SARAH WILLIAMS @ HAYS TRAVEL
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Freephone: 0800 086 2698 / 01772 393061 / 07834 853478 - Email sarah.williams@hays-travel.co.uk
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Orlando 2023
My Holiday
1st October – Good flight with Virgin, all alcoholic drinks included (except a selection of cocktails in their in-flight magazine). Served quickly, with a good main meal, plus starter, desert, cheese, and crackers, then an ice pop, before a lovely afternoon tea! If you want a drink when they are not serving the cabin, simply press your bell! Seat pitch 34 inches in Economy Delight which you can upgrade at the airport *subject to availability* for just £49pp.
On arrival, you will get to Terminal B with the monorail system, our transfer booked through Resort Hoppa, and driver sent a What’s App quick and easy and a lovely ride straight to our hotel Wyndham Resort Orlando International Drive……
Honestly, this hotel has left me underwhelmed to say the least, however the location is perfect on I Drive corner with everything to hand including Titanic the Exhibition, Icon Park, and plenty of shopping outlets with the I Drive trolley stops throughout.
The hotel though honestly, I would equate to a “Travelodge” back in the Uk and because for flights and hotel alone it was £2899 approx. I was expecting more. I did email the hotel prior to arrival, and to be fair, they very kindly gave a free upgrade to a premium room with balcony. When looking at the hotel website https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wyndham/orlando-florida/wyndham-orlando-resort/overview it looks lovely and in fact this used to be a Marriott Hotel many years ago. Looking at the room images, I was happy with our choice, however on arrival I started to be concerned.
First impressions with reception everything looks lovely, grounds are spacious, lots of pools all good! Room buildings however DO look tired, as its only two floors per block, do not be looking for lifts, as you won’t find any. Our first room 1067, did not restore my confidence, stains on the carpet, patio door would not open, air con sounding like a jet plane taking off, and two double beds, certainly not big enough to sleep 2, and I travelled with my husband not ideal! We decided to leave our bags unpacked, and head out for food, whilst going to reception first.
We went for food to Perkins, which is a restaurant we had visited some 15 years previously on our first visit, and we loved it! However, I have to say that time has not been kind to this restaurant, but I MUST give a huge shout out to the servers, who were so attentive and its due to that we did leave the obligatory 15% tip.
I went for a chicken sandwich with fries which when came was on toast for the chicken with cheese and mayo, lovely! Husband went for homemade meatloaf with mash and mac’ and cheese. Meatloaf was unfortunately cold, so we had to tell our server, who took away the dish, and after a while it was back, with the Meatloaf chopped up and it had been microwaved. Result on the meal was only a 5 out of 10, and the restaurant itself for cleanliness unfortunately was down to a 3, ceilings and air con vents dirty, and not very good to be honest. I think Gordon Ramsey may have something to say!
Our server went beyond to help and gave us a free dessert for the inconvenience of the meal. But to be fair we will not be going back.
Then it was back to the hotel, to see if we have been sorted with the room, which we had moved to the same room type but with a king size bed which was huge! Electrics don’t look that safe though to be fair, (see pics), and we had some pesky what looked like little ants on the workstation, so another trip to reception in the morning to let them know, and the air con still sounds like a jet engine, but at least it kept the room cool. Bathroom does have basic toiletries provided, but for those who may need support, this is not the option for you, as it is a shower over bath, with NOTHING to hold onto, and no bathmat, so slippery to say the least! Towels are provided.
2nd October
Today: Titanic the Exhibition, ICON Park, International Drive Day.
Well, the Titanic exhibition was something else! On arrival you were given a boarding card this had details of a REAL passenger who boarded this tragic liner for New York. You went through the story and saw amazing artifacts, a lot of which had been donated from family members of those who perished.
Follow the story of the ship and see recreations of the most loved pieces including the first-class lounge, a first-class bedroom, and the icing on the case, the one and only Grand Staircase. You are permitted to take photographs throughout, except the Staircase section where they have a resident photographer. One photo will cost $20 in the gift shop on the exit. You will also find out about other passengers through storyboards located throughout, as well as some of those amazing pieces retrieved from the ocean floor as well as those donated.
You will also come across a piece of ice, which you are encouraged to touch, this is to give you an idea on just how cold it was that fateful night, though the temperature on the ice is actually a few degrees ABOVE what it would have been in 1912, I did touch this, and boy was it cold!
You then come to the memorial wall, where you find out if your passenger survived. Mine in fact did, but over 1,000 souls did not and to see the wall, certainly makes you stop and think.
After that it is about Robert Ballard and the finding of the wreck, before coming out via the gift shop where you can purchase any photographs you may have had taken by the team.
This attraction is also on the Eat, Stay and Play Card which means you save 20% on the entrance too!
