Family Fun in Florida
We decided to take a Family Trip to Florida. It was me, my wife Louise and our 2 boys Alex (4) and Jack (20 months). We were taking advantage of our youngest being under 2 so we didn’t need to pay for a seat on the plane and he was free in all the theme parks. So, we settled for a 10-night trip was in June 2019.
We flew with British Airways from London. The service was excellent, and we landed early which was a bonus. On the flight home we got a bassinet baby seat for Jack, giving us a chance to sit without him on our knees the whole time.
We hired the car through Avis and Louise found it a very easy drive once she got used to it being an automatic. The car seats provided were excellent and were fitted by the Avis Team for us.
We stayed at the Floridays Resort on International Drive and it was excellent. It’s a condo style hotel and the Beds were huge and very comfy. The en-suite bathroom even had a jacuzzi bath. The Condo had everything we needed from fitted kitchen to washer and drier. It was also located perfectly for everything we wanted to do. Just 2 miles to SeaWorld, 6 miles to Disney, 6 miles to Universal Studios and only 11 miles from the airport. They also had a good room service menu which turned out to be a well-used godsend.
The weather at that time of the year was Hot and Wet. It was regularly over 30 degrees and it rained almost every afternoon like clockwork but just a short thunderstorm before clearing up for the evenings.
Magic Kingdom was the obvious choice for our first park. Seeing Alex’s face when he saw the castle for the first time pretty much made the whole trip worthwhile. Thankfully Alex was tall for his age so despite being only 4, he could go on Splash Mountain and Thunder mountain Railroad. But despite not being quite 2 there was plenty for Jack too and rides we could all go on.
Next up was Epcot Centre. This park has more to offer than you’d think, and the Aquarium section was a godsend for when the heavens opened. Both the boys love fish and we spent ages at this part of the park. We also did our first official character meet, although the boys were a bit unsure. They warmed to the characters as the trip went on.
Animal Kingdom was the park Alex was waiting for the most as he loves Dinosaurs. It was our first visit too. The big attraction is Pandora and its rides. With Alex not tall enough for Flight of Passage, we didn’t need to follow the crowds to this part of the park. Alex loved Dinoland and he even braved DINOSAUR and loved it – not bad for a 4-year-old.
Hollywood Studios was next, and we were unlucky with the weather and I think the boys needed more of a rest, so we only spent half a day. We did go to Toy Story Land which has plenty of rides for young ones and another couple of character visits. But the best bit and one of the trip highlights was the Disney Junior Dance Party. This is a must for young kids, very interactive and, also indoors good for rainy or hot days.
Universal Studios and Island of Adventures – We spent a couple of days at these parks, again my son excited for Dinosaur themed rides including Jurassic Park Ride and Pteranodon flyers. But the real reason to visit was for Harry Potter World. New since our last visit and with Louise being a big Harry Potter fan, we were very excited to go. It’s so well designed from the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley. You really get the feel of the films.
SeaWorld – For us this was more about the seal life than the rides due to boys’ ages. We caught the Shamu show which was incredible and saw all the sea life on show. We did do the Empire of the Penguin ride which had a great ending of seeing penguins in their own climate, despite being in Florida.
Must not forget Disney Springs home of our favourite eating places. TREX restaurant the obvious favourite and an absolute must for kids whether they like dinosaurs or not. Its such a great dining experience and provides plenty distraction for young kids. Also, Gluten Free Options were available, and the chef even came to the table to check exact requirements which was very attentive. Also Blaze Pizza, a bit more relaxed but amazing pizzas including Gluten Free options.
The trip was amazing, and we left regretting we hadn’t gone for the full 2 weeks. Because of this, we have rebooked again for 2021 and we are all very excited about going again. With Jack being 3 when we go, he will hopefully get on more rides and Alex will be 6 and will be able to do almost all the rides at the Disney Parks now.