DISNEY WORLD!!!! - Week 2

Monday: Busch Gardens. The first day of the second week saw us heading over to Tampa and Busch Gardens. Luckily there was a free coach - or should I say coaches, as about seven turned up - so it wasn't a major hassle. Our driver, Dan, was a fun guy though he did make us endure Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 on the way over. The horror. The park itself was a mix of thrill rides, a la Islands of Adventure, and a mini safari park. The rides were all good again, especially the Cheetah Hunt, and we went on pretty much everything except for the old school wooden coaster which was closed for the day for some reason. I have to admit to bottling it on Shiekra (the 90 degree vertical drop) as I've been on similar rides in the past and not really enjoyed them. The wife went on it solo and said it was fun and that I was a wuss. I have to say that, with hindsight, it was probably no worse than most of the other stuff. I blame it partially on the fact I'd been feeling a bit weird all day and then made matters worse by eating a burger that really disagreed with me. Thankfully we'd been on most of the rides by then (twice) so it was all good. We relaxed by going on the safari tour and the overhead cable cars for some scenic views.

Tuesday: Epcot (again). As our last trip to Epcot had been washed out, we headed back to finish off. We went on the Spaceship Earth ride, which is worth it just for the funny ending video, plus trips to see Captain EO (which has dated quite a bit) and the Imagination Centre ride. We also wandered around the World Showcase which is worth it just for the selection of food and the frankly epic store in the Japanese section of the area. Good times. We also popped to Downtown Disney afterwards and had a browse around some of the stores there. I have to say that some of the art on sale was simply jaw dropping - as often it was in a completely non-Disney style and made traditional characters/films look stunning. Sadly they cost a fortune or I would have snapped something up.

Wednesday: Universal Studios. We left this until near the end as we have already been to the LA equivalent (twice for me) so figured this wouldn't have much else to offer. We were both gutted to discover that there is no backstage tour at the Florida location - which was one of the highlights in LA. Luckily some of the other stuff made up for it. We rode the Ripride Rocket a couple of times, which is made fun by the fact you can choose your own soundtrack and by the hefty drop right at the start (making me again wonder why I didn't go on the similar ride at Busch Gardens, ah well). We also went on the Simpsons ride, the Despicable Me ride (fun 3D goodness) and I saw Shrek 4D for like the millionth time. The Twister experience was hit and miss and the Men in Black ride was yet another gun game, which seems to be all the rage right now. There was also the fun Disaster show which featured a hologram Christopher Walken hamming it up to good effect. We were even going to go on the ET ride but with the queue at 30 minutes (for a kids ride) we decided not to bother. Still it was a fairly chilled out day with plenty to see.

Thursday: Seaworld. We left Seaworld until last as Sam was really not that fussed but it turned out to be surprisingly awesome. We saw the early dolphin show, which also included some aerial gymnastics and a host of trained birds, and it was superb. The Shamu show at midday was equally good too, so much so that we wondered why we had written this place off. There are also two really good coasters in the Manta and Kraken rides, as well as yet another flume ride (which we gave a miss after going on four others throughout the week). We also got to touch a manta and a dolphin and see some sharks up close and personal. It was a really relaxed day and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Friday: Nothing. This was our chance to recharge our batteries before heading back home as our flight back was the day after. We packed up the suitcases, which were practically full of US candy/cookies, and then headed out. We went to the Outlet Stores but to be honest they weren't that much cheaper than back home (seems to be some kind of urban legend) so we headed back to play some miniature golf instead which was fun as we both cheated outrageously.

On the whole I loved the trip and would certainly recommend it to anyone. The Disney parks have a reputation as being kiddified money pits, but there is still plenty to see and enjoy even if you're an adult. If you mix them in with the more grown up Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens then there will be something for everyone. Here are my top likes/dislikes:

LIKES

• Food - International Drive had a bevy of fairly decent chain restaurants which all offered fairly reasonable prices and a good range of food. I got Sam hooked on Johnny Rockets in particular, so here's hoping we can find some more.
• Islands of Adventure/Busch Gardens - Not being a thrill ride fan I wasn't sure about both of these parks but they delivered, and how. I loved every ride and there was plenty to see and do even when the queues picked up.
• Magic Kingdom - still probably the best all around Disney park, just for the vibe of the place and the overall mix of rides/shows/attractions. Good for kids, and big kids.
• Free transport - all the buses/monorail in the Disney parks are free, so getting around them is fairly easy. Plus, the free coach to Busch Gardens was a great help too. With friendly and helpful staff this was never a problem
• Walmart - best shop ever. Done and done.

DISLIKES

• Theme park food - often overpriced and never really that good, we often just took snacks in with us and then ate a main meal after we had been back to the hotel and got changed.
• I-ride - the shuttle on International Drive was rubbish, they go nowhere near either Disney or Universal and they get packed with tourists within two or three stops. I would hate to see how bad they were in peak season. We got stuck with them after being persuaded to buy a 7 day pass, but ditched them as soon as that ran out. We waited over an hour for a ride at one point after two consecutive buses would not stop due to being full. AVOID.
• Disney Hollywood Studios - probably the worst park for me. It had a few good attractions (especially the Beauty and the Beast show) but was just too small and the backstage tour was a major disappointment. You are likely to see all parks assuming you are going but I'd leave this until last.
• Crazy heat - I'm English, so we don't like searing heat followed by torrential downpours followed by searing heat. MAKE UP YOUR MIND! On some days the heat made wandering the parks a real chore if truth be told, but you should soldier on as you never know when the rain might hit.