Then it was off to ICON PARK, which is where you will find the Big Wheel, Madam Tussauds, Sea Life, Gordon Ramsey’s Fish and Chips, Ole Red (Blake Shelton), Tin Roof and lots more, it’s more of restaurants than anything else, but I can envisage it coming alive at night, during the day it was quiet.
We spent the afternoon catching up with some old friends before returning to the hotel and going out for a drink to O’Shucks Irish Karaoke Bar, on International Drive and what a night, highly recommended, brilliant staff and we had a great time!
Tuesday 3rd October – Universal Studios
So, the main thing you must do is plan your day! We did the following:
Rides: Transformers 3D, Revenge of the Mummy, ET Adventure and Fast and Furious. We did not get to Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket. Husband did Men in Black, Alien Attack and Harry Potter Gringotts Adventure!
Shows wise we saw The Bourne Stuntacular, as well as the shows happening throughout the park all day. We arrived around 10am and left the park around 6pm (it was open until 7pm)
It’s hard to say which was the best ride as the effects were amazing in all! Not long waits either average around 20 minutes, or it is worth getting Express Pass if you can as you do get through quicker.
As we were travelling out of season technically the parks not packed, but I can envisage July/August when school holidays are on Express must be necessary, as there can be an extensive lead up queue wise to the rides, though its very much entertaining and interactive.
As you would expect drinks in park $11 for a rum and coke, but what is worth doing is buying the mugs which offer free refills throughout the park. They are $22 approx. each, but also a great souvenir to take home, and plenty of drinks dispensers throughout the park. After the first day, if you bring your mug back into the park is $1 per refill.
Universal Studios easy to get around as you walk around the lake so you do not miss anything, and for Harry Potter fans you will be in awe as it really is something else. There is also a great section for The Simpsons, as well as the famous shark Jaws, which is an ideal photo opportunity, and the train and car from Back to the Future too.
For Harry Potter, as you would expect plenty of merchandise to purchase, cups around $25 for example. You can also change your dollars for Gringotts currency in the bank to spend within Hogwarts. Of course, those magical wands are also available!
Both my husband and I struggled to pick our favourite ride, though if we both HAD to it would have to be Transformers as the effects were mind blowing!
We did not bother with lunch in the park, as went back to Denny’s in the morning for breakfast before getting our Uber which cost around $8 to the park each way.
Evening meal, went to Cicci’s Pizza on I. Drive, they have a voucher on one of the discount cards I purchased (see end of report), where you buy one buffet all you can eat, and get another free, with two drinks (free refills), only came to $12 for both of us! This also includes all salad and desserts, fantastic value, and excellent quality food.
Wednesday 4th October – Disney Hollywood Studios.
This is the park I was most excited about as I LOVE Star Wars! We got there for around 9am and I strongly recommend due to what is on offer keeping it to one park a day. Unfortunately, we missed the Beauty and the Beast show due to running out of time but did see the following:
Frozen – For the first time in Forever – a magical singalong of all the songs we know and love, with two amazing narrators who were so funny and made it fun for all young or old! Of course, Anna and Elsa also made an appearance, and you even had snow coming down at the end of the show, it is a must for all. Various show times throughout the day.
Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular – See how the stunts were done with some breath-taking action in this live action show. Taking in ALL the movies!
Men in Black Alien Attack – Husband went on this one, as never really into Men in Black if honest, however he did say it was playful fun, where you wore 3D glasses and went round with a pretend laser getting all the aliens.
Harry Potter – This area is a MUST if you are a fan! I will be honest, it is never something I have gotten into, so to be honest I was not sure what I was looking at, though it was very impressive, and I am sure any fan will recognise the shop and the famous bank with a fire eating dragon on the top!
You will also find some live shows and the ride Escape from Gringotts which husband went on. There is a carriage located outside to see if you can ride, and unfortunately, I did not fit it, as its tight! Again, it was 3D glasses on the ride and husband said it was very interactive and genuine fun! You also have King Cross station and the famous train that whilst this is a ride with the famous platform, it will also take you to the neighbouring park Islands of Adventure. (See Friday’s post)
From Harry Potter it was to my favourite STAR WARS – and WOW, they really have got it spot on with this. Some amazing rides and you really do feel you have been transported, with some fabulous settings from the films in here, including ships and fighters and of course the one and only Millennium Falcon herself!
