Mini Golf in and Around Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando

I can’t think of an activity that represents vacation time more than miniature golf, and Central Florida has an abundance to choose from. My son Ben and I decided to visit locations around the Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort areas and gather all the information you need to find the best fit for your family. Tap any link below to jump straight to that course.

• Walt Disney World Area
  • Fantasia Gardens
  • Winter Summerland
• Universal’s City Walk: Hollywood Drive-In Mini-Golf
• International Drive: Congo River Golf
• Tough Weather Option: The Putting Edge

Walt Disney World Area

Disney World has two locations for mini-golf that include four different 18-hole courses, but one of them is not like the others. If you are looking for golf that is more like traditional golf in miniature, check out the Fairways course at Fantasia Gardens.

The Walt Disney World miniature golf locations are your basic courses, they are well-maintained with excellent theming. They don’t have scavenger hunts, extra games, or alligators you can hold, but they are a perfect place for making memories, with a little bit of healthy competition.

Fantasia Gardens

The beautiful images and music of the Disney classic Fantasia surround you and sometimes taunt you as you work to putt that little ball into the hole. The two courses are very different.

Gardens Course

The Gardens course is the whimsical style of miniature golf, with hazards like snowflakes that spin, dancing mushrooms moving up and down, or brooms that try to splash you with water. It’s a delightful mix of challenging holes; some with some “Disney Magic” that entertains you with dancing hippos, holes where your ball creates music, or a spooky (but not too spooky) cave where you should be on the lookout for Chernobog.

There are umbrellas or mature trees on almost every hole, offering a nice amount of shade. The course is always well-maintained and absolutely adorable. However, it’s common to find that one or two of the animations and surprises of the course are offline.

Fairways Course

The Fairways course is a more traditional golf style. When Ben and I tested the Fairways course, we decided my husband Steve should join us because he actually golfs on the “big kid” courses. This course does a great job of imitating a full-sized course. There are challenging holes, with fairways long enough to have front tees for beginning golfers and the dreaded bunkers. Five holes are a par 5, and the sand traps, although only carpet, feel very real while you are in the moment.

Even with the forward tees, this course is designed for guests who enjoy an actual golf course. Ben and I did not enjoy this course, but Steve was pretty impressed.

Overall, Fantasia Gardens is lovely and has something for everyone. Bottom line, if you have younger, less experienced golfers, we recommend the Gardens course, but if you’re golfers, we think you’ll have a great time on the Fairways course. The Gardens course is Ben’s favorite course at Walt Disney World, because the holes are a bit more challenging than at Winter Summerland.

• Pricing: $ 19 per Adult, $12 per Child (Ages 3–9) (tax not included)
  • Four vouchers per package are included in the Magical Extras if you have a room-and-ticket package.
  • Tickets with the Water Park and Sports option can play free once per day before 4 p.m.
• Hours: 10 am-10 pm Gardens Course- 10 am-9 pm Fairways course
• Reservations: You can make reservations by phone as early as 60 days ahead. (407)WDW-PLAY ext.3
• Parking: FREE, but needs to be verified at the desk. The parking lot is shared with the Swan Reserve Hotel, so you go through a parking gate that will give you a ticket, bring it to the check-in, and have them verify it. Park on the left-hand side; there are spaces reserved for Fantasia Gardens.
• Address: 1205 Epcot Resorts Blvd, Orlando, FL 32836
• How to get there: Car or ride share, Disney Transportation isn’t available
• Waiting Area: There are tables with umbrellas and outdoor Connect Four games to entertain you while you wait. A group is allowed onto the courses every five minutes; this can create a significant wait time. They try to open a few minutes early, so if you plan to beat the heat, I would arrive around 9:45, and if you know when mini-golf fits into your vacation schedule, I recommend a reservation.
• Snacks and vending: There are vending machines, an ice cream cooler available for snacks in the check-in area, and a vending machine for drinks at the turn (hole 9). There are also drinking fountains throughout both courses and a water bottle refill station at the turn on the Fairways course that you can easily access from the Gardens course.
• Accessibility: Fully accessible

Winter Summerland

Santa found a magical spot in Florida that has snow! He decided to build a retreat for his elves, and of course, vacation means mini-golf! He has two delightful 18-hole courses, one called Winter for his elves who enjoy the snow, and the other is Summer for his elves who want to have fun in the sun.

