Advice + Tips

Here we are - Part TWO of this EPIC blog series on our family holiday, once in a lifetime trip to Orlando Florida, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. A holiday that took me two years to plan and almost as long to write up in a blog post afterwards!

If you’re after my Florida PLANNER PDF download or info on how I planned and booked it all then see PART 1 of this blog series.

Here is part two where I write our our daily diary of the two weeks including TOP TIPS (TT) along the way. Let me take you back to Saturday 18th May 2024…​

Day 1

We flew at 10:40am from London Gatwick and landed around 3pm in MCO. Flight with British Airways was good - all on time and economy seats perfectly fine. Despite kids initial complaints they ate the food. Ewan watched movies and TV shows and played games, Flo did the same and also napped for just over an hour. We listened to Disney songs as the plane came into land over Orlando.

We got our baggage - $7 for a trolley! - then headed through security which can be busy, but was absolutely clear and simple (you can book ahead to get through security so that’s worth checking out before you fly)

We bought some snacks in the airport then ordered an Uber to the hotel on the app. It was very easy. There are other transfer options but this was perfect for us. The driver slowed down as we went under the Disney sign too - which was lovely!

Arrived at the Art of Animation resort and checked in to our room. I unpacked the swim stuff first, so the kids and husband went down to the pool while I properly unpacked everything else and got our room set up. Plus I like the peace to allow my nervous system to return to normal after flying.

I then joined them at the pool, we had a hotel pizza dinner, then in bed by around 8pm US time. Midnight UK time. Yikes!

TT: Don’t forget to arrange your ESTA 6 months before you fly and check your passports are in date!

TT: Download the Uber app before you go and make sure it’s set up

TT: Try to get the kids to nap on the plane. Use bribes if you have to! Florence did have a sleep and it definitely helped.

TT: Go and buy a resort mug straight away. Around $22 each and you can refill in the hotel for your entire holiday plus take them home as a souvenir. They had tea, coffee, hot chocolate, plus all kinds of fizzy and juice/soft drinks to choose from. You just help yourself.

TT: organise breakfast for tomorrow - you will wake up early! I bought milk in the hotel quick service food court to store in the room fridge ready for morning.

Day 2

All awake around 4am due to jet lag. This is no bad thing because it gives you time to get ready slowly. The kids chilled on iPads with cereal (I had packed a mini-multipack in the suitcase). Grown ups had hot drinks from the hotel room coffee machine and checked the plan for the day. Then we all got dressed, sun cream slathered on and I packed our park bag. We headed to the Skyliner around 7am to arrive at EPCOT for rope drop (park opening). We scanned in through the entrance then waited about 10 minutes in the crowd before they allowed everyone waiting who had early park entry (we did as we were resort hotel guests) into the park.

• First ride: Test Track - middle to high intensity - great! (It’s currently closed to be updated)
• Second ride: mission space - orange intense version. OMG never again. I has a claustrophobic induced panic attack and my husband felt sick for about 3 hours afterwards. Kids were fine! AVOID!

My husband and Ewan then rode Spaceship Earth - gentle - while me and Flo went to find snacks and to cool down. The heat felt intense after coming from a grey UK. Cooling towels and neck fans were being used by 9:30am!

We then met up with Myriam and family. They then took over all planning. They used a service called MIMO trips which I talk about further below. We hopped onto the following rides back to back through the lightening lanes:

• Nemo followed by a visit into the attached aquarium - gentle and cute ride
• Ratatouille ride - middle speed, 3D screens plus movement - thrilling
• Lunch at Akurshus - see review on previous blog
• Frozen ride - middle speed boat ride and cute
• Guardians of the Galaxy - Disco inferno song - fast and brilliant indoor rollercoaster
• Starbucks refuel for us all
• Soarin’ - middle speed and awe inspiring
• Living off the Land - gentle and wonderful for a gardening fan like me!

All brilliant fun, laughter and joy and chatter galore. By 4pm the kids (and us) were flagging due to jet lag so we left the park via Skyliner. We saw Mickey on the way out randomly which was a massive highlight. The kids couldn’t believe he was just stood on the path and they could meet him on day 1. The magic had begun!

Back to the hotel and into the pool for a cooling dip (and poolside cocktails for mum and dad). Hotel food court pizza and a charcuterie board for me before showers and bed for 8pm.

TT: Get to the Skyliner early if you can. It gets busy towards park opening time and the line can be long.

TT: Use your own finger as the fingerprint entry for your children at the park entry points. Trying to get your kids to work that successfully is a pain otherwise!

Day 3

Awake around 4am again. Cereal and drinks in the room before getting sunscreen-ed and dressed. We had a 7:40am booking for breakfast in Ohana at the Polynesian Hotel. Despite looking we couldn’t figure out if the hotel transport would get us there in time as it’s quite a distance from our hotel so we decided to get an Uber to be safe. Booked it on the app for 7am and met them at the front of the hotel, no problem.

We arrived at the Polynesian early so had a little look around the hotel - it’s gorgeous (what you would expect for a deluxe hotel!) and then got in line for our breakfast. We were seated early at a table in the Ohana restaurant and then the food was just brought out to us. Sausages, Mickey waffles, juice, pineapple bread, eggs - all of it fab and plentiful. The kids dug in and then Stitch, Mickey, Lilo and Pluto all came out and went around the tables saying hi to everyone. The kids were thrilled. They also did a little song and dance at one point, during which I cried because as I sat watching their lit up joyful faces, I could see the castle in the background over the lake and it was just exactly as I had hoped and planned for. All those hours of meticulous research paid off!

