It can be hard to keep your kids entertained at home. When you travel you don’t know the local area, and you don’t know if your kids will like it before you go. However, there are a couple of things to do near Port Canaveral that will keep those on family cruises entertained before its time to get on the ship.
#1 Jetty Park
Jetty Park is an interesting Port Canaveral exclusive. How many cruise ports do know of that have a campground on site in the port? The park and the jetty has been a local destination for years, and it is a nice place for everything from fishing to picnicking. Dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles swimming in the water are common sites on and around the jetty, and time spent here is anything but wasted. Jetty Park is on the south side of Port Canaveral all the way to the east of Cruise Terminal 1.
For hiking or jogging enthusiasts that love a stroll along the beach to a beautiful park, the Holiday Inn Express is only 2.8 miles from Jetty Park. Holiday Inn Express Snooze Park and Cruise packages start at $139 and Holiday Inn Express Fly Snooze and Cruise packages start at $161.
#2 Parker Brothers Concepts
Parker Brothers is still our top pick for family fun thing to do around Port Canaveral. Kids will delight in seeing Optimus Prime, although it is a reproduction of the Michael Bay version. Their parents might enjoy seeing the reproduction of Ecto 1 from the Ghostbusters movie instead. Both should like seeing the bat pod and Tumbler from Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies.
Located just 5 miles away, the Doubletree Hotel is in perfect distance to visit Parker Brothers Concepts. The Doubletree Snooze Park and Cruise offers cruise parking at the hotel and roundtrip cruise transfers starting at $93.
#3 Jungle Village
Jungle Village is a holdover from the days when video games had to be played in an arcade, and Friday nights were always spent out of the house. In addition to the arcade, the Jungle Village provides one of the most reasonably priced games of putt-putt you can find. If it isn’t to your taste, then just up the road is the Golf n Gator.
For those cruise goer’s driving down, Jungle Village is only 9.5 miles from the America’s Best hotel. America’s Best Snooze Park Cruise package offers cruise parking at the hotel and cruise transfers to and from the ship, starting at just $93..
#4 Golf n Gator Port Canaveral
Gators are scaled carnivorous remnants of a past age. Golfers are plaid cantankerous remnants of yesteryear. Of course, the two belong together. Here you can play mini-golf while admiring the former, and not dealing with the latter. The gators are kept behind fences of course, except when it’s time to give them a hug. Although technically not in Port Canaveral, the Golf n Gator is only a short trip from the port down A1A.
The Holiday Inn Express is the closest cruise hotel to Golf N Gator, only a half mile away. The Holiday Inn Express Snooze Park and Cruise starts at $139 and Fly Snooze and Cruise packages start at $161.
#5 The Florida Key Lime Pie Company
We’ve yet to meet someone who didn’t like key lime pie. You should make it a point to swing by Florida Key Lime Pie factory just for the chance to try the real thing. Genuine Florida Key Lime Pie doesn’t have the white filling, but if the faux pie is what you’re craving, they’ve got that too. The Florida Key Lime Pie Company is located on the south side of the port near Cruise Terminal 1.
Interested in visiting the Florida Key Lime Pie Factory? Book a cruise hotel within walking distance: Ocean Landings is only 1 mile from this sweet factory. Ocean Landings Snooze Park and Cruise packages start at $87 and Ocean Landings Fly Snooze and Cruise packages start at $159.