Thrills and spills in the Sunshine State
Theme parks, space exploration and beaches to wow every tourist - Charles Wilsher reports on a trip to Florida
Florida is the south-eastern most state in America, its peninsula is bathed in the warm waters of the Atlantic on east coast while the turquoise blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico caress silver-white sands of the beaches on the west coast. Our favourite beach destination is Clearwater on the Gulf Coast; there’s nothing better than a few hours relaxing on the beach watching pelicans with their long, comically voluminous bills, as they perch on posts, or dive from height to catch small fish in the sea. However, Florida has much more to offer than just breath-taking coastline.
If you are a thrill seeker and want the excitement of jaw-dropping rollercoasters, then you’re in luck, because Florida is theme park central! Orlando, in central Florida boasts the most theme parks in the world. SEE BELOW FOR A FULL GUIDE!
South of Orlando on the Space Coast is the Kennedy Space Centre, we spent a full day there learning about space exploration, in a fun and informative way accessible to all ages. It was incredible to see such things as; the actual space shuttle Atlantis, the immense scale of the Saturn V rocket from the Apollo missions, to have the experience of a simulated launch, and the opportunity to touch an actual moon rock! Sitting on the launch pad was the Artemis rocket poised for its maiden launch scheduled only days after our return home, which had to be the icing on the cake. Coinciding with our visit was a convention where NASA Scientists were exhibiting their research and engineering projects; it was an amazing opportunity to find out more about the future of space exploration, and the experiments designed for the ISS and Artemis mission.
I’m passionate about the natural world and take every opportunity to connect with wildlife whenever possible. The Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, encompassing 1.5 million acres which extends toward the south west. There are airboat and kayak trips through the coastal mangroves and sawgrass marshes. We joined a ranger-led airboat tour, - if it’s thrills and excitement you are looking for then forget the roller coasters! Air boats are essentially a metal raft powered by a massive hairdryer type fan, that propels the vessel at jaw dropping, edge of your seat speeds, a completely exhilarating experience. We were lucky to spot many alligators, turtles, and wading birds. A
To the South are the Florida Keys, a string of tropical islands stretching about 120 miles off the southern tip of Florida. They have a real Caribbean atmosphere and the perfect place to watch stunning sunsets. The Keys are a great destination for fishing, boating, snorkelling and scuba diving. The southernmost island, Key West, is famous for the Mallory Square’s nightly Sunset Celebration and Ernest Hemingway’s Home.
If you have a golfer in the family, Florida has some amazing golf courses, like Innisbrook near Tampa bay. It’s another opportunity to take in the wildlife, we spotted native birds like the Florida scrub jay, and Wood stock. We also saw a couple of alligators.
If your trip coincides with the Basketball Season (which is usually October to April). I’d recommend going to see Orlando Magic play at the Amway centre in Orlando. There is a family friendly atmosphere, a really fast paced, exciting and entertaining experience.
Guide to the Theme Parks
MAGIC KINGDOM
No trip to Florida would be complete without a visit to Walt Disney World, which was certainly at the top of our agenda when we visited last August. Disney world has four main parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. It also has two water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach which are both well worth a visit. Each of the parks has its own draw and must-see attraction/ride, if you are travelling with little ones then Magic Kingdom has the most to offer the younger visitor. They will delight in meeting their favourite Disney characters or Princess and enjoy the Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After fireworks in the skies above Cinderella Castle. There are also more rides suitable for the under 9 years here.
One tip also for visiting the Magic Kingdom is to plan your visit mid-week, most visitors arriving into Orlando make a bee-line to the Magic Kingdom visiting this park when they arrive at the weekend or on a Monday. Another tip is to arrive as the park opens and navigate the park in clock wise rotation, most visitors will naturally follow an anti-clock wise direction turning right as they enter. This way you can ride some of the more popular rides like Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle River Cruise, before the queues build.
Be prepared with comfy shoes, as you will walk at least 10 miles as you wander back and forth between rides, we did on average about 20,000 steps! It is a hot, humid sub-tropical climate so keep hydrated and drink plenty of water (bring some bottled water with you as it’s about $4 for a small bottle in the parks), and apply sunscreen regularly. You will enjoy plenty of sunshine, however there are daily storms which happen late afternoon generally between 2-3pm, they are generally short and the rain brings some relief from the heat and humidity. A plastic water proof poncho is a good idea, as they are also useful for the wet rides where you will undoubtedly get soaked through - all part of the fun! (You will dry out in the sun quite quickly!)
