Orlando Theme Parks & Beyond
Florida does things bigger, louder and sunnier than almost anywhere else – and this collection of posts captures exactly that.
After several years of ear bending from Oscar we finally gave in and in 2019 agreed to the bright lights, theme parks and fancy poolside villas of Orlando, Florida. Coming along for the ride this time were my Parents who were very well travelled but had never stepped foot on American soil before, well not the northern part anyway and boy were they in for a culture shock.
This wasn’t just about ticking off Disney rides or wandering Universal with a map in hand. We balanced big days out at theme parks with Floridas National Parks, vintage steam trains, car cruises and downtime by the pool and swapped rollercoasters for rockets at the unforgettable Kennedy Space Center.
If you’re planning a Florida holiday, dreaming of Orlando, or just enjoy travel stories that mix excitement with reality, you’re in the right place. This is Florida as we experienced it – sunburn, steering wheels, space shuttles and all.
The following posts are presented in ascending order. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch
Our Florida holiday wasn’t a traditional road trip, but it turned into one of our most varied USA adventures. From theme parks and villa life to wildlife, road trips and pure Americana, this page brings together the full Florida series in one place.
As our Florida series comes to an end, it’s time to reflect. From villa life and family memories to theme parks, wildlife and Americana, here are my final thoughts — and whether we’d ever do it all again.
A visit to the Florida Westgate Saturday Night Rodeo turned into one of the most surreal and entertaining evenings of our trip. Bulls, cowboys, trick roping and full-blown Americana made for a night we’ll never forget.
In between theme parks, wildlife encounters and day trips, we also found time to slow down in Florida. From crazy golf and mall shopping to stormy beach drives and one unforgettable rodeo night, these quieter moments rounded out the trip perfectly.
Gatorland Orlando was a welcome break from the theme parks. Set between Kissimmee and Celebration, it offered a relaxed afternoon exploring swampland, spotting birds and getting surprisingly close to Florida’s most prehistoric residents.
Universal Studios Orlando turned out to be my favourite theme park of the Florida holiday. Familiar film sets, TV references, Springfield from The Simpsons and a great evening at CityWalk made it a standout day.
Just 85 miles from Orlando, Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park felt like a completely different Florida. Quiet, natural and unforgettable, it offered our first ever encounter with manatees — and it was something truly special.
Animal Kingdom was our second Disney park of the holiday and, surprisingly, the one I enjoyed the most. More organic, more immersive and far less chaotic than Magic Kingdom, it felt like a very different side of Disney.
A visit to Kennedy Space Center was one of the standout days of our Florida holiday. While the bus tour disappointed, the museums, Saturn V moon rocket and Space Shuttle Atlantis made it a memorable and inspiring experience.
Old Town Kissimmee Car Cruise Nights were one of the highlights of our Florida holiday. Polished classics, hot rods, live music and a sense of community that feels a world away from the UK car cruise scene.
A couple of hours from our Florida base in Davenport, the Florida Railroad Museum in Parrish turned out to be the perfect birthday day out. Old locomotives, a scenic rail journey, and a surprise driver experience made this a highlight away from the Orlando crowds.
Despite not being the world’s biggest Disney fan, we found ourselves spending a day at Magic Kingdom in Orlando. There were crowds, thunderstorms, roller coasters, and an embarrassingly enthusiastic teenager — plus some ill-advised family T-shirts.
For our Florida holiday we based ourselves in Davenport, staying in a spacious villa with a pool, games room and more space than we knew what to do with. Close enough to the parks but far enough away to relax, it turned out to be the perfect base for our Central Florida adventures.
With no new road trips planned, it felt like the right time to finally upload one of our most unlikely holidays — a two-week Florida stay built around Orlando’s theme parks, a very posh villa, and a surprising amount of real Florida away from the oversized mice and neon chaos.