Want to fit as much as you can into two weeks without missing any of the best bits?
Then this 2-week Florida theme park plan is exactly what you need!
Take it easy and get yourself used to Florida time! Orlando is 5 hours behind the UK, so you might find yourself waking up at silly o’clock while you adjust to the time difference. Use this day to get your plans straight for the next two weeks of Florida fun.
Can’t wait to get to the theme parks? Take a trip to one of the smaller parks like Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You can always leave early for a nap if you need to!
Welcome to the most magical place on earth! With the iconic Cinderella Castle at its centre, the Magic Kingdom is made up of 6 themed lands where you can meet your favourite Disney characters, experience famous rides like Space Mountain and “it’s a small world” and see spectacular parades and fireworks shows!
There are lots of ways to meet the characters, from character dining to special Meet & Greets. Little ones will be overjoyed to finally meet their heroes and heroines – and let’s be honest, the grown-ups will too!
Eat dinner with the Disney characters! Chef Mickey’s Fun Time Buffet is a great opportunity to meet the characters away from the bustle of the parks, get photos with them or even an autograph!
Character dining experiences are very popular so you should definitely book these in advance.
Want to know more about Magic Kingdom? Read our Magic Kingdom Guide
Explore the culture and cuisine of 11 different countries, ride one of the fastest attractions in any Disney theme park (Test Track) and meet the Disney characters at the Epcot Character Spot! Even if you’ve never been to Disney World before, you’ll recognise the “giant golf ball” which is EPCOT’s mascot – and is actually a ride called Spaceship Earth!
Use your Disney FastPass to avoid the queues on the most popular rides – you can reserve a time for up to 3 rides or attractions a day!
Possibly the most intense ride at Disney World, this simulator ride gives you a pretty authentic experience of taking a space shuttle launch! It has 2 levels of intensity, so if you’re prone to motion sickness you can take the less intense “Green” option.
Try to eat your way around the world – one of the favourite things to do at EPCOT’s World Showcase, where you can sample food from 11 different countries!
Then round off your evening with the legendary Fireworks Show IIllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, which you’ll be able to see from anywhere that has a clear view of the World Showcase Lagoon
Want to know more about Epcot? Read our Epcot Guide
There are two amazing Harry Potter lands at Universal Orlando Resort: Diagon Alley at Universal Studios and Hogsmeade at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Check out our Hogsmeade guide and Diagon Alley guide to find out more about each of them!
Take a real journey on the famous train from the Harry Potter films! The Hogwarts Express connects Hogsmeade with Diagon Alley, and the views out of the windows are different depending on which way you’re travelling!
If you’re planning to ride the Hogwarts Express, bear in mind that you’ll be travelling from one Harry Potter land to the other (ie. Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley or vice versa), so make sure you’ve made the most of the first land before taking the train journey.
If you’re spending the day at Universal Orlando, the ONLY place to go in the evening is Universal CityWalk. With restaurants, bars, clubs and loads of entertainment you could spend every night of the week here and still not get bored!
After a few full-on days at the theme parks, you deserve some time out!
The best place to relax and recover? Discovery Cove – an all-inclusive paradise where you can spend the day drifting along scenic rivers, hand-feeding exotic birds, snorkelling with tropical fish, relaxing on sandy beaches and even swimming with dolphins!
Make sure you book your tickets for Discovery Cove well in advance! They only allow 1300 visitors into the park each day, so there are no crowds, but tickets can sell out very quickly
An amazing underwater adventure wearing proper deep-diving equipment, with beautiful tropical fish swimming all around you; SeaVenture is a real bucket-list experience with no diving qualifications required!
Important: You’ll need an additional ticket to experience SeaVenture – Find out more
Discovery Cove is on International Drive, which is Orlando’s main shopping and entertainment district! With restaurants, bars, attractions and lots more, a fun-filled night is right on your doorstep.
Want to know more? Read our Discovery Cove Guide
and even swimming with dolphins!
Make sure you book your tickets for Discovery Cove well in advance! They only allow 1300 visitors into the park each day, so there are no crowds, but tickets can sell out very quickly
With some of the most state-of-the-art rides, stunning ocean-inspired shows and animal encounters, SeaWorld Orlando is a combination of theme park, waterpark and marine-life zoological park!
SeaWorld also rescue and rehabilitate marine animals like dolphins and manatees, always with the aim of returning them to the ocean. If this isn’t possible, they are given a new forever home at SeaWorld.
Get the SeaWorld All Day Dining Pass, which lets you eat and drink as much as you like all day in most of SeaWorld’s eateries.
One of SeaWorld’s most popular shows, Pets Ahoy! stars a troupe of furry and feathery performers who are very talented at their tricks, but most importantly, they’re all rescue pets who have been given a new home by SeaWorld.
After getting a taste of International Drive, you’ll probably have a long list of places you want to try there! Whether it’s a new restaurant or dinner show, a ride on the Orlando Eye or some Adventure Golf, you’re bound to have a fun night out.
