Florida tonic

We got back on Wednesday from a fantastic four day trip to Orlando, Florida. The highlight of the trip was the weather - sunshine, sunshine, sunshine! It was such a welcome break from all of the snow we have been having here. Seeing green grass and trees, and being able to leave the apartment without winter jackets and boots on was a treat.

We stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations at Seaworld as part of a marketing package (a repeat of one we did at a different resort in Orlando two years ago). We took the tour and spent a couple of hours being sold to, said we weren't interested and went on our way to enjoy our holiday. It's surprising how unpushy they are and how we got out without a fight.

Our resort had several pools and a bar/restaurant which we sat and ate in several times, overlooking the pools which weren't crowded at all. Another benefit to Orlando in February, apart from getting some winter sun, is that it's quiet and the crowds are several months away. There was also a playground in the resort which was great fun, and for the first time in weeks Lucy was able to run around, slide, jump and run up and down the steps. Our local park at home has been under snow for about a month now. We spent a few hours at Downtown Disney one morning - a Disney shopping area near the parks which is open to the public. It's crammed with Disney products from every film you can imagine, so we had a lot of fun looking at everything, and fortunately resisted the urge to buy every princess product available!

The best part of our trip was a day at Epcot, one of the Disney parks. It was truly a magical day which we all enjoyed very much. Lucy was excited from the word go and desperate to meet Mickey Mouse. As we got there early we were some of the first to enter the gates so got into a short queue to meet Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald Duck and Goofy. She warmed up as we got to each of them and we got some great snaps. I was so pleased that we got to do that first, and it was lovely to see how much fun Lucy was having.

We wandered around the front area of the park, admiring the Lion King topiary (another fave of Lucy's who is now a big Lion King fan), and taking it all in. Joe went on a fast ride called Test Track which was modeled on real car tests like testing brakes, steering around obstructions and a 60mph bit around the outside of the arena. He really enjoyed it. We also went into the Lion King presentation 'Circle of Life' which teaches visitors about caring for the environment using the film characters amongst real animal footage. It was very well done and Lucy was glued to it throughout - her first experience in a cinema, and she has been talking about going again ever since.

We went into various other attractions and were really pleased that the queues were short and went down quickly for most things. Surprisingly Lucy was very patient in the queues which made life a lit easier! I think the longest was 20 minutes so she did really well.

Our favourite bit, and the area we spent the most time in was the World Showcase, a series of areas modeled after countries around thew world which surround a lake in the centre of the park. We spent a lot of time in the United Kingdom area which has a thatched cottage (brown bristles instead of straw to get around the fire regulations!), a Tudor mansion, Georgian houses from a London street and Tudor black and white cottages to name a few. There were pretty gardens and some great shops selling football kits, English Disney characters like Alice and Pooh, and some Cadbury's chocolate which we couldn't pass by.

We also enjoyed the France area - especially as Belle and the Beast were there for much of the day. Lucy is a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast, so this was a real highlight for her. She went back to see Belle three times through the day and after her first visit, Belle knew her name and they were firm friends. By the end, it was clear that Belle was pretty taken with Lucy too :) It was really magical to see a little girl's dreams come to life.

I always thought that going to Disney at this age would be a little much for Lucy, but it was a great day and she loved every minute. The characters are so well done, so well acted that she truly believes that they are the real deal, and that was precious to see.

We took a few hours off in the afternoon as it was pretty warm and we needed a break, so went back to the hotel for a nap. We went back in the evening for a yummy dinner at The Rose & Crown pub in the UK area - pie and chips for Joe and Scotch egg and chips for me. The finale was a very impressive fireworks display at 9pm over the lake at Epcot. Surprisingly again, Lucy loved it and the bangs didn't scare her. She just wants to see fireworks again.

We all came away Disney brain-washed and wanting to go back for more. We love getting a bit of winter sun and I have a soft spot for Orlando, despite it's bland architecture and tackiness in parts. There's something about a place that is purpose built for vacationers that takes you away from the real world. Next time we will visit The Magic Kingdom which is a Disney park aimed even more at children than Epcot. I don't know who will look forward to it and enjoy it more....