Florida Fever: The Story of How Our Love Affair with the Sunshine State Began

Last updated on January 22nd, 2024 at 04:26 pm

When I (Leigh) ask myself when my love for Florida and Disney began, I find it difficult to pinpoint a specific moment from my childhood. Sure, like most kids, I watched Disney films (I vividly remember going to see The Little Mermaid at the Cinema).

However, it wasn’t until a friend of mine traveled to Florida for a family vacation that Disney World truly captured my imagination.

I must have been around 8 years old at the time, and I remember being envious of his magical holiday experience, filled with encounters with Mickey Mouse and the iconic castle.

Please don’t misunderstand me; I had wonderful family holidays in Torquay, Wales, Norfolk, and Spain, all of which hold cherished memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. But the idea of going to Florida felt like a world apart from what I was accustomed to.

I also recall being captivated by the opening of Euro Disney in 1992, and I often daydreamed about visiting one day. Little did I know that it would take 29 years for that dream to become a reality, which finally happened in 2021.

In the year 2000, a few years after we met, my parents surprised us with news of an amazing offer they had stumbled upon at a Travel Agent in Asda (of all places): flights and accommodations for a two-week trip to Orlando, all for around £500 each.

Without hesitation, we eagerly seized the opportunity, and before we knew it, we found ourselves seated on an Air 2000 plane, accompanied by my parents and sister, heading straight for the enchanting land of Florida.”

Kissimmee Pines 2000

Our accommodation was Kissimmee Pines, located just off the 192, approximately 1.5 miles away from Medieval Times.

Nick and I had a twin bedroom on the upper floor, while my parents and sister occupied the lower bedrooms and living area.

The walls in our room were paper-thin, allowing us to hear almost every word spoken by the family in the adjacent room. Surprisingly, my Mum managed to brave the ice-cold pool for a quick swim —how she did it remains a mystery.

Nevertheless, all things considered, it was a great experience for our first time.

We were just down the road from a humongous Walmart, which sparked our fascination with that particular supermarket.

As we walked through the doors, we were astounded by its massive size and the wide variety of items it stocked. For people from the UK, it felt like a shopping theme park.

Every night, regardless of the late hour, one of us would suggest, “Shall we stop by Walmart” on our way back, and without fail, we would always end up there.

I distinctly remember a night when it was almost midnight, yet we managed to find our way inside. At Walmart, we purchased not only our first Disney and Universal tickets but also many other things.

Below, I’ll include a photo of one of our Florida shopping hauls. This particular photo is from 2004, but our haul in 2000 would have been similar.

During our first visit to Florida, we navigated around and explored a significant portion both within and outside the parks, even without the assistance of satellite navigation.

We rented a car, and my Dad took on the role of the driver, with us in the back seat, diligently reading paper maps.

Our itinerary included visits to Disney, Universal, Kennedy Space Center, the Everglades, Busch Gardens, and a couple of beaches.

I’m not sure whether we contemplated returning during our first visit or if it was meant to be a one-time experience.

However, four years later, we did decide to go back. This time, we opted for better accommodation—a three-bedroom villa with a pool located just down the street from Give Kids The World.

It happened to be conveniently situated right next door to the large Walmart, which suited us perfectly 😂 (we have no shame in admitting that we still get excited about going to Walmart; each visit always brings back memories of our first time there)

For us, a villa seemed like the perfect way to experience Florida. Back in those days, we never considered staying on-site at Disney or Universal.

We continued to choose villas for our subsequent visits, up until 2019 when we decided to try something different and opted for the Red Lion Motel during our first Florida trip with just the two of us. We appreciate the size and space that a villa offers.

It allows us to go with friends and family, providing enough room to spread out and not get in each other’s way, while still being able to gather together for meals, BBQs, pool time, and in the living room areas.

That’s not to say we don’t enjoy staying on-site. As you may have seen in our vlogs, we have stayed in several Disney hotels. However, for the majority of our stays, if we can find the right price, we would always choose a villa.

So, we owe a big thanks to my folks for finally getting us to Florida. If they hadn’t been shopping in Asda that day, who knows when we would have made it there.

I believe that first experience of exploring both inside and outside the parks laid the groundwork for how we prefer to approach all our trips to Florida.

We thoroughly enjoy visiting Disney and other parks, but we also have a desire to explore the surrounding areas, both within Orlando and beyond.

There is so much to discover beyond the parks, and it adds an exciting dimension to our trips

We made several more trips to Florida in the 2000s, accompanied by friends, before returning with our family in January 2019.

By that time, our family had expanded, and we brought along two little girls. You can watch our travel day video for that particular trip below

For us, Florida began with a family vacation, and it continues to evoke those memories.

It holds a warm, familiar ambiance, filled with cherished moments, laughter, and love.

Throughout the years, we have forged friendships with Florida locals, some of whom have become very dear to us. Returning to Florida now also means reuniting with friends.

We always have someone to meet, someone to have fun with, someone to catch up with, and someone to embark on adventures together.

Florida has become a home away from home for us. While we always yearn to explore more of the world and take breaks from visiting, we can confidently say that Florida will forever hold a special place in our hearts

Let us know in the comments below how your love of Florida began

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