Hi my loves xoxo
Note: This is a long post, go grab yourself a snack and a glass of wine. Those of you not interested in Disney might want to give this one a miss x
If you follow me on social media you will know that I'm just back from a 16 day holiday to Orlando and Mexico. I have decided to do this holiday in 2 separate posts as trying to fit everything into one would be impossible. I'm going to start with Orlando, this was our first stop on our trip.
We booked our holiday with +Tour America in March as they gave us a fantastic deal with flights, accommodation and park tickets. We flew from Dublin T2 on Sunday the 18th of September. We checked our bags and got through security quickly and without any hastle. We stopped in the Chocolate Lounge and got some scones and coffee and it was beautiful, I definitely recommend it.
Chocolate Lounge T2 Dublin Airport
We boarded our flight which took about an hour and arrived into Gatwick London. I don't particularly like this airport. If you have a connecting flight you have to come out into the main terminal and go back through security even though we had cleared security in Dublin. We had about and hour and a half of a layover so we weren't really tied for time, it's just a bit of an inconvenience. We got through security (again) and we went to a place called Weatherspoons for some breakfast. It was just ok, nothing amazing and it was quiteoverpriced. We then boarded our flight to Orlando with +Virgin . We were seated in the middle and isle seats and there was a gentleman sitting beside us by the window. We chanced our arm and asked where there any other seats available that were free where no one would be beside us. The air hostess was more than happy to oblige and they moved us up the plane to 3 seats that were vacant so we had an empty seat between us, it was a very comfortable flight with great food and a huge selection of entertainment and movies.
The menu is handed out shortly after takeoff (the Fulfil protein bar is mine, I brought it as a snack)
You are then given pretzels, sour cream and onion flavour, and a drink. I opted for Tiger beer, it was my first time trying it and I didn't like it.
A little while later you are given your dinner and some wine.
I got chili beef wedges and they were amazing. I never eat airplane food but this was so good.
I drank my husbands wine aswell as he doesn't drink it.
You are then given tea, coffee or hot chocolate
A little while later they give you a tiny ice cream to have while you settle down for your flight.
About an hour or so before landing we got a cheese and ham croissant with crisps and a caramel brownie for tea, I didn't get a picture as I was really hungry after a nearly 9 hour flight so I ate it before I got a pic.
We landed in Orlando International Airport and went straight through Immigration. It was busy and took about 35 minutes to get through but it was to be expected. We collected our bags and made our way to pick up our car. We usually hire a car in the states as its just easier to get around without having to wait all day for public transport. We picked a red Ford Fiesta and it was gorgeous, brand new and immaculate.
It took us about 25-30 minutes to drive to our hotel, Disney's All Star Sports resort. We weren't sure what to expect when we got there as we had never stayed on Disney property before but let me just say I was blown away. These All Star hotels are budget Disney hotels, we didn't mind where we stayed as we knew we wouldn't be spending much time in the hotel but the detail and themes to these hotels are amazing. They have All Star Sports, Movies and Music. They are all basically the same hotel but with different themes. The amenities and layouts are all pretty identical but each hotel has a unique theme and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. We stood in line for about 30 Min's to check in and we got our room. We were in room 2345 in the basketball zone. The room was a decent size with 2 double beds, a table with chairs, a TV, fridge, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. the bathroom isn't huge but it was big enough for the 2 of us.
Standard Room
The 'touchdown' zone of the hotel
This hotel had loads of different sports themes, surf, basketball (where we stayed) football, tennis etc
Selfie in the football zone
OK lets talk about the perks of staying in a Disney hotel. We paid approximately €240 for 8 nights in this hotel. I think it was less but this is an average price for the time of year, I don't have an exact price as we booked a package deal. For this you get your room, daily housekeeping (or mousekeeping as some call it) all of your transfers to and from the airport (Disney's Magical Express) and to and from all the Disney parks. You get a parking pass for free parking in all the Disney parks which are $20 a day if you drive and busses to and from Disney Springs (formally downtown Disney). You also are given the option to send anything you purchase in the parks back to your hotel so you don't have to carry them around all day. The perks are amazing and we took full advantage of them.
In the resort itself you can buy a refillable mug, these are about $18 but you get unlimited refills on tea, coffee, hot cocoa, iced tea, water and all of the soft drinks. It is all self service and you can refill your cup as many times as you like for the length of your stay. You can also refill these mugs at any Disney resort or hotel, this does NOT include the Disney Parks.
Beverages area in the food court
Selection of Beverages
Refillable Mugs come in 4 colours, Red, Green, Blue and Purple
(Purple is the most popular and sells out the quickest)
We did venture out to Disney Springs for some dinner as we were quite hungry after travelling all day. We got the bus which took about 10-15 minutes to get there. We went to +Earl of Sandwich as we had never eaten here before and I highly recommend it. Most of the sandwiches are served warm and they are all handcrafted to order. We both got the holiday sandwich and it was delicious.