The Winter Course

The Winter course is a blanket of white, with hockey rinks, snowflakes, and snowmen. Christmas music fills the air as you chase your ball through a winter wonderland.

The Summer Course

The Summer course takes you through everything warm weather offers, including a melting snowman, fishing, and sandcastles. As you play, you’ll be treated to a combination of classic beach tunes and Christmas music. Winter Summerland’s Summer Course is my favorite of the Walt Disney World Courses, I enjoy its creative and silly humor, and it’s not as crowded as Fantasia Gardens.

Both courses are virtually identical; if a hole on the Summer course has a sand castle, the same hole on the Winter course has a snow castle. The last three holes combine with the Winter course in the lodge, fully decorated with all things Christmas!

• Pricing: $ 19 per Adult, $12 per Child (Ages 3–9) (tax not included)
  • Four vouchers per package are included in the Magical Extras if you have a room-and-ticket package.
  • Tickets with the Water Park and Sports option can play free once per day before 4 p.m.
• Hours: 10 am-10 pm
• Reservations: You can make reservations by phone as early as 60 days ahead. (407) WDW-PLAY ext.3
• Parking: Free; there is a small parking lot where the sign is, and you can park in the Blizzard Beach lot.
• Address: 1548 W Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
• How to get there: Your car or ride share is the easiest option, but if Blizzard Beach is open, you can take the Blizzard Beach bus.
• Waiting Area: The waiting area is a nice picnic-type area with picnic benches on mulch. There is a great photo-op with Santa’s sleigh, and it even includes a stand to put your phone on so you can all be in the photo.
• Snacks and vending: There are vending machines and an ice cream cooler available for snacks in the check-in area, and a vending machine for drinks at the turn (hole 9).
• Accessibility: Fully accessible

Universal’s City Walk

Hollywood Drive-In Golf

If you specialize in movies, your mini-golf should follow course. Universal’s City Walk understood the assignment and created a fun quirky spot to compete and be part of the action. Hollywood Drive-In Golf has two creative 18-hole courses. The play is fast, it’s quirky and silly, and a “hole” lotta fun! The two courses, The Haunting of Ghostly Greens and Invaders from Planet Putt, sound a little spooky, but they are actually very humorous and not too scary, even at night.

There’s a free app for scoring, although a team member shared that it isn’t great. We didn’t test it because my family uses a mini-golf score app called “mini golf score card”; it’s free and keeps a record of all of our games at any course we play. We find that it’s easier than downloading a different app from multiple places, and Ben, our official scorekeeper, enjoys the app more than dealing with a pencil and card.

These courses have different golf rules than most courses. You are asked to have each player play all the way through the hole, from the tee to putting and finally sinking the ball. Traditionally, everyone tees off, then they all putt in order from the ball furthest from the hole. Ben has autism so rule changes can be tough, but he adapted to this change well. Having said that, I’m sure if he weren’t able to adjust, we would have just played as we usually do, and nobody would have said a word, so no worries.

The course has a couple of holes that are under a roof, creating some shade. So although the whole course doesn’t have shade, there was enough to create a respite from the sun.

Overall we loved Hollywood Drive-In Golf; the humor and theming are original and entertaining. If I had to choose, the finale at the Haunting of Ghostly Greens course makes that one my favorite, but truthfully, they are both above par!

• Pricing: $ 19.99 for Adults (10+), $17.99 per Child (Ages 3–9), a Double Feature (36 holes) is $16.99/$14.99
• Discounts Available:
  • Ordering online saves 10%, 10% discount (cannot be bought online) for Military, Seniors (62+), AAA Members, Universal Preferred Pass, 15% discount for Universal’s Premier Pass
  • “Movie Trivia” is a game with questions about six different holes. Turn in your answers at the end for a discount on future games.
• Hours: 9 am-midnight
• Parking: Free after 6:00 except for Halloween Horror Nights and special events
• Reservations: Not available
• Address: 6000 Universal Boulevard Orlando, FL 32819
• How to get there: You park in the City Walk garage. It’s to the right as you enter City Walk.
• Waiting Area: There’s a decked-out golf cart that’s a great photo op.
• Snacks and vending: vending machines
• Accessibility: The Haunting of Ghostly Greens is fully accessible, The Invasion of Planet Putt has steps.

