We all need some Disney in our lives. That magical pixie dust from Fantasia sparks innocent wonder in the eyes of a child, and re-animates even the most jaded adult. We want to provide for our children a connection to something fantastical, and we discover that an adventurous getaway to Orlando is entirely As You Like It. There is so much excitement for families that is out-of-the-box, it’s hard to believe. After all, this is the “Theme Park Capital of the World.”
My parents brought me to the Magic Kingdom when I was a kid. I remember with fondness as we all sang together, “It's a world of laughter, a world of tears. It's a world of hopes, and a world of fears. There's so much that we share, that it's time we're aware: it's a small world after all.” Oh, to go back to then… But, even better, we can go there now!
We have one simple question. Florida is known for alligators. Can we hold one in our hands? Or, how about feed a whole congregation of them in a swamp? Or, what if we wanted to go off-roading on a monster vehicle through that alligator-infested swamp? Better still, could we zip-line over them? The answer to all these questions is, of course, “Yes!” And so, our journey to Orlando begins at Gatorland.
Within one hour of disembarking the airplane, we've harnessed up, climbed a seven-story tower, clipped our carabiners to a cable and, as we gaze at the 1000-pound gators 56 feet below us, writhing and slithering as they snap their jaws for food, we count down, 3-2-1, and push off! For my twelve-year-old son gliding through the treetops, this is the most awesome exhilaration imaginable. For me, my screams while soaring above a phalanx of armoured teeth can be heard for miles, and if ever one could make an alligator laugh, I'm sure I just did.
Did you know that alligators sweat from their mouths? A-lunge-and-a-chomp’s distance from where we stand with our bucket of raw chicken, scores of them emerge from the swamp for feeding like bargain shoppers on Black Friday. We stand in awe as our guide instructs how to toss each piece and what line to stand behind. It's such an out-of-the-ordinary thing to do. Watching them compete and clamp down with 2000 pounds of pressure is mesmerizing.
Gatorland, the oldest theme park in Orlando, is a conservation and wildlife sanctuary and an educational facility. We marvel at Burmese pythons, Florida panthers, cougars, and the world’s first female leucistic alligator born into human care. Alabaster white with crystal-blue eyes, this is the rarest alligator in the world. Her name is Mystic.
Orlando sits on a wetland. There are over 100 lakes and rivers that define its character. One hidden gem, and the oldest continuously-running tourist attraction in the Greater Orlando area is the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour. We replace the heat with a cool breeze as we leisurely cruise through cypress-lined canals to gorgeous deep-blue lakes where neon jet skis whiz by, and immaculate gardens bursting with azaleas and mansions of spectacular architecture hug the shoreline. Winter Park’s tree-lined brick streets are beset with galleries, boutiques, specialty shops and the aroma of freshly baked thin crust pizzas, cafés and patios that exude a hip blend of Southern charm and youthful energy. We could linger here all day.
Orlando comes alive at night. In addition to one of the most exciting restaurant scenes in the U.S. that marries Latin and Asian influences for some extraordinary Michelin-star dining, this town’s got entertainment on lock.
The first-ever collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering is an astonishing performance called Drawn to Life that is as profound in its messaging as it is for its acrobatics. We know the gravity-defying theatrics of this Canadian export that has reinvented the circus, but this brilliant story-driven production has moved us to tears.
Drawn to Life is the story of a young girl who draws animation alongside her father until his untimely passing. Her journey becomes one of discovering her own identity, to move forward from grief and be drawn back to life; to re-animate herself as well as get back to the drawing board and allow her own inspiration to paint possibilities. It’s about navigating through the debilitation of loss toward the recognition that love transcends life, and that the influence of her father remains within her own heart and spirit.
We watch in amazement as the power of imagination is celebrated from Disney animation to seemingly impossible acrobatics of the performers. The awe-inspiring dynamics on the stage and flying through the air reinforce the idea that our own stories are still being drawn, and that our paint palette lies within our own love and imagination. It's a celebration of life, and a wonderful production to see as a family.
From the stage of Cirque du Soleil to a galaxy far far away, our imagination becomes the Force as we travel to the Outer Rim planet of Batuu and immerse ourselves in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The excitement is infectious. This is a Disney experience for a new generation.
The Resistance needs our help! And so, I race to catch up to my son who has entered Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ahead of me. We are the new recruits for a secret mission. * Full disclosure: I don’t do roller coasters. This, however, this is absolutely brilliant! Seated in our trackless vehicle, we’re whisked autonomously through a Star Destroyer, caught in the crossfire of stormtroopers, and have come face to face with Kylo Ren! The boundary between observer and participant is gone as we navigate through elaborate physical sets from towering starships to cavernous hangars and larger-than-life encounters. There are motion simulators and one brief drop-tower effect. The whole experience combines cinematic effects, live theatre, and technology for an adrenalizing escape, as we’re swept into the middle of this epic struggle between good and evil. For a brief moment, we are not tourists, we are characters in the story.
With amped up excitement we run to our next mission: Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. As we climb aboard the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy and strap into the famous cockpit of Hans and Chewy, we’re assigned roles—two pilots, two engineers, and two gunners—each one, essential in our quest to smuggle containers of highly volatile coaxium for the Resistance. This interactive motion simulation is chaotic and exhilarating and requires teamwork. I marvel at how unforgettably unique an experience this is in its attention to every technological detail, and while my son is feverishly piloting our ship through battlefields and hyperspace, and ordering me with desperation to fire our guns, I cannot stop laughing hysterically at how much fun we’re all having.
