Haven't long got back from my recent trip to Florida, the second time for me, and it was fantastic. I'm not going to a full trip report of every single day as it would be ridiculously long, so I'm just going to put what we went on and what I thought of each park and the rides, with my videos at the end.
Walt Disney World
Before you even reach the parks, the whole thing is wonderful. The appearance of it as you drive in is amazing, and how it is run and kept is brilliant. Downtown Disney is a great place to go day or night and can keep you occupied for a long time, especially with DisneyQuest which was great.
Magic Kingdom
The park as a whole is magnificent although most of the rides are aimed at smaller children and younger guests, we had a lot of fun there. Unfortunately, Space Mountain was closed for refurbishment but I have ridden it before so didn't mind, but Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain were still open. Splash Mountain was my favourite water ride of the whole trip offering lots of drops without getting you absolutely drenched. Big Thunder was a fun little ride but isn't as good as the one in Paris. The smaller attractions such as Mickey's Philhar Magic, Buzz Lightyear, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and Mad Tea Party were fun aswell. Also, the fireworks were amazing at night.
Epcot
The small amount of rides at Epcot is definitely made up for by the magnificent world showcase, but the rides they do have are great fun. Test Track was a brilliant ride which we enjoyed greatly, and Soarin' provided for a great experience. Maelstrom was a fun ride for everybody, and Spaceship Earth, which has been re-done since I last went is much more interesting than before. It was brilliant again to walk around World Showcase and enjoy all the different countries and look at all the different cultures. The fireworks here were brilliant again aswell, providing a different experience than most others with the use of the globe.
Disney's Hollywood Studios
It was cold and rained most of the time while we are at Hollywood Studios but this didn't put a downer on the day too much as we still enjoyed some of the great rides and shows. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was a brilliant ride providing a slightly varied version to Paris. Tower of Terror took me by surprise as I thought it was the same as in Paris, but it was very different, and it was an amazing ride. The Indiana Jones show and the Studio Backlot Tour were both fun experiences, learning about the different stunts and history of Disney. We missed some things this day because of the weather which is why we didn't do some of the other attractions.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
This one was definitely one of my favourite parks. The themeing and detail was amazing as always with Disney but the park overall just looked really good and had a really good atmosphere with the theming. Expedition Everest took me by surprise as I didn't know what to expect and it was excellent, a really enjoyable ride. However, Primeval Whirl was terrible and it hurt a lot. Anyway, back onto the good parts, Kali River Rapids and Kilimanjaro Safaris provided great fun for everybody. We got drenched on Kali River Rapids one of the times we went on it and it is a really good, enjoyable water ride. Kilimanjaro Safaris was also good and it was interesting to see all the different animals. The Festival of the Lion King was a brilliant show aswell, providing fun for everyone.
Typhoon Lagoon
A really fun and brilliantly themed water park, with a ridiculously big wave. Not as good as Blizzard Beach in my opinion as there doesn't seem to be as much attention on the rides and too much on the big wave. However, the rides were still fun my favourites being Humunga Kowabunga and Storm Slides.
Blizzard Beach
My favourite waterpark there Blizzard Beach really impressed me. There is a good amount of rides and the theming for a waterpark is incredible. All the rides we did were great my favourites being Toboggan Racers, Runoff Rapids, Snow Stormers and Teamboat Springs as they provided great rides for everyone.
Universal Studios
Where rides are concerned there isn't a lot at this park but the setting is wonderful. I really enjoyed walking around the park and it had a really nice atmosphere. My favourite ride was Revenge of the Mummy which surprised me greatly as I expected nothing from it. The theming is brilliant and the uphill launch into the dark was fantastic, the fire and smoke adding to the whole experience. Men in Black and Jaws were really fun aswell. There didn't seem much happening with Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket while we were there though.
Islands of Adventure
A brilliant park with some brilliant rides. The setting again was fantastic, and some of my favourite rides were at this park. Firstly, the Incredible Hulk was fantastic, with the launch out of the tunnel which was amazing. The ride never lets up and all the inversions and elements are great. Dueling Dragons was excellent aswell, but it was a bit annoying that it needs a different queue at the moment. It wasn't organised very well with a load of people blocking the entrance due to wanting to use the lockers. However, the theming inside the castle was amazing and both rides were fantastic. My favourite was ice as I felt it had a better layout, but I thought you could see the dueling better on fire. Both really good, enjoyable rides though. Doctor Doom's Fearfall, Bilge-Rat Barges and Ripsaw Falls were all great fun aswell, with the water rides getting you ridiculously wet. Also, the Harry Potter area seemed to be progressing with work being done while we were there.
SeaWorld
This was a really great park. There aren't a load of rides, but there is a lot of entertainment. My first ever B&M mega looper was in this park in the form of Kraken, and it was a brilliant ride. The layout was fantastic and it was even better in the dark at night. The only drawbacks were that it slows up a bit too much and the loading was really bad. However, overall it was an excellent ride, the floorless trains being really good. Journey to Atlantis was also brilliant, combining water ride and rollercoaster giving you a right good drenching. We watched both Shamu shows and the Sea Lion show and both were amazing providing excellent entertainment. The fireworks which we hadn't seen before were also very unique and provided a great show. The park as a whole is fantastic. Also, Manta is looking brilliant and we were lucky enough for it to start testing when we right underneath it, plus I got a video which is shown in the 'Florida 09 (Part 1)' video shown below. It is looking really good and I can't wait to go back and ride it.
