Without a word of exaggeration, August 2023 has been one of the best and quite possibly the most expensive months of my life thus far. We’ve squeezed so much into the past thirty-one days or so it’s almost unthinkable but it’s been absolutely awesome. I only wish we could go back to the beginning of the month and do it all over again… Here are some of the things that we’ve #LikedandLoved this month.
Florida Baby
After two years of saving, spending, planning, and preparing we finally jetted off, care of TUI, to Florida for a fortnight’s holiday.
We opted to stay at the Hilton HomeSuites on International Drive quite simply because Disney hotels may have the added park hours and the transport links but they don’t do breakfast, we’re never ready in time for the added park hours anyhow, and quite frankly they are too damned expensive! Though many tourists tend to hire cars we opted against it as we were already aware of the hire, fuel, and parking prices never mind the stress of having to navigate Orlando highways thus decided to make life easier and use buses and Uber which worked for us just fine.
Located slap bang in the middle of everything, the hotel was pretty much the same as Hilton’s here in the UK only with an added pool area. It was actually rather perfect given that the pool sat central to the four hotel buildings and was therefore in the shade for the majority of the day which was much appreciated during what turned out to be an Orlando heatwave with record-breaking temperatures and humidity.
Disney’s Magical Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom & Springs
We quite literally Disney’d till we almost dropped, we visited each and every park (including The Magical Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs) though opted against going to Typhoon Lagoon as we had ‘flexi tickets’ so instead visited Universal’s Volcano Bay which is a little newer and was recommended to us by locals.
It’s been sixteen years since Paul and I first visited Florida and there’s been a whole heap of changes to the parks since then including additional rides, attractions, shops, restaurants, layouts, queue systems, and of course, merchandise. If anything it was even more magical than the last time we were there quite simply as we had our kids in tow with us and we were living the magic through their eyes.
Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay
The last time Paul and I visited Florida the biggest attraction at Universal was most likely the Hulk – sixteen years later the park has almost doubled in size and is now home to the much-loved ‘Harry Potter land’ and of course, the newest, fastest, most intense ride I think I’ve ever endured (and enjoyed every moment of) – the Velocicoaster.
Though we happened to choose one of the hottest days on record to visit Universal, we somehow managed to push through the sweat dripping down our backs and quite literally from every area of our bodies and explored what was an incredibly impressive and immersive park. We spent the majority of our first day hopping around Harry Potter land waving our newly acquired (and selected!) wands in wonder and riding Hagrid’s Motorbike coaster over and over again watching our kids with wide smiles as they were thrown this way and that before being dropped from a great height and accelerating at rapid speeds. It was really amazing, so much so we returned for another two days in both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, as well as an afternoon swimming, sliding, and sun soaking at Volcano Bay.
Swimming With Dolphins At Discovery Cove
As part of our honeymoon Paul and I swam with Leicester the dolphin at Discovery Cove back in 2007. We had said to each other that this would be a ‘once in a lifetime’ thing but then when we booked Florida this time around it seemed only fair to take the kids and to give them the same experience.
Both J & E were brimming with excitement at the idea of swimming with dolphins, though they weren’t quite as keen at the prospect of being woken at 6 am to get ready for the Uber in order to get there but still, it was worth the early wake up as we were able to the make the most of the all-inclusive lagoon-side breakfast whilst watching the flamingos take a stroll around the park.
By 8 am we were sucked and tucked into our scuba wear and were ready to meet Aries the dolphin. Having slowly but surely made our way into what I can only describe as fa-fa-freezing waters, we finally got to say ‘Hello’ to Aries and spent the morning learning all about her upbringing, training, tricks, diet, and the biology of a dolphin. We each got to touch, hug, and swim with Aries, and then after waving our goodbyes we made our way to the lagoon to continue swimming only this time with rays, fish, and even a few sharks ( they were safely behind glass!) whilst being surrounded by beautiful birds, animals, and the wonders of Discovery Cove.
We had planned on a short lunch break but due to a tropical storm, we had at least two hours rest bite from the water which gave us a chance to really enjoy the food (though I ate far too much) whilst we waited for the thunder and lightning to come to a close. Once the waterways were reopened we spent the remainder of our afternoon exploring the lazy river though E spent the majority of her time underwater as she’d very quickly mastered the art of using a snorkel and facemask therefore I didn’t see an awful lot of her top half that afternoon!
Though we all came back sporting some serious sunburn (top tip if you ever visit – USE YOUR OWN SUN TAN LOTION as the so-called dolphin-friendly stuff that they ask you to use doesn’t work) it was an amazing day, and one we will treasure within our memories forevermore.
Riding High At Sea World
We were given complimentary tickets to SeaWorld following our trip to Discovery Cove and though I was somewhat dubious about SeaWorld following our trip back in 2007 (where I saw one or two things that made me feel uncomfortable as an animal lover) we decided to take the kids to see the animals and to enjoy the attractions after being assured by locals that things had changed since then and indeed they have!