EPCOT
The newly opened Guardian of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT is Epcot's first roller coaster. It's also the first Disney Omnicoaster, a ride with rotating vehicles that turn riders toward the action, and has the first-ever reverse launch for a Disney coaster. Expect high velocity spins and loud music, it did not disappoint and was a firm favourite for best ride at Disney! Due to the popularity of this new ride, you will need to join a virtual queue for this ride which opens at about 7am, you will be given a timed window in which to ride. Join the virtual queue as soon as possible on the morning of your visit to EPCOT in order not to be disappointed.
Also new to EPCOT last summer was The Space 220 restaurant, which takes fine dining to a whole new level. An immersive experience begins as you check in to the Space 220 Departure Lounge in Future World. From here, you’ll board a “Space Elevator” that will transport you to what seems like 220 miles above Earth to Centauri Space Station. As you begin your ascent, you’ll look down through a viewport to see EPCOT shrink away; looking up you’ll see the Space Station come into view. It’s a good idea to pre-book this restaurant weeks ahead of your visit to EPCOT.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Hollywood Studios is a park themed after movies and includes attractions that will appeal to younger children, such as Toy Story, Pixar and Frozen. It has recently seen the introduction of Galaxy’s Edge a Star Wars themed land. It houses two amazing rides, Rise of the Resistance where you are escorted through a pre-ride from a planet to an Imperial Destroyer and the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers run where you get to pilot and crew the Millennium Falcon. This was the highlight for both my Dad and Sister who are complete Star Wars geeks! I would also highly recommend the Hollywood Tower of Terror and Rock n Rollercoaster.
ANIMAL KINGDOM
Of all the Florida theme parks this is my personal favourite. Disney’s animal kingdom is a zoological theme park, dedicated to and themed around natural environment and animal conservation. I would strongly recommend arriving when the park opens and making a bee-line to the Kilimanjaro Safaris before the midday sun. In the morning before it gets too hot you will have the best chance of seeing more animals on this expedition, to see African species in several large field enclosures, replicating the African savannas. We were lucky and spotted: Lions, Okapi, Bongo, Black and White rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Pink-backed pelicans, Crocodiles, Giraffes, Wildebeests, Springboks, Ankole cattle, Antelopes, and African bush elephants, to name but a few. The highlight of my visit however was seeing the beautiful Sumatran tiger in the Maharajah Jungle trek.
Animal Kingdom has grown in recent years to include Pandora – The World of Avatar, themed to the fictional exomoon from the film. The main attraction is Avatar Flight of Passage, a 3D flying thrill simulator that allows guests to fly on a banshee across the Pandoran landscape. This ride is truly immersive, engaging all the senses, you can smell the ocean as the banshee soars above it and you can even feel it breathing as you ride. This was another strong contender for our choice of best ride at Disney. Be sure to visit Pandora in the evening, it is a true visual spectacle as Pandora's bioluminescent rainforests come to life.
Top picks for Animal Kingdom are the Expedition Everest rollercoaster and the Kali River rapids (be prepared for a complete soaking!) A must see is also the Festival of the Lion King, a live stage show.
DISNEY SPRINGS
Disney Springs is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort. It is free to park, has live music, a good atmosphere and is well worth a visit in the evening. There are great restaurants, although a little more expensive compared with others in the Orlando area. We enjoyed food at the Boathouse restaurant, it is advisable to book ahead. There is also a rainforest café and a dinosaur themed T-rex restaurant which will appeal to children.
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
Most Harry Potter fans will not want to miss Universal Orlando Resort which has two parks, Universal Studios Florida, (which features The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley) and Islands of Adventure which features Hogsmeade. Top tip is to make sure you buy a two-park ticket as you will be unable to ride the Hogwarts Express which connects the two parks. Harry Potter enthusiasts both Muggles and Magical can purchase a wand at Ollivander’s, robes in their assigned house colours, sample a butter beer or two and eat dinner at the Leaky Cauldron. Just like at Disney the merchandise is very expensive, especially with the poor value of the pound against the dollar. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you know that a butterbeer would only cost you two sickles from Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks. However, the price for a normal butter beer is $7.99 and if you want it in a souvenir cup $13.49. Top rides at Universal studios are Harry potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket. Top rides in Islands of Adventure are the new Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike adventure, the Incredible Hulk Coaster, Jurassic world VelociCoaster and Skull Island Reign of Kong. There are also more rides suitable for the younger child themed around Dr Seuss at Islands of Adventure.