We then left the hotel around 8:30 via the gift shop for Stitch merch (bought with gift card included in our booking) and onto the monorail which is directly outside the hotel and takes you straight into the Magic Kingdom in 10 minutes.

Once into the park, we headed towards Tomorrowland and went on Speedway as it had a short line. For this ride the kids drive a car around a little track - slow and cute. We then went on Space Mountain - dark fast rollercoaster - as that was a 25 min wait. After that we were going to head onto the People Mover - a little train type ride that takes you around the park - but it shut down temporarily so we headed onto the Carousel of Progress. I thought the kids would be bored on this as it’s like a moving theatre that shows you different scenes from time - but they actually really liked it and the air con and sit down was massively welcomed by me and my husband!

After that we met up with Myriam, Marc, Nicky, Emma and Ari again, along with our guide Sam, from MIMO trips. We got some cold drinks and then headed via lightening lanes on to:

• Buzz Light year - slow ride on shooting game
• Space Mountain again
• Tron - very fast rollercoaster but it doesn’t go upside down
• Haunted Mansion - creepy but slow ride

We then had lunch in the Harbour House (quick service restaurant). We sat upstairs where it was relatively quite and mobile app ordered the food then collected it. My husband had the lobster roll and said it was delicious. After lunch, more lightening lanes onto:

• Pirates of the Caribbean - slow boat ride with a tiny drop
• Thunder Mountain - rollercoaster style runaway train

We then watched a parade.

TT: 20 mins before it starts, try and find a shady spot to watch the parade and get drink refills, otherwise it gets really hot and is hard to locate drink stations during the parade.

Then we rode:

• It’s a small word - adorable slow boat ride
• 7 Dwarves Mine train - a bit like thunder mountain - runaway train style rollercoaster

By this point we had pushed Flo to the max. She has been saying since lunch she was tired and wanted the pool but had managed to plough on brilliantly, with Nicky and Emma’s help and encouragement. But by 4pm she was done and so we said our goodbyes to the Sandlers and thanked them for their incredible welcome into Florida. We were so lucky to have met them, they really started off this holiday in the BEST way possible!

We got the monorail back to the Polynesian and then an uber back to our resort. Odd decision definitely - should have just jumped on a bus. But there you go. It’s amazing what jet lag will do to your brain!

Back at the hotel we had a rest before the kids begged for the pool, so we took them for a quick dip. They had leftover pizza which we had kept in the fridge in our hotel room from the day before for their dinner and I got noodles and a Mickey cupcake from the hotel quick service before we all flopped into bed around 8:30pm.

Day 4

We woke up around 6am - hurrah a lie in! Today was to be a REST DAY! After the baptism of fire from two full on park days straight off the bat we decided the only thing for it was a day of doing not much.

Once we were all up and dressed we had a proper explore of the hotel and went to the other areas to see the Lion King section and Little Mermaid. We liked the Cars bit a lot and decided to head to that pool for 10am when it opened to get a cosy cone - a traffic cone shaded area with sun loungers in it.

The kids played in the pool for hours and made friends while me and my husband switched between relaxing in the shade with our books or playing in the pool with the kids. The kids made friends by playing with this fab pool game I took with us.

We had lunch at the quick service in the hotel - Flo wasn’t in the best mood so that was slightly challenging. I only include this because I think it’s somewhere that is so expensive and you feel like the kids are going to love every second but they won’t because they are only human. She was tired and overwhelmed and overheated and it often made her grumpy. I don’t think it was unreasonable and I want you to know if you’re reading this that just because it’s DisneyWorld doesn’t mean that meltdowns and upsets don’t happen - they do. And it’s OK!

After this we decided to head back to the room for a chill - watching some TV in the air conditioning. Later on we went to the big blue pool nearest our room and then back into our room for showers and to get dressed.

For the evening we headed into Disney Springs on the bus. We had a meal at Terralino’s which was OK (kids didn’t eat the pizza as it was just too cheesy!) And my risotto was also COVERED in cheese. Also, the kids were freezing because we were all dressed in summer clothes and the air con made it feel like the alps in February! I put napkins over Florence’s legs to try and warm her up!

After that we walked around exploring a little bit. We got ice creams at Ghiradelli’s then watched the live music for a short while. A quick shop in one of the huge gift shops where Ewan spent some of his money before doing what felt like a mile long walk to get on the bus back to our hotel.

TT: There is an evening drone show at Disney springs now so you could plan your evening around that.

TT: take a jumper out with your for restaurant with bonkers air con. It wasn’t the only restaurant like this!

Day 5

We woke a little later again and did our usual prep for a park day. By now I was into the swing of it. I had everything charged and organised ready to pack my rucksack with everything we needed. A full list is HERE on my planner.

We headed down to the Land of Flavours food court for some breakfast. Bacon, eggs and Mickey waffles. We were never quite sure whether to take our resort mugs to breakfast because if you do you have two choices:

1. You then have to take them back to your room before getting your park transport or,
2. Take them with you to the parks but you can’t refill them for free there. Only in hotel resorts.

We did both on different days. Usually depending on whether we had finished our hot drinks before we decided to leave!

