My parents were visiting from India and we decided to take them to Orlando for a few days.
We landed to a very warm, welcoming, sunny day in Orlando on May 21st late morning. Got our baggage and rented our car with the GPS and headed for our hotel, Embassy Suits. On our way we saw Sea World and decided to spend the day over their.
Day 1, Sea World, 12:30pm – 7:00pm:
Sea world is one of Orlando's theme park visited after Disney and Universal. It had a really good show called the Shamu Adventures which is performed by Killer Whales and their trainers. We saw another show of Sea lions, which was alright. Other than that, we did the Atlantis ride, which had a really steep fall. Then Anurag and Shika decided to conquer the Kraken, supposedly one of the fastest roller coasters in Orlando. It was a short day at the park but quite a long day for us considering it was about 12 hours since we left our cozy apartment in Newport.
Later in the evening we went to eat at an Indian restaurant very close to the Hotel, called Dakshin. The food was good and we were stuffed.
Day 2, Disney’s Magic Kingdom 9:30am – 10:00pm, Sunday:
After reading the DK’s Eyewitness Travel Guide, Sundays are supposed to not very crowded days to visit Magic Kingdom; hence we landed there a little bit later after the park opened. We of course got the tickets at the Hotel.
We parked our car, the parking lots were quite empty, headed for the entrance, got our bags checked by security guards, and took the ferry instead of the light rail. Magic Kingdom is on a little Island, and as the ferry approaches the Island you can see the Castle from far. It was quite a view.
Magic Kingdom is mostly for younglings but also was those young at heart. There are some really good rides like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain light but fun roller coasters, Space Mountain; this one was quite a rollercoaster in the Tomorrow land area. We did some really light rides like the Honey Pod, Tiki Room, Aladdin’s flying carpet, Jimmy Newton, Carrousel of Progress, The Haunted Mansion etc. In the afternoon, in the sweltering heat of 90F we managed to see the parade as well. Right before the end of the day we saw this amazing 3-D show, Philharmagic where the doors open automagically! This one is a must see. Later in the night we stayed for the fireworks above the castle, which was just spectacular. It had been a long day, we were tired, on our way back we picked up a Pizza Hut pizza and quickly ready for bed to rejuvenate for the next day’s excitement.
Day 3, Disney’s Epcot center, 9:30am– 10:00pm, Monday
Again going by what the book mentioned, Monday was a better day to go to Epcot if you want to beat the crowds. Epcot center is a cultural center which showcases a number of country’s cultures namely: Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway and the USA.
We almost did all the rides Maelstrom, Mexico river ride and also the park's signature ride (inside the giant golf ball) Spaceship Earth. The only real good ride in Epcot center was Test Track, a great simulation of the tests that GM's crash test dummies go through.
In the evening we managed to get a good stop to watch the fireworks, after that we headed for Pizza Hut again and back to the Hotel.
Day 4, Universal Studios, 9:30am – 5:30pm, Tuesday
After many deliberations we decided to visit Universal Studios on Day 4 instead of MGM. It was a hot day and the sun was ablaze. The did almost every ride and attraction the park had to offer; for we discovered that no-one really knew about the Express pass (like FastPass in Disney) people thought that you had to pay to be able to use it! So we were the kings in the land of half blinded folks!
We did, Revenge of the Mummy the Ride, papa actually sat in this one and really liked it, Shrek 4D, Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast, Terminator 2, 3D I have to tell you, it was pretty loud, Twister, Earthquake, Jaws etc. The best ride was however, Back to the Future! It is a ride mostly based on simulation and since it’s in an Imax dome theater, it is just fabulous, definitely worth visiting Universal Studios just for this ride!
Thanks to Express pass we were done right about 5:00pm and went back to the hotel to enjoy the Happy Hour! Later after a good nap, some soft drinks and hard, light snack, a cool bath, we were on our way to enjoy some dinner. We went back to Dakshin, since we were all in the mood of some good tried out food.
Later in the evening around 9:00pm, me, Anurag and Shika went to see downtown Disney. Stayed there for about an hour, saw the nice stores Disney stores in the area, Lego store etc. and were back to have a good night’s sleep and energize for the next day at MGM.
Day 5, Disney’s MGM Studios, 9:30 – 10:30, Wednesday
After having the regular continental breakfast in the morning, which we all were getting a bit tired of, we reached MGM. The first attraction according to the book to do was The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror, I was not comfortable after reading the description, so decided not to go, but much to our surprise, My parents were just jumped right in the line along with Shika and Anurag! After about half hour, they all showed up raving about how much fun it was and how terrifying the whole journey up the ride was.
After that we went to the Aero Smith Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster, that was quite fun, the coaster shoots to about 60 miles/hour in 4 seconds and then just sit back, hang on to your life and enjoy the ride. After this we went to see the Indiana Jones Stunt show, which was good too. That is all there is to MGM in the day time, so we decided to go back to the Hotel, have some lunch and rest and later in the evening come back for Fantasmic.
