Florida, Parks & Swim with Dolphins with Darren, Ayshea & Nina

Florida, Parks & Swim with Dolphins

If you believe in magic, dreams really do come true, and we were certainly all ready to make that happen! From the minute we arrived we were transported to a place of imagination and wonder and right before our very eyes was the breathtaking Cinderella castle looking beautiful, almost twinkling away in the sunshine. Astro Orbiter, saw us soar through the sky on our spinning rocket ship and we were in control of how high we flew by pulling the lever. we took to the sky with the iconic “When I see an Elephant Fly” song blasting out of the speakers. We couldn’t resist cooling off at the Casey Junior Circus Train where water squirted out of elephant trunks and giraffes! Just what we needed! The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train saw the brave amongst us whizz through the diamond mine complete with sparkling gems to the familiar tune of ‘High Ho’.

Our stop could only have been one place, meeting the main man himself Mickey Mouse! With the biggest smiles on our faces, we hugged and high fived the cheeky chap and we even got him to dance as we sang another birthday tune. We felt like we were in a dream!

Next, we got to meet our favourite Disney Princesses, Cinderella. The girls were in awe of her shimmering light blue dress, her long white gloves and of course her glass slippers to complete the outfit. More hugs were gratefully received, and her smile and kindness made us feel very special indeed. We also got to meet Princess Elena of Avalor. She is Disney’s first Latina princess and looked equally as stunning in her floral red dress and she had long brown hair to die for! Another memorable moment.

Another day and it was time to tick off another park. Excitedly we headed to Hollywood Studios which celebrates the magic of film and storytelling from some of our most loved movies such as Star Wars, Toys Story and some Disney Classics. The Tower of Terror loomed over us and those who felt brave enough (or stupid enough?!?) were keen to take on this terrifying ride. As we waited in line the atmosphere was filled with excitement, anticipation and a hint of dread! The flickering candles, creeks and unsettling noises added to our nerves even more. With our hearts racing we entered the elevator ready to ride. We ascended, all waiting in anticipation as we knew something big was about to happen. The first drop made our stomach leap, and the pure adrenaline rush was like nothing we’d felt before. The unknown of how many more drops or how long they were going to be all added to the thrill.

We always love celebrating a birthday on one of our holidays and Charlie, our birthday boy was celebrating his 30th! 

We had a great set up back at our villa with an amazing pool and jacuzzi. With loungers around the edge some happily relaxed, the water babies amongst us ‘shot some hoops’, practised their swimming before finishing off with a session in the jacuzzi! With such glorious weather we all agreed it was the perfect afternoon. 

Today, we were going to go wild at Animal Kingdom! On arrival we felt like we were entering the jungle as we were surrounded by lush landscapes and animal enclosures. Stood in front of us was the real Pocahontas, dressed in her traditional one- shoulder beige dress adorned with turquoise jewellery, and we just had to have a photo with her. 

Next, it was time for our very own safari adventure which took us on a guided tour through different landscapes, spotting a variety of animals in their natural habitats, including lions, elephants, giraffes, and zebras. 

With no time to waste it was onto the world of Pandora – The World of Avatar. This area features lush vegetation, floating mountains, and waterfalls, creating a vibrant, otherworldly atmosphere. As we climbed aboard Avatar Flight of Passage, we knew we were in for a treat. This thrilling simulator ride took us on a thrilling simulator ride where we rode our own banshee through Pandora’s breathtaking skies. The visuals were so impressive, and it was certainly an experience to remember. Another highlight was Na'vi River Journey, a serene boat ride that took us through a bioluminescent rainforest filled with exotic flora and fauna, showcasing the beauty and mystique of the Na'vi culture. Donna particularly liked this ride. We then prepared to get wet on the Kali River Rapids where there were plenty of surprises that drenched us along the way! 

It was then time for our first show of the day Festival of the Lion King. This larger than life show was incredible, filled with songs, pageantry puppetry celebrating life in the African savanna. It was a real family friendly show, and we loved clapping and singing along with Timon and Pumba!

The day had finally arrived and with an early start we set off to Discovery Cove for our encounter with the dolphins! With our tummies full we explored this tropical paradise with its parrots and flamingos before settling down on our sunbeds, soaking up the glorious sunshine. 

The time had come to don our wetsuits and begin our dolphin adventure. Ready and raring to go we were introduced to Clipper, the leader of the pod! She is 27 years old and has 4 babies! The lesson began with a talk on dolphin habitats and behaviours and their astonishing communication skills. Smiles beamed as Clipper jumped through the air and showed off her tricks. 