All rides are worth doing. You have Star Tours, where you have C3PO being captain which all goes a bit wrong, and you are taken on a wild ride! From there is the highlight for me of the whole park, Star Wars – Rise of the Resistance (be warned there can be over a 60 min wait for this one, its one of the popular rides on the whole park), but I can see why, you are first taken to a room where you see BB8 and Rey, who give you a welcome talk on being fighters for the resistance and joining the cause! After this you enter your shuttle to meet up with the rest of the resistance in space! Of course this should be a smooth ride but the empire knows all about you and fighters appear, before you know it you are taken to a star destroyer (all this done by the most amazing visual effects I have seen), once you go to the star destroyer that’s when the fun REALLY starts, when your shuttle door opens you are greeted by a resistance general, you are now “rebel scum” and will be interrogated (I honestly don’t know how the actors can look so serious), step out into the most amazing sight a landing deck of a star destroyer! I cannot even put this into words, hundreds of stormtroopers await, with the backdrop being space, and the diligence on the landing platform is something else, you feel like you are in the film.
From here its another bit of a wait before you are taken to an integration room with 5 others (roughly 9 per room), then on your balcony above, Kylo Wen appears as stormtroopers keep guard, and gives you a warning, he wants the map we have!
A couple of minutes later, a blaster starts cutting a whole in the wall in the room and you are led out into the main part of the ride, these are round saucers that you sit in, and you are believing you are being rescued, of course that does not quite go to plan either, and you are spotted then it’s the most amazing ride full of blasters, stormtroopers and effects before you finally get to an escape hatch, then it’s a mad visual and moving ride down to the surface. This ride must get the highest score of the day for me at 10 out of 10, just amazing.
From here enter the Star Wars land on exit, and go down to Smugglers Run, on the one and only Millennium Falcon, this is amazing again, as you go INTO the falcon! In teams of 6, you navigate the falcon with its cargo, but as you may have guessed it’s a fun ride!
There is also the opportunity to build your own light sabre, tase the famous blue milk, meet some characters including BB8, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and more, plus those pesky Stormtroopers are everywhere. To be fair it does not even feel like you are in Disney, but you have visited a Star Wars land all by itself and could spend all day in there!
But we had to see the rest of the park, so from here its down to Toy Story land, where we went on Slinky Dog Dash, there is lots of rides here for the younger guests, and of course you can meet the characters, including Buzz.
Toy Story Land – This is a great area for all the family, with plenty of attractions, and as with all Disney, well done.
From here it was to Red Carpet Dreams, where I got to meet Mickey and Minnie, wait time was around 30 minutes. But it was amazing! Get your pictures taken and if you have the Memory Maker the professional photographers will take your pictures (but you can take your own too) and upload them to your app. It was incredibly special!
From here it was down to Twilight Tower of Terror and Rock n Ride Rollercoaster with Aerosmith our first rollercoaster and drop ride of the day.
Well, what can I say about Tower of Terror – if you like the Twilight Zone, you will love this, I am not a fan, but husband is, so I did brave it. The set of the whole hotel is impressive, and you first get a short film about the hotel and the Twilight Zone, before joining the queue to go into those famous lifts! Wait time not to bad only around 20 minutes for so. Once in the lift, put your seatbelt on as you will need it!
You are taken up to the highest floor, but not before stopped along the way for some fantastic visual effects with some not so nice residents! Once at the top then it is the DROP! And OMG you have no warning either, you are dropped around 4 floors and you physically LIFT of the seat good job you have a seatbelt! Then it stops before doing it again, and then it is the final plunge, its brilliant but your heart is in your mouth! There were KIDS on this ride though so like with all rides at the parks they have a minimum height requirement.
After recovery, it was to Rock and Roll Coaster, this queue was around 30 minutes again, and as with most rides, there was something before, this time a video from Aerosmith, before boarding your coaster. It’s a quick ride only lasts 2 minutes at most, but it’s a coaster in the dark and good fun!
Then it was show time! Down to the Chinese theatre to watch Wonderful World of Animation, a projection onto the building of the Chinese Theatre, with some of the films Disney have done and an amazing soundtrack, which lasts around 15 minutes.
From here head straight down to Fantastmic (located by Tower of Terror) and the Hollywood Hills Theatre, this was an amazing show starting at 9.30pm and on for a good 45 minutes. With Mickey and the gang, you have all the songs you know and love plus some simply amazing water effects, and visual with villains against Mickey (of course he won), as well as boats with your favourite characters including Snow White, Cinderella and so much more, finishing with fireworks. Simply stunning!
After a packed day its back to our hotel! An uber for the return was around $25 / Outbound was only around $10.
Thursday 5th October – Discovery Cove.
This was by far one of the most AMAZING parks in Orlando. Cannot stress enough you NEED to prebook as they do cap the number of visitors to the park each day at approx. 1,000. Before you think you will not be able to move, nothing could be further from the truth, there is a beautiful big beach with so many loungers, plus if you really want to indulge, why not rent a cabana?
