Orlando - Much More Than Disney

While Disney is probably the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Orlando, Florida, there are much more to this colourful city than Mickey Mouse and adventure parks.

This is a guide of everything we did on our two week holiday to Orlando in September of 2019 (more detail of the parks can be found on other posts). While we did attend as many Disney parks as possible due to the fact I hadn't been before and Taylor had been many times with his family so we just went with his recommendations of his favourite spots, we also explored the smaller yet equally as interesting attractions near by.

If you are British like us the first time you go to America is to Florida, and everything is eye-opening, from the size of the portions to the cars to the sugar content in the drinks.

I would like to start this off with HIRE A CAR, don't pass by on this because of the fact there are links to all the major attractions, if you don't have your own transport, it can be very expensive to go to other places and it gives you the freedom to explore what Florida has to offer you, or even if you just want to go to the supermarket. If you feel nervous on driving abroad, USA is probably the best place to do it for the first time because their roads are absolutely enormous and their road links are quite well marked for directions and easy to read. You can pre-book cars and pick them up straight from the airport and return them when you're going home.

Parks

We went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Sea World and Discovery Cove.

Magic Kingdom - The one with the castle, definitely catered more towards children but a nostalgic must-see when in Orlando

Epcot - Travel the world, imagine global culture, space, sea, horticulture and futuristic concepts.

Hollywood Studios - Star Wars, Toy Story, Muppets and Tower of Terror this park provides a varied standard of rides for all interests

Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure- Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and Transformers, these two parks are a movie lovers dream and are connected by the Hogwart's Express making them easy to do them both in the same day if you like

Sea World - Animal lovers dream a great way to see penguins, sea turtles and exotic fish in a unique way, there is even a restaurant where the walls are fish tanks

Discovery Cove - snorkel with sting rays or swim with the dolphins an immersive, once in a lifetime experience

Attractions

Other than the parks there are so many other attractions that you can do and see in Orlando

Wonderworks - From the outside, an upside down house, on the inside it is full of entertainment, art and educational activities and materials

Disney Springs - A large outdoor shopping centre with eateries and shops including the iconic Planet Hollywood

Mall at Millenia - A premier shopping centre with luxury brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton - a true shopper's paradise

Boggy Creek Adventures - Take an airboat through the Florida Everglades and see Alligators in their natural environment

Resorts

When we stayed in Florida, we stayed in an apartment at Lake Buena Vista Sheraton Vista Villages Resort which was right on international drive, it was a very large resort with lots of amenities such as pools, spa, tennis court and mini golf to name a few. Being only 10-30 minutes away from most of the parks we visited it was perfectly placed and the pool was a nice way to unwind after a busy day trying to fit everything in.

Because we stayed in an apartment we had the luxury of home comforts such as full-size fridge/freezer, washer/dryer and a cooker and coffee maker to make breakfast in the morning. We generally ate breakfast in the apartment (on the balcony) then went out for the day before coming home to get changed for dinner at night. With the hire car we felt at ease as we could come and go from the resort as much as we wanted without worrying to much about having to get a taxi or a bus every-time we wanted to go somewhere.

If you were going to Orlando for the first time and planning on going to the main parks I would absolutely recommend staying in International Drive for its centrality. If you do opt to not hire a car there are great shuttle links to the main attractions nearby.

Food & Drink

Last but not least, the most important part of your trip - my favourite. Now, here is when I could rhyme off all the top end restaurants in the area and tell you they are the place to be but because it was my first time in America, I took the opportunity to try all the restaurants that I had seen on TV for all those years and as silly as it seems they all lived up to expectation, so the following restaurants I must recommend;

Ford Garage - Vintage service station vibes with old fashioned cars and decor, best for American favourites such as Burgers and Beers - the french onion soup also went down a treat

Red Lobster - Large portions, specialising in lobster and shrimp they do great great mixed platters if you want to try a little (or a big) bit of everything

I-HOP - An extensive pancake menu along with other favourites such as waffles, burritos, burgers, omelettes and much more - Open 24 hours

McDonalds - Ofcourse this was going to be on here! I had to try it, (much) larger portions and more items on the menu, perfect for a quick/on the go meal

Bubba Gump - Forrest Gump themed restaurant that serves southern style dishes, shrimp being the main focus, but there are also burgers, ribs and salads on the menu if shrimp isn't your thing

The Boathouse - Now this one is a more upscale, in Disney Springs the Surf n Turf style menu is a great choice for a nicer dinner or a date night - the honey bread to start was unreal, would go back merely for the bread.

Planet Hollywood - Comparable to TGI Fridays this enormous restaurant in Disney Springs was an experience as well as great food

Sharks Underwater Grill - In Seaworld, Orlando there is a speciality restaurant that is actually built beside a shark tank where you can watch the fish and the sharks while you dine

Unfortunately when we went to Orlando I was too young (20) to drink and too young to drive the rental car so although Taylor was of age to drink he had to drive everywhere so if he was drinking it was just at the resort, when we were out we found out just how many different types of soda there are in America. I soon found out I didn't miss the alcohol one bit as the sugar content in the can of juice would give you a sugar rush for days. I know it seems like I'm making a big deal out of juice but it really is amazing, full of sugar, very fattening and neon in colour - what's not to love!

With that I hope I have helped you with your decisions if you were looking to go to Florida for the first time, I can just about guarantee you will enjoy it as there really is something for everyone.

Christina x