Florida Funshine

28/03/2019

No more smoking at Disney, also some news about restricting stroller sizes...

https://wdwnt.com/2019/03/breaking-disney-parks-removing-park-smoking-areas-new-stroller-limitations/

After some murmurings on social media, it appears Disney has gone public with some major adjustments to park policies, including the removal of smoking areas within parks and the adjustment of park policies related to stroller size, stroller wagons and loose ice. All changes become effective...

24/03/2019

Photobomberous Rex

24/03/2019

After reading posts about average queue times in Universal parks coming in around 3hr for Standby and 45 minutes for Express Pass during the current Spring Break, it got me wondering, what's your limit for shuffling along to get on a ride?

22/03/2019

Here's an interesting concept for Islands of Adventure. Not sure how they'll make a restroom smell like a superhero !



http://www.insideuniversal.net/2019/03/universal-orlando-to-introduce-themed-smells-in-islands-of-adventures-restrooms/

This is not satire. Universal Orlando plans on introducing a new air freshening system in the major Islands of Adventure restrooms that will feature distinctive scents for each island. In addition, the scents will change with the seasons. Some examples given include Iced Piña Colada in Port of

22/03/2019

Visiting Gringotts bank to withdraw some goblin gold

21/03/2019

Who says you can have too much ice cream, when you can have the Kitchen Sink !?

21/03/2019

Why would you want to spend a birthday anywhere else?

21/03/2019

We started this blog to help other people plan their trips to Florida and pass on our knowledge, tips and advice. Didn't realise how addictive it can become, but then it does involve posting about the best place on earth!

20/03/2019

Why did Blizzard Beach stop serving this chocolate fudge brownie sundae with applewood smoked bacon sprinkles ? It was delicious !

20/03/2019

A collection of Disney Princesses who we've met over the years

20/03/2019

If you're longing for the thrill of skimming across the water on an airboat in search of alligators in the mangroves, but the thought of driving all of the way to the Everglades is putting you off, fear not. There's a solution that's just 35 minutes away from the main attraction areas at Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures in Kissimmee.

We've been there a couple of times and had great fun and you'll get the same authentic feeling of high speed adventure as you would by driving 200 miles south for the real thing.

It's loud and you have to wear ear defenders (over ear headphones), so if that causes you a problem, you might want to give it a miss, but if you're up for it, make sure to bring your camera and maybe a pair of binoculars to spot the wildlife.

Alligators are most visible in the cold months between December and April when they lie on the surface to catch the warm sunlight. It's also worth noting that most animals are more active early in the morning, so try to book an early trip if you can. Having said that, you're still likely to see a lot of beasties whenever you go, so take a trip and let us know what you've spotted in the comments below.

https://bcairboats.com/

20/03/2019

All theme parks have free wifi these days (as you'd expect) that give you connectivity throughout their parks. It’s not the best and you’ll lose connection with alarming regularity, however, it’s very useful when using one of the free smartphone apps for Iphone and Android that keep you up to date with line information.

Recommended apps are :

• My Disney Experience - Official Disney app that gives you interactive maps for all parks, as well as the all important LIVE queue times and Fastpass return times and lets you reserve Fastpasses instead of having to look for a booth..

• Universal Orlando Resort The Official App - As the name suggests, this is the official resort app that gives you interactive maps for all of the parks as well as the all important LIVE queue times.

• Seaworld Discovery Guide - A companion app that gives you a park map, live show times and ride wait times. You can also use it before you travel to buy tickets and Quick Queue passes (the same as Fastpasses). Also works for San Diego and San Antonio.

• Busch Gardens Discovery Guide - Same as the Seaworld app, this gives you a park map, live show times and ride wait times. You can also use it before you travel to buy tickets and Quick Queue passes (the same as Fastpasses). Also works for Williamsburg.

• Disneyworld By Undercover Tourist – Third party app from Undercover Tourist, a well known and renowned US travel service. Contains some useful tools for planning your visit as well as those all-important queue times. Their website (www.undercovertourist.com) also contains a wealth of information about all of Florida’s theme parks.

• Universal Studios by Undercover Tourist – Same as their Disney app, without the Fastpass times.

17/03/2019

Oh yes, before I forget, a big welcome to all of our new followers. If you are interested in visiting Florida, please check here for information that may help your trip.

