Booking a holiday to Orlando is a big deal, and it can be really overwhelming. When you’re spending so much money, you want to make sure you make the most of the time you have. Although it can be hard to know where to start, this 2 week Orlando itinerary might help with some ideas.
Day 1 – travel day
After months of waiting, it was finally travel day. We flew from London Heathrow to Orlando International Airport with Virgin, as part of the package deal we’d booked. We had delays of a few hours on the way out, meaning that we didn’t get to Orlando until quite late at night. The flight was fine and Erin was amazing on her first long haul trip, but thanks to the time difference, she was very tired and grumpy by the time we got there.
After going through immigration and getting an Uber to our hotel, we quickly got some food and called it a night!
Day 2 – IHOP & Magic Kingdom
For us, our first ‘proper’ day in Orlando had to be spent at a Walt Disney World park and that wasMagic Kingdom. John and I visited 10 years ago and the feeling we got there was just perfect. We wanted that for Erin.
After a long day of travelling, we didn’t want to rush on our first day and slept in a little bit. When we were ready, we ordered an Uber (we didn’t have a car this time) and headed off to IHOP for breakfast. I always feel like you should start your holiday with great pancakes so that’s what we did.
After breakfast, we headed to Magic Kingdom at around 10am. Unlike a lot of people, we did not go with a plan. Instead, we wanted to let Erin take it all in and go on whatever rides she felt like. However, this worked for us, being able to do all of the following rides between 10:30 and 6pm.
- Tea cups
- Mickey’s Philharmagic
- It’s A Small World
- Storybook Belle
- Meet Ariel
- Dumbo
- Meet Donald and Goofy
- Meet Daisy and Minnie Mouse
- Space Mountain
- Buzz Lightyear
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
We purposely chose to visit Magic Kingdom for the first time on a MNSSHP (Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party) day because we knew we wouldn’t last all day. This also meant that queue times were shorter during the day, which helped us a lot!
By 6pm we were all exhausted and headed back to our hotel, the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village And Spa for dinner. There was a Pizza Hut express on the resort, which was perfect to eat in the comfort of our room!
Day 3 – Breakfast at ‘Ohana & Animal Kingdom
Breakfast at ‘Ohana
We started off with something really special. I’d booked for us to have a character breakfast at ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. This meant a fairly early start but we were all so excited, even though we didn’t really know what to expect.
Served family style, all of of the food gets brought out to the table at once but you can ask for more of anything you like. For me, the pineapple bread, potatoes and POG juice (passion fruit, orange juice and guava) were the absolute winners. Throughout the meal characters such as Mickey, Lilo and Stitch come over for a chat, to take photos and sign autographs. We weren’t rushed at all and nothing was too much trouble.
I have to say, this was one of the best things we did over the course of the holiday but also one of the most expensive meals. It cost around £100 for 2 adults and a child + tip. I’d go back in a heartbeat though.
Animal Kingdom
We were able to use the Disney transportation from Disney’s Polynesian Resort and got a bus to Animal Kingdom at around 10am. The only thing we’d planned for at Animal Kingdom was going on the safari as soon as we got there. It only gets hotter during the day, and queues longer, so going earlier in the day is a good idea. We got to see so many great animals, including the lions and giraffes! Some were quite sleepy but there were plenty out and about.
We bought a refillable popcorn bucket for Erin at Animal Kingdom. She chose one shaped like Pumba from The Lion King. While it looked great, it was a pain to carry around and you can’t fit as much popcorn in as with a regular bucket.
We stayed at Animal Kingdom until 6pm (this is a park that closes earlier than the rest) and managed to do the following:
- Safari
- The Festival of the Lion King show
- It’s Tough to be a Bug
- Lunch at Restaurantasaurus (great good and loads of seating)
- Dinosaur
- Expedition Everest
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond show
Day 4 – Universal Orlando Resort
Although we knew we would only spend a few days there, we really wanted to go to Universal Orlando Resort. Me and John and been before but there are a lot of new rides in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Erin and John are big Harry Potter fans so we had to go!
