Okay let’s pick up where we left off. I really wanted to try and make this all into one blog post, but, due to my inability to keep things simple, and my want to talk so much about my first ever cruise in the most intimate details, and because I ended up cramming a fair bit into my few days in Florida, I had to make it into two. I could see the word count going up and up and the read time becoming increasingly longer, so here we are, ready to go again. We’ve docked back in Port Canaveral, I’m real sad that the cruise is over as I genuinely enjoyed it so much more than I thought I ever would. There is always next time!

From the port, I was heading to Disney Springs for the day. I really wanted to do something Disney whilst in Florida but resisted temptation to go to any of the parks, with reason. The parks here are super spenny and you get better deals buying passes for a period of time, rather than just a day, as well as that, I had no idea which park I would have picked as all of them look so exciting. I think coming back to Orlando to do all the parks is a trip in itself and definitely one that I want to do at some point. For now, we’re sticking with simple.

Disney Springs was really cool though, and definitely filled the spot of something Disney whilst here. I felt like a five year old little girl whilst there, I absolutely love Disney so it filled a small part of my heart spending the day wandering around. Slightly dampened from the showers but still very enjoyable. First stop was the ‘World of Disney’, I had already looked online and I knew I was going to end up spending a small fortunate in here, but wanted to arrive for opening with their magic key, as it also opens up all of the shops (unofficially) across the park. As expected, I spent a whack of money on some Disney merch and clothes before wandering around some of the other stores there and taking a visit to the Candy Cauldron for a Mickey chocolate apple. I got hit with a price tag but it was worth it for my inner child.

I really enjoyed the time I had here soaking up the atmosphere, which did feel special and a little magical, and definitely made me want to return to do more of the parks! From Disney, I got dropped back to the airport included, so I took an Uber from here to my hotel for the night, which was right near the airport for ease tomorrow, as well as that, was closer to some other things that I wanted to do, time permitting. When I got to my hotel I’d been upgraded to a suite which I did not say not too, including complimentary drinks during happy hour. After a little time to chill out and watch a movie, I headed late night shopping at Florida Mall and Target, it had to be done.

Being back on land was really making me feel wobbly though! I had kind of expected this, I’d learnt about ‘sea legs’ and my god was I feeling it. I started googling to make sure it wasn’t all in my head but it was very real. I could have been standing still and all of a sudden felt myself rocking back and forth, or laying in bed just swaying. Really weird but it phased out eventually.

Off to Florida Mall to do some shopping and I just couldn’t stop tapping my card, I bought so much, I don’t know what it is about shopping in the US but it feels so different to the UK and eventually I had to reign myself in knowing that my case was almost definitely going to be overweight by now. From the Mall I wandered over the road to Target where I spent another small fortune. I must have wandered around for over an hour going down almost every aisle, I also had shopping lists from people back home so knew it was going to be a spenny one. I picked up some sweets, and some other cosmetic bits, and just enjoyed looking at everything.

I realised by now that the only thing I’d eaten today was my chocolate apple from Disney but I definitely wasn’t feeling going out for food, so headed back to my hotel and ordered Panda Express chinese to be delivered. I proper enjoyed just sitting in bed eating my Chinese watching a movie. It felt like a really chilled way to spend my final night, reflecting on a seriously beautiful week I’d just had, before the mission of trying to pack my suitcase with all the additional goodies I had acquired. It took a lot of tetris to make it work!

My final day in Orlando had arrived and what better way to spend a last day than a visit to the Kennedy Space Centre. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, being a little bit fascinated by space, and something I was super excited about doing before leaving! I booked it in advance I was that excited, that doesn’t happen very often. I was up super early to make the most out of my day as it was about 45 minutes away from where I was staying, and arrived around 9am just after opening. I was speechless from the minute I got there, so let’s start at the start.

First up I headed to the Rocket Garden, it was the first thing you saw as you entered so I couldn’t not, they were doing a tour of the rockets explaining about them all and I jumped right in! This was a perfect way to start the day as I just had the chance to dive in and learn. I also got a chance to see the historic countdown clock, as well as an exhibition for the heroes and remembering those lost to space. I met an astronaut too which just made me smile from ear to ear, incredible.

I then took part in the KSC Explorer Tour, this was an additional add-on to my ticket but for only an additional $25 I could do a tour of some of the other parts of the grounds, including launch sites 39 A&B, the Vehicle Assembly Building, and more. I genuinely felt like a kid in a candy store now. I was just getting so excited seeing all the different places and it only gets better! We started the tour looking at some of the Space X launch sites, and had a drive around some of the grounds, also saw some alligators and tortoises which was pretty cool. We visited some of the Apollo Mission Sites, and then it got exciting.

We were on our way to our next stop of the tour, the Vehicle Assembly Building. This huge 50 storey, 5 block building just stood in sheer size and so fascinating to see and I just kept thinking, that’s where they build the rockets. Wow. We were meant to get off the bus to be able to take some photos, but we had to stop the bus for a little while. This is where the day got super cool. We had to stop the bus because a Space X rocket was being transported to its launch site for launching later that night!!! I was beyond belief excited. It was crawling past super slow but seeing it horizontal being moved was just the most fascinating thing ever. I couldn’t believe that I’d managed to see that with my own eyes. Real space kid moment. Because of the delay caused by the rocket, we had to skip getting off at the VAB and head straight to the final stop.

The tour finished at the Apollo and Saturn V Centre, super cool. Everything about today was super cool. I had an explore of this centre including seeing the absolutely huge Saturn Rocket. It took up a whole hall, I was just gobsmacked, it took a few minutes to walk from one end of the rocket to the other. Madness. Back at the Visitor Centre and there was still loads of exhibitions to see, including one around the Mars Rover and the Moon. The one I was most excited about was Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit inlcuding a shuttle launch simulation experience. It started with some videos about the programme and it opened up to the Atlantis Rocket, as well as the shuttle it carried. You could wander around and look and the final part was being part of a simulation shuttle experience, which was again, wicked. I’d had the best day.

Before long it was closing time and I needed to head off, I’d had such an awesome day explornig here and so glad I got to tick it off my list of things I really want to do! I had a night flight home so took an Uber back to my hotel to pickup my bags before heading to the airport for 6pm ready to check-in and grab a bite before it was time to board. When I got to the airport there were queues absolutely everywhere, but a lovely staff member asked where I was flying too and it was the only counter without a queue. Win. I dropped off my now very overweight suitcase before quickly navigating security and passport control and within about 30mins I was through and chilling out. There wasn’t that much at the airport which really surprised me but I grabbed a Shake Shack meal and sat chilling, and writing, to kill some time.

At the gate I bumped into a lad who was also returning home after a solo trip to the Parks in Orlando, we got on really well so ended up chatting at the gate and once onboard for a few hours, very fortunately again it was a super empty flight coming home, so had space to stretch out. It’s about an eight and a half hour flight back to London so enough time for me to have a bit of a sleep before landing the following morning. On arrival back home I bid farewell to the lad I met and the journey had come to an end. Thanks for joining me on this truly incredible adventure, one that I’ll remember forever. I’ll see you soon. Mads x