Florida is the south-eastern most state in America, its peninsula is bathed in the warm waters of the Atlantic on east coast while the turquoise blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico caress silver-white sands of the beaches on the west coast. Our favourite beach destination is Clearwater on the Gulf Coast; there’s nothing better than a few hours relaxing on the beach watching pelicans with their long, comically voluminous bills, as they perch on posts, or dive from height to catch small fish in the sea. However, Florida has much more to offer than just breath-taking coastline.
If you are a thrill seeker and want the excitement of jaw-dropping rollercoasters, then you’re in luck, because Florida is theme park central! Orlando, in central Florida boasts the most theme parks in the world. SEE BELOW FOR A FULL GUIDE!
South of Orlando on the Space Coast is the Kennedy Space Centre, we spent a full day there learning about space exploration, in a fun and informative way accessible to all ages. It was incredible to see such things as; the actual space shuttle Atlantis, the immense scale of the Saturn V rocket from the Apollo missions, to have the experience of a simulated launch, and the opportunity to touch an actual moon rock! Sitting on the launch pad was the Artemis rocket poised for its maiden launch scheduled only days after our return home, which had to be the icing on the cake. Coinciding with our visit was a convention where NASA Scientists were exhibiting their research and engineering projects; it was an amazing opportunity to find out more about the future of space exploration, and the experiments designed for the ISS and Artemis mission.
I’m passionate about the natural world and take every opportunity to connect with wildlife whenever possible. The Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, encompassing 1.5 million acres which extends toward the south west. There are airboat and kayak trips through the coastal mangroves and sawgrass marshes. We joined a ranger-led airboat tour, - if it’s thrills and excitement you are looking for then forget the roller coasters! Air boats are essentially a metal raft powered by a massive hairdryer type fan, that propels the vessel at jaw dropping, edge of your seat speeds, a completely exhilarating experience. We were lucky to spot many alligators, turtles, and wading birds. A
To the South are the Florida Keys, a string of tropical islands stretching about 120 miles off the southern tip of Florida. They have a real Caribbean atmosphere and the perfect place to watch stunning sunsets. The Keys are a great destination for fishing, boating, snorkelling and scuba diving. The southernmost island, Key West, is famous for the Mallory Square’s nightly Sunset Celebration and Ernest Hemingway’s Home.
If you have a golfer in the family, Florida has some amazing golf courses, like Innisbrook near Tampa bay. It’s another opportunity to take in the wildlife, we spotted native birds like the Florida scrub jay, and Wood stock. We also saw a couple of alligators.
If your trip coincides with the Basketball Season (which is usually October to April). I’d recommend going to see Orlando Magic play at the Amway centre in Orlando. There is a family friendly atmosphere, a really fast paced, exciting and entertaining experience.
Guide to the Theme Parks
MAGIC KINGDOM
No trip to Florida would be complete without a visit to Walt Disney World, which was certainly at the top of our agenda when we visited last August. Disney world has four main parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. It also has two water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach which are both well worth a visit. Each of the parks has its own draw and must-see attraction/ride, if you are travelling with little ones then Magic Kingdom has the most to offer the younger visitor. They will delight in meeting their favourite Disney characters or Princess and enjoy the Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After fireworks in the skies above Cinderella Castle. There are also more rides suitable for the under 9 years here.
One tip also for visiting the Magic Kingdom is to plan your visit mid-week, most visitors arriving into Orlando make a bee-line to the Magic Kingdom visiting this park when they arrive at the weekend or on a Monday. Another tip is to arrive as the park opens and navigate the park in clock wise rotation, most visitors will naturally follow an anti-clock wise direction turning right as they enter. This way you can ride some of the more popular rides like Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle River Cruise, before the queues build.
Be prepared with comfy shoes, as you will walk at least 10 miles as you wander back and forth between rides, we did on average about 20,000 steps! It is a hot, humid sub-tropical climate so keep hydrated and drink plenty of water (bring some bottled water with you as it’s about $4 for a small bottle in the parks), and apply sunscreen regularly. You will enjoy plenty of sunshine, however there are daily storms which happen late afternoon generally between 2-3pm, they are generally short and the rain brings some relief from the heat and humidity. A plastic water proof poncho is a good idea, as they are also useful for the wet rides where you will undoubtedly get soaked through - all part of the fun! (You will dry out in the sun quite quickly!)