In addition to the interactive experiences at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are the workshops that enable us to build our own droids and even our lightsabers. My son, the young padawan, is enrapt in selecting and assembling parts to engineer his own Astromech Unit in the Droid Depot. We then follow a tunnel into a cavern called Savi’s Workshop where he is riveted beyond distraction as he designs his personalized lightsaber with a customized hilt, and selects his own purple kyber crystal. It's a dream come true. For anyone stimulated by the mythology of the Jedi, this is an out-of-this-world experience to bring home as a unique keepsake, forever.
Armed and ready, my son quenches his thirst with the famous Blue Milk, a soft-frozen blend of coconut and rice milks that is refreshingly sweet and tropical. I sidle up to the bar at Oga’s Cantina for a Carbon Freeze. It looks like a laboratory experiment. Cold vapor billows out of a frosty Pilsner glass while green apple popping pearls dance within a mix of fruit juice and Powerade. Part beverage, part special effect. It’s like my drink is suspended in cryogenic stasis.
While Star Wars characters roam through Batuu, all cast members remain in character and refer to us not as “guests,” but as “travelers” arriving from off-world. Its an effective part of Disney's immersive storytelling that lets us feel like we’ve transported to another universe.
How to Disney: The more you prepare, the more rewarding your visit will be. What seems daunting at first, becomes child’s play after a call to the Walt Disney Help Centre. The most patient Disney Vacation Planning Cast Member I could ask for guides us through resort options, dining reservations, and Lightning Lanes strategies. He offers advice on attractions, the timing and order that we should consider, and all the countless details that enable our seamless adventure. What time should we get there in the morning? How late can we stay? Where do we get the Disney Park Hopper to travel between parks? How do I download the apps I need for my child to play games during the day? What apps do I need to order meals and to book workshops? All my questions are answered to my great relief. This saves so much time and stress, so we can experience more fun throughout the day.
From bold imagination a generation reached for the moon—not because it was easy, but because it was hard. Today, President Kennedy’s rallying cry to accelerate the American space program projects from a digital screen at the entrance to the Kennedy Space Centre. We watch with goosebumps at the audacity to dream, and the history of space exploration that has followed ever since.
Pro Tip: check the calendar to align your visit with a launch-day and plan to See A Launch.
Past the entrance gate lies a treasure map of interactive discoveries. The Rocket Garden displays giants from NASA's Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. A bus tour of the complex guides us to the Gantry at Launch Complex 39 where we stand beneath a full-scale rocket engine static fire test. Rather than be incinerated by fire and steam, we are enveloped in a cool refreshing mist. Our next stop is the Apollo/Saturn V Center where we stand in awe at the gigantic Saturn V, the largest rocket ever flown. For anyone with doubts, there are moon rocks on display, one sample of mare basalt, formed 3.7 billion years ago, is a smooth 17-gram fragment that we can actually touch.
Demonstrations at the main complex answer questions we never knew we had. Here, we learn that in space, without the atmospheric pressure to maintain its liquid form, water boils instantly and even at freezing temperatures!
Our visit to the Space Shuttle Atlantis, set as though suspended in space, reveals its glorious Canadarm protruding from it as if waving to us. There are so many immersive activities here to launch our curiosities, but we what we really want is to be launched into space.
Onboard the Shuttle Launch Experience we strap in tightly and wait for the countdown. In unison we mouth "10, 9, 8…" toward lift-off, until: “Go for launch!” Immediately jolted into our seats, I can feel my face being sucked into the back of my head. The whole shuttle shakes as we tilt upward and ever higher. Do I like this? Too late. Well, my son is having a blast. It’s an eight-and-a-half-minute ascent into orbit, and once there, we regale in the rush we just accomplished. Our introduction to rocket science is a visceral as it gets. Shall we go to Mars?
A gallery of Mars rovers and digital exhibits for interactive-play keep us engaged until we reach Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex where we buckle up for a deep space exploration to the dusty desert of The Red Planet.
Time to meet and Chat With an Astronaut. As an astrophysicist investigating solar physics, John D. Bartoe flew as a payload specialist over 2.8 million miles in 126 Earth orbits. The floor is ours to ask him a range of astronomy questions from the history of space flight to the future of Artemis, as well as the increasing role of AI as a research tool. There are questions one could "Google", and online videos we could watch, but there is no substitute for live and direct interaction with a real astronaut at the most important space centre in the world. There is so much simulation and stimulation here to enrich a young mind, to stoke intrigue, and to imagine what lies beyond. The exploration is infinite, and as President Kennedy said in his speech about why we choose to go to the moon, "[Man] in his quest for knowledge and progress is determined and cannot be deterred."
And so, we go to the moon—well, virtually. Donning goggles in the Hyperdeck VR, we blast off from Launch Complex 39 to collect lunar minerals from the moon’s surface. While blasting rocks with our laser guns, bursts of wind and a full-motion shifting floor keep us on our toes, while multi-sensory effects immerse us into this challenging fast-paced lunar thrill!
With curiosities piqued, we vow to return for the Astronaut Training Experience in which to solve real-world problems using authentic NASA science, and experience the sensation of performing a spacewalk in microgravity.
The Kennedy Space Centre does more than memorialize great achievements of past generations, it inspires young explorers of the next generation to imagine, to dream, to boldy go where no one has gone before.
The most memorable travel experiences are those that awaken a sense of childlike wonder. The range of possibilities here to inspire imagination are endless. In one day, we could be feeding massive alligators in a swamp and watching a rocket launch into space. Orlando is a magical place where every day is a blank page suspended in that rare space between reality and dreams, yet to be drawn with the promise of adventure.
For more information go to: www.visitorlando.com