Busch Gardens
Wow, what a park. This was my favourite while we there, the rides, environment and atmosphere were just brilliant. Everything there was great... except for Gwazi which left me in pain. But the other rides were fantastic, Montu being my favourite. The layout and pacing were fantastic, plus the force and speed of it was amazing. The setting and theming also add to the brilliance. Kumba was one of my favourites aswell, like Montu, being very forceful and having a really good layout. The setting and pacing were also great making it an excellent ride. SheiKra was brilliant also but didn't rank as high as the others for me. The feeling of holding over that huge drop was amazing, and the ride was great, but it didn't feel as thrilling as the others and felt more relaxing. However, it was still brilliant just for the sheer height and speed of it. The other rides were great aswell such as Cheetah Chase, Scorpion, Stanley Falls Flume, Taganyika Tidal Wave and Congo River Rapids, Tidal Wave and the Rapids giving us a right soaking. Overall, it really was a fantastic park.
Wet 'n' Wild
This was a bit of a disappointment really as, as a park, it isn't a patch on the other waterparks. However, there are some really good, thrilling rides my favourites including Black Hole, Disco H20 and BrainWash. I think the problem is the lack of theming and setting of rides.
Aquatica
This was the only park of the whole trip that I hadn't been to before, and after having heard mixed reviews, I felt I had to experience it myself. I've got to say it did impress me. The setting and Australian theme were brilliant the beautiful beach and wave pools, with Kraken and Manta in the skyline. The rides were also fantastic, some providing very unqiue rides including Taumata Racer, Walhalla Wave, Tassie's Twisters, Whanau Way and Roa's Rapids. The only let down really was Dolphin Plunge as you couldn't see any dolphins, but I had heard about this anyway, but overall, it was a really impressive, thrilling waterpark.
Overall, it was a really fantastic holiday, with great weather, a brilliantly situated hotel just inside Disney, really close to Downtown Disney, also close to some great restaurants. If you haven't been to Florida I would highly recommend it as it is the best place I have ever been so far in my lifetime, and it is really enjoyable. Thanks for reading (if you bothered) and here is two videos I put together of footage I took while there.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxgwLBAuoLA&feature=channel_page[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MoiyNRvo70&feature=channel_page[/youtube]
Walt Disney World
Before you even reach the parks, the whole thing is wonderful. The appearance of it as you drive in is amazing, and how it is run and kept is brilliant. Downtown Disney is a great place to go day or night and can keep you occupied for a long time, especially with DisneyQuest which was great.
Magic Kingdom
The park as a whole is magnificent although most of the rides are aimed at smaller children and younger guests, we had a lot of fun there. Unfortunately, Space Mountain was closed for refurbishment but I have ridden it before so didn't mind, but Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain were still open. Splash Mountain was my favourite water ride of the whole trip offering lots of drops without getting you absolutely drenched. Big Thunder was a fun little ride but isn't as good as the one in Paris. The smaller attractions such as Mickey's Philhar Magic, Buzz Lightyear, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and Mad Tea Party were fun aswell. Also, the fireworks were amazing at night.
Epcot
The small amount of rides at Epcot is definitely made up for by the magnificent world showcase, but the rides they do have are great fun. Test Track was a brilliant ride which we enjoyed greatly, and Soarin' provided for a great experience. Maelstrom was a fun ride for everybody, and Spaceship Earth, which has been re-done since I last went is much more interesting than before. It was brilliant again to walk around World Showcase and enjoy all the different countries and look at all the different cultures. The fireworks here were brilliant again aswell, providing a different experience than most others with the use of the globe.
Disney's Hollywood Studios
It was cold and rained most of the time while we are at Hollywood Studios but this didn't put a downer on the day too much as we still enjoyed some of the great rides and shows. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was a brilliant ride providing a slightly varied version to Paris. Tower of Terror took me by surprise as I thought it was the same as in Paris, but it was very different, and it was an amazing ride. The Indiana Jones show and the Studio Backlot Tour were both fun experiences, learning about the different stunts and history of Disney. We missed some things this day because of the weather which is why we didn't do some of the other attractions.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
This one was definitely one of my favourite parks. The themeing and detail was amazing as always with Disney but the park overall just looked really good and had a really good atmosphere with the theming. Expedition Everest took me by surprise as I didn't know what to expect and it was excellent, a really enjoyable ride. However, Primeval Whirl was terrible and it hurt a lot. Anyway, back onto the good parts, Kali River Rapids and Kilimanjaro Safaris provided great fun for everybody. We got drenched on Kali River Rapids one of the times we went on it and it is a really good, enjoyable water ride. Kilimanjaro Safaris was also good and it was interesting to see all the different animals. The Festival of the Lion King was a brilliant show aswell, providing fun for everyone.
