Hey, my friend! Let’s get one thing straight: I love an elevated dining experience as much as the next guy…(maybe more!)…but not the elevated price tag.
So, I’ve started putting together a monthly post with some cheap things to do in Orlando! These budget friendly finds will make you and your bank account happy.
I’m doing this post a little differently than my usual monthly roundup. This one is split into two halves on purpose, because I want it to actually be useful to you no matter when you’re reading it.
First half: what’s genuinely happening in Orlando right now, this August 2026. Real dates, real openings, stuff with a shelf life.
Second half: the stuff that’s true whether it’s August 2026 or you found this post two years from now digging through Pinterest at 1am. Bookmark this one, friend — the staples section isn’t going anywhere.
Let’s get into it.
What’s Happening in O-Town Right Now (Summer 2026)
Quick heads up: this section is dated on purpose. So if you’re reading this way down the line, click here to jump to the staples below instead!
Whataburger Is Back After 17 Years, and Yes, It’s a Whole Thing
Whataburger left Central Florida in 2009, and it finally came home on August 6 at 12305 E. Colonial Drive in the Waterford Lakes area, near UCF. Opening day drew overnight lines, and the location runs 24/7, dine-in and drive-thru.
Broke tip: A Whataburger Jr. and fries will run you under $10, and 2pm on a weekday is your no-line window. If you missed opening week hype, that’s honestly the move….I am not sitting in a long line for fast-food, sorry.
Magical Dining Is ON, Here’s How to Actually Do It Broke
Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining runs August 14 through September 30, 2026, and it just broke its own record with 188 participating restaurants, including 38 new additions and, for the first time ever, a Michelin-starred participant. Every menu is a three-course, prix-fixe dinner for $40 or $60, plus tax and tip.
Here’s the hack: the $40 tier is where the real value lives. You’re getting an appetizer, entrée, and dessert at spots where the entrée alone usually runs $30-plus. Browse the full list and lock in reservations early at magicaldining.com, because the good tables go fast once word gets out.
Pro tip: If you want to say you did the fanciest possible version of “broke,” ÔMO by Jônt in Winter Park is Magical Dining’s first-ever Michelin-recognized participant, at the $60 tier. I just booked this and I’m so excited to try it! An Instagram reel is in the near future….be sure to follow me @flamingoinfantasyland
H Mart’s Food Hall Just Doubled in Size
If you love a good food hall crawl, mark this one. H Mart’s Orlando food hall on West Colonial Drive opened its Phase 2 expansion on August 21, adding six new kitchens to the original lineup. Hours are 10:30am to 9pm daily, last orders at 8:30pm, at 7501 W. Colonial Drive in Pine Hills.
Local tip: Go on a weekday afternoon before the dinner rush figures this out. Food hall stalls mean small plates and small prices, which is exactly our vibe!
The Broke O-Town Staples (Bookmark This Part)
This is the section that doesn’t expire. These “cheap things to do in Orlando” are true every single week, no matter what month it is when you’re reading this.
Mills 50 Is Having a Full Moment
More than 22 new restaurants and businesses are or have moved into the Mills 50 corridor this year, with several already soft-open, including Jay Lucy’s (grass-fed burgers and tallow fries, taking over the old Plantees spot).
If you haven’t done a Mills 50 walk in a while, this is your excuse. You can’t move in Mills 50 without finding delicious unpretentious restaurants and some of the hottest bars in the city….really, it’s a foodies dream.
Be sure to check out the Perfect Saturday in Mills 50 for some inspiration!
Disney Springs: Free to Walk, Free to Park, Every Single Day
You do not need a theme park ticket, a park reservation, or a dime to walk around Disney Springs. Entry is free, self-parking in the Orange, Lime, and Grapefruit garages is free with no time limit, and it’s open all 365 days of the year.
Broke tip: This is my go-to for a free date night. Walk the whole district, window shop, split a snack, watch the water, and leave having spent exactly what you wanted to spend…
Universal CityWalk: The Free Sibling Nobody Talks About
Same deal on the Universal side. CityWalk is free to enter (after 6pm), no park ticket required, and open daily. The one thing to know: parking is $32 before 6pm, so if you’re coming just for dinner or a movie, time it right and skip the parking fee entirely.
Insider tip: Locals treat CityWalk as a legit dinner-and-a-movie spot without ever touching the parks. Arrive after 6, eat, catch a movie, drive home free.
Sunday Mornings Belong at Lake Eola Farmers Market
Orlando and its surrounding areas have amazing Farmers Markets. It’s one of my favorite “cheap things to do in Orlando” and it supports our local farms, artisans, and small businesses. So go visit some!
Every Sunday, 10am to 3pm, at the corner of Central Boulevard and Eola Drive downtown, the Orlando Farmers Market takes over the southeast corner of Lake Eola Park with produce vendors, a beer and wine garden, live music, and genuinely good people-watching.
It’s free to walk through, and you can eat an entire brunch off of samples and one $6 pastry if you’re strategic about it.
Audubon Park Community Market: Your Monday Night Tradition
Every Monday, rain or shine, in the Stardust parking lot at 1842 E. Winter Park Road, this market fills up with local produce, food trucks, art, and live music. Heads up, friend: I’ve seen this one listed as 5-8pm, but double check the market’s own social before you head out, but either way it’s a free, easy Monday night plan in the Audubon Park Garden District.
Beefy King: Orlando’s $4.50 Institution Since 1968
This one never leaves the list. Beefy King has been slinging roast beef sandwiches from the same spot on Bumby Avenue since 1968, run by the same family the whole way through. If you’re local it’s a right of passage.
Sandwiches start around $4.50, and the tater tots are non-negotiable.
Where: 424 N. Bumby Ave, Orlando. Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-5:30pm, Saturday 11am-3pm, closed Sunday.
Local tip: Go before 3pm on a Saturday. After that it’s drive-thru only.
Your Broke O-Town Weekend, Mix and Match
Take one from each list and build your own weekend:
- Friday night: CityWalk after 6pm for free parking and movie, or take Disney Springs stroll (always free parking).
- Saturday: A Mills 50 walk to check out the new openings, then a Magical Dining dinner at the $40 tier.
- Sunday: Lake Eola Farmers Market in the morning, Beefy King for a $4.50 lunch on your way home.
Total damage for the whole weekend, if you’re smart about it: well under $150, and most of your Friday and Sunday cost nothing but gas.
Save This List
- Disney Springs — free entry, free parking, every day
- Universal CityWalk — free entry, free parking after 6pm
- Lake Eola Farmers Market — Sundays, 10am-3pm, free
- Audubon Park Community Market — Mondays evening, free
- Beefy King — sandwiches from $4.50, since 1968
- Magical Dining — Aug 14-Sept 30, 2026, $40 or $60 prix-fixe
- Whataburger — back after 17 years, Waterford Lakes, 24/7
- H Mart Food Hall — Phase 2 now open, Colonial Dr (Pine Hills)
What are you most excited to try first, the new stuff or an old faithful? Drop it in the comments, and if you hit up any of these, tag me on Instagram so I can see it.
Thanks for reading!