Today was our trip to Hollywood Studios. After speaking to Myriam and Marc about MIMO trips and their services we had decided to use them for our theme park days too. MIMO offer an in person guide for the park or a virtual service which is all done via WhatsApp and by giving them access to your Walt Disney World account. We opted for the latter because we didn’t need an in person guide for just us four plus it was cheaper for the virtual service. My husband arranged it all and it worked brilliantly.

Our guide made contact with us over WhatsApp the day before and we told them the rides and attractions we wanted to do. You can plan that out on my PLANNER if you like. Then on the morning of the park day we messaged to let them know when were had arrived at the park and they took it from there. They just messaged us with which ride we would be going to and a map to show you how to get there. You don’t open your app at all, they manage it all for you. We managed to ride everything we wanted to via lightening lanes and all the stress of booking them was taken away from us. It was fantastic.

It also meant we weren’t constantly checking our phones to see what lightening lanes were available next or zig zagging across the park depending on what ride we got next. We went smoothly and calmly around. It allowed us to relax.

TT: The Genie plus and lightening lane system has since changed, however I would still HIGHLY recommend MIMO trips and their services to help you out. Alternatively there are loads of You Tube videos talking you through the lightening lane system if you want to work it our for yourself.

TT: Take an extension lead to charge everything. We then only needed one US plug converter and just used the extension to charge phones, portable fans, iPads, watches etc. You also might want a power bank for your phone as you use it a lot.

We rode:

• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway - we all LOVED this. A modern take on a classic cart ride.
• Tower of Terror - a terrifying drop ride which we all also loved
• Lightening McQueen show - a little show based on Cars which was ideal for sit down in air con
• Star Tours - a simulator ride which made the adults queasy but the kids loved
• Met Donald and Daisy Duck

Millennium Falcon - you get assigned roles on this ride and I was given pilot! I didn’t know what this meant, but I didn’t want to change to give it to one of the kids as they would argue over who got to be pilot! But on the ride you can actually do your role with joysticks etc. and it’s like a computer game / simulator ride. We all enjoyed it.

Lunch at Sci Fi dine in movie theatre - I reviewed that in previous blog post

Rise of the Resistance - this isn’t so much a ride as a full blown immersive experience! My husband loved this as when we saw the storm troopers he said it felt like being dropped into the movies. You end up on a cart type ride but there is a small drop in it. We all really were blown away by the detail on this ride.

• Toy Story Mania - a fun shooting game style ride
• Slinky Dog Dash - an outdoor rollercoaster - we were ROASTING at this point. Cooling towels and Neck Fans all round
• Alien Spinners - like a waltzer type ride but pretty gentle

And then we headed to get snacks to cool off and sit down watching the Indiana Jones stunt show. We all enjoyed this - me especially as I had seen it as a kid and it bought back so many memories!

After this we were near the entrance so we decided to call it a day and headed back on the Skyliner to our hotel where we had a dip in the pool and ate pretzels and chips for dinner!

TT: break up your day with shows to give yourself some sit down and cool off time. Even if the kids aren’t into whatever the show is about, they’re all excellently done so worth just heading to see at least a couple per park day for the much needed rest. Grab snacks before you head in.

Day 6

Breakfast in Land of Flavours once again and this time we headed back to our room to pack our bags ready for a water park day! We got the bus to Typhoon Lagoon and arrived there at 9:35am and waited on the bridge to be let into the water park.

We arrived early, as resort guests can get in an hour early and we wanted to snag a decent place to set up camp as we knew we would be there all day.

After standing for a while in the frazzling sun we were let in and dashed to the right after the bridge to grab 4 loungers and an umbrella right by the main wave pool.

With our camp secured we popped on our swim shoes and headed into the water as the siren went off alerting us to the waves starting. It was SO FUN! The kids LOVED it. The wave is NO JOKE. It knocks you off your feet. We saw sunglasses and fake lashes floating in the water. It’s full on and super fun. Ewan swam right out back to get the full height while me and Flo jumped into the froth!

We then went off to hit the rides while it was still pretty quiet. We rode:

• Misadventure falls
• All Crush and Gusher slides
• Then the lazy river
• Then a rubber ring flume
• We grabbed some quick service lunch for a rest and sunscreen reapplication
• Back into the wave pool for ages.
• Then a snack of funnel cake and snow cone - both amazing
• More flumes
• The we rode misadventure falls and the crush and gushers until the park was basically empty.
• We were in the wave pool for the last wave of the day.

The water park closed around 4pm and we enjoyed every minute of it. Because the kids were able to cool off there was no struggling in the heat. Fun all around.

We were thinking of heading to Disney Springs for dinner as the bus stops there anyway on the way back to Art of Animation but both kids fell asleep on the bus so we decided it was best to head back to the hotel. We grabbed some food on the way through to take up to our rooms where we all flopped into bed.

TT: We bought this bag in the gift shop. It’s the perfect beach/pool bag!

TT: They don’t allow swimsuits with zips on the fast flume rides so if you’re buying swimwear avoid those.

TT: You can hire cabanas for the day which looked fab. One for next time or if we were with a large group.

TT: Apply sunscreen all over to naked kids before you head out the door. It means they can run straight into the pool upon arrival.

TT: don’t wear sunglasses in the wave pool!

Day 7

We were slow getting up later and later. But because we had MIMO trips ready and waiting for another park day we weren’t too stressed about arriving early into the park to make use of the early entry hour. We had breakfast once again in the Land of Flavours then got the bus to Animal Kingdom.

