Tag Archive for: Orlando

You are here: Home / Orlando

Posts

Christmas at Disneys Contemporary Resort

A Disney Dream come true - Christmas at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Waving goodbye to Universal Studios was hard, but we were also incredibly excited as our next stop was Walt Disney World, and more specifically, Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Since my very first visit to Walt Disney World, back in 2009, I’ve always wanted to stay at the Contemporary. I’m a bit of a Mary Blair obsessive (more of this in a bit) and I’m fascinated by the hotel’s structure, more specifically the story of how the A-frame of the Contemporary Tower was built and then workers slotted the rooms, which were constructed off-site back in 1971, into the building after they were finished. I’ve even heard rumours that at one stage, Walt Disney planned to keep the hotel modern by periodically removing and updating the rooms before slotting them back in. So what’s it like to spend Christmas at Disney’s Contemporary Resort? Here’s what we thought.

Read more

Making the most of a day at Universals Volcano Bay

Making the most of a day at Universal’s Volcano Bay

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

And so, sadly, we’ve reached the final part of our Universal Orlando Resort Adventure. I’ve told you all about what it’s like to spend Christmas at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, talked you through our top ten attractions and everything to do with Christmas at Universal Studios, and last week was all about Grinchmas and Christmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The last park on our list was Universal’s Volcano Bay, the beautiful tiki-themed water theme park centred around a huge volcano, which had been calling out to us every day from our hotel room window. We were originally booked to go on the Monday of our trip, but the weather wasn’t looking great and, as it turned out, the park wasn’t even open, so we swapped our days around and - happily - the Tuesday morning turned out crisp and a little chilly, but with perfectly bright blue skies and the promise of decent temperatures to come as the day warmed up. I really loved our evening conversations when we all did a bit of brainstorming after a day out and came up with our best bits from the day: things we’d loved, things we thought you would like to know… So without further ado, here are our top tips for making the most of a day at Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park.

Read more

Our Florida Family Christmas - Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Christmas at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort

/4 Comments/in , , , , , /by

I’ve been promising that I’ll update you all on our Florida family Christmas, and as I’ve got so much to tell you and I don’t want to miss anything out (I’ve had so many messages from people considering Christmas holidays at Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World) I thought I’d split it into a few different parts, with this first bit covering the journey and Christmas at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. This was a big ask as a holiday: we had a pretty varied age range, from young adults to my 78 year old Mum, and a lot of different bucket list items to tick off too. I got myself into a bit of a flap planning it all and in the end Jim had to sit me down and tell me to chill out a bit, as it was starting to look like a bit of a military operation getting everyone to see and experience everything I wanted. As it turned out, we had a lovely mix of relaxing and exploring, and there were loads of wonderful memories made. I’m not going to lie to you: six adults being together 24/7 for 10 days was never going to be 100% without stress, but although it was pretty tiring (and the weather wasn’t great), it was definitely one of the best holidays we’ve ever had.

Read more

10 brilliant things to see and do at Universal Orlando Resort this Christmas

10 brilliant things to see and do at Universal Orlando Resort this Christmas

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

If, like us, you’re planning a Christmas trip to Orlando, excitement levels must be pretty close to fever pitch by now (I know they are in this house!). As with planning a Christmas trip to Walt Disney World, a little preparation will go a long way to make your festive visit an extra special one. I’ve got some insider tips and some great recommendations for things to see and do at Universal Orlando Resort this Christmas. And if you’re not lucky enough to be visiting Universal this Christmas, then here’s some festive inspiration for your next visit. Ready? Then let’s begin!

Read more

10 reasons why Universal's Aventura Hotel could be my new favourite

10 reasons why Universal’s Aventura Hotel could be my new favourite

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

I’ll admit it - I’m biased. I love Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando with all my heart. I adore the colourful lobby; the gorgeous pool area; the bright, tropical rooms and the fabulous food at the Strong Water Tavern, plus the fact you can hop on a river taxi and be right at the park gates in no time make it a no brainer for me. However, while we were at Halloween Horror Nights, we were lucky enough to stay at Universal’s Aventura Hotel, their beautiful, modern new hotel right next to Sapphire Falls, and I have to say, I was mightily impressed. It could even be my new favourite. Here’s why:

Read more

Planning a trip to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando

Planning a trip to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando (updated)

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

I always get a little flurry of emails and messages as soon as I mention Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort, so recently, I’ve been keeping a note of the kind of things that people ask me, so I can bring together an FAQ for planning a trip to this brilliant event. I’ve collated a ton of advice here, with everything from picking the best dates to information on tickets and some tips on attending the event itself, so if you’re going to be heading to Universal Resort Orlando over the next few weeks, or are maybe even considering booking a trip for next year, here’s everything you need to know about planning a trip to Halloween Horror Nights.