You have a pool with the lazy river taking you through the wildlife, and of course the Dolphin Encounter which I did, and it was magical being so close to these wonderful creatures, and learning all about them, plus of course swimming with them and being able to give them a back rub!
Then you have the Grand Reef, which you snorkel, and wow there are so many fish! From stingrays to every different type of fresh you can think of up close and personal you are swimming with them!
Your day includes unlimited food, soft drinks and beer and wine. You can upgrade your drinks for approx. $40 per person, which will then include cocktails (otherwise they are around $17 each). Plenty of food choice for both breakfast and lunch to choose from, as well as snacks including pizza, crisps and more!
It is a lovely day and over far too quick. Like with most things expect to pay at the gift shops around $36 for a bag and $35 for a T Shirt.
During your dolphin encounter you can ask a friend to take photos, but there is a professional photographer here and you can see your photos at the shop before you leave but be warned! One photo is $40! Or you can get four for $99!! It is a lot of money and if you have got one taken with your own camera / phone use this. I did buy one, simply because husbands’ shots were not that good. You can also do the SeaAdventure where you can get up close and personal with some sharks!
We got there via Uber as its not on the I Drive route.
For our evening meal we went to BJ Steakhouse as I had a discount with my Eat, Stay and Play Card, like with all restaurants we have visited, service fantastic and decent food! Recommended
Friday 6th October – Universal Islands of Adventure
My husband’s favourite park! This park is so easy to navigate as its all built around the lake, remarkably like its sister park, Universal Studios.
We started with Marvel Land, and of course the Incredible Hulk coaster, just as good as we remember! From there it was Storm Force, which is very much like a Waltzer, but you control the spins. After this it was Spiderman, where you were 3D glasses and are taken to the city for an amazing ride with Spidey! At all attractions you can do single rider which does mean you do not really wait, but we wanted to ride together. Average wait times 30-40 minutes for rides, though some were quicker than others.
Leaving Marvel, it was onto the Popeye Section of the park where we went on the Barges, a water ride, be prepared you WILL get wet. I strongly recommend taking a change of clothes as you may well need them, we both came off dripping, but it was such fun! It is a wild water ride for all the family.
Leaving here you go past King Kong Skull Island, now I must be honest this was the ONLY ride both myself and husband were not impressed with, the wait was 1 hour, and when you get on it, it left us both underwhelmed. The ride itself only lasted about 2 minutes tops, and was not worth the wait, so to be honest I would give that a miss.
From here its to Jurassic World, which is simply amazing! You can meet a raptor with the raptor enclosure (we met Blue), the handler was very funny and had us all laughing, go on the Water Adventure, which has a big drop to finish, and again every chance of getting wet, little ones will look Jurassic Camp, which also houses a fab ride Pteranodon Flyer, which you must go on with a child.
The star of the show though must be VelociCoaster which you get to via the Jurassic Park Discovery Centre, the estimated wait time for this ride can be over 1 hour, as it is the most popular one in the park. Get up close and personal with raptors and it is fantastic even in the queue, with visual events, and a film starring the two main characters of the film, totally immersing you in the ride!
Now the ride itself! Be prepared!! My husband LOVES coasters and I have to say it is the first one EVER where he has come off unsteady and he scored it 11 out of 10! The ride itself is over 2 minutes long and you are upside down, and sideways so many times I lost count. It has a speed of 70 mph and is one you will never forget! As soon as I came off, I wanted to go again!
Leaving this amazing ride, and part of the park, its time to hit Harry Potter. If you have been reading this you will notice that whilst in the sister park there is also a Harry Potter Park, and there is a train Hogwarts Express (also a ride), that runs between the parks. As I mentioned I am not a great Harry Potter fan so to be honest did not really do any rides here just walked through but its very impressive. At Islands of Adventure, you can visit Hogwarts™ castle and explore Hogsmeade™ village. You will also find Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, however on the day of our visit the wait time for this was 85 minutes!
For our evening meal it was the turn of Red Robin, which we did not have any discount for, but nevertheless was a lovely meal, small restaurant and it was burger and fries but a vast selection to choose from, exceptionally decent food and again excellent service.
Saturday 6th October – Rest Day
A day spent round the pool, have to say plenty of space and more than enough loungers, with a decent size pool too!
For our evening meal we went to Carrabba’s Italian Grill, on I. Drive near Icon Park. Meal was OK but nothing special to be honest, I went for a pasta with chicken which was dry and not very good, but husband said he enjoyed his meal.
After dinner down to ICON Park, where you will find plenty of bars, shops, entertainment, and retail. I got a henna tattoo, which to be honest was not worth it as it did not even darken, and if anything faded after a few days. Cost for it was $18!