Perhaps my favourite tip I got on any blog was to trick your partner into getting this photo. So that was the first thing I did upon arrival. My husband laughed when I showed him!

Once in the park we decided the first thing we would do is rent a stroller. We had noticed by this point how exhausted Flo was getting in the heat and knew it would make us all happier if she has somewhere to regularly sit to save her legs. You can find out more about the different types of stroller rental services at Disney HERE.

We then entered the park and happened to come across a macaw show by the tree of life. We stopped to watch it and it was totally magical. These magnificent birds appeared from behind the tree to music and I just welled up in total awe. This is why these theme parks are so good. There are so many moments that pop up as a complete surprise. You can plan all you want but the magic just appears when you least expect it!

After that we headed to Pandora and thanks to MIMO walked straight onto Navi river - a cute slow boat ride - and then Flight of Passage - a simulator experience ride which was thrilling and we all enjoyed.

We then got a drink and snack and headed over to the dinosaur area - this is where we were glad we had rented the stroller. The heat was building and Flo sat in it with a frozen banana which meant a lot less moaning!

We went on the dinosaur ride which I think is due to be closed soon, but despite it being dark and VERY bumpy we all liked it. We then went on the only rollercoaster in the park - Everest. I loved it - it goes backwards and is yeti themed. Kids weren’t massively keen on it. Time for a bit of cool and calm with a show - It’s tough to be a Bug based on the It’s a Bug’s Life movie. Cute!

Next up, lunch at Tusker House. An African style buffet where you can meet characters. I enjoyed the food immensely and the cocktails even more. The kids mainly ate the bread (although Flo did try the jollof rice) and all the desserts and loved meeting the characters especially Donald Duck who was very silly and funny.

With full tummies we decided to head onto the Kilimanjaro Safari trucks to go and see the animals. It was amazing but fans and cooling towels at the ready because those trucks don’t have air con and my kids were MELTING! We saw hippos and elephants and giraffes though. We dragged the kids around the gorilla falls trail which again, I loved but they were done in!

Another show to try and revive them. At this point even my husband was over the heat and bought some Disney spray fans as we waited for the Lion King show to begin. I really enjoyed this show - it’s very entertaining. My kids were neutral about it really. Spoil sports.

Finally we finished off with the Kalli river rapids and I hoped to get soaked so we could all cool off but we didn’t really. So after that we made our way to the exit to drop off the stroller and head back to our hotel.

I think this was the earliest we left a park. I don’t know if it was the lack of thrill rides or how hot it was or because my kids just aren’t really into zoos and animals much - but we all enjoyed this park the least.

We headed back to the hotel on the bus, hit the pool and had burgers for dinner. Flo and I watched a bit of the movie on the lawn which they show a couple of nights a week on the grass by the pool. They give you blankets to sit on. But she was too tried to see the whole of Finding Dory and so we headed back to the room.

Day 8

Awake at 7:30 - we are finally on Orlando time! We had a lazy slow morning. My husband went down to Land of Flavours and grabbed breakfast and bought it back to the room. This is when it pays off having a room in a preferred area.

I had taken colouring books, pens and Wikki Sticks as entertainment for the kids and they played with these all morning while we lazed in bed watching TV or reading. It felt nice to be cool and calm after a full on week.

We headed down to the pool around 11 but Ewan was really not himself and very grumpy, so I headed back to the room with him where he got in bed and proceeded to nap for 3 hours!!

Because I was in the room I sorted out some laundry to do. We were using our hoodies a lot in air conditioned restaurants and I chucked in some other bits to wash and dry. I sat by the pool while the washing machine and dryer did it’s thing. The app alerted me when they were done.

While Ewan slept Flo enjoyed some of the pool activities the staff put on including quizzes and games. Later we all got showered and dressed and headed to the Skyliner around 5pm to go to EPCOT.

We got into the park - it was still really warm and busy - and got some snacks and drinks. We then bought a lightening lane for Guardians of the Galaxy as we had all enjoyed that ride so much before. While we waited for our LL time, we all went on Spaceship earth as it had no queue and me and Flo had missed it before. Very cute and slow although the thing that takes a photo of you and inputs it onto the screen is dodgy AF now! It gave us all a laugh though.

We walked through the butterfly house and then straight onto Guardians and this time the song was One Way Or Another and I sang the whole way round - epic!

We headed over to “Mexico” and went on the 3 Cabaneros which is very slow and adorable, followed by a trip to the new Moana walk through attraction which we all really enjoyed. You play with water and it s great way to cool off and do something a bit different.

Then we made our way to what we had come out for - a visit to the Rose and Crown pub back ‘home’ in the UK area. We went for our 8pm booking and sat down in the best seats possible - we had a superb view out across the lake. We got fish and chips and sausage and mash and then the fireworks started just as we had dessert. It was fab!

We were in two minds as to whether to gobble up desserts and sprint to the Skyliner the second the fireworks finished or whether to take our time and let the crowds clear. We decided on the latter. We spent some time messing around in the ‘UK’ before walking to the Skyliner for which there was still an enormous queue. We joined it and happened to meet a really loved family from Chicago staying in the same hotel as us, so we chatted to them all the way back which really made the time go quickly. Back to bed and FLOP!

TT: if you plan to get the Skyliner home after the EPCOT fireworks watch them from right next to the Rose and Crown pub ready to make a fast getaway. Watch them online first if you want to know which bit is the finale so you know when to head off.