We started off in Universal Studios Florida, first hitting the new Minion Blast ride. We like it, but holding the guns really made our arms ache and that made it not quite as fun as the likes of Buzz Lightyear. Then, we made our way to Diagon Alley. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts only had a 35 minute wait so we did that ride first! As thrill rides go, this one was great.
We then accidentally ended up in a queue for the Ollivander’s experience, rather than just the shop. Erin was incredibly lucky and was chosen by Ollivander, who helped her to find her perfect wand. John and I pretty much cried the whole way through. You have to buy the wand but then can spend time in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade to complete spells with it.
As we visited during hurricane season, this meant we had a lot of rain in the afternoon. Sadly, this coincided with us queuing for Men in Black and it breaking down. We had to hide in the shop for a while. We did get to go on it afterwards though, followed by exploring Springfield U.S.A and having lunch at Moe’s. It was very busy but the pizza was fantastic.
Lastly, we went to ‘New York’ where we rode Transofrmers and Revenge of the Mummy. Erin got a bit scared in the queue for The Mummy and decided once we got sat down that she didn’t want to do it. Luckily, Erin and John were able to get off while I rode on my own. Although she didn’t like this one, Erin did really like Transformers though!
- Minion Blast
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Olivanders
- Diagon Alley
- Men in Black
- Springfield U.S.A and lunch at Moe’s
- Transformers
- The Mummy
Day 5 – Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness
Magic Kingdom
We had quite a relaxed morning at Magic Kingdom as we had other plans for the afternoon. By this point, Erin had already declared Space Mountain as her favourite ride so that’s where we headed as soon as we arrived.
I wanted to go on Tron as well so I paid for Individual Lightning Lanes (ILL) for us all. We weren’t using Genie Plus on this trip so I didn’t mind just paying for the few rides we really wanted to go on. The ILL cost around £50 but it meant that we had no waiting when we were able to go on the ride.
Erin got a bit scared about going on the bikes so a wonderful cast member made it so she could in the car (the more accessible option). This worked out great because my calves would not fit the bike, even though I tried the tester seat beforehand. I was happy in the car with Erin and although she found the ride a bit too fast, we were all glad we went on it.
We didn’t do much at Magic Kingdom on this day as we were only there for a few hours.
- Space Mountain
- Iron (ILL)
- Lunch at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe
- Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
Fort Wilderness
After lunch, we caught a boat over to Disney’s Fort Wilderness resort. Make some time to explore the resorts because there’s so much to see there, and some very different things to do. Before arriving in Orlando I had booked a horse drawn carriage ride for us all, seeing as Erin is horse-mad.
We arrived in the middle of a pretty epic storm and had to wait for the rain to calm down before we could do anything. However, we made sure that we had plenty of time at Fort Wilderness so we weren’t rushing around and this meant being able to have a relaxed early dinner at the Trails End restaurant. We got a HUGE cheese pizza for around $21.
Unfortunately, our carriage ride got cancelled due to the storm but we were able to look around the stables and meet the Disney horses. There was some confusion with the cancellation, as we weren’t informed, so Disney really stepped up and put on something special for us. We had a private tour of the stables and a private wagon ride around the resort which really made Erin’s day.
Day 6 – Discovery Cove
We’d booked a special day at Discovery Cove as this was John’s 40th birthday. To be completely honest, it was nice to take a break from the theme parks too and do something different. A day at Discovery Cove starts early though so we were up and out while the sun was still rising.
Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive day resort, open from 7:30am up to 5pm. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are included as are a range of drinks. You can upgrade to a premium drink package or add on extras to make your day that bit more special. Something we added on was a swim with dolphins, which you book a time for as you arrive.
During the day, we were able to play in a pool full of tropical fish and rays, swim through a cave, eat delicious food and of course, swim with dolphins. Although this was an expensive day, it was worth every penny and something we will all remember for such a long time.