Day 1 - Monday
Monday was a bit of a write off for us as we were tired from travelling for nearly 24 hours the day before so we decided to take it easy and have a day of shopping. We did a few of the malls and one of the outlets. The shopping isn't much cheaper than here but there are a few places that we don't have so it was nice to shop there.
Day 2 - Tuesday
We decided to do Animal Kingdom first as we had never done it before. This park is hugely underestimated. It is absolutely stunning and the attention to detail is amazing. We had breakfast in the park, a muffin and an iced coffee.
We got these at a place called Joffrey's and the coffee was amazing.
We then met Doug and Russell from the movie UP. They were adorable.
Our first fastpass was for Expedition Everest and it was way better than I thought. If you ever get the chance to do it I definitely recommend it. One word of advice though, don't lie to your kids like the couple behind us and tell them that its not fast or scary, it is most definitely fast and scary. There are dark parts, it goes upside down, backwards, forwards and has quite long and high drops. the poor child behind us came off green and sobbing the poor pet.
Expedition Everest
Expedition Everest is a roller coaster through a mountain, I definitely recommend it if you like roller coasters.
Our next fast pass was for the Jungle safari. It was super cute and our driver was very knowledgeable about the animals. The animals can and do get quite close to the Jeep so if you don't like getting close to animals I suggest you sit in the middle.
Our last fastpass for the day was for the Festival of the Lion King show. A must if your are in the Animal Kingdom. Its a live show that's about 20 minutes long and its breathtaking.
The actors get you involved with the show with singing, making animal sounds and dancing. The encourage you to record and take as many pictures as you want as long as you don't use a flash or obstruct any ones view. Definitely worth a fast pass for the day.
Day 3 - Wednesday
On Tuesday we did Hollywood studios. My husband wanted to do this one for the Star Wars area as it was still in construction the last time that we were there. I love this park, it has so much to offer for so many people. We did the tower of terror first which never gets old no matter how many times you do it.
Can you spot us?? On the left, second row. can we tell who is holding on for dear life and who's having a ball?
We then moved on to the star wars area where we did Star Tours, a simulation ride that although it is done really well and I enjoyed it, simulators make me feel really nauseous so I got off this ride feeling a bit queasy. We moved on to meet Chewbacca and Kylo Ren. My husband was in his element and had to have his picture taken with them. Kylo Ren is very true to character so if you are expecting him to be nice you will be bitterly disappointed. He plays a very good part and he does interact with you but its all part of his character and he's a little mean, but it was fun.
I'm not in the photo because I ran away
Chewbacca on the other hand was adorable and totally worth the 20 minute wait.
My husband was like a big child
I'm not in these photos because I recorded Ross's whole interaction with Chewbacca. He did interact with me aswell though which was nice, he told me he loved my hair.
We did so much in Hollywood Studios that I could sit here all day and write about it. Lets move on to day 4.
Day 4 - Thursday
On Thursday we did Universal. I absolutely love Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I love all the comic book areas, Harry Potter World and the Jurassic Park area.
We got through security and went for breakfast. We went to +Starbucks Coffee and had frappuccinos and muffins.
After breakfast we took in the sights and took a few photos and about an hour later we went to do the Hulk Roller Coaster.
My husband decided that it would be a good idea to ride as single riders because the queue was shorter then the regular line and we didn't have fastpasses. We waited in line for about 20mins and I have to say I hated the ride. They have recently modified and ungraded it and I much prefer the older version. Straight away I knew I didn't like this one. There are so many more twists and spirals on this one that half way through I felt really sick (If you know me you know i'm a rollercoaster junkie and have done some of the biggest rollercoasters in the world) I did not like the new Hulk which was a shame. We both needed to take about 30 minutes after this ride to stop feeling nauseous.
We moved on to Dr. Seuss land to see if we could find T-shirts for our niece and nephew but they didn't have them in their sizes so we left disappointed. We then went on to the Jurassic Park area. We decided to do one of the smaller rides so we weren't doing anything too stressful after the Hulk. Jurassic park River Adventure sounded nice and relaxing...
It starts off super cute and slow.
Then it takes a turn for the worst
This ride brings you on a nice riverboat ride through different areas of the park and you meet loads of different herbivore dinosaurs that pop up and spray you with water. It then diverts off course to an area where raptors have escaped and you are brought on a ride through the facility. You see sparks and dinosaurs chewing cables and its all good fun until you come towards the end. A huge T-Rex pops its head out and tries to bite you. Whilst you are so occupied with not being eaten you completely miss the massive 85 foot plunge you take as the T-rex just misses you. You are plunged down into the water below and when they say that you may get wet... believe me, you get soaked. I definitely recommend this ride, it did catch us off guard but we thoroughly enjoyed it.