Day 9

The kids woke a bit earlier and because we were all up I thought perhaps we should try and hit Magic Kingdom before our lunch booking in EPCOT, so we headed to the bus and arrived at MK for 8:35 and I booked a Lightening Lane for Tron.

While we waited for our slot we rode Space Mountain as it was only a 30 minute standby line then we hopped over to go on Barnstormer (woah that’s rickety!) and Dumbo - cute and slow. Whilst Flo got her 543rd frozen banana of the trip, me and Ewan went to try and pull the sword from the stone. We had watched the videos online and wanted a go. We both failed in our mission - fun though and got some good pics on the memory maker.

We then headed to Tron but the ride had been paused. We tried to decide whether to wait or come back later but waited and it paid off because we were on within 15 minutes.

After that we went on the People Mover which is just a slow ride around Tomorrowland.

We then went to get the monorail to travel to EPCOT. I had heard you should allow for an HOUR to get anywhere around WDW and boy were they right. We had to wait for the monorail and then change at a point. It took AGES. Flo fell asleep and so got carried across EPCOT to try and make our lunch booking on time. Try that in 35 degree heat!

We made it to Space 220 though and it was as fun as I hoped. A lift to take you into ‘space’ and then a really amazing restaurant where the staff are all in on the theme. Food was amazing (I had burrata and a tuna main), it was lovely and cool so we all relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Even Flo perked up and as we took the Skyliner back to our resort the kids were in great spirits and played beautifully all afternoon and evening in the pool while me and my husband relaxed with our books.

We got pizza dinner in a very busy and hectic Land of Flavours and headed to bed once it got dark.

TT: The pool stayed open util 11pm so you can enjoy it until late.

TT: Overestimate the time it takes to get from park to park

Day 10

Our last full day in Disney World. A slightly later 8am rise and the kids played on tablets whilst I chilled in bed and my husband went out to get breakfast. We knew the menu off by heard by now so could just tell him what we wanted or you can always mobile order through the app and then collect.

My husband then took the kids to the pool whilst I packed up the room. I knew what everything was I needed for the next bit of the trip so I was happy to be left in peace to sort through everything.

I went and joined them at the cozy cone pool and relaxed with my book, snacks, sandwiches and drinks. The kids played with this game once again and made more friends.

At 2:30pm we headed back to the room for a bit of quiet time out the sun and then we got showered and headed to the Skyliner for around 5pm. It was still really hot. Like 32 degrees! Flo immediately wilted upon arrival at Hollywood Studios - so slushies and a look around the gift shops were in order. The air con and drink helped.

Throughout the trip the kids collected signatures in their autograph books but they still hadn’t met Minnie Mouse so we went in search of her and found her and Mickey for some photos and a happy pair of kids with a completed collection of autographs.

We headed to a quick service area near Tower of Terror to get some dinner. We all chose from different food stands as kids got pizza and burgers and I got a waffle bowl. Then we all had ice creams listening to the regular screams from TOT.

We walked back to go on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway but the ride shut down just as we joined the queue and so we left. We went next door to the Disney museum and saw a fab preview of Inside Out 2 inside a cool cinema.

As we exited we walked back past Minnie and Mickey’s runaway railway and it had JUST reopened. What LUCK! We got straight in the line and walked right on. WINNER! We all love this ride.

We then headed to Toy Story mania to shoot at the screens once more because there wasn’t a long queue at all, before grabbing some snacks and heading to Fantasmic. It’s an evening light show in a big amphitheatre. We rocked up a bit later than I had wanted (about 8:45pm) but it doesn’t really matter where you sit as you can see it all. We sat near the back and actually it was better to make a sharp exit and run for the Skyliner.

We watched the show with snacks - Flo got an ice cream but it melted everywhere as it was still 30 degrees at 9pm. I think I enjoyed the show the most as the biggest Disney fan, and then as Mickey said goodbye we sprinted to the exit and made it onto the Skyliner with no queue.

Straight back for our last night in our Art of Animation hotel room.

TT: You can get Fantasmic dining packages if you want preferred seating for the show but for us it wouldn’t have been worth it.

TT: If a ride temporarily closes it is sometimes worth staying nearby and checking if it’s reopening. Be nice to the cast members as they will advise you.

Day 11

We were up and at ‘em by 7:30. My husband picked up a breakfast order and we packed up everything in the room. We took our luggage down to the reception to the luggage store, checked out and decided to hit Magic Kingdom one last time. Onto the bus we got.

We arrived in MK around 11 and it was boiling hot and very busy. I bought genie plus but it was absolutely not worth it as I couldn’t get lightening lanes for anything we wanted to do. I really wanted to ride Jungle Cruise or go back on thunder mountain but there was no availability.

We went into the sweet shop near the entrance and grabbed tons of M&M’s and watched a show in front of the castle. We then headed to Frontier Land and had a little wander through the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, rode Aladdin’s magic carpets - gentle merry-go-round ride and then wen into the Tiki Rooms - a cute bird show. Ewan wanted to see this as we had watched the Imagineers documentary on Disney + about how Walt Disney had done this attraction, so it was nice to watch it in real life even if it is a little dull.

Once again, we were blessed with pixie dust and as we walked past Pirates of the Caribbean the ride reopened after a temporary closure and so we hopped straight on. We love this ride. The smell is so nostalgic to me and there’s so much to look at.