We decided to go to Ole Red’s as we are both country fans, and this is a bar franchise owed by Blake Shelton. Fantastic entertainment with a brilliant band, but the cost of the drinks was way over the top.
Ordered two pints of larger (they came in plastic glasses, and it was not even a full pint), cost was $22! We had one drink and left, which was a shame as we were both looking forward to an evening here.
However there is live music on the lawn and lots going on so definitely work sticking around for.
Sunday 7th October – Epcot
Epcot is a great park to visit, and it was their Food and Wine Festival at the time. Upon entering, you get your visit view of the giant sphere at is Spaceship Earth. Then explore various parts of the world including the UK, France, Germany, Spain, China, Japan and more such an immersive experience. Plus, at the time of our travel each section had food from that country on offer, pick up a light bite for around $6 each. It would NOT be enough for a lunch, but there are plenty of restaurants on the park to choose from.
Rides wise in the World’s section its more about experience, you will find shows such as Canada 360 a film experience in of course Canada, that is worth a look, and in France, Beauty, and the Beast singalong as well as Ratatouille the ride, however we did not ride this as the wait time was around 85 minutes!
Once you get to Norway, you will also get to the Frozen ride, again this is a long wait but something I wanted to do, and its great for the younger guests or even fans of Frozen! Go on a gentle boat ride see Olaf, Elsa and Anna, the whole ride lasts around 4 minutes, and like most queues at Disney parks, the lines do go up and down, so it feels like you would never get there, but you do in the end!
After experiencing the different lands, its time to visit World Discovery Land where you will find Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy ride, now this is a VIRTUAL QUEUE, that you MUST book via the app, unfortunately I did not do this first thing in the morning so by the time I tried to do it at lunch, the first ride time was 9pm at night! That would mean you miss the firework display but more importantly the park shuts then and as we had been there from 10ish in the morning, we decided that due to the amount of walking in the parks, we would not wait. We did manage to go on Soarin though which is highly recommended, and we only waited around 30 minutes to ride. We also did not do Test Track as we did that first time we visited some 15 years ago, and the wait time was over 60 minutes by the time we got there in the day.
Monday 8th October – Busch Gardens
Picking up the free bus from Sea World, this takes around 1 ½ hours to reach as its in Tampa down the interstate.
One of the best parks to visit as far as queues, literally no more than 20 minutes and in some cases straight on, coasters done were Montu, SheiKra (x 2), Tigris, Kumba, Scorpion, I could not fit in Cheetah Hunt (seats are tight), Cobra’s Curse closed for maintenance, and did not do Iron Ghazi as done before.
Highlight of the trip had to be the Serengeti Safari this is an extra charge but well worth the money. Go on a safari with a very knowledge guide, and a small group on the back of a 4-wheel drive, the highlight must be feeding the giraffes, a magical experience.
Busch also has lots of different animals to see up close throughout the park, from big to small, elephants to insects, and such a wonderful day for all the family, you can also take the train to get an overview of the park.
As with all parks except your merchandise to be around the same $20 odd for a mug, $35 for a t-shirt and upwards.
They did have a fantastic Ice Show but due to being in a different area of the park we missed this; it does run around four times a day.
There are two routes you can take one is a short route around the park, which is 1.24 miles, and the long route is 1.7 miles, which take around 27 and 36 minutes, respectively. We went for the long route.
If you feel hungry during the day, a good option is their all-inclusive dining package. This also applies to Sea World (see later day). For $49.99 per person, you can have a starter, mains, and desert as well as soft drink every 90 minutes. We did not do this as we had a breakfast before we left, but it is a good option to do, and can save overall.
The park shuts at 6pm, and there is the bus to take you back to Sea World.
Tuesday 9th October – Disney’s Animal Kingdom
This is one of my favourite parks, with so much option. One of my favourite shows is also here The Lion King the Musical necessary during your visit! Plus, lots of other attractions and we personally went on xxx
The longest wait we had was in Pandora on the river boat ride which was at least an hour wait, and though it really was special, not sure it warranted such a long time to board, I would have preferred to do the flyer option instead.
Wednesday 10th October – Rest Day
We ended up going to view Bonney Creek Resort through Wyndham International as we had been approached by a member of their sales team at Busch, be aware they are all at here as well as SeaWorld! The dreaded “timeshare” came to mind but in fact it was anything but and gave us something to think about when home.
Thursday 11th October – Disney Magic Kingdom
This park you DEFINTELY need TWO days to successfully cover it all, we only managed half of it. The weather this day was not the best with intermittent downpours, so a poncho or waterproof was required. Due to the weather the first show Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire, outside Cinderellas Castle with all your favourite characters, was cancelled, however they DID come out and do a short 10-minute version, so you still saw Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy amongst others. First stop after this was Tomorrowland, and our first ride Soarin! This is also where you will find TRON their NEW ride, but you must join the VIRTUAL QUEUE through the app but be quick as they fill up within minutes of opening, we managed to get in group 115 which was not called until around 3.30pm, and we reserved first thing in the morning.