We reached MGM back again around 7:30pm, and went straight to the amphi-theater to hold our spot. The show started at 9:00pm and I have to say it was spectacular. We were sitting in the front rows and got a bit wet. Fantasmic uses the water screen made from fountains and projects some amazing effects on it; there is a lot of fire, water, pyrotechnic and Mickey and the rest of the gang! It’s definitely a must go.
Later after the show we decided to go to another Indian restaurant in the vicinity, the food was good but not as good as Dakshin. We retired with our bags almost packed and ready for the final day in Orlando and then the ride home.
Day 6, Islands of Adventure, 10:00am – 6:00pm
After going to Universal Studios, we were not very excited to go to Islands of Adventure, so we decided to there the last day.
We entered Island’s of Adventure and it was much more crowded than Universal. We started with the Amazing Adventures of Spider Man, it was a 3 D ride combined with a mild roller coaster, pretty good. Next we did Doctor Doom’s Fear Fall, all of us went for this ride, it was really scary, they shoot you up on the outside of a tall tower and just have you fall…..
Later we did some milder rides like the Storm, Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges, this ride was so much fun, and it got us all soaking wet! We liked it so much, that we except Anurag decided to go in for the second time, boy we were drenched by the second time. In Jurassic Park, Anurag and Shika did the River Adventure ride, I and my parents went for an Introduction to the Roller Coaster ride, and it was fun. Papa really enjoyed it.
Later we reached the Dueling Dragons Roller Coaster in the Lost Continent (part of the Park). This ride has 2 roller coasters, Fire and Ice, that start at the same time and at one point, appear to be so close to each other that you think that they will touch each other. I was of course not ready to undergo such a plunge, so Anurag and Shika dared to go on Fire. After studying the Roller Coaster for a while I decided to go on the Ice, Anurag and Shika tagged along! It was definitely a lot of fun.
Later on we did Poseidon’s Adventure and had something to eat and it was time to head back. On our way out we were passing under The Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster and Anurag & Shika really wanted to go on it, so me and Mama, Papa waited for them. That was the end of our day. We were on our way to the Airport. After checking in and all set at the gate, the flight was of course running late, finally instead of reaching home at a decent hour, we got home at around 12:00 midnight and back to work the next day….
The rides of Island of Adventure were the best so far but due to lack of time we had to leave. We recommend it as a must go theme park whenever you folks visit Orlando. This completes our journey, till next time… adios.
We landed to a very warm, welcoming, sunny day in Orlando on May 21st late morning. Got our baggage and rented our car with the GPS and headed for our hotel, Embassy Suits. On our way we saw Sea World and decided to spend the day over their.
Day 1, Sea World, 12:30pm – 7:00pm:
Sea world is one of Orlando's theme park visited after Disney and Universal. It had a really good show called the Shamu Adventures which is performed by Killer Whales and their trainers. We saw another show of Sea lions, which was alright. Other than that, we did the Atlantis ride, which had a really steep fall. Then Anurag and Shika decided to conquer the Kraken, supposedly one of the fastest roller coasters in Orlando. It was a short day at the park but quite a long day for us considering it was about 12 hours since we left our cozy apartment in Newport.
Later in the evening we went to eat at an Indian restaurant very close to the Hotel, called Dakshin. The food was good and we were stuffed.
Day 2, Disney’s Magic Kingdom 9:30am – 10:00pm, Sunday:
After reading the DK’s Eyewitness Travel Guide, Sundays are supposed to not very crowded days to visit Magic Kingdom; hence we landed there a little bit later after the park opened. We of course got the tickets at the Hotel.
We parked our car, the parking lots were quite empty, headed for the entrance, got our bags checked by security guards, and took the ferry instead of the light rail. Magic Kingdom is on a little Island, and as the ferry approaches the Island you can see the Castle from far. It was quite a view.
Magic Kingdom is mostly for younglings but also was those young at heart. There are some really good rides like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain light but fun roller coasters, Space Mountain; this one was quite a rollercoaster in the Tomorrow land area. We did some really light rides like the Honey Pod, Tiki Room, Aladdin’s flying carpet, Jimmy Newton, Carrousel of Progress, The Haunted Mansion etc. In the afternoon, in the sweltering heat of 90F we managed to see the parade as well. Right before the end of the day we saw this amazing 3-D show, Philharmagic where the doors open automagically! This one is a must see. Later in the night we stayed for the fireworks above the castle, which was just spectacular. It had been a long day, we were tired, on our way back we picked up a Pizza Hut pizza and quickly ready for bed to rejuvenate for the next day’s excitement.
Day 3, Disney’s Epcot center, 9:30am– 10:00pm, Monday
Again going by what the book mentioned, Monday was a better day to go to Epcot if you want to beat the crowds. Epcot center is a cultural center which showcases a number of country’s cultures namely: Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Norway and the USA.