EPCOT
The newly opened Guardian of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT is Epcot's first roller coaster. It's also the first Disney Omnicoaster, a ride with rotating vehicles that turn riders toward the action, and has the first-ever reverse launch for a Disney coaster. Expect high velocity spins and loud music, it did not disappoint and was a firm favourite for best ride at Disney! Due to the popularity of this new ride, you will need to join a virtual queue for this ride which opens at about 7am, you will be given a timed window in which to ride. Join the virtual queue as soon as possible on the morning of your visit to EPCOT in order not to be disappointed.
Also new to EPCOT last summer was The Space 220 restaurant, which takes fine dining to a whole new level. An immersive experience begins as you check in to the Space 220 Departure Lounge in Future World. From here, you’ll board a “Space Elevator” that will transport you to what seems like 220 miles above Earth to Centauri Space Station. As you begin your ascent, you’ll look down through a viewport to see EPCOT shrink away; looking up you’ll see the Space Station come into view. It’s a good idea to pre-book this restaurant weeks ahead of your visit to EPCOT.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Hollywood Studios is a park themed after movies and includes attractions that will appeal to younger children, such as Toy Story, Pixar and Frozen. It has recently seen the introduction of Galaxy’s Edge a Star Wars themed land. It houses two amazing rides, Rise of the Resistance where you are escorted through a pre-ride from a planet to an Imperial Destroyer and the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers run where you get to pilot and crew the Millennium Falcon. This was the highlight for both my Dad and Sister who are complete Star Wars geeks! I would also highly recommend the Hollywood Tower of Terror and Rock n Rollercoaster.
ANIMAL KINGDOM
Of all the Florida theme parks this is my personal favourite. Disney’s animal kingdom is a zoological theme park, dedicated to and themed around natural environment and animal conservation. I would strongly recommend arriving when the park opens and making a bee-line to the Kilimanjaro Safaris before the midday sun. In the morning before it gets too hot you will have the best chance of seeing more animals on this expedition, to see African species in several large field enclosures, replicating the African savannas. We were lucky and spotted: Lions, Okapi, Bongo, Black and White rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Pink-backed pelicans, Crocodiles, Giraffes, Wildebeests, Springboks, Ankole cattle, Antelopes, and African bush elephants, to name but a few. The highlight of my visit however was seeing the beautiful Sumatran tiger in the Maharajah Jungle trek.
Animal Kingdom has grown in recent years to include Pandora – The World of Avatar, themed to the fictional exomoon from the film. The main attraction is Avatar Flight of Passage, a 3D flying thrill simulator that allows guests to fly on a banshee across the Pandoran landscape. This ride is truly immersive, engaging all the senses, you can smell the ocean as the banshee soars above it and you can even feel it breathing as you ride. This was another strong contender for our choice of best ride at Disney. Be sure to visit Pandora in the evening, it is a true visual spectacle as Pandora's bioluminescent rainforests come to life.
Top picks for Animal Kingdom are the Expedition Everest rollercoaster and the Kali River rapids (be prepared for a complete soaking!) A must see is also the Festival of the Lion King, a live stage show.
DISNEY SPRINGS
Disney Springs is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort. It is free to park, has live music, a good atmosphere and is well worth a visit in the evening. There are great restaurants, although a little more expensive compared with others in the Orlando area. We enjoyed food at the Boathouse restaurant, it is advisable to book ahead. There is also a rainforest café and a dinosaur themed T-rex restaurant which will appeal to children.
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
Most Harry Potter fans will not want to miss Universal Orlando Resort which has two parks, Universal Studios Florida, (which features The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley) and Islands of Adventure which features Hogsmeade. Top tip is to make sure you buy a two-park ticket as you will be unable to ride the Hogwarts Express which connects the two parks. Harry Potter enthusiasts both Muggles and Magical can purchase a wand at Ollivander’s, robes in their assigned house colours, sample a butter beer or two and eat dinner at the Leaky Cauldron. Just like at Disney the merchandise is very expensive, especially with the poor value of the pound against the dollar. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you know that a butterbeer would only cost you two sickles from Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks. However, the price for a normal butter beer is $7.99 and if you want it in a souvenir cup $13.49. Top rides at Universal studios are Harry potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket. Top rides in Islands of Adventure are the new Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike adventure, the Incredible Hulk Coaster, Jurassic world VelociCoaster and Skull Island Reign of Kong. There are also more rides suitable for the younger child themed around Dr Seuss at Islands of Adventure.