Read more

News from D23 Expo - what's coming up at Walt Disney World, Florida - MINNIE VAN SERVICE COMING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD

News from D23 Expo: what’s coming up at Walt Disney World, Florida

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

‘Oh, I’ve been to Walt Disney World, I don’t need to go again’, said no-one ever. One of the things I love most about the happiest place on earth is that it’s ever-evolving. One of the best places to hear all the news and future plans for the Disney Parks and Resorts is D23 Expo, Disney’s official fan club’s brilliant biannual gathering, billed as the ultimate Disney fan event, which took place in Anaheim over the weekend. There have been some pretty jaw-dropping announcements, so if you’re a Disney fan, grab a cuppa, and I’ll take you through what’s coming up at Walt Disney World, Florida (and a few bits from the other parks too). Excuse all the artist’s impressions but obviously that’s all there is at the moment, apart from the pic I took of the hoarding hiding the new Toy Story Land!

Read more

Visit Celebration: the iconic movie theatre in Celebration, Florida

In which I finally get to visit Celebration, Florida

/2 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

In all the years that I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World, there’s been one iconic Disney place that I’ve never managed to visit: Celebration, Florida: the prettiest little community, and Walt Disney World’s home town. With wide streets and colourful shops and houses, it’s a really lovely place to spend a day, wandering the lovely, tree-lined residential areas (there’s actually a Wisteria Lane there that looks like it’s straight out of Desperate Housewives), and popping in to all the lovely shops (there’s a fabulous dog shop there selling everything you could possibly need for your pampered pooch!). Here’s my photo diary of our day: a little taster of what to expect when you visit Celebration.

Read more

Flying to Florida with Norwegian: my Kissimmee, St Pete and Clearwater photo diary

Flying to Florida with Norwegian: my Kissimmee, St Pete and Clearwater photo diary

/2 Comments/in , , , /by

I’m back! I’ve had the most incredible few days with a group of really lovely people, and I’ve got so much to tell you about our wonderful trip, from flying to Florida with Norwegian’s state of the art Boeing 787 Dreamliners, a stay in the most ridiculously luxurious villa in Kissimmee, loads of really fun outdoorsy stuff like kayaking, climbing and swimming, and discovering pretty towns, gorgeous hotels, white sandy beaches and trendy towns with buzzy nightlife. Read more

The pool area at Sapphire Falls

What’s it like to stay at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando?

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Well let me tell you… As a HUGE fan of the styling and atmosphere at Universal Orlando’s Cabana Bay, I wasn’t sure that another Universal Orlando resort could steal my heart, but from the moment we were greeted with a smile at the main entrance of Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal, we were smitten. The resort has a Caribbean theme and is light, airy and very tropical. The main entrance is huge and beautifully styled too:

Read more

The Maharajah Jungle Trek at Disney's Animal Kingdom

New experiences at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida

/1 Comment/in , , , , , , /by

…and some old favourites. So last time, I told you a little about Walt Disney World Resort, Florida’s fabulous free dining offer. This time, I thought I’d bring you an update on some fabulous new experiences at Walt Disney World, including stunning new dining options and new attractions. I’ve also added in a few things that aren’t new, but that I experienced for the first time too. So sit back, grab a cuppa, and I’ll begin… Read more

Walt Disney World news: Pandora, a new Star Wars-themed land, Toy Story Land and more!

/2 Comments/in , , , , /by

While we were at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida last week, I was lucky enough to catch a press conference about everything that’s new and coming up at the parks. There’s exciting news of two new lands: a Star Wars themed land, and a new Toy Story land, plus more information on Pandora: The World of AVATAR, which is coming in 2017. We also had some sneaky peeks of attractions and shows that are due to open, including Rivers of Light and new nighttime Kilimanjaro Safaris. Step this way for all the news (by the way, I had to write really, really quickly while people were talking so please excuse any errors or omissions):

Read more

Balloons on Disney's BoardWalk

Walt Disney World and Disney’s BoardWalk Resort

/4 Comments/in , , , , /by

If you follow me on social media, you’ll be well aware that Charlie and I spent a wonderful week last week at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida. We were out there for the Awaken Summer press event and I have SO MUCH news to share about all the new and incredible things that are now open or coming up at Walt Disney World, including a sneaky peek at the gorgeous new evening shows and activities at Animal Kingdom, the new Frozen Ever After attraction coming to Epcot, lovely Disney Springs, and lots of fab new Star Wars stuff too. First things first, though, I thought I’d tell you about the delicious BoardWalk area.

Read more

The Disney Dream docked at Port Canaveral

Disney stay and cruise: our week in pictures (part two)

/5 Comments/in , , , , /by

After our magical 24 hours in Walt Disney World, Florida, we woke early and grabbed a quick breakfast at the Cape May Café with Minnie Mouse (as you do), before waving her goodbye and jumping on a coach which took us to Port Canaveral. There we caught our very first glimpse of the Disney Dream. Here’s part two of our Disney stay and cruise photo diary: all about the Disney Dream.

Read more