We love visiting America and exploring its many facets – cities, seascapes, historic parks and natural treasures.
With our family ties we’ve mainly focused on the East Coast – beautiful Boston, fascinating Philadelphia and, naturally, New York.
But for Pork Belly, the call of Orlando, with its theme parks and thrilling wildlife, is strong.
When to visit Orlando
The best times to travel to Florida are spring and autumn, when the weather is fine but not too humid, the days are bright and the evenings cool.
We’ve visited Orlando three times so far. Two were spring breaks, early enough in the season to avoid most of the crowds, and one was a hot, humid and stormy summer trip.
If you’re braving the summer season, be warned; when the thunderclouds loom the rides stop and resort swimming pools are cleared, for safety reasons.
At first we thought they were being a little over-cautious, until we experienced an afternoon of violent thunder, lightning and tropical down-pours.
Mother Nature putting us puny humans in our places!
Disney or Universal – which is best?
Like so many things in life, it depends on your point of view.
Disney is … well, Disney! There’s only one way of doing things, and that’s Walt’s way. Staff are expected to conform to the Disney vision, and so are the visitors.
But oh, they do it so well!
There are four main parks – Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. The rides are inventive, and the shows spectacular, packing all the emotional punch and technical expertise of a Broadway hit into just 20 minutes.
It’s worth waiting on the kerb-side to get a good view of the daytime parades, with everyone’s Disney favourites, but try to keep little ones awake long enough to experience at least one night-time cavalcade.
That’s another advantage of going in spring or autumn, the parades start earlier, so no-one has to stay up too much past their bedtime.
Universal – our favourite
Disney is great, especially for families with young children, but in our opinion Universal is the best of the theme parks in Orlando.
The rides are bigger, faster, scarier (especially Revenge of the Mummy) and the musical street shows are fabulous.
So if you like being hung upside down, twisted, turned, with an adrenaline boost, Universal Resorts are for you. Pork Belly loves ’em.
We’ve got a few secrets we found when we were there, or have learned since. Keep an eye and ear out for these little extras.
Thrill rides at Universal
What’s new
A brand-new species of roller-coaster launched in 2021 – the VelociCoaster.
Florida’s fastest, tallest and most intense launch coaster ever created, catapults riders 155 feet into the air, hitting speeds of up to 70 mph while racing alongside a ferocious Velociraptor pack, straight out of Jurassic World.
Way too scary for me, I’ll stick to the wetter, but very realistic, Jurassic Park River which I’m pleased to learn still runs though it.
The Incredible Hulk, has had an upgrade with a brand-new ride vehicle, new storyline, new music and a redesigned queue experience – essential for the most popular attractions.
Little secret – Hulk history
To enter the current ride, you pass under a large statue of The Incredible Hulk holding a roller coaster train car. He appears to be ripping it from a section of broken track – it’s the real track, recycled from the previous coaster.
Rides for the less adventurous
I don’t do thrill rides. I look for something more in a theme park and Universal doesn’t disappoint with its colourful streets and stirring music.
Little secret – it pays to ask.
You can get VIP and backstage tours if you’re prepared to pay extra, but some rides have free behind-the-scenes visits too. At Men In Black Alien Alien Attack (one of my favourites despite its vertigo-inducing spin cycle!) try pretending to be a newly arrived alien and ask for an Immigration Tour. If they have enough staff on duty you might get an extra peek.
In Islands of Adventure I can spend hours in the cheerfully coloured Seuss Landing, riding the gentle sky-train and hearing the crazy rhymes of Theodor Geisel from dawn to dusk.
Poseidon’s Fury, a walk through experience which isn’t too scary unless you don’t like the dark, has recently re-opened. But be warned, you may get a little wet!
Little secret – listen for the troll
Easy to miss in the hubbub of a busy theme park but a troll lives under the bridge to Mythos restaurant. You won’t see him, but stand a while and you might hear him grumble.
I’m not averse, despite my mature years, to engaging with the costume characters and I’ll hang around for any show.
Little secret – stop at the magic fountain
The Lost Continent area of Islands of Adventure is packed with myths and magic from the past. The fountain looks very pretty, but venture too close and it might have something to say! A mischievous spirit lives there and throws out cheeky comments along with spurts of water. Our kids loved it and kept going back again and again to be insulted!
Harry Potter at Universal
Ever since the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in 2010, it’s drawn the biggest crowds and each year it grows and grows with ever more spectacular attractions.
The franchise now spreads across both parks, and you can ride the Hogwarts Express between the two.
