Disney-free Orlando
Seaworld, on our first full day, offered a great mix of thrills and gentler fun so whilst Chris & Bobbi rode Manta and Kraken I wandered off to see the manatees, alligators and stingrays and together we watched the amazing dolphin and killer whale shows, visited Wild Arctic, being mesmerised by the walrus, beluga whales and sea lions. A thorough soaking was had on Journey to Atlantis, ending the day at Empire of the Penguin.
Diagon Alley in Universal Studios was our first destination the following day. Any Harry Potter fan will revel in its authenticity and atmosphere, not so much at the price of wand and cloak! Needless to say, Bobbi and Chris found Revenge of the Mummy hidden inside the Museum of Antiquities and Escape from Gringotts inside the bank! More blatant was Hollywood Rip Tide Rockit – once on these rides was never enough!! As we were visiting Islands of Adventure later in the holiday, we took the opportunity to end the day by taking the fabulous Hogwarts Express from Platform 9¾ at Kings Cross Station to Hogsmeade Station.
Spaceship Earth at Epcot took us from the Stone Age to the computerised modern era, very engaging for all ages and no sick-bag required! Chris & Bobbi designed a virtual concept car at Epcot’s Test Track then took it for a simulated high-octane spin – verdict? Amazing! After lunch we took a walk ‘around the world’ visiting Mexico, Norway, Canada, France, Japan, Germany, China, Morocco, USA and England.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center was what I was looking forward to most, having visited Mission Control in Houston many years ago. Bobbi decided that she’d be bored before we even got in the car but ended up having a blast, literally, as our first mission was to experience the Space Shuttle Launch Simulator which really was out of this world! With plenty of interactive displays, seeing the original Atlantis, the rocket garden and the Behind the Scenes bus tour, this offers a brilliant day out for all.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure with Hogwarts Castle, on Monday, with Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the Dragon Challenge and Jurassic Park River Adventure meant I barely saw Bobbi & Chris all day! Hogsmeade was very evocative with its snow-capped rooftops and even though the main Easter holidays were now over the place was still packed.
The ultimate thrill-seekers venue was, of course, to be Busch Gardens on our penultimate day. Whilst Bobbi & Chris sent themselves dizzy on Montu, SheiKra, Scorpion, Cheetah Hunt, Kumba, the Congo River Rapids and Falcon’s Fury I took a leisurely ride aboard the Serengeti Railway from which I saw giraffe, elephants, rhino, zebra, ostrich and much more, all free-roaming, a great experience akin to a mini-safari with no guarantees of which animals I'd see - and I went round twice!
The ‘best day ever’ was Bobbi’s verdict on our final day, Discovery Cove. After donning our rather fetching wetsuits we were free to enjoy everything on offer. Although there are some extra experiences that can be added to the standard package there really is enough to do during a very full day without having to fork out for anything else; even meals, snacks and drinks are included. The highlights had to be the dolphin encounter and swim (actually being pulled across the lagoon, not swimming!) along with snorkelling in the Grand Reef, encountering myriad tropical fish and several humongous rays.
I was pleasantly surprised by all that Orlando had to offer us as a family, without venturing into Walt Disney World and was more excited about Bobbi's reaction to her long-kept-secret birthday present, which you won't be surprised to hear left her gob-smacked, leaving her only a few days from her birthday, until we set off, for planning everything she wanted to do.
Now I 'get' why Orlando is so popular and with Busch Gardens, Kennedy Space Center and the beaches all within an easy drive it's easy to see why everyone keeps going back. There really is something for everyone, regardless of age.
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