or use the convenient machine to wrap their crayon.

My husband and I also joined in the fun, giving creative crayon names and experimenting with different hues.

SILLY SELFIE STATION

The Silly Selfie Station is a bank of computers that take your picture, and you can add hats, beards, glasses, lipstick, crazy hair, and more to make your selfie, well, silly! Your picture then shows up on the wall, and our son was absolutely giddy to find his crazy pictures floating around on the screen. There’s even an option to email the photos to yourself to remember your day.

COLORING STATION

What is the Crayola Experience without the opportunity to color? There are thousands of crayons available to kids at the coloring station, but my kids still found a way to fight over specific crayons.

There are also a plethora of coloring sheets to select from! This section is ideal for toddlers and young children who need a respite from all the excitement and commotion.

MELT & MOLD

This exercise captivated my son. A Staff personnel assists children (and adults) in inserting a crayon into the melting machine, where they may pick what shape they wish to sculpt the wax into, either a silly emoji or a race car.

You get to keep your freshly made crayon, and I showed him how he could still color with it at home if hewanted to. He was very happy with his choice of a race car in blue and red.

DRIP ART

This is another portion that requires some assistance from the staff. Kids are once again assisted in placing their crayons in a melting machine, but this time the melting wax is utilized to create art. They insert a circular piece of paper into the machine's bottom, where it spins and catches the dripping wax, forming a lovely pattern on the page.

Here's the finished work of art, we displayed our plates

RAINBOW RAIN

This was one of our toddler's favorite sites! Essentially, children stand in front of a giant screen with colors pouring down on them. They appear on the screen, and the rain travels around them, giving the impression that they are soaked in color. It's cute and manages to keep their attention for a few minutes.

YOU DESIGN

Take your work for a test drive!

In this one-of-a-kind exercise, anybody can be a designer! You may print, scan, and digitally embellish your automobile or fashion design to your distinctive style in this interactive virtual studio, then show it out in the limelight! On a massive projected screen, have your model walk the runway or your automobile race the course!

SCRIBBLE SCRUBBIE

ATTENTION PET FANS! Don't miss Crayola's award-winning toy that has been transformed into a life-sized attraction. Color, scrub, and play with your FREE Scribble Scrubbie*, a washable critter that will keep you entertained for hours!

WAX HANDS

Do you want to spice up your day? (extra costs apply) In their premium section, you may participate in specialty crafts as well as other fun activities such as wax hands, sand art, gem mining, arcade games, and more!

These activities are not included in entry and incur extra costs. Annual Passholders can save up to 30% depending on the pass level. (Arcade games excluded)

Must be 6 years of age to create wax hands.

KALEIDOSCOPE

In this whirling explosion of color and light, you become the piece of art!

There are a couple more stations we didn't get to during our visit, but I quickly realized that you could spend an entire day at the Crayola Experience and never get bored! Because we have a highly busy child, we opted to make our stay brief.

For other families with toddlers: ours kept remarkably interested for most of our time there. You may undertake or adapt a variety of activities to encourage them to participate. You could easily remain for the recommended 3-4 hours if your kid is not as active as ours.

Here's the link to Crayola Experience Orlando.

Other Tips I recommend:

1. Arrive early. I know I said it in the introduction, but I believe it is worth repeating. The crowds were thin when we came just after 10 a.m. on a Saturday, and we had our pick of activities and equipment. The restaurant was buzzing as we were getting ready to leave at about 1 p.m., and there were families everywhere. The noise level increased (obviously), and we had to wait a little longer for certain activities. I can't imagine getting there at that hour! It would be very overpowering. The second alternative is to arrive later in the afternoon when the throngs have begun to lessen. Maybe have lunch and then let the kids have their afternoon nap or quiet time.

2. Don't simply sit there scrolling through your phone. I understand...very it's tempting when you're in a kid-friendly environment. But I thought several of the activities were fascinating, and I enjoyed being able to discuss them with my children later. Demonstrate your enthusiasm! Also, you paid for your ticket, so use it wisely!

3. While researching rates online, I discovered that a yearly pass costs only a few dollars more than a one-day admission. You might not be able to see everything in one day, so purchasing an annual pass is well worth it if you know you'll be returning to the Orlando region at some time.

4. You may either use the tokens you received at the start to acquire items for the art stations, or you can spend 50 cents to a dollar.

I hope this was helpful as you plan your trip. This is something you can absolutely do with small children and toddlers, therefore I strongly recommend adding it to your Orlando itinerary.

If you want more useful advice for traveling with small children, download my free packing lists and join my email list - I send out approximately one or two emails a month with family travel ideas and suggestions.