Week One (Well, Some)

Week One In Orlando

There was so much we had to explore and so little time to do so. We had to plan our park tickets well so that we could fulfill all aspects of the time frame that they would give us.

On our first, we were up and out early to activate our tickets for the Kennedy Space centre, where we hoped that we would see our first rocket launch. We drove to the building that set apart other astrology buildings back home, and its structure was enormous. The Kennedy Space Centre is great for those who love rockets, space, adventure and sci-fi, as it has a little bit of something for everyone.

Above: Some of the rockets at the Kennedy Space Centre

We joined the massive queue that took us into the main building, where we were given a thorough security check. Something that you will find with most, nearly all Disney and Universal parks.

We toured the outside of the Kennedy Space centre where we could revel in the wonderful aerospace vehicles that have brought man closer to understanding the Universe and Galaxies in which we live in.

You can’t really describe the size of the rockets unless you see them for yourself, they are truly a fantastic spectacle that is a must see for visitors travelling to Orlando. The history behind each of the rockets, along with some of the tragedies that also happened during the exhibitions to outer space, really gave you a greater appreciation for the work that scientists and astronomers do on a day to day basis.

Above: Rocket at Kennedy Space Centre

We then headed inside the space centre to explore more of what the venue had to offer, where we were given a tour into the Atlantis tour and the Apollo tours. Some of these tours were quite emotional, as we know, some of the astronauts did not make it home. We were also taken into model of the control room where Apollo 13 was due to make history, but unfortunately made history for all the wrong reasons.

We were then taken on a guided tour of the history behind Space Shuttle Atlantis where you could also go and view the shuttle in person, within one of the halls at the space centre.

Above: Inside Space Shuttle Atlantis

I absolutely love anything to do with science and astronomy, and this was entirely right up my street.

As the day progressed, we were then informed of the shuttle bus route that would take us to the launch site where we could view the rocket launch. After arriving there, the weather turned a little sour. It seems that we brought the English weather with us, and a thunderstorm was brewing in the air. We waited for a good two hours, to which we were told that the launch would unfortunately not be going ahead due to thunder and lightning strikes in the area.

This was definitely disheartening for our first day, however, we knew that we had plenty more exciting opportunities ahead of us during our trip here.

Our second was hopefully due to be more promising, as we would be visiting the Universal parks. I had seen many photos and videos about this spectacular venue. But again, it is quite hard to put into words just how massive and spectacular these parks are. There was one place that I was especially excited for, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and it honestly took my breath away. If you are a Potter-head, then you will fall in love with this place instantly. You are transported to the world of Harry Potter in so many ways imaginable, that it actually feels like you are a part of the Wizarding community yourself.

Above: Diagon Alley at The WIzarding World of Harry Potter at Universal

I visited Olivander’s and got myself a fantastic wand, we rode the Hogwarts express, went on all of the rides, walked around Diagon Alley, drank butter beer. We did the lot.

I would highly recommend the Escape from Gringotts ride and Harry Potter and The Forbidden journey. However, all of the rides here are completely spectacular in their own way. These simulator rides immerse you into the world of Harry Potter, even when you are in line for the queue. For instance, Gringotts, you are watched by the close eye of the elves working in the bank, and get to travel through the bank’s great rooms.

The amount of detail that is put into the experience here, is immense.

Above: Walking up Diagon Alley

We then moved on to explore more areas of Universal such as The Simpson’s Land, The Mummy, The Hulk ride, Toy Story, Transformers, Jurassic Park – you name it, we did it.

The whole atmosphere of Universal and Island’s of Adventure is amazing and I cannot recommend the place enough.

Food prices there can be a little steep, so I would recommend hunting for the cheapest places to eat if you are on a budget. However, we wanted to truly enjoy our time here and not have to worry about the monetary cost.

We spent the majority of our first week in the Universal and Island’s of Adventure Park as we had activated our two-week tickets, which we knew we had to make full use of.

The rides and thrills here surpass those of any you will experience back in England.

My favourite rides in Universal / Island’s of Adventure are:

• The Hulk

• Escape from Gringotts

• Transformers 3D

• The Mummy’s Revenge

• Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

• The Simpson’s Ride

• Hogwarts Express

Rides that you can probably skip:

• Men in Black – Alien Attack

• Jurassic Park

• King Kong

• The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man

During the first week we decided to go all-out and splurge on a meal at the infamous Hard Rock Café at the Universal park. Located across the bridge, there are some of the most spectacular eateries that Universal Orlando has to offer. We were greeted by a wonderful hostess who promptly showed us to our table. We were given excellent service by our waiter and the food was simply divine. I opted for a Guinness Ale burger and we shared a starter of Nachos and Wings, which were seriously incredible.

Above: Hard Rock Cafe at Universal

The entire experience at the Hard Rock Café is amazing, as every inch of it is steeped in Rock and Roll history. The price is entirely justifiable as the whole experience is something for everyone to enjoy.

During our second day at Universal we opted to eat at Antojito’s where we experienced some of the best Mexican food ever. The beauty of the building was something to revel at in itself, and the inside was just as beautiful.

We opted for Nachos again to start with some of the best homemade guacamole we had ever tried. I then opted for soft tacos with prawns, as I wanted to test the beautiful Mexican flavours with the delicate nature of the prawns. I was not disappointed.

Our next evening after Universal, we decided to head over to International Drive to try and find some food, we ended up eating Hooters, which is an experience in itself. I will say, if you are a girl wanting to order a drink at the bar, I would not expect to be served in a hurry. We had a 15-minute wait for our table, to which we were advised to grab a drink from the bar (typical protocol), however, after ordering, it then took 10 minutes to receive our order. Simply because my mother had ordered, and not a well-tipping male. Each time we prompted the bar maid, she said she would be working on our order, and then moved to the next male. Not the best bar experience, but next time I will let my dad do the ordering!

In between our days at Universal, we had a couple of days to visit some other places. We visited the Epcot centre, which we later described as something a little more profane. I honestly think that Epcot is outdated and needs revamping. There is not much to do, besides the Soarin’ ride (which was ok) and the tour around the Greenhouses? I use a question mark as I am not actually sure why a boat ride was necessary to view a greenhouse. So, what would have been a full day at Epcot then turned to be a couple of hours. The only plus side of this place was that I got to get a sneak peek of Bay Max from Big Hero 6.

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