Want to know more about SeaWorld? Read our SeaWorld Guide
Officially home to some of Florida’s most epic thrill rides, as well as over 12,000 wild and wonderful exotic animals, Busch Gardens is a must-do for adrenaline junkies, animal lovers, and everyone in between!
Get the Busch Gardens All Day Dining Pass, which lets you eat and drink as much as you like all day in most of Busch Gardens’ eateries.
The incredible Serengeti Safari takes you on an adventure across the wild African plain where the friendly giraffes will trot right over to feed straight out of your hand – so make sure you have your camera ready for the ultimate selfie!
Important: You’ll need an additional ticket to experience Serengeti Safari – find out more
Busch Gardens is about an hour away from the rest of the Orlando theme parks. Combine that with a full-on day of thrill rides and walking around, and you’ll probably be fancying a night in – you’ve earned it!
Want to know more about Busch Gardens? Read our Busch Gardens Guide
It’s not all about the theme parks! Florida is also famed for its amazing shopping opportunities and gorgeous beaches, so you should make time to fit at least one of these (if not both) into your schedule….
You could easily spend a whole day at the Florida Mall, Central Florida’s biggest shopping centre filled with big high-street and designer brands. If you’re after a bargain, head to one of Orlando’s Premium Outlet Villages where you can save up to 65%.
They don’t call it “The Sunshine State” for nothing! With an average 300 sunny days a year and literally hundreds of miles of beaches, you’ll definitely get your fair share of Vitamin D.
As with the shopping, there are all kinds of beaches to choose from depending on what you want to do (or not do)!
Find out more about Florida’s Best Beaches
A great way to save money on dining, shopping & activities is with a Big Deal Card. You can use it as many times as you want at more than 100 different venues in Florida, and right now it’s FREE with select theme park tickets!
Get ready to have fun with your favourite childhood heroes, comic book stars and cartoon characters at this awesome Universal Orlando Resort theme park.
If you’re an adrenaline nut, The Incredible Hulk rollercoaster is a must-do. It’s right at the entrance to the Islands of Adventure, so get there early to avoid the queues.
Go beyond the screen, behind the scenes, and right into the action of your favourite films and TV shows at this real, working production studio where YOU are the star!
Party with the Minions from Despicable Me, get busy zapping aliens with the Men in Black, and head to Springfield to meet everyone’s favourite family – The Simpsons!
All the parks at Universal Orlando Resort – Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay and Universal CityWalk –are within walking distance of each other so there’s no worries about how you’ll get around!
This hilarious live show reveals the secrets used by Hollywood’s top make-up and special effects artists in the most legendary horror movies. (Parental Guidance is suggested)
Pay a visit to the world’s largest Hard Rock Cafe, or catch one of the live shows at Universal CityWalk.
Want to know more? Read our Universal Studios Florida Guide
When it comes to water parks, you’re totally spoilt for choice in Orlando. As many of the water parks are right next to the various theme parks, your choices will probably depend on which theme parks you’re visiting or which tickets you have.
These are the most popular water parks in Orlando:
Volcano Bay is the newest water park to hit Orlando and is a truly 21st-century experience, with virtual queueing and state-of-the-art water rides.
Find out more about Volcano Bay
Disney World has not one but TWO water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Obviously you’ll want to try them both but if time is short, our guide Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon? should help you to decide.
Voted Orlando’s Best Waterpark 2017 by the Orlando Sentinel! Expect wild rides, crazy waterslides, wave pools and sandy beaches.
Obviously you might want to spend more than just one day at a water park while you’re here, but we’ve listed them together here so you can compare, contrast and choose your favourites!
For a few months each winter the Disney water parks close for refurbishment. But while one is closed, the other will still be open.
Head to Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney), a district of Disney World Florida where you’ll find world-class restaurants, spectacular entertainment and unique shops including the world’s biggest Disney store!
You don’t want to go home until you’ve seen every last bit of Disney World, so if there’s any Disney park you’ve not yet managed to get to, now’s the time to do it!
If you went to Animal Kingdom on your first day, you probably still need to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios and experience some of the most famous Disney rides like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n Roller Coaster.
Don’t forget you can use your Disney FastPass to pre-book your place on up to 3 rides or attractions a day and avoid the huge queues!
If you head to Hollywood Studios, make sure you stick around for the amazing show Fantasmic; an extravaganza of lasers, lights and special effects.
Want to know more about Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Read our Hollywood Studios Guide
There’s much more to Florida than the theme parks (though they’re a good place to start!)
If you want to discover a little more of what Florida can offer, why not try:
If you haven’t yet had the chance, enjoy one of Orlando’s famous dinner shows:
The Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show takes place in the WonderWorks building, so you can easily visit this mind-boggling attraction just before dinner.
Leave this day free to visit anywhere you didn’t get the chance to, or do some last-minute shopping for souvenirs!
Pre-booked tickets are usually cheaper than at the entrance
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