With no new road trips planned for the near future, I’ve started uploading holidays and trips that somehow never made it onto Blogging The Road at the time. This one isn’t really for public consumption — it’s more about keeping our memories, photos, and stories safe in one place. Something to look back on during those cold, dark winter months when you need reminding that sunshine does actually exist.
This trip takes us back to 2019, when we finally gave in to our son’s relentless campaign to visit the Orlando theme parks.
I’ll be honest — the idea didn’t exactly fill me with joy.
Give me wide-open national parks, empty desert highways, or the organised chaos of a proper American city any day of the week. Orlando? Endless theme parks, International Drive madness, and a level of artificial cheerfulness that usually sends me running for the nearest state line.
But sometimes, you compromise. And when your son is theme-park obsessed, compromise eventually turns into booking flights.
Villas, Pools, and a Surprise Invitation
Rather than hotels, we started looking at villas and the full Florida experience with a pool, games room, and far more square footage than we’d ever normally consider. The problem? Most were enormous. Clearly designed for extended families rather than a family of three.
After a bit of back-and-forth, we floated the idea of inviting the parents along.
To our complete surprise… they said yes.
They’d never been to the States before, and we’d never had a built-in babysitter on holiday. Everyone won.
Flights, Location, and a Very Posh Base
Flights were booked from Manchester to Orlando, and we settled on a villa in Davenport, five bedrooms, a games room, a private pool, and just enough distance from the madness to feel calm.
It was close enough for easy drives to the theme parks and Kissimmee, but perfectly positioned for exploring Central Florida beyond the obvious attractions. Not exactly our usual American accommodation style, but undeniably comfortable.
We also ended up with a huge Ford Expedition, which made even the most mundane supermarket runs feel like an adventure.
Theme Parks (With Limits)
With careful consultation from our resident theme-park expert, we booked a select few parks rather than trying to do everything.
We visited:
- Magic Kingdom
- Animal Kingdom
- Universal
That was enough for us. Ticked off the essentials, avoided burnout, and left space for something more interesting.
Discovering the “Other” Florida
Once the theme parks were done, we turned our attention to the bits of Florida that don’t involve queues, wristbands, or mascots.
After a lot of research, we put together a holiday that balanced excitement with downtime, taking in:
- State rodeos
- Space exploration history
- Proper Florida beaches
- Gator parks
- Rare wildlife
- Small-town America
- And yes… the occasional oversized mouse or Simpsons character
It turned out to be far more varied than either of us expected.
Not a Road Trip — But Still a Journey
This wasn’t a traditional road trip. We weren’t packing up every morning and chasing the horizon, and there’ll be no “Day 1 we went here, Day 2 we moved on” format for this series.
Instead, I’ll be picking out the standout places we visited in Orlando and across Florida, adding a few words, and sprinkling in some long-overdue holiday photos.
It won’t win Travel Blog of the Year — but that’s not the point.
It’s for us. For the memories. And for future, slightly older, possibly senile versions of ourselves who’ll be very glad we wrote it all down.
East Coast USA Road Trip 2025 – The Complete Travel Journal
Davenport, Kissimmee & Villa Life: Our Florida Base Away From the Theme Parks