So overall we managed Mainstreet USA, Tomorrowland, and some of Fantasyland. Rides wise, we managed:
- TRON Light cycle Run
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover
- Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Mickey's PhilharMagic - HIGHLY recommended, Get swept away in this 3D movie, with songs and characters you know and love!
- Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Pete's Silly Sideshow - Meet your favourite characters
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
We did not get to Liberty Square, Frontierland or Adventureland.
Friday 12th October – Kennedy Space Centre
This was a fantastic day and one which my husband thoroughly enjoyed. We booked a transfer which picked us up from Icon Park, around the corner from the hotel, and it took around 90 minutes to get to the Visitor Centre. It’s a huge complex with so much to do, including a rocket park, the Gateway complex with so much information and exhibits, in here you will also find 4 rides which are virtual simulators, we chose the Journey to Mars, the closest thing I can compare it with was Soarin at Epcot.
After this it was to the Imax for the film about Asteroids, 3D which lasted about 25 minutes, an informative and good film worth a watch, after this it was the bus tour to the other side of the complex and the Apollo / Saturn V Centre exhibition, which really was good including two shows over there which were in the Lunar Theatre, with Race to the Moon Apollo 8 and the Firing Room with Race to the Moon. Once complete and seen everything this side it is back on the bus to the main visitor complex, before hitting the Atlantis theatre, which to be honest we did not really have time to do but been told it is well worth a look.
In the morning we were incredibly lucky to be witness to a live launch of a rocket which was amazing to see, so if you can plan your visit to be at the same time its highly recommended. The park shuts at 6pm.
We left the park and headed back to I. Drive for our evening meal, where we ending up going to Senior Frog’s.
This is a franchise, and though an amazing night, it was expensive. They had an offer on for cocktails buy one get one free, however what they don’t tell you is one drink is $40 as it comes in a giant pitcher! With the drinks and our meals, the bill totalled $195, the most expensive night since our arrival.
Saturday 13th October – SeaWorld
The last time we visited here was back in 2005 and to be honest its just as good if not better than before. There is plenty to do and you will not struggle to fill in a full day here! On arrival, we went west as the park is built around the main lake in the middle of the park. You will hit the Dolphin Nursery first attraction wise, which is very special, and your first coaster Manta is this way as well. I did go on this and its safe to say it was a highlight as you lie flat (all strapped in!) and Wizz round the track if you like coasters you will LOVE THIS.
From here you will hit Journey to Atlantis, a water-based ride, good fun but you WILL get wet, as well as Antarctica Penguin Encounter. There are plenty of food and drink outlets on route too. One of the best buys was our refillable mug for $20 with plenty of refilling posts around the park. As with their other park Busch gardens you can also do their all you can eat dining option for $49.99 per person.
Near Atlantis, you also have the second coaster Kraken, which I do go on with my first visit some fifteen years ago, but at the time of this visit it was closed for maintenance. You also have the Sea Lion & Otter Stadium, as well as the Shark Encounter, which is informative, and you walk in the classic underwater tunnel to see these magnificent creatures.
By this point you are at the top end of the park, where you have another theatre Nautilus, and Infinity Falls, another water ride, which will get you soaked again. You then hit Sesame Street Land, brilliant for the younger guests, before going to the Orca Stadium where you can see the killer whales up close and personal well worth going too.
From here its Wild Artic Encounter, and your third coaster Ice Breaker, I have to say this was the ONLY one I was disappointed in, as it was a long wait and for what it was, you were on and off within 1 minute. Also, as a single rider, there were a lot of empty seats on here, and the wait could have easily been halved.
From here we went back to the entrance area to see the Dolphin show at their own stadium, which was a MUST, truly magical show with such beautiful creatures, don’t miss it!
By the time we got down to the next coaster Pipeline, the first Stand Up Coaster they have, the park was closing for the Halloween event, which meant half of the park was closed off for general guests, as you needed to purchase an extra ticket, so I missed out on this which was a shame as it was the one, I was really looking forward too.
We left the park and headed back to I. Drive for our evening meal, where we ending up going to Chicago Uno’s.
This is a franchise, and one of our best meals of the whole trip! I went for a pizza and husband went for a burger. Like most restaurants we visited it was refillable sodas, so you only pay once. Lovely food, and atmosphere, and a really good value bill.
Sunday 14th October – Homeward Bound
Spent the morning on I. Drive buying our last-minute gifts, and one of the best shops to visit is Bargain World, past Icon Park on the opposite side of the road.