After spending the majority of our first week in packed-out parks it was rather pleasant to spend the day somewhere a little quieter without the endless queues and crowds that the likes of Disney and Universal attract. We were able to ride almost everything in the park without too much of a wait, one of the rides had no wait time whatsoever which in hindsight I can understand…
We had intended on riding Manta which from video footage appeared very much like Alton Tower’s Galactica thus I assumed would be appropriate for our nine-year-old daughter who’d just and so broken the back of rollercoasters and was very quickly becoming an ‘adrenalin nut’. However, I obviously misread the sign as only once we had been seated in the ride with no queue we then made our way out of the station and I began to question why there were no over-the-shoulder restraints as surely a ride that mimicked flying should have those. It was then that my son pointed out the huge climb ahead of us and then pointed to the Manta ride in the distance, which left only one question – what the heck were we riding?!
Having made our way to the top of the lift hill, I made eye contact with my daughter only to be met with a glare I may never forget. We then plummeted 200 feet earthwards at 73mph and continued riding what I can only describe as one of the highest, smoothest, and most intense coasters I have ever encountered for the next two or three minutes. Thankfully my daughter made it to the end of the ride though she was somewhat shocked as we then discovered what we had just encountered was in fact NOT Manta but ‘Mako‘; the tallest, longest, and fastest ride in Orlando Florida!
Despite her upset as E had correctly read the sign unlike me with my scratched prescription glasses and had naively and innocently assumed it would be a mako mermaid ride (such as on the series on Netflix) E was actually rather proud of herself for having accomplished what was the tallest, fastest, and longest coaster she’d ever ridden. Needless to say, I owed E a massive apology and thus promised her some goodies at Disney the following day. J meanwhile thought the ride was incredible and quite fancied riding it all over again!
After enjoying a couple more rides we made our way to various stadiums to watch the dolphins, sea lions, and finally, the orcas which I was really pleased to see had altered from when we last visited and seemed far more focused on the animal’s welfare and future protection. It was an awesome day all in all and I’m really glad that we took the time to visit as not only was it a super clean and quiet park but it was such a relaxed and enjoyable afternoon for us all in the midst of what was an action-packed holiday.
A Super Sixteenth Wedding Anniversary
Paul and I celebrated our sixteenth wedding anniversary whilst in Epcot. Having acquired the correct ‘ears’ badges from the Mouse himself, we then spent the day exploring the wonders of the World and riding what was the BEST ride I’ve ever experienced: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind‘. This amazing coaster features some incredible theming alongside six classic eighties rock and pop songs that play at random personalising each and every ride. I only hope that Disneyland Paris considers adding the same attraction to their park as I cannot cope with the idea of having to wait however many years to ride this again.
We continued our celebrations by enjoying a beautiful and incredibly expensive meal in the Italian area. J was as happy as Larry as he stuffed himself with steak whilst E, Paul, and I shared some garlic breads and pizzas which we covered in parmesan cheese which was just as well as I then covered almost everything in the stuff after spilling the bowl and it’s entire contents all over our table…
We finished the day by celebrating with cocktails at our honeymoon haunt – the Bahama Breeze. It really was idyllic!
Fabulous Forty
Although I wasn’t really up for celebrating my birthday this year for many reasons including the fact that I’d just spent a fortnight living it large in the USA, we enjoyed a chippy, a beautiful cake, and a few board games with my inlaws to mark the occasion. My husband very kindly baked me his annual Mars bar cake though this year he went all out and shaped said cake into the big ’40‘ just to make my age absolutely clear to everyone.
Terrific Ten
Our beautiful little lady turned ‘terrific ten‘ this month. As always she was spoilt rotten with cards, balloons, badges, cake, and gifts galore including a brand-new bike which she has since spent almost every day riding with her friends around the cul-de-sac with a rather happy smile on her face. She’s certainly got her confidence these days when it comes to riding a bike or a coaster for that matter.
Given that we were abroad for the majority of the month, I’d already bought, wrapped, and hidden E’s present months in advance though was rather surprised to see her opening various Harry Potter-themed gifts that I’d entirely forgotten I’d even bought – thank goodness we didn’t buy her a bag in Universal or I’d have been in for a rude surprise!
Her grandparents gifted E a beautiful Yamaha flute which I spent what felt like forever hunting down online which she was thrilled to receive and will shortly start lessons for alongside her regular dance, choir, and art classes. Talk about busy – she’s going to have a tight timetable this year!
Bubbles & Bouncing
To celebrate E’s tenth birthday we spent an afternoon with her cousin and brother bouncing around at Jump Rush, a trampoline park located an hour or so away. We then threw her a small ‘Harry Potter-themed hot tub party’ for her friends which despite the heavy downpours was a success and much fun was had by all.
What A Result!
August has been a real month of celebration what with our wedding anniversary, my fortieth, and E’s birthday. The celebrations didn’t stop there however as just after returning home, I was delighted to discover the results for my first group of GCSE students, and not only did they do themselves proud – they blew it out of the water! It really was the icing on the cake for what has been the most incredible month.
Thanks again for reading my blog – I hope that you enjoyed reading what I have #LikedandLoved throughout August.
If you fancy sharing some of your own #LikedAndLoved points from the month then why not join in either through your own blog post or by leaving a comment below, I would love to hear what you #LikedAndLoved this month!