We then took the old railway around the whole park which worked out well because the heavens opened whilst we were on it. After that we grabbed chilli cheese fries and dole whip (which I had been wanting to try the ENTIRE time!) and cheeseburger spring rolls and walked back towards the entrance, taking it all in as we ate.

On the bus back to Art of Animation the kids met a man who spotted the pin badge lanyards the kids had bought with their gift card money. (Pin Trading is a big thing in WDW). They had a few pins and a lanyard each. This American chap had a hat covered in pins and he kindly gave them two each to trade, then a secret third one each to me he said I could give them later if they were good! Ha! Another little moment of magic. The kids were thrilled and immediately went to trade them when we got into the hotel and we had another great chat with the cast member at the pin trading station.

TT: You can buy cheap official Disney pins online (eBay has lots) before you go to stick on a lanyard so you can trade them when you get there for ones you want at Pin trading stations all over WDW.

Once back at the resort we picked up our luggage and booked an Uber on the app, which took us over to Endless Summer - Dockside in Universal Studios Resort. About a 25 minute journey. It was busy at check in and I got some odd info about getting my park tickets sorted which meant me walking around in giant circles for a while but we got settled into our room (review on previous blog) and we hit the pool.

When we arrived it started to rain and the heavens opened. We all got in the pool! It was such a novelty being in a warm pool in warm torrential rain.

After that we tested out the food court and found it has some great options for us. Flo immediately wanted the pasta and Ewan has his 100th(?) pizza of the holiday. Then it was time for showers and bed ready for a busy day tomorrow.

TT: One of the first things we did was got refillable mugs for the hotel. As we were only staying here for a few days we didn’t get one each this time, we just got two to share and it worked out perfectly.

Day 12

We set our alarms for 6:30am and after a rubbish nights sleep due to noisy neighbours (kids slept through it!) we got an Uber to the Loews hotel to get our Express passes (see previous blog for more info). The kids and my husband grabbed breakfast from the hotel while I stood in line to pick up the passes as I had made the booking.

TT: Don’t forget your passport if you do this, as you always need ID to check in.

Once collected and fed we walked down the path into Islands of Adventure which was just opening. We headed straight to the Harry Potter area with the aim to go on the Hagrid’s Motorbike rollercoaster ride, as you cannot use express passes for this, but it was already queuing around 2 hours so we went to Ride of the Hippogriff instead - a small, gentle rollercoaster.

Next we rode the Forbidden Journey ride which was epic for a HP fan like me. Very thrilling, dark, spooky and so clever. I loved the queue inside Hogwarts as much as the ride. We followed this up with a butterbeer and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.

Next we walked into Jurassic Park which is right next door. It’s like a John William’s playlist as you walk between one famous score directly into another and the atmosphere instantly changes. Ewan was in heaven. He is a huge dinosaur fan and this was the thing he was MOST looking forward to.

SIDE NOTE: There is a reason I had left Universal Studios to last on our trip. I was fairly sure that as a family we would prefer it because my kids are thrill seekers and Ewan is a massive dinosaur fan. Flo isn’t bothered about Disney princesses and they aren’t huge movie buffs. I also was so excited to see the Harry Potter worlds as they weren’t there when I last visited Universal Studios. The 5th book had only just come out back then! So it was about saving the best to last and finish on a high and we most certainly did.

We headed to velocicoaster. The newest rollercoaster in Universal with crazy upside flips. Even I was nervous about it, especially when we got on and it was just a LAP BAR! WTF?! Apparently safer. Certainly doesn’t feel that way. Ha! I screamed all the way around. We all loved it. Ewan immediately wanted to ride again, which we could thanks to the express passes.

Me and Flo weren’t too keen on being flipped upside down again, so we sat in the sunshine and got snacks whilst the boys went back on.

After that we rode:

• The Jurassic park river ride with a huge drop
• Kong which is simulator / cart ride and is so clever
• Ripsaw Falls which we all got soaked on

Ewan bashed his nose on the exit (talking and not looking where we was walking!) so we headed into some air con with a cup of ice to cool off. Here we mobile ordered lunch from Fire Eater Grill then walked across the park to collect it.

After that we hit King’s Cross station and got the train over to Universal Studios theme park. It takes you directly into Diagon Alley - well not directly. You still have to find it behind the brick wall which is so well done we totally missed it at first!

In here we chanced upon the puppet show for The Tale of the 3 Brothers and after that finished we headed into Gringotts to ride Escape from Gringotts. This ride is incredible. The whole thing from start to finish is immersive. I LOVED it. However Flo wasn’t in the best mood and so upon exit we decided to move away from the mad crowds of people and huge queue for Florian Fortescue’s ice cream parlour out into the quieter streets of the studios and into Hagen Daas to calm down and cool off.

We then were torn about what to do next. We decided to get the train back to IOS to ride Hulk but it wasn’t our best idea because the queue for the train was bonkers and we waited ages. Then when we finally made it to Hulk Flo was too small to ride and was utterly heartbroken. So I cuddled her whilst Ewan and my husband rode Hulk - a thrilling upside down rollercoaster. We then went to try the Detonator drop ride but again Flo was just about too small and gutted all over again. Oops.

TT: check the ride heights and your child’s height before you go to the parks so your kids know what to expect.

So we did what any frazzled, boiled parent would do and headed into the gift shop and spent a small fortune trying to make everyone happy again! Ha! Flo did get the coolest mechanical Harry Potter Owl that sits on your shoulder though - it might have been $60 but totally worth it in my mind!