Day 7 – Epcot
For the first time, we’d planned a full day at one of the Disney parks because it was the only time we’d be visiting. Me and John didn’t actually go to Epcot last time we were in Orlando so it was all new to us. Let me start by saying that Epcot is huge and really, we needed 2 days there. Again though, we had no real plan for the day apart from wanting to go on one specific ride.
When we arrived at Epcot the first thing I did was buy an Individual Lightning Lane for Guardians of the Galaxy. This was the one ride I was super excited about going on and I’d missed getting in the virtual queue at 7am. Our boarding time wasn’t until after lunch so we had some time to do other rides, which were Spaceship Earth, Soarin’ and Living With The Land.
Guardians of the Galaxy did not disappoint AT ALL! With the ILL we were on within minutes and having the best time. This ride has random songs that play and I was so happy to get September. Erin thought this one was a bit fast but still loved it. When we came off the ride, the second virtual queue was still open and I managed to get us another ride but in the evening.
By this time, we were starving. I know people go to Epcot for the food but we wanted something fast so headed to Creations Eatery. We spent around £33 for 2 children’s pizza meals, Two Chicken Salad for John and a Black Forest Baumkuchen.
After lunch it was time to explore the World Showcase. We got to meet some great characters here including Pluto, Donald Duck and Anna and Elsa. We were lucky with wait times really and just did these as we came to them. The longest we waited was well over an hour for the Frozen Ever After ride and I don’t think it was worth it.
We didn’t make it round the whole of the World Showcase sadly but that was because we got to go back on Guardians of the Galaxy. This time, we got The Conga as our song and it made my whole day because it was the song I had wanted. Erin enjoyed the ride a lot more the second time around and actually, decided it was amazing.
For the first time, we were in a park late enough for the fireworks. A lovely cast member told us the best place to sit at and we waited for the fireworks to start. Although it was a long day, it was absolutely worth it and Erin fell asleep on the bus back to the hotel.
- Spaceship Earth
- Soarin’
- Living With The Land
- Guardians of the Galaxy (ILL)
- Lunch at Creations Eatery
- Meet Pluto
- World Showcase
- Gran Fiesta Tour
- Meet Donald Duck
- Meet Anna and Elsa
- Frozen Ever After
- Guardians of the Galaxy (virtual queue)
- Fireworks
Day 8 – Denny’s, Hollywood Studios & Olive Garden
Denny’s for breakfast
To start our day, we headed to Denny’s for breakfast. As somewhere John and I had been in the past, we knew there would be something we all liked there. Me and Erin went for pancakes while John had a skillet breakfast. When you’re doing so many steps in the parks, it’s so important to have a good breakfast.
Hollywood Studios
Our first time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this holiday! As we arrived, Erin saw the Skyliner so we made a note to use this on another day. Here, one of the first things I did was buy an Individual Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance. This was the ride John was the most excited about and again, I hadn’t managed to do the virtual queue thing. Our boarding time wasn’t until later in the day though so we did some other things in the meantime.
Although me and Erin hadn’t seen any Star Wars at all, we were blown away by Galaxy’s Edge and the Star Wars rides. We did wait quite a while (70 minutes) to get on Smuggler’s Run but the queue seemed to move fairly quickly and there was loads to look at on the way. These rides were some of the best we’d been on anywhere and the theme was fantastic. Disney theme parks do their specialised areas so well and this one is well-worth going to, even if you don’t like Star Wars.
- Meet Max
- Frozen sing-a-long
- Star Tours
- Meet Olaf
- Smugglers Run
- Rise of the Resistance (ILL)
Olive Garden and time at the hotel
We only stayed at Hollywood Studios until around 5pm as we were all quite tired. Instead of pushing it, we went to Olive Garden for dinner. I’d seen great things about Olive Garden online and I was so pleased we made the time to go for dinner. The food was amazing and the portions are massive. The breadsticks and chicken and gnocchi soup are worth going for alone.
