NOTHING beats leaving England on a cold, drizzly weekday knowing you are heading to a place nicknamed the Sunshine State.
And Florida did not disappoint us.
Before we jetted off on a nine-hour flight we enjoyed breakfast and drinks at the Virgin Atlantic V room at Gatwick Airport. That was followed by hearty meals on board the plane, leaving our stomachs well and truly satisfied by the time we arrived in Orlando.
Thousands of families are lured to Orlando for its variety of entertainment spots and affordable package deals.
We had come to sample some of the treats on offer in the form of SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove and Aquatica.
A brisk 20-minute transfer from the airport brought up to the exquisite Renaissance Hotel, located opposite the famous SeaWorld centre.
The hotel was deceivingly average looking from the outside but once inside we were transported into a rather sublime experience. Large trees and plants dotted around the ground level atrium and dining areas made it feel like the gardens were brought to life indoors.
After a good night’s kip to shake off the remains of jet lag, we headed over to Discovery Cove.
A mixture of man-made beaches, heated pools, a lazy river that whisks you along with the tide and even an aviary provide hours of pleasurable activities for visitors.
One of the highlights at Discovery Cove is a chance to swim with a trained dolphin. Our allocated companion was a 40-something alpha male, called Akai. Prior to coming to Orlando I’d had no close contact with the gracious creatures. Watching Akai perform tricks and even tagging along for a ride on his dorsal fin, did make me wonder if he would rather be out fending for himself in the deep blue sea. But, he seemed to be keen on human interaction and the attention he got from his harem of female dolphins.
Trainer Brian explained to the sceptics among us, that dolphins have a choice to take part in the sessions or not. “They won’t perform if they don’t want to, we can’t force them to do anything,” he assured us.
Besides Akai plenty of other wildlife lives at the park. The aviary is home to all kinds of squawking, colourful feathery delights like parrots, pelicans and flamingos. For an up close view of the birds, visitors can hold a small bowl of tasty grub and some of the birds will swoop down for a feed.
Another smaller pool has around a dozen or so rays, some bigger than coffee tables, swimming around for guests to pet or watch.
Dinnertime was a momentous occasion at shark grill, SeaWorld. Large sharks and dozens of colourful fish swim in a large tank right next to restaurant’s dinning area.
An American-sized portion of brownies with ice cream for dessert meant I started day three with an early morning session at the hotel’s gym. There was also a heated pool and spa area, for those after a more relaxed break – or with no hang-ups about wearing a wetsuit and bikini for hours on end.
At SeaWorld acres of land have been transformed into a mixture of thrilling rollercoasters, sea-life shows and general family-friendly entertainment.
The show everyone loves to see is Believe, performed by the killer whales.
When we arrived for a performance, it was exactly a month to the day since Dawn Brancheau, one of the animal’s trainers, was tragically killed by a whale that had dragged her into the pool by her hair.
The whale in question, Tilikum or Tilly as his fans know him, was in a tank backstage and not taking part in the show.
The whales leapt, dived and waved on cue, it really was a mesmerising sight. The crowd was so passionate about the show and we were informed it regularly sold out three times a day. The unfortunate incident with Dawn has meant trainers are no longer permitted to enter the pool with the whales, but judging from the audiences reactions it would remain a firm favourite in their eyes.
Over the four-day trip, there were plenty of opportunities to get personal with all kinds of fish and animals. Be it feeding stingrays, meeting penguins or watching polar bear Johnny learn new behavioural skills – which his trainer said were different to just teaching him tricks as it aided their communication with him.
Our group was divided into two to experience some of the more unusual activities offered at the park. I opted to join in the beluga interaction. The underrated blubbery mammals can be taught to perform in ways similar to dolphins. We were half-submerged into a sub-zero temperature tank with an energetic youth called Klondike and helped feed, pet and train him.
The other group were plunged into a pool for a deep shark cage dive wearing an oxygen helmet, with just a few metres separating them from the one of the sea’s most daunting beings.
Part of SeaWorld that is rarely spoken of outside the US is the conservation of manatees that goes on behind the scenes. Staff are called out to rescue injured or distressed manatees – usually from drifting into cold water and they are cared for in specially-built tanks until well enough to be returned to sea.
Of course, the park’s many rides are among the biggest attraction, and can be seen looping high above the grounds.
A much-anticipated visit to Busch Gardens, in Tampa Bay, was next on the itinerary. The attraction is set in 335 acres of land and features over 2,700 animals as diverse as elephants and Bengal tigers.
It combines play areas for young members of the family with bigger, scarier rides like Sheikira and Montu.
Our arrival on the opening of the Sesame Street Safari at Busch Gardens was quite exciting as I’d grown up with the characters who made an appearance at the park. Getting snapped with The Count, Elmo, Big Bird and Burt and Ernie was my inner five-year-old’s dream.
Later that day, we were invited to prepare an elephants party – a daily ritual for the Indian elephants where their carers put out fruit and vegetables and sweets for them to find and eat.
Our last day was spent at the water theme park Aquatica, lazing in another shaded cabana and slipping down slides of all shapes and sizes.
A quick visit to a shopping mall containing bargain-filled factory outlet stores helped us part with our remaining dollars before we headed home.
Orlando contains many theme parks and entertainment venues that have kept millions of people returning year after year. The fascinating thing about SeaWorld and its sister parks is its ability to offer a family-friendly break but at the same time, a fantastically diverse experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
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