Orlando, May 2013
Since Memorial day is so conveniently located on the month of our anniversary, I think it will always be easy for us to plan a get away somewhere. For the first anniversary, S suggested Orlando since I am such a huge Disney fan and also because I had never seen Universal Studios. I was particularly excited about Universal Studios since they had the Harry Potter attractions. I had gone to Disneyland twice in Paris and knew what to expect. Also in our plans was a visit to Discovery Cove which is part of the Sea World group and us being the water babies that we are, definitely did not want to miss it.
Since Memorial day is so conveniently located on the month of our anniversary, I think it will always be easy for us to plan a get away somewhere. For the first anniversary, S suggested Orlando since I am such a huge Disney fan and also because I had never seen Universal Studios. I was particularly excited about Universal Studios since they had the Harry Potter attractions. I had gone to Disneyland twice in Paris and knew what to expect. Also in our plans was a visit to Discovery Cove which is part of the Sea World group and us being the water babies that we are, definitely did not want to miss it.
On Day 1, my eye was on the Universal's Island of Adventure because that was where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was situated. I ignored everything else on the way and dragged S straight here. When we walked through the gates, I was a hyper child looking at the village of Hogsmeade ahead of me complete with the Hogwarts Express too! I didn't know if I should go into Honeyduke's or Zonko's or the Three Broomsticks! We decided to go wait in the incredibly long line for the Harry Potter ride which was absolutely worth it. Overall, though there are many other rides at Island of Adventure, just a visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be more than sufficient for fans! We had got the 2 park pass and we were keeping Universal Studios for Day 3 of our trip.
Since we were done with all the rides we wanted to go to, we decided to make the trip to Disneyland since our key attraction was to see the Fireworks show. I wanted to show S a few of my favourite rides before the fireworks show like 'It's a small world' and the famous parade where I completely lost it when Buzz Lightyear and Woody came close. The fireworks show truly blew our mind away and we couldn't help ooh-ing and aah-ing along with all the little kids around us or feel that twinge of excitement to see Tinkerbell flying in the air.
On Day 2, we had to check in at the Discovery Cove for our Dolphin Swim day long package. This was totally worth the money since we could spend all day at Discovery Cove and this also included our 30 minute interaction with the Dolphins. They gave us our wet suits and snorkel equipment (along with lots and lots of sunscreen) as soon as we entered the park and then there were lockers rooms and showers peppered at multiple places on the park so it was very convenient to take a quick shower if we felt too muddy. They had freshly prepared breakfast, lunch and unlimited snacks which we could attack whenever we wanted throughout the day. The Dolphin interaction was extremely entertaining particularly the ride with the Dolphin but it made us feel pretty guilty afterwards when we watched a documentary on animals in captivity a few months later. What we liked most was snorkeling at the Grand Reef. Being within touching distance of the rays and scores and scores of fish was surreal! I literally had to drag S kicking and screaming from the water when they were about to shut the place. We also did the SeaVenture which is an underwater walk where we were walking with things that literally looked like Fishbowls upturned on our heads.
To check out Discovery cove and the activities available, click here.
Travel tip: If you are water lovers and take plenty of water related vacations, it is definitely worth your while to invest in a good underwater camera. We have the Nikon Coolpix digital camera and are loving it more with each vacation.
To check out Discovery cove and the activities available, click here.
Travel tip: If you are water lovers and take plenty of water related vacations, it is definitely worth your while to invest in a good underwater camera. We have the Nikon Coolpix digital camera and are loving it more with each vacation.
On Day 3, we were back at the Universal Studios where S got to show me some of his favorite rides from his visit to the studios in LA. I liked the Jurassic Park ride and the Revenge of the Mummy ride the best! After a day of stomach turning happiness that only twisty twirly rides can give you, we headed back to the hotel to make sure we caught our flight on time.
Orlando is a great place to go to either with kids or to keep the child in you happy and if we go there again, I definitely want to spend a few more days and patiently explore each park. Make sure you go there with plenty of patience to stand in lines or if you are the impatient type, buy the express pass which helps you skip most lines and therefore cover more attractions in the same time.
Go and enjoy the magic!
Orlando is a great place to go to either with kids or to keep the child in you happy and if we go there again, I definitely want to spend a few more days and patiently explore each park. Make sure you go there with plenty of patience to stand in lines or if you are the impatient type, buy the express pass which helps you skip most lines and therefore cover more attractions in the same time.
Go and enjoy the magic!
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