International Drive

Congo River Golf

Conga River Golf is the epitome of Florida vacation mini golf. We visited the I-Drive location, but they have a few others around Orlando including one in East Orlando and one in Kississimee off of 192. They have much more going on than just golf, including baby alligators!

First, the mini-golf. The course is 18 holes and is very well maintained. The holes have very typical hazards, and the theme is a deserted island. There is little to no shade, and the holes on the back nine involve many steep steps. Club selection is typically limited to two sizes: short and tall, at Congo we were very impressed to see they have eight different sizes of clubs, including little plastic ones for the very young. And they do have a free app available for scoring, if you prefer that to a pencil or don’t have another that you already use.

In addition to a scavenger hunt, there’s a twist at Congo River that we enjoyed, a spinning wheel with extra challenges at several of the holes. For instance, in one of Ben’s challenges, he had to finish a hole in 10 seconds or incur a one-stroke penalty. The hole had a PLINKO vibe, and he made it in just under 10 seconds. One of my spins allowed me to move Ben’s ball one club length in any direction. It’s a fun, completely optional twist.

The other activities include pictures with baby alligators, mining for gemstones, a small arcade, and a fun basketball challenge. Everything is freshly painted and well-maintained. The staff was fabulous! We enjoyed our time at Congo River, it has all of the ingredients for creating great memories for your vacation.

• Pricing: $16.99 for ages 10+, $14.99 for ages 9 and under, One four year old and under, FREE
• Discounts Available: A $1 per person coupon (up to 6 people) is on their website and needs to be printed.
• Hours: Sun-Thur 10 am-11 pm Fri & Sat 10 am-12 am
• Parking: There is a free lot behind the course
• Reservations: Not available
• Address: 5901 International Drive Orlando, FL 32819
• Snacks and vending: There are vending machines
• Accessibility: The first nine holes are accessible, if you can not do the back nine, they open a gate and allow you to play the front nine twice.

Tough Weather Option

The Putting Edge

The Putting Edge is a storefront in a converted mall now called Dezerland Park. This is a unique place with several attractions including indoor go-carts, a pinball palace, laser-tag, axe throwing, and several others including a car museum. And of course, mini-golf.

I don’t think it will come as a surprise when I tell you that Orlando summers can have some extreme weather. Having a fun indoor option is never a bad idea, and The Putting Edge is a great answer to a rainy or miserably hot day.

This black-lit indoor golf course has 18 holes and comes alive with neon art glowing everywhere you look. This makes putting with your glow-in-the-dark ball that much more exciting. The acoustics are nice, and the vibe is cool but not loud. I have been to some indoor golf courses that were too much, but the atmosphere here is nice. They have a scavenger hunt and a song request board, which I think is a unique touch. There are a couple of video games, but having an arcade on the storefront might be a bit misleading.

This was a good time, and we’ll be back when we have visitors and we need an indoor activity. The artwork is very cool, and golfing in the dark adds a challenging element because you can’t see all the possible paths for your ball. Although it isn’t my favorite option for mini-golf, I highly recommend it as a poor-weather backup.

• Pricing: $15.50
• Hours: Mon-Thur 12:00 pm-10:00 pm, Fri 12:00 pm-12:00 am, Sat 10:00 am-12:00 am, Sun 10:00- am-10:00 pm
• Parking: Free parking- the course is close to the theater
• Reservations are highly recommended. Walk-ins are welcome but to avoid a wait purchase your tickets online and book a time here
• Address: 5250 International Drive Orlando, FL 32819
• Snacks and vending: There are no snacks or vending, but there is a food court and a Rocket Fizz candy store in Dezerland Park.
• Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible, the holes are all defined with boards.

Ben and I have explored five courses, but there are so many more to conquer. If you have a favorite or a course you are curious about, let us know in the comments. We’ll keep golfing and update this article as we go.