Orlando Magic!

Caroline Linton on 01 December 2010
On arrival into Orlando we were transferred to the Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. The hotel is styled like a grand safari lodge. Many of the rooms overlook the savannahs where you can see giraffes, zebra and gazelles. There are also lovely pool areas and a wide choice of dining venues. The hotel is just a 15 minute drive from the Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Magic Kingdom/Epcot etc. Are about 10 minutes away; all reached by the free Disney transportation system.

There is something just so magical about Disney's Magic Kingdom! There are all the fast rides such as Space Mountain here among others, but the parades and characters you bump into just make the place so special. Disney's Animal Kingdom offers safari drives where you can see the amazing Tree of Life at the centre of the park, which depicts hundreds of animals carved into a huge tree trunk. Again there are the thrill rides here but also amazing shows such as The Lion King and 3D spectacular such as A Bugs Life.

Epcot was one of my favourites. You have to try Mission Space for the ultimate thrill simulator ride. And the thing I loved here the most and had us all gasping in amazement, was Turtle Talk with Crush. The children were totally unfazed with how this turtle was interacting with them but we were all gobsmacked! Disney's Hollywood Studios has so much to offer including the terrifying Tower Of Terror Ride and there are also stunt shows and animation shows too. Your Disney Hopper passes also allow you access to the fabulous water parks such as Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach but unfortunately time only allowed us a fleeting visit but sadly no rides!

After 4 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, we headed to Universal and stayed at the wonderful Loews Royal Pacific. This hotel is just a short stroll through Citywalk entertainment complex to the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure parks. The hotel also offers free water taxis to take you through to the parks. The hotel has a lovely lagoon style pool with a beach area and various restaurants and bars.

Universal Studios was brilliant! It again features lots of thrill rides, gentle rides if you're not brave enough and also the shows with characters. Rip Ride Rocket and Revenge of the Mummy were fast and scary!! Men In Black and The Simpsons Ride just had me laughing! Of course a must is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Islands of Adventure!! This is amazing even if you are not familiar with Hogwarts and Harry Potter. Being a new attraction, the queues are quite long, but talk to me about ways to avoid these long queues! There are also two fab water rides here called Rip Saw Falls & Popeye where you cannot fail to get soaked!

We then visited Seaworld - so so much to see and do here! There is a whole lot more than just Shamu the whale's show. For a start there is Manta - a lie flat rollercoaster; no, I wasn't brave enough! We found shows, displays and so much to see and learn at Seaworld. Across the road is Aquatica, the water park - this looked great but again we didn't have time to sample it. A lot of people don't think it’s worth the hour or so drive out to Busch Gardens but let me tell you - it is, especially if you are a rollercoaster fan! If my memory serves me right there are 7 here and I went on Sheikra, which travels at 70mph and has a 200ft vertical drop – not for the faint-hearted!!! There is also a safari park attached with shows, displays and crazy water rides! A visit to Discovery Cove is a great experience. There are beaches and palm trees, as much as you want to eat and drink whilst there and of course...the dolphins! The experience was wonderful and you get photos that you will treasure.

A trip to Orlando would not be complete without some shopping! Try Mall of Millennia for your more upmarket stores and Abercrombie & Fitch, and Premium Outlets for some mega discounts! If you can, a visit to see the local basketball team, Orlando Magic is a real American experience. We visited a number of hotels on our trip so if I can help with a quote, give advice or book your park tickets, just let me know. I must just add one more thing - Orlando is not just for kids!!!