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask and tell your friends and family that they're more than welcome to join us.

17/03/2019

Now that we've started getting to grips with our posts on here, we're going to start looking at the rides and attractions via a Photo Album for each of the parks. That way, it'll keep each group separate and allow us to put a photo, a description, a review (based on our thoughts) and some useful information, such as height restrictions, suitability etc. for each ride/attraction individually.

Hope it all makes sense and also makes it a bit easier for you to find information relevant to the parks you're interested in.

Rest assured, there's going to be a lot of non-theme park information as well, but the obvious attraction of Florida is those pesky thrill rides...

17/03/2019

Between now and 3rd June, you can enjoy the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. Lots of wonderful character topiary and garden based attractions...

17/03/2019

Feeding the baby stingrays at Seaworld Orlando. They may look graceful, but they take no prisoners !

17/03/2019

Coming (very) soon to Busch Gardens, Tigris will open in Spring 2019 and will be Florida's tallest launch coaster...

"Tigris will catapult riders through an exhilarating array of looping twists with forward and backward motion, breath-taking drops, a 150-foot skyward surge, and an inverted heartline roll, all at more than 60 miles per hour. Tigris will race riders along more than 1,800 feet of steel track designed to mimic the awe-inspiring agility of the world’s largest and most powerful cat –the tiger."

https://youtu.be/DxmgXS6oJik

Tigris, le parc Busch Gardens Tampa en Floride s'offre un Sky Rocket II ➡️ http://bit.ly/2QpSWvT

17/03/2019

Don't think that Florida is just about the theme parks. If you have the time, you could make the journey down to Key West.

We've done it a few times (once for a day trip !) and while the journey is long, it's definitely worth it.

Key West is a laid back paradise, full of things to see and do and it comes to life at night, starting with the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square, not to mention the bars and restaurants up Duvall Street where the carnival atmosphere is a must.

We've taken two different routes (below) when we've travelled to Key West, the more direct route is around 6hrs, whereas the other takes just over 8hrs. The shorter journey is mainly comprised of interstates and toll roads but skirts around Fort Lauderdale and Miami, allowing you to visit on your way. The longer route crosses the Everglades National Park and gives you the opportunity to go on an airboat tour and spot some gators.

You'll need a couple of days to get the most out of Key West (plus travelling), so make sure you have enough time planned into your holiday.

There'll be more on Key West (and the rest of the Keys) in future posts.

17/03/2019

A selection of photos from Universal Studios, IOA and Volcano Bay over the years

16/03/2019

Assorted photos from our trips to Disneyworld

16/03/2019

Buying park tickets is probably the most expensive part of your holiday to Florida. There are so many ticket agents and sellers out there selling the same or slightly different packages and their prices can vary dramatically.

You need to have an idea of how long you want to spend visiting theme parks before deciding which tickets to buy. You can get Disney 7/14/21 Day Ultimate tickets that can fill your entire holiday, as well as a whole set of different tickets for Universal, Seaworld, Busch, Legoland, Dicovery Cove etc. Alternatively, you can get some or all of them bundled together in a package to suit whatever your itinerary includes.

Check out as many reputable sellers you can find to see of they have what you want and find the best price. Here is a list of sellers we have used in the past and have had good experiences with (in no particular order):

https://www.pillingerworldtravel.co.uk/attractions/
https://www.floridaescapes.co.uk/attractions?page=1
https://www.americanattractions.co.uk/
https://www.floridatix.com/
https://www.orlando-ticket-deals.co.uk/
https://www.travelrepublic.co.uk/attractions/florida
https://www.park-tickets.com/
https://www.orlandoattractions.com/
https://www.undercovertourist.com/ - this is an American site, but you can have the tickets mailed or pick them up from a pre-arranged drop off point

Always check for discount codes, e.g. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-disney-florida-theme-parks/

13/03/2019

While I would always recommend getting a car when you go to Florida (there's far too much to do outside of the parks to be restricted to hotel-park-hotel shuttle buses), it's worth noting that for 2019, daily parking rates for cars in all parks starts at $25. It might be worth looking at Uber rates before you go.

12/03/2019

I seem to be favouring Disney and Universal at the moment. Let's have a quick rummage for some news from elsewhere...