We almost did all the rides Maelstrom, Mexico river ride and also the park's signature ride (inside the giant golf ball) Spaceship Earth. The only real good ride in Epcot center was Test Track, a great simulation of the tests that GM's crash test dummies go through.
In the evening we managed to get a good stop to watch the fireworks, after that we headed for Pizza Hut again and back to the Hotel.
Day 4, Universal Studios, 9:30am – 5:30pm, Tuesday
After many deliberations we decided to visit Universal Studios on Day 4 instead of MGM. It was a hot day and the sun was ablaze. The did almost every ride and attraction the park had to offer; for we discovered that no-one really knew about the Express pass (like FastPass in Disney) people thought that you had to pay to be able to use it! So we were the kings in the land of half blinded folks!
We did, Revenge of the Mummy the Ride, papa actually sat in this one and really liked it, Shrek 4D, Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast, Terminator 2, 3D I have to tell you, it was pretty loud, Twister, Earthquake, Jaws etc. The best ride was however, Back to the Future! It is a ride mostly based on simulation and since it’s in an Imax dome theater, it is just fabulous, definitely worth visiting Universal Studios just for this ride!
Thanks to Express pass we were done right about 5:00pm and went back to the hotel to enjoy the Happy Hour! Later after a good nap, some soft drinks and hard, light snack, a cool bath, we were on our way to enjoy some dinner. We went back to Dakshin, since we were all in the mood of some good tried out food.
Later in the evening around 9:00pm, me, Anurag and Shika went to see downtown Disney. Stayed there for about an hour, saw the nice stores Disney stores in the area, Lego store etc. and were back to have a good night’s sleep and energize for the next day at MGM.
Day 5, Disney’s MGM Studios, 9:30 – 10:30, Wednesday
After having the regular continental breakfast in the morning, which we all were getting a bit tired of, we reached MGM. The first attraction according to the book to do was The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror, I was not comfortable after reading the description, so decided not to go, but much to our surprise, My parents were just jumped right in the line along with Shika and Anurag! After about half hour, they all showed up raving about how much fun it was and how terrifying the whole journey up the ride was.
After that we went to the Aero Smith Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster, that was quite fun, the coaster shoots to about 60 miles/hour in 4 seconds and then just sit back, hang on to your life and enjoy the ride. After this we went to see the Indiana Jones Stunt show, which was good too. That is all there is to MGM in the day time, so we decided to go back to the Hotel, have some lunch and rest and later in the evening come back for Fantasmic.
We reached MGM back again around 7:30pm, and went straight to the amphi-theater to hold our spot. The show started at 9:00pm and I have to say it was spectacular. We were sitting in the front rows and got a bit wet. Fantasmic uses the water screen made from fountains and projects some amazing effects on it; there is a lot of fire, water, pyrotechnic and Mickey and the rest of the gang! It’s definitely a must go.
Later after the show we decided to go to another Indian restaurant in the vicinity, the food was good but not as good as Dakshin. We retired with our bags almost packed and ready for the final day in Orlando and then the ride home.
Day 6, Islands of Adventure, 10:00am – 6:00pm
After going to Universal Studios, we were not very excited to go to Islands of Adventure, so we decided to there the last day.
We entered Island’s of Adventure and it was much more crowded than Universal. We started with the Amazing Adventures of Spider Man, it was a 3 D ride combined with a mild roller coaster, pretty good. Next we did Doctor Doom’s Fear Fall, all of us went for this ride, it was really scary, they shoot you up on the outside of a tall tower and just have you fall…..
Later we did some milder rides like the Storm, Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges, this ride was so much fun, and it got us all soaking wet! We liked it so much, that we except Anurag decided to go in for the second time, boy we were drenched by the second time. In Jurassic Park, Anurag and Shika did the River Adventure ride, I and my parents went for an Introduction to the Roller Coaster ride, and it was fun. Papa really enjoyed it.
Later we reached the Dueling Dragons Roller Coaster in the Lost Continent (part of the Park). This ride has 2 roller coasters, Fire and Ice, that start at the same time and at one point, appear to be so close to each other that you think that they will touch each other. I was of course not ready to undergo such a plunge, so Anurag and Shika dared to go on Fire. After studying the Roller Coaster for a while I decided to go on the Ice, Anurag and Shika tagged along! It was definitely a lot of fun.
Later on we did Poseidon’s Adventure and had something to eat and it was time to head back. On our way out we were passing under The Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster and Anurag & Shika really wanted to go on it, so me and Mama, Papa waited for them. That was the end of our day. We were on our way to the Airport. After checking in and all set at the gate, the flight was of course running late, finally instead of reaching home at a decent hour, we got home at around 12:00 midnight and back to work the next day….
The rides of Island of Adventure were the best so far but due to lack of time we had to leave. We recommend it as a must go theme park whenever you folks visit Orlando. This completes our journey, till next time… adios.