We had lunch at Jurassic Park Discovery Centre
We got burgers and fries. It was quite reasonably priced for food in the parks and the salad bar allowed you to choose as many toppings as you liked.
After lunch we moved on to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I didn't get many photos from this area as I recorded most of it but this is my favourite part of the park. We did Islands of Adventure first so we ended up in the Hogsmeade section first. Every time I see it, it blows me away.
We boarded the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley which was amazing. The attention to detail is stunning. If you are a Harry Potter fan you would love this.
When you get off the train in Universal Studios you walk out of the station and you feel like you are in a street in London. They have all the shops, the Leaky Cauldron etc. You make your way to Diagon Alley and its done exactly like in the movie. Its mind blowing the amount of detail that has been put into these areas.
The Hogwarts Express train ride to Diagon Alley
The Knight Bus outside the train station
Day 5 - Friday
On Friday we did The Magic Kingdom. They had extra magic hours from 8-9 for anyone staying in a Disney hotel so we took advantage of this and got the bus at about 7:30. We were running a bit late so we missed the opening ceremony but we made it there for bang on 8am so we were able to get in quite quickly. After security we went straight into the park and decided to do as many of the popular rides as we could. We went straight to the seven dwarfs mine train as this always has huge wait times and we couldn't get a fastpass for that day. We waited in line for about 20 minutes which wasn't too bad. It was a fun ride but kind of over rated. Its definitely a baby brother to Big Thunder Mountain, more of a kids version but it was cute. We then moved on to do Peter Pans Flight. Peter Pan is one of my Favourite Disney movies and the wait time was low so we did that next.
Up close and personal with the castle
The carousel in magic Kingdom
Pictures inside Peter Pans Flight
After Peter Pans Flight and the mine train we headed to do enchanted tails with Belle. The wait time for this is usually an hour or so but we only waited about 15 minutes. This is a super cute attraction where you get to meet belle, interact with Lumiere, the Armoire and some people took part in the show itself dressing up as suits of armour, the beast, Mrs Potts and chip. Its super cute and a must for your little ones that love Beauty and the Beast.
Gorgeous Views of Belle's Cottage
Interior of Belles Cottage
The attention to detail is Stunning
Inside the room where you meet Belle
Lumiere
After meeting belle we made our way to the Tomorrowland Speedway. This is one of those rides that you will love or hate. Basically you drive a little sports car on a track around a speedway. The steering on the cars is atrocious but it makes it more fun.
Tomorrowland Speedway in Magic Kingdom
After doing a few of the rides we decided to watch the Festival of Fantasy Parade. Its definitely worth the watch. Something to note is that the parade starts in Frontier Land and makes its way down to main street. We found that standing near the opening in Frontier Land allowed us to see the parade first and then make our way to a few of the rides close by that weren't busy because most people gathered in Main Street to watch it. Its bright, colourful and full of dancers, performers, princesses and princes. Super cute.
Beauty and the Beast are first on the Prince and Princess float
Dancers from The Little Mermaid Float
After the parade we watched the Barbershop Quartet sing on Main St and then we made our way back to the hotel. That was it for day 5, we relaxed in the hotel for the rest of the evening.
Day 6 - Saturday
We had a relaxing day on Saturday. We took it easy in the morning and afternoon relaxing around the hotel and then we decided to go to Epcot in the evening. We drove to Epcot and took our parking pass with us. We had fast passes for Test Track and Soarin. We decided to do Mission Space first. Its an interactive simulator ride where you are given the illusion of being sent on a space mission. If you don't like confined spaces or simulators this ride mightn't be for you.
We then moved on to Test Track. I highly recommend this one. You enter a "design" area where you design your car on a computer. You can choose the shape, colour, accessories, speed, control and decoration of your car. You then move on to the track, you are boarded into a car like ride and it takes you on a "test" drive of your car, you are then launched out of a tunnel and sped down and around a track at a high speed. Its a really good ride for all ages.
After Test Track we moved on to Soarin. I'm not going to go into detail about this ride as I think I would ruin it for some but believe me its a must. Its amazingly done and deserves its name as one of the best rides in Epcot.
Day 7 - Sunday
Sunday we headed out early as I was getting a spray tan done before our trip to Mexico. After a stressful conversation with an extremely rude girl in a place called OTown Tan we left disappointed and made our way to another salon. We booked in and everything was going swimmingly until I stepped into the tanning booth and the machine wouldn't work. We received a refund and left disappointed again. I had just given up when we spotted another salon and Eureka!! the girls were amazing and I got my spray tan done. It was stunning. I went for the dark shade and with the package I chose I got a free tan extending moisturiser, I left a happy customer.
We spent the rest of the day watching football (as per my husbands request) and got an early night as we were checking out early the next day. We left the hotel and drove to the Airport, gave back the car and checked in for our flight.
That's about it for for this post, Ill have another post up in the next few days all about our experience in Mexico. Have an amazing week x
Love
Kim xoxo
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