After this back to Chicago Uno’s for our last meal and this time, I went for a burger as well and have to say it was lovely!
Chilled out around the pool PM, making the most of the sunshine, before our Uber picked us up at 4.30pm to head to Orlando International Airport for our flight home, it WILL take a while to get through immigration so do be warned, but once through to the departure lounge and gates, plenty of benches and power points to charge us through electronic devices, as well as food and eating options
Flight left on time at 21,00 but for some reason really struggled on way home, even with Economy Delight to get comfortable, so I will be honest when we do go back in 3 years’ time, I will be upgrading our flight home, as when landed at 10am Monday morning its safe to say I was shattered!
MEALS
- Backlot Express – Disney Hollywood Studios $35.53
- Denny’s - $21.09 – Eat, Stay and Play Card saving $4.95.
- Pizza Predatoria – Universal Studios - $45.30
- Red Robin - $52.89
- Denny’s - $25.86 – Eat, Stay and Play card saving $6.07.
- Denny’s - $24.92 – Eat, Stay and Play card saving $5.85.
- Busch Gardens, Tampa - $37.95
- Height Food Market, Tampa - $23.65
- Denny’s - $26.04 – Eat, Stay and Play Card saving $6.11.
- Satuli Canteen, Animal Kingdom – $36.81
- Denny’s - $23.22 – Eat, Stay and Play card saving $5.45.
- Burger King, International drive - $29.87
- Senior Frogs, International Drive - $195.40
- Denny’s $26.19 – Eat, Stay and Play Card saving $6.15.
- UNO Chicago Grill - $51.19 – Eat, Stay and Play Card saving $6.15.
- UNO Chicago Grill - $52.66 - Eat, Stay and Play Card saving $8.52.
Also had savings with ESP card at Titanic the Exhibition 20% of entry, BJ Smokehouse 10% (no receipts)
Eat Stay and Play Card savings (with receipts only) $49.25!
SNACKS
- Black Spire Outpost (Kennedy) - $4.50
- Coaster Coffee, Busch Gardens - $10.73
- Epcot, Hawaii - $11.50
- Milky Way Parlour, Kennedy - $21.21
- Moon Rock Café, Kennedy - $4.27
- Cheshire Café, Magic Kingdom - $4.04
- Si Churro, Epcot - $3.75
UBER COSTS
- 3RD October – Hotel to Universal Studios - $7.51
- 3rd October - Universal Studios to Cicci’s Pizza - $10.90
- 4th October – Hotel to Disney Hollywood Studios - $12.96
- 4th October – Disney Hollywood Studios to Hotel - $26.97
- 5th October – Hotel to Discovery Cove $9.98
- 5th October – Discovery Cove to Hotel $18.91
- 6th October – Hotel to Islands of Adventure $8.85
- 6th October – Islands of Adventure to Hotel $14.39
- 8th October – Hotel to Epcot $16.93
- 8th October – Epcot to Hotel $19.92
- 9th October – Tampa to Hotel $86.99
- 10th October – Hotel to Animal Kingdom $20.94
- 10th October - Animal Kingdom to Denny’s $20.92
- 12th October – Hotel to Magic Kingdom $22.91
- 12th October – Magic Kingdom to Hotel $21.94
- 15th October – Hotel to Airport $22.96
VIRGIN ALTANTIC FLIGHTS
Exceptionally good flights both ways with attentive flight crew. Good meals and snacks both ways a tasty main meal and a snack later, broad selection of film, TV and audio with their Vera package, headphones also provided, as well as blanket and pillow. On our night flight on return also option of eye mask, socks and toothbrush if wanted. We flew both ways in Economy Delight, we did bid to upgrade prior at £70 each, to be honest we could have done it at the airport for less, had I known for just £49.99 per person at check in, but it’s never guaranteed, on the way back they were offering it on board for just £39 per person!
GENERAL OVERVIEW & TOP TIPS
A holiday to Florida is simply amazing, but you do need to plan to get the most out of your stay, you can find lots of free planners online, or if you do decide to book with myself this is all part of the service, including home and phone consultations to make sure you get the best out of the holiday.
Tips!
Do get the Eat, Stay and Play Card we saved over $49 with this card and there are literally hundreds of dining, refreshments, and entertainment venues on here all with different discounts. The card itself can only be purchased here in the UK, and the cost for the card is an average of just £10 which you make back in 24 hours!
Virtual Queues at Disney – You will need to do this for Tron and Guardians of the Galaxy, do this FIRST THING as they book up quickly. This can be done through your Disney planning App, again, this is something I can set up for you or you can download yourself from the App Store, when you have your Disney tickets. The app is invaluable as it will tell you times of shows and wait times on rides. Be aware that the popular rides such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom, and Frozen Ever After in Epcot can be over 60 minutes waits!