We took it in turns to stroke and interact with her before holding onto her fin and gliding through the water on her back. She even gave us a kiss on the cheek. It was a once in a lifetime experience and one we would remember forever. 

We felt like celebrities practically having Island of Adventure all to ourselves! Our first stop was in the Suess Landing area based on the book Cat in the Hat. This ride took us on a ride of what can only be described as mayhem as the mischievous cat causes chaos in Sally’s house! Of course, Thing 1 and Thing 2 also had a part to play! One Fish, Two Fish, Blue Fish, Yellow Fish was next, and we flew high around the pond trying to avoid the water shooting jets! We had some Marvel fans amongst us and we were keen to get our spidery senses tingling as we went on the amazing Adventure of Spider Man 4D ride. Fully immersed in the Marvel universe we followed Spider Man through New York city as he fought off his foes. Fighting off more baddies we made our way over to Doctor Doom’s Fearfall, the arch nemesis to the Fantastic Four. We were launched into the sky from a vertical tower which took our breath away! 

We then entered the World of Jurassic Park where we came face to face with a gigantic T-Rex. VelociCoaster was a ride for the fearless! With a top speed of 70mph, a 360-degree barrel roll and multiple airtime hills where you literally came out of your seat it was certainly one of the most thrilling rides, we had been on so far…and guess what? We loved it! Skull Island was next, and we took a ride on the Reign of Kong where we witnessed the giant ape do battle with some terrifying dinosaurs. Escaping alive we couldn’t resist another water ride, and we had been warned that we were going to get wet, very wet indeed! Skull Island was next, and we took a ride on the Reign of Kong where we witnessed the giant ape do battle with some terrifying dinosaurs. Escaping alive we couldn’t resist another water ride, and we had been warned that we were going to get wet, very wet indeed!

We decided to head over to Epcot this evening as we knew they had a firework display.   We took our front row positions ready for the night time spectacular of Luminous, The Symphony of Us. This magical display is centred around human connection, with stories of hope and unity. With choreographed fountains, lasers, and spectacular fireworks all set to an emotional Disney musical theme there wasn’t a dry eye to be seen! 

One thing we were desperate to see was the Orca and Dolphin shows so, excitedly we headed to SeaWorld for our first show! Taking our seats at the Dolphin Theatre we sat and clapped away as these smart and playful animals spun around and performed synchronised jumps in the air. We learnt that they weigh up to 400lbs and can reach speeds of up to 22mph. Feeling brave we headed underwater at Shark Encounter, walking through the glass tunnel where different species of sharks swam above us. We all started humming the Jaws theme tune! It was then time for the world-famous Orca show and we made sure we took our seats well away from the splash zone! We watched a short film which explained the amazing wildlife rescue and conservation work that happens at SeaWorld before the Orca’s charged into the arena and leapt out of the water over and over again. 

We got ourselves ready and eagerly headed out to Universal Studios! After a quick picture next to the iconic globe, we collected our tickets and headed along the streets of Hollywood. Stood right in front of us was the ever so cute looking Hello Kitty and we certainly weren’t too cool to have out photo taken with her. Doc from Back to the Future was also wandering around. We wondered if he was lost! 

The Transformer fans amongst us were then delighted to be able to have pictures taken with Bumblebee before he had to go and save the day. Sticking to this theme we took our seats on an EVAC vehicle for the Transformer 3D simulator ride. Soon we were plunged into battle between the Autobots and the Deceptions through the streets and skyscrapers. There were special effects like heat and water spray which made us feel exactly like we were in a destructive battle. 

Venturing into the wizarding world of Harry Potter and Diagon Alley was a highlight of our day. As we boarded the Hogwarts Express at King’s Cross Station the excitement grew, especially when we walked through ‘the wall’. We took the magical journey over to Hogsmede with Harry and his friends. We were wowed by the sheer size of the set and hurried inside the castle for a ride on the Forbidden Journey. We soared high above the castle, escaped from dangerous creatures and flew through a Quidditch match. It felt so lifelike! After meeting the Hogwarts Express conductor, we treated ourselves to a Butterbeer which we all loved! 

The Disney parades are really out of this world. We took our front row positions for the famous Festival Fantasy Parade. The enormous floats were so beautifully detailed and decorated. It was like nothing we had ever seen before. We waved and clapped with joy as Donald Duck, Ariel, Elsa and Peter Pan danced before our very eyes. Flynn Ryder even cam over to shake hands with Charlie! What a fantastic moment!