The Knight Bus™ is one of the two actual prop buses used in the film Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban™. Passers-by can look in the windows and see curtains, beds, an ornate chandelier, and a talkative shrunken head that occasionally converses with the bus conductor.
Other wizardly flights of fancy are Escape from Gringott’s, Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure and the Flight of the Hippogriff.
Little secret – look out for Kreacher
If you pay attention, every part of the Wizarding World is full of little surprises, from Moaning Myrtle in the bathroom to talking mirrors. And you get even more if you invest in the interactive wand.
But many people miss the fleeting appearance of Kreacher the house elf. He lives at 12 Grimmauld Place in the recreated London streets area near Kings Cross Station.
On the second floor of the Black House is a window with a see-through curtain. Keep watching and Kreacher will appear.
Little secret – Jaws is still here!
The whole of the Amity area was demolished to make way for the Wizarding World, but traces of Chief Brody and his battle with the Big White can still be found.
In the record store at the entrance to Diagon Alley is a copy of “Here’s to Swimming with Bow Legged Women” by The Quint Trio. It’s a reference to shark hunter Quint’s famous toast.
And if you use your interactive wand on the shrunken heads in Knockturn Alley, they may sing that classic tune, Show Me the Way to Go Home, as featured in the film.
The magic of the movies at Universal
It’s not just Potter-mania.
The latest live action blockbuster is the Bourne Stuntacular, a blend of live performers, ground-breaking technology, extreme stunts and captivating practical effects.
Blurring the lines between stage and cinema, visitors are immersed in the thrilling world of Jason Bourne.
The Universal Horror Make-Up Show is still going strong. It’s funny, scary and informative all at once. One minute you’re breathless with laughter, the next you’re shrieking in surprise. While you ride this emotional rollercoaster, you get the inside scoop on how they create their tricks and illusions.
And you can always dance in the street with those bad Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood.
Little secret – pick up that phone!
There are a handful of pay phones around the park just waiting for you. Who knows what message you might get? It might be someone asking for your help, a call to action for the superhero inside, or even a wizarding alert from the Ministry of Magic.
Volcano Bay, Orlando
Another new arrival since we were last there is the water park complex, just beyond Islands of Adventure.
Opened in 2017, it has wave pools, sun loungers, lazy rivers and, you’ve guessed it, a mighty volcano which houses jaw-dropping body slides and the Krakatau water coaster.
And with the innovative TapuTapu™ waterproof wearable you can hold your place in the Virtual Line™ while you idle in the shallows.
Where to stay in Orlando
Florida is holiday villa land, and whole areas of Orlando, especially around Kissimmee, are holiday rental villages with beautiful villas and apartments to suit most budgets.
But for the best experience we recommend staying on site at one of the resort hotels.
Staying on site at Universal
The advantages are many.
For a start they are all excellent hotels with very high standards of comfort and cleanliness.
Being on-site means you can get to the parks really early, and ride the most popular attractions before the crowds.
If you stay at one of Universal’s deluxe on-site hotels, your room keys act as fast-passes for many of the rides. This is a real perk – our daughter once spent an entire afternoon going round and round the Cat in the Hat ride without ever having to queue!
The other great advantage of staying on-site is if (or when if you’re there in July or August) the heavens open and the tropical storms come, you have a convenient bolt-hole to rest in comfort, watch the dramatic skyline and re-emerge later in the day when all is calm again.
We’ve stayed at the Hard Rock and Royal Pacific Hotels – they’re both great.
Orlando away from the theme parks
There’s much more to Orlando than amusements, and if you can tear yourselves away from the theme parks, there’s a lot more to explore.
The Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral is about an hour’s drive away and if you love shopping there are hundreds of outlet stores, packed with bargains.
If you want Disney and Universal memorabilia and don’t mind having last year’s stock instead of the very latest, you can find t-shirts, gadgets, ornaments and jewellery at a fraction of the park prices in almost any of the shopping malls.
Orlando wildlife
But it’s the wildlife of Florida that you really mustn’t miss.
We took a side trip to Tampa to see pelicans and wild dolphin in the bay and visit the manatee viewing centre where we were lucky enough to see the cutest little creature swimming free in the clear waters.
But the highlight of our trip – even after the thrills and spills of the theme parks – was the exhilarating air boat ride on the St John River – because nothing beats getting up close and personal with an alligator.
Have you been to Universal Orlando?
Do you have any theme park secrets you want to share?
We can’t wait to get back – see you in the queue!
Note: Shows, parades and attractions are subject to change, and you may not have the same experience as us, but the fun is guaranteed.
Where to next?
• Holiday and Travel Competitions
• Chasing the winter sun in Florida
• Antigua road trip