Where do you think you'll soon be able to ride North America's tallest and the world's fastest hybrid (metal and wood) coaster ?



https://thrillgeek.com/2019/03/busch-gardens-tampa-announces-record-breaking-2020-roller-coaster/?fbclid=IwAR2SIl3pf-qm1FVQhTkiwfdKj-OemJlm1rspIPMwJQZgKkye3ac8L8-qi-Y

Celebrating six decades of unforgettable experiences, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay shares even more exciting news with park guests during the 60th Anniversary Celebration Kickoff this evening. In addition to debuting a new menu for the 2019

12/03/2019

Draco Malfoy reveals details of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

11/03/2019

Here's something for all Harry Potter fans. Shutterbuttons will put you into a selection of Harry Potter scenes using the magic of green screen and allows you to buy photos, DVDs etc. of the results. It can be found in Diagon Alley, Universal Studios...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmRzWRJ3OOc&t=11s&fbclid=IwAR1sKBPB0bw3WYHNCOD39-QqmO_yUMEWZr37DanjMhilQwAax6U26L5rC_8

SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/SubscribeUOR This one's for anyone who ever wanted to add a touch of wizardry to their vacation photos. Bring your family and friend...

11/03/2019

Here's something we'd never seen before our last trip to EPCOT, the globe from IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth firework show being driven into place. The bridge is raised between China and Germany in the World Showcase and the globe, along with a host of other barges loaded with fireworks, heads out to the centre of the lake. IllumiNations is being replaced in 2020 with a new nighttime firework spectacular.

11/03/2019

There is one question that always gets asked, Disney or Universal. It's a tough one to answer as both sets of parks offer something different and both continue to regenerate and offer new attractions to encourage you to return.

When we first went to Florida in 1998, there was no IOA, Universal Studios was on a bit of a downturn and Disney was clearly the theme park king. Back then it was easy to pick a winner. However, these days Universal is right back up there and pushing Disney right to the line.

While it would be easy to say that Universal (both Studios and IOA) offers more of a thrill ride experience that's probably more suited to older kids (and us adults who don't want to grow up), whereas Disney has a lot more attractions themed at younger kids (and us adults who don't want to grow up), it's far from being that straightforward.

Disney is, as far as we're concerned, a lot more magical than Universal. There's an atmosphere in all of the parks, something you can't quite put your finger on, something that touches an emotional chord with a lot of people (I've seen grown men with tears in their eyes watching the fireworks outside Cinderella's Castle). Universal tries, but doesn't quite hit the same mark. it's more concerned with throwing you into an immersive movie experience than generating the same kind of feeling as Disney and they're very good at it. At the end of the day, both groups of parks have a lot to offer, both have their own brand of excitement and fun and both need to be experienced, even if not on the same holiday.

This isn't a problem, in Florida, where you can have your cake and eat it. Ask my kids (13 and 15) which park is their favourite and they'll both answer Islands of Adventure AND Magic Kingdom, so how do you split them ? The simple answer is DON'T.

If you're on a budget, there might be a reason for picking one over the other, but there are so many combinations of tickets available for all of the parks, you're bound to be able to find an affordable way to try everything at least for a day or two.

So try not to restrict yourself to Universal OR Disney, experience both. Be sure to plan your holiday wisely and buy the best combination of tickets available to give you the maximum coverage during your trip. Take it all in and plan your next visit while you're there (and don't forget that there's also Seaworld and Busch Gardens to add to your list).

Florida is addictive. You'll want to keep going back for more, especially with all of the new stuff being planned over the next few years, so go and enjoy yourself. Be open and try everything that's available to you, then let us know how you get on.

10/03/2019

https://www.facebook.com/UniversalOrlandoResort/videos/10155370008782852/

10/03/2019

Never look up a ride you haven't experienced on YouTube. It'll definitely ruin the fun.

I speak from experience, after watching Expedition Everest before we visited Animal Kingdom 😞

10/03/2019

Looking for somewhere to stay? We've been here many times. It's a lovely 4 bedroom villa in Kissimmee, about 10 minutes drive from Animal Kingdom (that's a real 10 minutes, not what some of those places down Highway 27 talk about) and a perfect home from home while you're in Florida.

http://www.sunnysideflorida.co.uk/

Sunnyside Florida Orlando vacation rental home on Indian Creek under 4 miles to Disney. 4 Bed, 3 Bathroom, private Villa with Pool for rent direct from the owner.