After this we took the bus back, hit the pool as usual and enjoyed the frozen cocktails before a hotel dinner and all in bed by 9pm.

Day 13

We set alarms and got up at 6am to try and hit the parks early for our final full theme park day of the holiday. We grabbed breakfast from Starbucks in our hotel and then jumped on the bus to Island of Adventure with the aim to get in and run to Hagrid’s Motorbike ride. There were already large queues to enter the park when we arrived.

We moved through as fast as we could but even then we got to the entrance to Hagrid’s and the sign said a 75 minute wait. We decided to go for it. We got in line, and what’s tricky is that they make you put everything in a locker right at the start of the line. So all our drinks, snacks, fans, phones - the LOT was in the locker and we were just stood in a line in the heat. It was BRUTAL! Luckily there were water fountains placed every 20 mins hour or so, as these because our main focus. Get to a fountain! We were all sweating, with nothing to do to entertain ourselves. It really pushed my brain to the max as I tried to come up with ideas to keep the kids occupied with absolutely nothing on me.

The queue weaved through the outside then inside and feels never ending. It was NOT 75 minutes. It was over 100 minutes. So take those minutes with a pinch of salt. It also made the kids and us really appreciate the money we spent on lightening lanes and express passes.

However we finally made it onto the ride. My husband went with Ewan and they got placed on the back of a coaster and Flo and I were together and got placed on the front of the next coaster. We got LUCKY and because of that enjoyed this ride SO MUCH. I also hadn’t watched a video of this ride as I wanted all the surprises and they came thick and fast. I was the BEST ride I’ve ever been on as a HP and speed fan. Flo enjoyed it too. The boys weren’t as bothered by it and much preferred Hulk and Velocicoaster.

After that the boys went off to Jurassic World again, whilst me and Flo explored Hogsmeade. We went in Honeydukes (Flo loved her acid pop) and then into the Hog’s Head where the barman showed us the talking Hog and made us a pumpkin fizz which was DELICIOUS. I hate pumpkin spice latte’s etc. but this was just YUM. We saw the toad choir who were singing on the little performance stage area for a while then headed into the wand experience. Flo was gutted not to be chosen for the wand choosing ceremony, as she wanted a wand, but I said no way anyway, seeing as she was walking around with a $60 owl on her shoulder and has never even watched or read Harry Potter!!

TT: You can buy wands which activate certain things around the Harry Potter areas of the park - like making things move in shop windows. If you are going to do this get them early so you can get the most use out of them.

Meanwhile, Ewan and my husband were on velocioaster and got let straight back on (without even rejoining the queue) by a chap operating the ride because Ewan got chatting to him. He let Ewan choose where he wanted to sit because he said he was such a nice kid - another moment of magic!

After that we hopped on the train to King’s Cross, then headed to get some lunch at a seafood restaurant (review on previous blog). Then of course we had to have a photo with jaws - as is obligatory when visiting Universal Studios.

We then walked around the side of the park we hadn’t done and rode:

• Men In black - shooting cart ride with aliens
• Simpsons ride - a simulation rollercoaster - very funny
• E.T. - A random bike ride through the sky where the creepy alien says your name (this is so old and needs to be scrapped I reckon, plus I’ve always hated E.T!)

We popped into SpongeBob’s house, then had a quick look around the new Dreamwork’s areas which had just opened. It was all brand new and looks great for little ones who love Trolls and Shrek. The kids both had a donkey and Shrek ice cream lolly here which was AWFUL. AVOID.

After that we watched the Bourne Stunt show which was amazing. Brilliant to cool down and rest plus such an entertaining concept with really cool illusion tricks. Great family entertainment.

By this point I had really had enough of rollercoasters so my husband took Ewan to ride Rip Ride Rocket as he was super keen - they went on twice. Flo and I headed into one of the two Despicable Me themed attractions - we did the Minion Mayhem which is another rollercoaster simulator ride which we both enjoyed.

We followed this with yet more snacks and ice lollies before walking out of the park. We considered going back into Islands of Adventure for one more go on VelociCoaster but the queue to re-enter the park was long so we called it a day and headed for the bus.

Another evening in the hotel just relaxing and eating in the food court before an early night.

Day 14

For our final full day in Orlando we decided to head to Volcano Bay Water park. We all LOVE a pool or water park so I planned this as the big finale.

Swim stuff and sunscreen on we headed to the bus around 8am and got into the park around 8:15. It was quiet as it opens early to resort hotel guests first.

We headed to pop our valuables in a locker and the nice lady who rented us our towels (we forgot to pick up hotel pool ones as we left) told us to use our bands to tap into Krackatau first as this gets the busiest, so after we had found a sun lounger and base in front of the main pool that’s what we did.

Upon entry into Volcano Bay you get given a waterproof tapu-tapu band to wear as part of your admission price. This means you can tap into a ride and it queues for you. On your screen you can see the queue time counting down and when it’s your turn to go on the ride it buzzes. You then head to the ride and the queue time is much shorter. This means you can ride other things in the water park while you wait and is a fab system. You can only tap into these big rides one at a time so once you’ve tapped into one you can ride other smaller rides as usual.

While we waited our 85 minutes we headed on lots of other flumes and onto the crazy lazy river which is faster than usual lazy rivers and you need to wear a life jacket for it. They let our a tidal wave along it every so often which is fun to get caught in. They also have a classic lazy river with big floats to swim about on.