Typhoon Lagoon
A really fun and brilliantly themed water park, with a ridiculously big wave. Not as good as Blizzard Beach in my opinion as there doesn't seem to be as much attention on the rides and too much on the big wave. However, the rides were still fun my favourites being Humunga Kowabunga and Storm Slides.
Blizzard Beach
My favourite waterpark there Blizzard Beach really impressed me. There is a good amount of rides and the theming for a waterpark is incredible. All the rides we did were great my favourites being Toboggan Racers, Runoff Rapids, Snow Stormers and Teamboat Springs as they provided great rides for everyone.
Universal Studios
Where rides are concerned there isn't a lot at this park but the setting is wonderful. I really enjoyed walking around the park and it had a really nice atmosphere. My favourite ride was Revenge of the Mummy which surprised me greatly as I expected nothing from it. The theming is brilliant and the uphill launch into the dark was fantastic, the fire and smoke adding to the whole experience. Men in Black and Jaws were really fun aswell. There didn't seem much happening with Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket while we were there though.
Islands of Adventure
A brilliant park with some brilliant rides. The setting again was fantastic, and some of my favourite rides were at this park. Firstly, the Incredible Hulk was fantastic, with the launch out of the tunnel which was amazing. The ride never lets up and all the inversions and elements are great. Dueling Dragons was excellent aswell, but it was a bit annoying that it needs a different queue at the moment. It wasn't organised very well with a load of people blocking the entrance due to wanting to use the lockers. However, the theming inside the castle was amazing and both rides were fantastic. My favourite was ice as I felt it had a better layout, but I thought you could see the dueling better on fire. Both really good, enjoyable rides though. Doctor Doom's Fearfall, Bilge-Rat Barges and Ripsaw Falls were all great fun aswell, with the water rides getting you ridiculously wet. Also, the Harry Potter area seemed to be progressing with work being done while we were there.
SeaWorld
This was a really great park. There aren't a load of rides, but there is a lot of entertainment. My first ever B&M mega looper was in this park in the form of Kraken, and it was a brilliant ride. The layout was fantastic and it was even better in the dark at night. The only drawbacks were that it slows up a bit too much and the loading was really bad. However, overall it was an excellent ride, the floorless trains being really good. Journey to Atlantis was also brilliant, combining water ride and rollercoaster giving you a right good drenching. We watched both Shamu shows and the Sea Lion show and both were amazing providing excellent entertainment. The fireworks which we hadn't seen before were also very unique and provided a great show. The park as a whole is fantastic. Also, Manta is looking brilliant and we were lucky enough for it to start testing when we right underneath it, plus I got a video which is shown in the 'Florida 09 (Part 1)' video shown below. It is looking really good and I can't wait to go back and ride it.
Busch Gardens
Wow, what a park. This was my favourite while we there, the rides, environment and atmosphere were just brilliant. Everything there was great... except for Gwazi which left me in pain. But the other rides were fantastic, Montu being my favourite. The layout and pacing were fantastic, plus the force and speed of it was amazing. The setting and theming also add to the brilliance. Kumba was one of my favourites aswell, like Montu, being very forceful and having a really good layout. The setting and pacing were also great making it an excellent ride. SheiKra was brilliant also but didn't rank as high as the others for me. The feeling of holding over that huge drop was amazing, and the ride was great, but it didn't feel as thrilling as the others and felt more relaxing. However, it was still brilliant just for the sheer height and speed of it. The other rides were great aswell such as Cheetah Chase, Scorpion, Stanley Falls Flume, Taganyika Tidal Wave and Congo River Rapids, Tidal Wave and the Rapids giving us a right soaking. Overall, it really was a fantastic park.
Wet 'n' Wild
This was a bit of a disappointment really as, as a park, it isn't a patch on the other waterparks. However, there are some really good, thrilling rides my favourites including Black Hole, Disco H20 and BrainWash. I think the problem is the lack of theming and setting of rides.
Aquatica
This was the only park of the whole trip that I hadn't been to before, and after having heard mixed reviews, I felt I had to experience it myself. I've got to say it did impress me. The setting and Australian theme were brilliant the beautiful beach and wave pools, with Kraken and Manta in the skyline. The rides were also fantastic, some providing very unqiue rides including Taumata Racer, Walhalla Wave, Tassie's Twisters, Whanau Way and Roa's Rapids. The only let down really was Dolphin Plunge as you couldn't see any dolphins, but I had heard about this anyway, but overall, it was a really impressive, thrilling waterpark.
Overall, it was a really fantastic holiday, with great weather, a brilliantly situated hotel just inside Disney, really close to Downtown Disney, also close to some great restaurants. If you haven't been to Florida I would highly recommend it as it is the best place I have ever been so far in my lifetime, and it is really enjoyable. Thanks for reading (if you bothered) and here is two videos I put together of footage I took while there.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxgwLBAuoLA&feature=channel_page[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MoiyNRvo70&feature=channel_page[/youtube]
