A Summer Break to Florida | Courtney Says What

Put your Mickey ears on guys, I’m back and here with a Disney post! If you haven’t kept up with my Instagram, then you may not know that for the past few weeks I’ve been relaxing in Florida. It was absolutely incredible, and truth be told I’m a little gutted to be home, but I do return with a whole new bag of memories… and a few bags from bath and body works but that’s another post!

I was super excited to finally be using my new Aspinal of London travel collection for this trip, I had been itching to use it for so many months now, and it definitely lived up to the hype. I’ve also done this post a little differently, I’m sure if you want any information about the parks themselves, then Google is your best friend, I can only recommend what I enjoyed, and I hope you find it useful!

Islands of Adventure

Go see: Diagon Alley in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and drink a butterbeer – make sure it’s the frozen slush one!
Go eat: A pizza from Cafe 4 in Marvel Super Hero Island, super fast service, great food and easily the best air conditioning to cool down in the blistering heat.
Courtney approved ride: The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, help Spidey save the day and fight off those diabolical villains!

Universal Studios

Go see: Goodness, it’s going to have to be Harry Potter again! This time it is Diagon Alley though. Good luck finding it, it’s a little bit of a secret in Universal.
Go eat: “The Big Pink” at Lard Lads in Springfield – a huge pink frosted donut, just make sure you share, or you’ll regret the decision. Also, the service was a little lacking here, and by a little lacking I mean she was so rude, I could have thrown the big pink at her head.
Courtney approved ride: I was actually pretty brave and went on the new Harry Potter, Escape from Gringotts ride, it’s a 3D ride, but its multidimensional so you move about and into different rooms, so it’s not like a simulator entirely. It actually made me feel like I was on a proper ride, even though kids were on it too – so the verdict is out, a great one for all the family (and if not, there is a child swap!)

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Go see: Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream- If you’re a fan of Disney, then this one is definitely for you. Full to the brim of rare artefacts, and a video all about Walt’s life, and, of course, how it started with a mouse.
Go eat: A Jabba the Hut cupcake and french vanilla iced latte from The Trolley Car Cafe, honestly those cupcakes are something else! Matt and Alison also picked up M&M chocolate brownies that looked delicious and considering how busy it was in the park, this place was super quiet.
Courtney approved ride: As mentioned it was so unbelievably busy in this park so we didn’t manage to get on too many rides (most were the same as Paris, and queuing for 2+ hours in the blistering heat was not happening) but I absolutely loved Muppet Vision, it was a 5 minute wait time, had air conditioning and all of us could go in together.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Go see: Where do I start! Go everywhere, do not miss a thing in this park, it is incredible. If I did have to choose though it would be make sure you get into Mickey’s PhilharMagic. A 4D experience, featuring your favourite Disney characters and songs. Just wait for the champagne to pop during “Be our Guest” – it’s pretty cool.
Go eat: I wish I would have pre-booked a space for Matt and I at the Be our Guest restaurant, but I’ve heard rumour you need to do it at least 180 days in advance, so there is always next time. This was probably for the best though, as we just wanted something quick and easy, which is exactly what we found in Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. I’m super fussy, so I always worry when ordering food, but they did a great job here and are really accommodating.
Courtney approved ride: Splash Mountain! SO much fun, and a perfect way to cool down on a hot day. Don’t worry, you’ll dry off in no time.

Sea World

Go see: Sea World actually sent me on a behind the scenes tour* of their rescue and rehabilitation centre. I know there is such a stigma associated with going to Sea World, but I really wish everyone could at least see how much they put back into caring for animals. I met a group of injured manatee, a blind sea turtle and some sharks that had been in a car accident of all things (read about that here)! My guide Sandi was really knowledgeable about the park and took everyone’s questions like a champ.
Go eat: There is something about Florida’s heat that just suppresses your hunger, so we decided to make a quick stop off at Captin Pete’s- I can’t speak for the rest of their food, but the sugar cookie and iced coffee were amazing.
Courtney approved ride: Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, one of my favourite animals, so how could I not love this ride! A trackless roller coaster, that makes you follow Puck, the baby penguin, and eventually you end up in the penguin exhibition!

Busch Gardens

Go see: The Iceploration show, this was a little cheesy, and we only found ourselves in here, as every ride was shut due to a storm. But it was actually really good, there are live animals as part of the show, and extremely talented ice dancers.
Go eat: Garden Gate Cafe, this is a buffet style restaurant which serves lots of different types of pasta, pizza and sides, really good!
Courtney approved ride: Congo River Rapids, one word of advice, take your shoes off! Nobody wants soggy feet. I think I was sat in a good place because everyone around me was soaked. It was about 100 degrees Fahrenheit out there too, so I don’t think many people minded!