13/09/2026
Okay I’m back and after a solid 12 hour sleep, I’m feeling refreshed so here’s a little Orlando trip roundup 🇺🇸☀️🎢
✨ 6 days, 4 Universal parks, all 4 Disney parks, a lot of food and approximately a million steps later… here’s what we got up to!
DAY 1 | Universal Stella Nova & Halloween Horror Nights 👻
We checked into Universal Stella Nova Resort and headed straight out to Universal Halloween Horror Nights, which was celebrating its 35th anniversary.
Now, I’m not a fan of scary things at ALL, so I avoided the haunted houses and stuck to a couple of the rides that were open.
The Deathly Afraid lanyards you can buy are worth their $20 price tag and meant the cast members generally avoided me, which was appreciated 😂 Although it was still pretty terrifying at times!
One of the benefits of staying onsite at Universal is Early Park Admission and complimentary shuttle buses to and from the parks. We never waited more than about 5 minutes for one.
You can also walk from Stella Nova to Universal Epic Universe in around 10 minutes… but it was far too hot for me to be doing that! 😂
DAY 2 | Universal Studios Florida & Islands of Adventure 🎢
We managed to visit both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure during the day before heading to Rosen Shingle Creek for a hotel visit and an amazing dinner at their steakhouse, A Land Remembered.
I was really impressed with the newly renovated rooms. The resort also has 3 pools and its own golf course, so there’s plenty going on beyond the parks.
DAY 3 | Universal Epic Universe ✨
This was my favourite Universal park.
I loved how well it’s laid out and how easy it is to navigate, especially considering how much there is to see.
My favourite ride? Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. The theming is literally EPIC 😆
DAY 4 | Universal Volcano Bay 🌊
A morning at Universal Volcano Bay and I was really impressed. It was incredibly clean, there were loads of sunbeds available and it never felt particularly busy while we were there.
You can also hire private cabanas for the day, which looked pretty cute!
I spent most of the morning floating around the lazy river 😂 but if you’re a thrill seeker, there are plenty of water slides to keep you occupied.
In the afternoon we moved on to our second stop, a 4-bedroom townhouse at Vilatel Orlando.
It’s in a great spot just off International Drive, with easy access to both Universal and Disney. Opened in 2023, Vilatel has accommodation ranging from 2 and 3-bedroom apartments right up to 9-bedroom villas, so if you’re a family who likes a bit more space and somewhere to escape to after a busy day in the parks, these are definitely worth considering.
DAY 5 | DISNEY WORLD 🏰
This was a BIG day. ⏰ 16 hours in Disney. 👣
31,742 steps walked.
All 4 parks visited. (At least 2 rides, a snack and a drink in each one!)
Plus Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away parade & Happily Ever After night time fireworks.
We also managed to use pretty much every mode of Disney transport along the way… bus, boat, monorail AND Skyliner! 😂
Surprisingly, I really enjoyed TRON Lightcycle / Run (although you definitely wouldn’t think it from the photo 😂) and I really enjoyed eating our way around the world at EPCOT.
DAY 6 | Shopping & home 🛍️
A little bit of shopping before heading back to Orlando International Airport for our flight home.
Some of us headed to Disney Springs, while others made the most of the outlet shopping.
It was super HOT and HUMID while we were there, although we were actually pretty lucky with the rain. We only really had one proper wet afternoon, plus a little rain during the fireworks.
So now I’m back, I’ve got a LOT of information to digest and I can’t wait to put it all to good use and help you book your trips.
➡️ I’ve seen the hotels.
➡️ I’ve experienced the parks.
➡️ I’ve used the transport.
➡️ I’ve worked out what is actually walkable (and what definitely isn’t when it’s 38°C 😂).
And that means when you ask me:
🎢 Which Universal park would my teenagers enjoy most?
🏨 Which hotel would work best for my family?
📍 Is it worth staying onsite?
🚶♀️ How much walking is really involved?
🎟️ What would you prioritise if you only have a few days?
✨ What little things are worth knowing before you go?
Now I can tell you! ❤️
So…who wants to go to Florida? 👀🇺🇸
