The theme parks immediately come to mind, but there are so many other places to visit in Orlando for something fun to do. There are go-kart tracks to race around, video arcades, bowling alleys or, in the case of Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, you could do all in one place!

If you are looking for a one-stop shop when it comes to entertainment, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games near Orlando’s International Drive may be the spot for you.

What is It?

At its heart, the main draw of Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is go-karts, but they’ve packed plenty of other entertainment options for those not quite old enough (or tall) to drive. You can also go bowling, play arcade games and win tickets, experience tons of virtual reality (VR) activities and sit down for a nice meal all without leaving the building.

How Does it Work?

Everything at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is pay as you go with the exception of two packages. There is no annual pass for it, instead, they offer a once-per-year membership, which brings down the price of each experience by a couple of dollars. If you are local or planning on coming back within the year, then the membership may be a good option for you.

Many of the experiences require a signed waiver which you can find online before you go. But if you improv a trip, or didn’t see the waiver online, there are plenty of computers right near the check-in desk for you to use.

What Can I Do There?

Karting

The go-karts at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games are really next level. The facility uses SODI RTX electric go-karts, so there is no gasoline smell and no vibration from the engine – what awaits you is a smooth ride with some zip.

There are three tracks to choose from:

• • Track One: Single level track for the younger drivers.

 

• • Track Two: Multi-level track with lots of turns and a great view of Universal Blvd.

 

• Track Three: The fastest course with elevation changes, banked turns and straightaways.

When we checked in, we asked which one was more fun and we were told Track Two, so that’s what we did. Once you’ve picked your track you’ll be given a time for your race. Once at the track you’ll be outfitted with your helmets and given a locker to stash away your stuff. The helmets are similar to what we wore when we did our ATV experience.

Once it’s race time, you are taken out to the go-karts, buckled in and await the signal to go! We visited on a Sunday night, so we were by ourselves for the entire experience which was nice – even though Jessica got lapped almost twice by a speedy Tyler.

Track Two was laid out well and gave us just enough of challenge. You can really drift on some of the turns which makes for a fun experience. The race was about $22 for about 7-8 minutes of race time.

A unique aspect of the racing is that the winner isn’t determined by who crosses the finish line first, but by who has the best lap time. You’ll still want to go fast, but it’s more important for you to drive efficiently than quickly.

Bowling

This is touted as a “boutique” bowling experience, but it wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary. There are 12 lanes with four large projection screens that can play your favorite sporting event. Food and drink service is also available.

Virtual Reality

Andretti Indoor Karting & Games knows you can go to other places for video games and go-karting, so they really doubled down on something unique: VR. There are plenty of opportunity for you and your family to don some goggles and have some virtual fun.

Hologate

Hologate is your classic VR action experience. You’ll put on a set of VR goggles and be given a gun where you’ll shoot a virtual target. There are a few different experiences, but the thing they all have in common is that the experiences are all fully cooperative. When you hook into Hologate you aren’t trying to fight each other, you’re fighting WITH each other. It’s a small thing but it makes a big difference.

As for the experience itself, it’s a full 360-degree experience that has enemies literally coming out of the woodwork. There were a few times when Tyler could hear the enemy behind him and when he turned around the bad guy was RIGHT THERE. He got a jump a time or two. This was his favorite VR experience.

Racing Simulator

Driving go karts are fun, but what’s it like driving the real thing? No, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games doesn’t have an F1 car for you to drive, but they do have a VR racing simulator that’s pretty close. Before getting into your actual car’s seat, you’re given a list of cars you want to drive. You’ll choose from Porsche, Bugatti, Lamborghini and more. You’ll be led to your car, put on your VR glasses, and start racing!

The VR in this ride is really, really cool. You’re literally in the cockpit of a race car. Not only can you see the steering wheel and the road in front of you, but also the terrain on the sides of your car as well as behind you. There are even virtual mirrors which actually mirror the track as you’re driving. We highly encourage you to take some time and just look to the sides and behind you as you drive, it’s quite the sight.

Hologate was the most fun VR experience at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, but the VR itself was the best in the Racing Simulator.

XD Dark Ride

This isn’t so much a VR experience as it is a super-duper interactive 3D movie. In lieu of VR goggles, you have 3D glasses much like you’ll see at the movie theater. Next to your seat you also have a gun and a seatbelt. A seatbelt? Yes, in addition to being a movie, your seats will also move, tilt and vibrate with what’s happening on the screen. It’s a more advanced version of the shoot-em-up arcade games.

Laser Tag

We didn’t try the laser tag experience, but it looks like a fun time. The blacklight battleground is two stories and offers some high tech gear. Each weapon comes with settings players can change throughout the game. There are more than 10 different games to choose from, including zombie mode which sounds interesting.

Arcade

Andretti Indoor Karting & Games features your run-of-the-mill arcade, just a little bit bigger than normal. There are plenty of opportunities to win tickets as well as some non-ticketed games like racing games (duh), shooters and arcade games. The prize wall offers a good variety of prizes, except as far as tickets go, they are quite expensive.

Ropes Course with Zip Line

Suspended above the arcade is a ropes course. It has a unique twist by featuring the first curved zipline in Florida. We didn’t do this experience but saw others participate. It takes about 10 minutes total with two levels of elements – beginner and advanced.

Let’s Eat

Andretti Indoor Karting & Games has a restaurant on the first floor, but we recommend heading upstairs to the Sky Bar. You’ll find a massive wall of windows overlooking Track Three, giving a unique view of the action as racers speed past.

Besides the view, this full-service bar also has a ton of TVs. We were able to watch football, baseball and other sports easily.

Regardless of where you eat, the menu is the same in both the restaurant and bar. We tried the Chef Favorite Sandwich (a buffalo chicken sandwich on Texas Toast) and a pulled pork sandwich. Both were decent and came with a generous portion of fries. The food was nothing to write home about, but we weren’t disappointed either.

The Verdict

While we both enjoyed ourselves, the whole experience was a little pricey for us to make this a regular date night spot. Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is in a really unique spot because it has experiences that are offered better in other places, but none of those other places have ALL the experiences Andretti Indoor Karting & Games does under one roof.

Andretti Indoor Karting & Games has above-average go-karting, but so does I-Drive NASCAR Indoor Kart Racing. Like a premium bowling experience? Splitsville Luxury Lanes at Disney Springs does bowling better. Arcade games? Head over to Dave and Busters. Want to try laser tag and or an XD Dark Ride? Try WonderWorks. However, If you want all of those experiences under one roof, then Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is a solid place to go.

If your family is the type of family that can never agree on what to do together, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games is a great choice that will have a little something for everyone in one convenient spot.