G’day all! Well, it’s time to talk about my ‘Disney Experience’ last year in May when I fulfilled a bucketlist item to go to the original Disney Theme Park in Florida. Today there are four Disney parks in Florida, outside Orlando, and then I think two Universals and some others. Disney’s original park was Disneyland in California which opened in 1955.

In Florida the first park to be built was Disney’s ‘The Magic Kingdom’, and so this was the one I was most keen to visit. I booked in advance, a few months in advance in the hope that I might get a better price. I booked a ticket for two days of visiting parks (one a day) and so I had a second day to spend at whichever of the four parks I wished.

The price was not great. Considering I paid around $80AUD or $55USD to visit Disneyland Tokyo in 2024, I was not expecting to fork out $157USD PER DAY here. Buying two days was worth almost no discount at all. Initially I was shocked by the price, but decided to go through with it anyway.

So for those who have never been, there are many areas – not sure what to call them, towns? Not really. Suburbs? Maybe. – around the Disney Parks. There’s a place called ‘Disney Springs’ which has loads of restaurants and eateries around a lake where I caught up with a fellow vlogger – Kirby from Migratory Nerds and had a bite to eat. There are loads of Disney hotels as well, but well, I decided they were not worth the expense. I decided that I would look for a hotel more reasonably priced with free shuttles. And that’s what I did.

I paid around $90USD a night or a little under $140AUD a night, much cheap than my hotel in Miami at the Grand Hotel Kissimee at Celebration. Was a little hard to direct my Uber there because on the Uber app it was listed under its previous name – I think it was previously the Holiday Inn.

It was an okay 3 star place, the rooms were very large, the WiFi was so-so, breakfast was included which was nice. The air conditioner was old and loud. Decent sized bathroom, everything a little worn. Celebration is one of the areas, around half an hour I guess from the parks.

So the shuttles. Well, this was their big selling point and I am going to have to say the shuttles were disappointing. Firstly, they only went to TWO of the four parks – Epcot Centre and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and from there you needed to take a free Disney shuttle to the other two parks. Secondly there was like a couple out in the morning and a couple back at night. On the first evening after arriving (or the second if that makes more sense) I had to travel to the Epcot Centre and then wait and wait for the 9pm shuttle. Surprised the shuttles, which stop at numerous hotels, bother running to be frank, they were almost empty each time.

So – four parks. Magic Kingdom, Epcot Centre, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I went with Magic Kingdom and then decided on Hollywood Studios for the next day. I had been told how big Magic Kingdom was, so I was prepared to go a second day there but it wasn’t needed, I got everything done I wanted to on the first day. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a zoo with rides and attractions, so that would have been my fourth choice, I was always going to Magic Kingdom which is basically what you think of when you think ‘Disney World’, so I had to choose between the Epcot Centre, which is famous for the large ball that lights up at night and I think is mostly futuristic and sciency, or Hollywood Studios which features a number of Star Wars attractions and other movie-related rides and stuff. So yes, I went with Hollywood Studios.

The first morning was a shuttle to Hollywood Studios and then a transfer to Magic Kingdom. Got the early shuttle only to find the transfers didn’t start for another hour or just under. The transfer was packed, and as we moved on to Magic Kingdom the heavens opened up and when I got off at the entrance, well, it was pelting down.

Thankfully I had been gifted a poncho from the gals at Migratory Nerds, and it was much needed. Thankfully within 45 minutes all rain had ceased for the day! I felt it wasn’t super busy, it was May the Fourth I think so Hollywood Studios with its Star Wars stuff was probably much busier that day.

I took loads of rides including the old ‘Splash Mountain’ which has been renamed something I can’t remember, Space Mountain which was awesome fun, and many more – such as Tron which was my first ride of the day. There were parades and before I realised it it was 5pm and I hadn’t had lunch! It’s very well done and runs very smoothly, the wait times were not too long and it was a Sunday. I didn’t find it super hot, it’s very humid of course as you would imagine, I feel like maybe it’s usually a bit hotter in May, it was mid to high 20s (Celsius).

My second day was very cool, I must admit as much as I had enjoyed the first day, Hollywood Studios was better – if you like thrill rides and the kind of thrill rides I do. I’m not a fan of spinning and things like that, but I do like a good roller coaster. I think I went on four Star Wars themed rides/attractions. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance was the first ride I did, and it’s the best. You get to walk through parts of the Death Star I think and they have spent MILLIONS on this one. More of an attraction than a ride, it was awesome. Another highlight was the Tower of Terror, which I always avoided in the past as I wasn’t sure it was for me. It WAS! Loved it! Aerosmith’s Rock N’ Roller Coaster was also very cool.

I did use some express passes, or as they call them ‘Lightning Lane Passes’. I needed the app, which didn’t work 100% smoothly but I managed to navigate it and I think I made good use of it without having to spend heaps of extra money. Not all the rides have that access. There is a very expensive ‘Premier Pass’ which will I think grant you quick access to all eligible rides all day I think.

Anyways, I did have a great, albeit solo time at Disney in Florida. They could really do with some sort of train system to get people from the hotels, but that is unlikely to happen. You see why when you get to the parks and realise the car parks are bigger than the parks themselves. Well, maybe not but they are massive! America is certainly a country for driving!

Okay, well, next up will be heading to Jamaica as I review my experiences of last year. Later in the year I’ll be doing individual vlogs for the two parks I visited and around that time I expect to do a more detailed park review here too, going through each of rides I took! Thanks as always for popping by! Take care wherever you are in the world and… May the Journey Never End!