Photo-pass at Disney – When you book Disney tickets through my branch this is included. It’s worth over $200 and is a great way to get those memories, there are plenty of cast members at all parks with cameras able to take some fantastic photos for you, and you get extras free plus some videos made for you too!
Transportation to parks – 99% of the hotels on I. Drive DO offer transfers through third parties to Disney and Universal.
When looking at your hotel options, and if you are planning not to drive, check this out, otherwise your Uber’s do add up! Did you know that Disney is about 10 miles away from Orlando itself?
Discount Vouchers – There are plenty online including ones with Visit Orlando, and the I Drive website, make sure you get those before you go as you will no doubt use some of them during your stay.
Tip’s – You will be expected to tip when eating, but on the bill, it does give suggestions of different rates. You can expect to pay a tip of anything from 10% to 20% on top of your total bill.
Tax – Don’t forget any gifts you buy there is a tax payable on top which is shown on your bill.
Disney Tickets –
Break this down as you were doing all 4 parks listed below with the one-day ticket price. If we look at adult price first, the total for that on 1-day tickets for each park with NO HOPPER permitted would be $596 which on today’s rate is £491.53 – however this also does not include the Memory Maker which is an additional $199 or £164.12 so in fact your overall total would be £655.65 sterling. PLUS, by paying on the gate, it does NOT include the waterparks, golf course, or World of Sports.
There is a common misconception that buying your Disney tickets on the gate will be cheaper, but this simply cannot be the case. If you are planning on just doing ONE PARK, then yes pay on the gate, but if you think you will be doing all the parks listed below, then you need to purchase the tickets ONLY available here in the UK, through an independent travel agent such as myself.
Disney offers agents the 14 days for the price of 7 INC the hopper option to go between the parks. The cost for this is around £657.00.
The Disney 14-Day Magic Ticket gives you admission to one or more of the following Disney Theme Parks and attractions for each day of the ticket:
- Magic Kingdom Park
- Epcot
- Disney's Hollywood Studios including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park*
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park*
- ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (valid only on event days; some events require an additional admission charge)
- Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course (Green fees only - Golf equipment hire is available but comes at an additional charge; tee time reservations are required and subject to availability).
Plus, you can play one round of mini-golf on each day of your ticket at your choice of Disney's Fantasia Gardens Mini-Golf Course or Disney’s Winter Summerland Mini-Golf Course (round must start before 4.00pm).
How the Disney 14-Day Magic Ticket Works
Select a start date for your Disney Magic Ticket
Use the Disney 14-Day Magic Ticket over an 18-day validity window from the date selected - that's more flexibility during your holiday than ever before!
Choose a Disney Park you would like to visit each day and then use the built-in Park Hopping benefit from 2.00pm if you wish to visit other Disney Parks in the afternoon.
For example, immerse yourself in Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in the morning, then enjoy an afternoon of downhill thrills and spills at Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park followed by an evening stroll by Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom. Alternatively, start your day living your very own Star Wars™ story at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge within Disney's Hollywood Studios, before an afternoon travelling around the world at EPCOT. It's up to you!
Experience Includes
- 14 days admission to Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and the Disney Water Parks
- Includes Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, an out-of-this-world land featuring 'Star Wars' themed attractions.
- Park Hopper access from 2.00pm each day - Includes Memory Maker worth $199 - unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads to enjoy.
- enter multiple Disney Parks on the same day.
- Added extras including mini-golf, entry to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, use of family-friendly Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course, unlimited use of the Disney transportation system.
- Maximise your time in the Disney Parks with the complimentary Disney Genie Service
TICKETS ON THE GATE
1-DAY TICKETS
- EPCOT. AGES 10+ $144 – AGES 3-9 $139
- MAGIC KINGDOM. AGES 10+ $154 - AGES 3-9 $149
- DISNEY HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS AGES 10+ $154 – AGES 3-9 $149
- DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM AGES 10+ $144 – AGES 3-9 $139
A Theme Park Reservation is Automatically Made With a 1-Day Ticket for a Specific Date and Park
WITH PARK HOPPER. OPTION
Make a Reservation for Your First Theme Park, Then Hop to Another After 2 p.m.
AGES 10+ $219 / AGES 3-9 $214
One Theme Park per day unless the Park Hopper. or Park Hopper Plus Option is purchased. To enter a Park, both a Park reservation and valid ticket or pass for the same park on the same date are required. Parks, attractions, and other offerings subject to availability, closures and change or cancellation without notice or liability. ©
To see the FULL photographs from this magical trip please click the link below to go straight to the photo album!
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