Krakatoa was EPIC according to the kids so we immediately tapped straight away to go back on later. It like a water rollercoaster and is really fun as all four of us could go on one of the ‘boats’.

We grabbed some lunch of sushi and these little chicken bite things that were sold in carts around the park which were fab. We then sat by the main pool for a bit of rest and shade and sun screen reapplication, before hitting more flumes, slides and rivers. We just mooched about mixing them up as a little foursome having a LOT of fun.

TT: Because you don’t feel as warm in the cool water it is easy to think it isn’t as hot but it really is, so keep heading back to your sitting area after every 3 rides or so to grab drinks so you stay hydrated. This is why it’s worth getting there early for a central seat you can access easily.

After another brilliant ride on Krakatua then finishing on some single rider flumes which were disappointing we decided to head back around 3pm. We didn’t do the bonkers drop slide you can see coming out of the volcano. Perhaps next time?!

Back at the hotel we all showered and changed before returning to the bus stop to head into Citywalk. We decided to do one last ride as we had a bit of time before our dinner reservation (which I booked last minute the night before) and headed into Universal Studios to try the other Despicable Me ride which was a shooting game attraction where you stand on a conveyor belt. It was RUBBISH! Terrible choice for our final ride but never mind.

Luckily our dinner booking was not rubbish. Delicious food and s’mores to finish - everyone was full and happy as we enjoyed the warm evening walking around Citywalk. Bus back to bed for one last sleep.

Day 15

Up we all got at 7:30 for a hotel breakfast. We organised a late check out for $30 and then headed to the pool for a final swim.

Back to the room to pack everything up and say our goodbyes before we got in an Uber to the airport.

Straight through check in, bag drop and security and all aboard our 5pm flight which took off on time. The kids watched TV or slept all the way home and we arrived safely back to Gatwick for 6am where we were greeted by a family member who drove our jet lagged, little babes and us home.

WHAT I GOT RIGHT

I feel like thanks to my meticulous planning (see my planner here!) and insatiable appetite for tips, tricks, advice and knowledge of all things Disney World I got a lot of things right and the family agreed - which was lovely to hear. My frantic little heart that had worked so hard to make it all perfect felt great relief and a sense of grand achievement when this was acknowledged. As my husband said “you nailed it!’

I felt like the hotel rooms were exactly what we wanted, the magic was there, there was enough planned activities/days and enough freedom to feel like it was organised but not militarily so.

Our flights, transport, packages booked, hotels, and the order we did the parks was absolutely bang on. Two weeks also felt like long enough. We didn’t want to come home. Anything less would’ve felt rushed.

I also was really pleased with the restaurant bookings on the whole and would recommend them all except Terralina’s in Disney Springs, which was average.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE

There are two ways to answer this. What would I change about the trip we just had? Not a lot. I think we would probably do fewer long days in the parks and try to split them up a bit and head back to the pool between 1pm-4pm most days, as the heat is so intense. If we weren’t meeting our lovely friends the Sandler’s I would probably have done a slightly slower intro into it all with a short day in a park to start us off then a half pool half park day to follow.

I would do Magic Kingdom over maybe 3 of the days. 1 day for Tomorrowland and Fantasy Land, 1 day for Frontierland and Adventure Land, and 1 late afternoon and evening for anything else plus fireworks.

I think I would try to do 2 days at EPCOT - one riding all the rides and one just doing all the countries and other attractions like Club Cool which we didn’t manage to do and am gutted to have missed.

Animal Kingdom is fine for a one day park trip.

Hollywood Studios I would do the same. A full park day for the rides then a late afternoon and evening trip for other bits and bobs and Fantasmic.

The water parks were worth a day each.

Over at Universal I would definitely spend three days in the parks. One full day JUST doing Harry Potter, one day for the rest of Universal Studios and half a day for the rest of Islands of Adventure.

The second way to answer is to answer what would we do different if we were to go again?

We would definitely do the Kennedy Space Centre and perhaps explore a bit more of Florida - perhaps hire and car and head to the beach or go shopping in a mall.

I think we would do more of the parks in the evenings once we got onto US time, or encourage more midday naps! The evenings are a really nice time to see the parks, plus it’s cooler and quieter so feels less intense.

I would definitely stay at a resort with Skyliner access if possible. I’d perhaps try a different hotel in Disney but we all really did enjoy Art of Animation so no reason we wouldn’t go back.

I’d try Cabana Bay in Universal Studios, or I’d go to a villa for the second week and then drive into Universal taking advantage of the same hotel fast past deal (see previous blog).

I’d try and get to a Walmart or Target and load up with snacks. I’d also try to get on Jungle Cruise which we missed and try to spend more time walking around and less time just doing rides.

I’d try more food and cocktails around the world and I would book some of the restaurants on my list we didn’t manage (see previous blog).

There are a MILLION other things to try and this is why people get so hooked on holidays like this. Because you cannot DO IT ALL in one holiday. It’s not possible and so there is always a reason to go back. That’s how they get you! It’s why I was so determined to take our kids and why my husband, who wasn’t sure about going in the first place, was already talking about returning at the airport on the way home.

So if it WAS a once in a lifetime trip, it was wonderful - I couldn’t have asked for anything else. But if I have it my way, that planner will be printed off once again in a couple of years and the excitement of researching and plotting will begin all over again and I for one, CAN’T WAIT!