After dinner, we spent some time in the hotel pool and the hot tubs, resting after a very hot day!
Day 9 – Animal Kingdom
Although we had been to Disney’s Animal Kingdom on another day, we still felt as though there was more that we hadn’t done. We had missed the area of Pandora, the world of Avatar, mostly on our first visit. We hadn’t done any of the Avatar rides then, so this was the day for that. Unfortunately, there was a lot of technical issues and we ended up waiting nearly 2 hours for both Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey. While we all loved Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey was a bit disappointing considering how long we had waited to get on it.
Due to the delays, we missed our reservation at Yak and Yeti. Luckily, we had a Landry’s Select Club card, which gives priority seating at certain restaurants in Orlando. We explained why we hadn’t made the previous reservation (to stop from being charged) and were seated within 15 minutes. You can also earn rewards and discounts by using the Landry’s Select Club card.
Lunch at Yak and Yeti is definitely one of my favourite meals during this holiday. It was nice to have options other than chicken tenders or burgers. I had a delicious sweet and sour chicken, while John had Malaysian Seafood Curry.
Something I loved about Yak and Yeti, aside from the amazing food was the choice for children. Erin ended up choosing noodles and fries, with a side of fruit. It was exactly what she wanted and it was a bit different.
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Avatar Na’vi River Journey
- Lunch at Yak and Yeti
We spent the evening back at the hotel, swimming in the pool and relaxing after a long, hot day!
Day 10 – Sea World & Applebees
Sea World
With our Discovery Cove tickets, we got free entry to Sea World Orlando. I figured we might as well use the tickets and do something different for a day. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the best day and I don’t think we’d go back because of it. Not only was a lot shut during the time, it was hard to navigate and it looked really run down. We encountered quite rude staff wherever we went and it just didn’t have the Disney magic that we’d been used to.
During the day though we managed to get Erin to go on Journey to Atlantis, which she hated, see the Orca show, and do loads of the smaller rides in Sesame Street as well as see the parade there.
- Journey to Atlantis
- Orca Encounter show
- Sesame Street
- Shark Encounter
Applebees for dinner
As none of us were really having fun at Sea World, we left earlier than planned and went to Applebees for dinner. Applebees have some fantastic offers on their food so it’s good value for money. Erin got to have something a bit different, with chicken tacos and that was one of the reasons we chose Applebees. It was a nice meal, maybe not as good as some other places we’d been, but we’d probably go back still.
Day 11 – Disney Springs and Magic Kingdom
Disney Springs and the Rainforest Cafe
We all had a much needed lay in and started our day a bit later. Orlando really catches up on you at some point, especially children! For the first time, we went to Disney Springs for a bit of shopping and lunch. There are loads of places to eat at Disney Springs but I thought that Erin would like the Rainforest Cafe (there’s also one at Animal Kingdom).
You can book online for the Rainforest Cafe but we didn’t do this. The Landry’s Select Card I mentioned earlier also works at the Rainforest Cafe, meaning you can turn up and get priority seating. We arrived at opening time so getting a table was no issue at all.
The theme inside is amazing and you’re sat, surrounded by rainforest animals and sounds of rain storms! our server encouraged us to walk around and take pictures while we were waiting for our food. I’d heard mixed things about the Rainforest Cafe’s food but we were all really happy. Our server recommended the Pasta Laya so John had that, I had a burger and Erin had mini sliders!
You can spend ages at Disney Springs just walking around the shops and I wish we’d stayed longer.
Magic Kingdom
After Disney Springs we caught a boat to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, where we then caught a bus to Magic Kingdom. We had planned to stay late and watch the fireworks but Erin was hot and tired. In the end, we stayed until 3pm to watch the parade. If you’re not sure where to stand, the area just before Main Street, near the train station is a great way to see the parade. If you get there early enough there are benches to sit on before moving up to the kerb once the parade starts.
I could tell Erin had had enough after the parade so we made the decision to call it a day and go back to Lake Buena Vista for a swim and an early night.
