HOLIDAY MAGIC

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Orlando Attractions

The Main Park of Walt Disney World is called Magic Kingdom. It is a mixture of rides, shows, parades and magic stardust. There is something for all here. Tip – although you may want to visit this as your first park, so does everyone else. So this park is normally busier on Sunday and Monday after the weekend flights, if you can stand the wait leave it until later in the week. Main things to look out for are Splash Mountain and the parades. Other features are the runaway mine train, the ghost house, and various shows. The main reason to come is the Disney Magic and nothing captures it quite like the parades. As usual the fireworks at night are worth the visit alone. It may be very busy when you leave but take your time and soak up the atmosphere. Arrive early it takes a long time to get from the car park to the first entrance, you then either have to get on the mono rail or ferry boat to get to the main entrance. Wear comfortable shoes, you’ll be using your feet a lot, there are miles of park to explore. The best location we have found to see the Magic Kingdom firework display and see Tinkerbell start the show is from the walkway between tomorrow land and main street or in the Pizza Pavilion (That way you can sit down and rest whilst the others stand !!).

MGM Studios Now Called Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Theme park based on movie studios. As well as many shows there are more rides here than the other Disney parks. The main shows not to miss here are The Indiana Jones Spectacular, The Little Mermaid, Backlot Tour, Muppets 3D- its a must. Remember the main show of the park is the evening spectacular – Fantasmic. Rides include – Star Tours, Aerosmith Rock’n’Roller Coaster and of course the Tower of Terror!!! Remember to learn how to use the fastpass system. The Fantasmic Show at the end of the night is a must. A spectacular show of characters, high tech lighting projected on water sprays, finished off by a firework display. This show is always very busy and arriving an hour early is not unusual. Top tip – eating in the Disney restaurants is always recommended but this time can prove to be a top choice. Not only do you get the usual high quality meal but a guaranteed ticket for a seat at fantasmic – participating restaurants only. We’ve got small children and have arrived an hour early and sat at the front, there’s enough space for the kids to play safely between the seats and the fence around the lake. The view of the performance was also very good. If you are on holiday between mid December and Mid January then check out the lights on the back lot. I bet you’ve never seen so many fairy lights (in excess of 4 million).

Epcot

A more relaxing park with one or two rides around to keep the more adventurous interested. The main theme of the park is a world showcase, a collection of miniaturised countries with a large lake in the centre. Each country has street shows during the day, either a ride (only 2) or an inside show. The evening is topped off by a fantastic firework, laser and music display in and around the lake. A great place to watch this is from the bridge between France and England (or the area just below).

Animal Kingdom

A mixture of safari park, shows and excellent rides. Top shows of the park is the Lion King and Tarzan Rocks while the best ride is a toss up between dinosaur and the river rapids. Of course in this park the animals take centre stage and the Safari is a must, Tip – Visit the safari early and use the fastpass.

Fastpass

This new ticketing system guarantees you entrance to rides and shows. The important thing to remember is that you get one fastpass for each ticket in your party. So if granny does not want to go on the ride then use her ticket to get a fastpass! You cannot get another fastpass until yours is used or two hours have passed. So plan them out and remember shows operate this system too. Remember to collect all the park passes that you use when getting your park pass. Also, if you don’t mind splitting up, some rides have a single rider queue, which can reduce the amount of time queuing.

Water Parks

Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon and River Country. We found Typhoon Lagoon more relaxing, it had places to sunbathe (with palm trees for shade if required), enough water rides to keep everyone happy (including the smaller children) and swimming with the fish. Blizzard Beach has higher, faster rides, but it’s strange sunbathing when everything’s decorated to look like snow! The latest and arguably most spectacular is Island H2O Live Water Park at Margaritaville. Just 7 minutes from our house!

Downtown Disney Now called Disney Springs

When it opened as a “theme park for adults,” Pleasure Island was such a hit that it has now been expanded into a city-size complex of restaurants and night clubs. Dance at the switched-on Mannequins or the Rock ’n Roll Beach Club, chuckle through one of four shows nightly at the Comedy Warehouse, have a drink in the Adventurers Club with its safari theme, and choose from a galaxy of great dining options. There’s a Planet Hollywood, Bongos Cuban Café, and Wolfgang Puck’s. In addition to the groups that play outdoors around the complex, there’s more good listening at STRAX, where 1970s music rules, and at the Pleasure Island Jazz Company. Shops and some restaurants open at 11am; clubs open at 7pm. Most things stay open until 2am. Admission to the restaurants and multiplex theatres is free. Wander among the clubs, trying them all. Self-parking is free; valet parking is $5. Every night is New Year’s Eve at Disney Springs Pleasure Island, stay until 2 a.m. and, at midnight, help ring in the New Year with a high-energy pyrotechnic celebration.

Other Disney things

NASCAR Car Racing (Richard Petty Racing Experience)
Back Stage Tour (for adults only – see how the magic is made)
Universal Escape

The name for the combined Universal Studios area. Two parks – one location

Universal Studios

Universal Studios Florida features well-known rides like Jaws, E.T. Adventure, Wild, Wild, Wild West Show, Twister, Terminator and Back to the Future. It is also a motion-picture and television studio; several Nickelodeon shows are filmed here. Kids enjoy having pictures taken with some of their cartoon favourites like Scooby Doo, George Jetson, Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble and more at character breakfasts.

The park is open 365 days a year. Hours are generally 9am-7pm, though closing hours vary seasonally. Monday, Wednesday and the weekends are the busiest days. Children over 10 are charged as adult, Child for children 3-9 and children under 3 are admitted free. Two- and three-day passes are available as are Flex Passes. Universal Studios offers a VIP tour, which gives guests line-cutting privileges, for approx $120 per person. Parking is a long way from the entrance, so parents with small children should use a stroller. The park is loaded with great shows and rides. It Includes probably the best show ever in T2. The terminator movies brought to life. This is worth the entrance fee alone. Do not come to Orlando without doing this

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