Higher! Higher!
The number of theme park options in Florida’s fun capital, Orlando, can feel overwhelming – unless you have two determined kids to guide you, says Greg Williams
PHOTOGRAPHY JENSEN LARSON
A few months ago, my younger daughter, Celeste, 8, developed an obsession with manatees, the aquatic mammals known for their friendly, curious natures and, sadly, their struggle to survive in the waterways of Florida. There were many questions – ‘What do they eat?’, ‘How many are left?’, ‘Can we get one?’ – but the most important of them was ‘Where do they live?’ Once it became apparent that one of the places the creatures can be found was also the home of the world’s most famous theme parks – Universal Studios, SeaWorld and Walt Disney World – Celeste’s older sister, Rhianna, 11, joined the campaign for a trip to Florida. After some persuasive arguments were made (and made, and made…) my wife Lisa and I finally gave in. It wasn’t necessarily our idea of a dream holiday, but for the kids it was the equivalent of being let loose in Santa’s workshop.
While Lisa and I were simply glad to get some winter warmth, the kids were equipped with an Orlando master plan that involved visiting several of the theme parks and eating their way through Florida’s supply of ice-cream.
Oh, and don’t forget the wildlife: as we drove to our hotel Celeste announced, with characteristic honesty, “I’ll do anything to meet a manatee – even lick the ground.”
Orlando is in the centre of the state, meaning that it’s not the typical Florida destination of a British kid’s imagination: a coastal resort such as Miami, West Palm Beach or Sarasota. It is, though, the third most visited city in the US, after Las Vegas and Los Angeles. There are literally hundreds of hotels and dozens of theme parks and attractions to visit – most of it aimed squarely at families.
“I thought we were going to Florida, not Hawaii,” Celeste noted when we arrived at our hotel. Her confusion was understandable. The Loews Royal Pacific Resort, is themed along the lines of the Pacific islands. In the distance the girls could see Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Rhianna picked up her room key. “Right, let’s go,” she said. We pointed out to her that it was nearly midnight. “Okay, fine,” she said, as if we’d crushed all her worldly hopes. “But tomorrow we’re getting up early.”
This was a first. Nor was it just talk. The girls were up and agitating to leave for Universal Studios by 7am. Celeste, naturally, wanted to see the show featuring the animals that have been trained for movies. Rhianna is a major fan of The Simpsons and wanted to experience the park’s eponymous ride. Both of them got their wishes: Celeste met one of her favourite dogs – the pug from Men in Black – and Rhianna was happy to be scared witless by The Simpsons simulated roller coaster. She even admitted to closing her eyes for most of it. After some negotiation between the kids, Lisa and I were told that we were accompanying them to Shrek 4-D. Be warned: this isn’t just a cinematic experience. Your chair will move, simulated spiders will brush your legs and a sneeze from Donkey will spray you with water, which the girls found hilarious in a gross-out way. The final decision of the day was whether they wanted to go on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster. Celeste gazed up at the screaming people: “Do you have to give them $10 if you throw up?” she asked before deciding against the experience.
The girls approach to the trip was a little like the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen: our days were determined by negotiation – which sometimes descended into shouty argument – followed by compromise. One area where there was unanimous agreement was a visit to SeaWorld, the marine adventure park. That day, breakfast-time excitement was generated by a discussion about what it would be like to touch a dolphin. The conclusion: a little bit like rubber. An hour later the girls were leading us on a Dolphin Encounter: a behind-the-scenes tour from one of the team responsible for the dolphins’ welfare and training. They were shown some of the backstage areas where rescued sea turtles were being cared for before being told about how dolphins and killer whales are trained using positive reinforcement. (A method of behavioural science that was employed more than once by my wife and I during our trip: whether you’re dealing with a dolphin, or an 11-year-old, treats are powerful motivators.) Then it was the girls’ turn to have a go at working with the dolphins. Using simple hand commands – and a big bucket of fish – they were able to get their new pals Alpha and Neo to spin, shake flippers, swim backwards and, finally, hug them. “That was the best thing ever,” Celeste said afterwards, forgetting her manatee fixation for just a moment.
Next on Celeste’s must-do list was meeting a king penguin – she reacted in disbelief when she discovered the bird’s feathers were softer than the fur of her cat back home – while Rhianna went on the Journey to Atlantis ride to mull over whether she really wanted (as requested in the comparative safety of our living-room back home) to be taken down into a shark tank. We wondered whether she would go ahead, but, undaunted, she was kitted up in a wetsuit and had breathing apparatus – basically a large helmet – placed over her head, ready for the plunge. Then she and I clambered into a cage and were lowered into the tank. Through a microphone a diver on the surface explained to Rhianna exactly what she was seeing as curious predators cruised by inches from her. It was surreal, exhilarating and fascinating: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Rhianna declared to be nothing less than “awesome.”
At dinner that night, the girls faced some tough decisions – there was a day to go and they still had a lot on their respective lists that needed to be ticked off. While the idea of water parks appealed to them, yet again, wildlife was king. Over burgers, Animal Kingdom, Disney’s ‘animal-themed’ property, won out over other options. Celeste has a pen pal in Ghana, so she decided that we should visit the ‘Africa’ part of the park, where we went on safari and saw black rhinos, a lion, cheetahs, antelope, warthogs, elephants, gorillas and other creatures of the savannah.
Despite all the fun, the girls sensed that something was missing. “We can’t come all this way and not see the castle,” Celeste said. She was right, of course; we’d yet to visit Magic Kingdom. The girls opted for the monorail which runs between the parks, rather than the car, as the most environmentally responsible mode of transport, and 15 minutes later led us onto the iconic It’s A Small World ride, which they described as ‘weird’ before asking to go on again. The girls spent the next two hours on rides before announcing to a footsore Lisa and I that they had one final request: Epcot, the Disney park which is themed around technology and international culture. In it, there is a large lake, around which there are eleven pavilions representing different cultures – from Mexico through Japan to Canada. The girls asked to dine in China and, after a long, long day, slept soundly.
Unlike the Copenhagen summit, our trip was a resounding success. It was definitely an adventure that none of us would forget.
And Celeste did get to meet her manatee – one of the rescued ones at SeaWorld. Even better, there was no requirement to lick the floor.
The writer stayed at The Loews Royal Pacific Resort (www.tcsignature.com). Car hire was through Alamo Rent A Car, exclusive partner of Walt Disney World Resort, +44(0)870 599 4000, www.alamo.co.uk who offers inclusive rental packages. Disney is currently offering free dining for the whole family and a *14-day ticket for the price of a seven-day ticket, for further information, please see page 99 (*refers to page 99).
GETTING THERE
For more information visit your local Thomas Cook or Going Places store, call +44 (0)844 412 5966, visit thomascook.com or tune in to Thomas Cook TV on Sky channel 655
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