Day 12 – Universal
We had only planned to have 2 days at Universal, which, I think was just about right for us. With Erin not being tall enough, or wanting to go on the big rides, we could miss out a lot. On our second visit we spent our time doing Islands of Adventure mainly to go to Hogsmeade and do the other Wizarding World of Harry Potter rides.
We were fairly lucky with very short wait times. We didn’t arrive particularly early but did head straight for the rides we knew we wanted to do. Between 930 and 1130 we were able to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. I absolutely loved Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, whereas Erin wasn’t quite so sure. It was very different to other rides we’d been on. After getting some cake at Honeydukes, we left Universal’s Islands of Adventure and caught the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmeade Station, which took us back to Diagon Alley.
Lunch at Hard Rock Cafe
For lunch we chose the Hard Rock Cafe, somewhere we had booked in advance. When you’re not sure about where to eat, this is always a good choice for families. It was nice to eat somewhere quite cool and a bit dark too, giving us a break from the heat!
After lunch we spent some time in Marvel Super Hero Island and Suess Landing. Erin didn’t want to go on a big roller coaster so instead we went on the 3D Spiderman ride and some of the smaller Dr. Suess rides. It was a nice, slower way to end the day. The Universal theme parks have a lot more thrill rides compared to Disney but there’s still plenty to do for younger children.
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- Honeydukes for cake
- Lunch at Hard Rock
- Spiderman
- Seuss Carousel
- One Fish, Two Fish
- Monorail
- Cat in the Hat
Day 13 – Shopping, Pirate Dinner Adventure & Florida Mall
Sometimes you really need a break from the theme park capital of the world so try to make time for something a bit different.
We started the day with breakfast at IHOP, one of Erin’s favourites, before moving on to Walmart for some last bits of shopping. We had plans in the afternoon so we wanted a relaxed morning.
Pirate Dinner Adventure
In the afternoon we had tickets books for the Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, just off International Drive. John and I went 10 years ago when we visited Orlando for the first time and we knew Erin would love the show. With your ticket you get a 3-course meal to enjoy while you sit and watch an exciting pirate show. As predicted, Erin really got into the show, cheering on our pirate throughout. We all got to take part too with some audience participation which was a lot of fun.
Top tip: take pirate themed accessories with you as they cost a fortune in the gift shop.
Florida Mall
We then spent some of the evening at the Florida Mall. Erin had saved her money to buy an American Girl doll so this was the main reason for the trip. These dolls are expensive and come with every accessory you can think of, including ear piercing. Regardless, Erin was so happy that she cried and that was worth everything.
I also got to do some shopping at Yankee Candle and Bath and Body Works, not thinking about how I would get anything home at the time. I’m a sucker for a nice candle so I was really in my element here. The Florida Mall has a Crayon Experience too and I wish we’d made time to do this. Maybe next time.
Day 14 – Pool, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom
As we were getting to the end of our holiday, it was time to do any bits we missed and wanted to go back to. We started the day with an hour in the pool at the hotel as we’d planned for a long day.
Animal Kingdom
When we were all ready, we headed to Animal Kingdom. Erin was desperate to buy another Banshee toy in Pandora with her spending money. Once we’d done that we headed to see the bird show, Feathered Friends in Flight!. This was an amazing show, all about some of the animals at Animal Kingdom. It’s a fun show for the whole family but there are birds flying around, which some people might not like.
For lunch we tried Pizzafari but I wasn’t as impressed as with other places at Animal Kingdom. The pizza wasn’t as nice as what we’d had at Epcot and I’m not sure I’d go back. However, at the time, it was quick and there was lots of indoor seating available.
We didn’t spend long at Animal Kingdom so didn’t do much at all!
- Shopping in Pandora
- Feathered Friends in Flight!
- Pizzafari for lunch
Magic Kingdom
After lunch we caught the bus to Magic Kingdom. We really wanted to watch the fireworks as we hadn’t managed it on other days so the plan was to stay until closing time. Magic Kingdom wasn’t quite as busy as it had been on other days and we didn’t have many long lines at all. We focused our time on rides we hadn’t already been on, such as Big Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan’s Flight.
We chose Cosmic Ray’s again for dinner. Although the food isn’t anything special, there is loads of indoor seating and if you sit at the back, it’s pretty quiet. We needed this, knowing we would still be at Magic Kingdom for a few more hours.
People at Magic Kingdom will sit in a spot for hours before the fireworks start. This can make it difficult, especially when you’re with children. However, we managed to get a spot between the end of Main Street and the castle, and let Erin sit on the floor as long as possible. The fireworks did not disappoint once they started, and I think I cried with so much emotion through a lot of it. Between the music, the projections and of course, Tinkerbell, it really is magical.
While most people exited the park after the fireworks, we hung around. The park didn’t actually close until 10pm and this gave us about 35 minutes. During this time, it’s a great idea to go on some of the rides while the queues are nearly non-existent. We walked on Buzz Lightyear and the People Mover after the fireworks and then slowly walked down Main Street before going home. The extra time meant a lot of people had already left, and we got to go on extra rides!
- Big Thunder Mountain
- Character Cavalcade Parade
- Haunted Mansion
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- It’s A Small World
- Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
- Sword in the Stone
- Dinner at Cosmic Ray’s
- Fireworks
- Buzz Lightyear
- The People Mover
Day 15 – Hollywood Studios
Our last full day was a bit of a strange one. We’d had a hurricane warning so we were on alert in case anything changed before our flight home the next day. It didn’t stop us from going to Hollywood Studios again though!
There was a lot we didn’t do the first time we came to this park, including Toy Story Land, which was a must for me. Sadly, we didn’t get to go on Slinky Dog Dash but we did get to go on Toy Story Mania (one of my favourites) and Alien Swirling Saucers.
We also had lunch at Woody’s Lunch Box, which is somewhere I would go back to. I really wanted to eat something a bit different and a grilled cheese sandwich and tater tots was perfect!
The park had less people in than normal, thanks to the hurricane warning so we got to go on all of the Star Wars rides again with barely any waiting. In-fact, we went on Smuggler’s Run twice in a row, just walking on both times. Erin found a new love for Star Wars on this holiday and had her day made when we found Rey in Galaxy’s Edge!
We had planned to stay for the fireworks but at the time, cast members didn’t know if it was definitely going to go ahead. We made the decision to head back to the hotel for a swim and get the packing done!
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Train
- Toy Story Mania
- Woody’s Lunch Box for lunch
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Rise of the Resistance
- Smuggler’s Run (twice)
- Muppet 3D show
- Star Tours
Day 16 – Travel day
With the threat of the hurricane still very real, we didn’t plan anything for our travel day even though we were flying later in the day. We were able to have one last swim at the hotel though before going to the airport early. MCO has loads of shops and restaurants before security so we had some lunch and chilled out before checking in.
Due to cancellations from other Florida airports, our flight was very busy and we were actually offered round trip flights to anywhere we wanted if we would swap flights. Erin was really worried about the hurricane though so we declined. I’m kicking myself a bit now though. We ended up with a short delay but nothing like what we were expecting and Erin was a superstar on the flight home. She spent 3.5 hours watching Avatar before having a little sleep.
Although our Orlando holiday was over, we had the best time and so many amazing memories to look back on. I can’t wait to make some custom photo books so we can remember this holiday! Hopefully this 2 week Orlando itinerary will help you to plan your next adventure.
Read more about our Orlando holiday:
- Staying at the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa
- Lunch at the Rainforest Cafe
- Breakfast at ‘Ohana
- A day in paradise at Discovery Cove
- Tips for dealing with the heat in Orlando
- See a dinner show at Pirate’s Dinner Adventure Orlando
- Our 2 week Orlando itinerary
- What our holiday to Orlando really cost
