In March, my parents, accompanied by my youngest sister Rachel, finally flew to Orlando to meet their first granddaughter. We spent the week snacking on Dole Whips, soaring on Orlando’s best coasters, and soaking up lots of family time at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. With baby Lily’s third family trip coming up soon, I thought it was about time I shared more details from those sun-soaked Orlando days hanging out with the grandparents.
Stay: the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel
We stayed at the stunning Loews Portofino Bay Hotel for the entire trip. This is my favorite hotel at Universal Orlando, with its gorgeous bay views, Italian villa feel, and free water taxis to and from the theme parks. The free Express passes, included in the room cost, are a must-have for a stress-free day in the parks! We got an awesome room upgrade as well, with a spacious balcony overlooking the harbor. We even got to see a little fireworks testing in action from our balcony!
Meeting the Grandparents
Lily and I hung out in the picturesque Portofino Bay harbor while my parents waited at the Avis car rental counter at MCO—otherwise known as hell, from the way my parents described it. Two hours after landing, they finally arrived at the hotel. Lily hesitated for a moment when my parents and sister walked into the hotel lobby, then recognized Nan and Grandpa from a year’s worth of Facetime calls, and started smiling like crazy. Everyone was tired but happy, and Lily got a taste of all the attention coming her way for the next few days.
Day 1: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Our first full day in Orlando was spent at Universal Orlando, exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Rachel qualified for a return time pass that enabled us to virtually “wait in line” for the rides while out in the park, which saved her a lot of pain and stress throughout the day. Rachel and I rode Hagrid together, which was awesome. It was my first time as well as hers, and I was so amused by Rachel’s happy screaming, it was hard to focus on the ride itself. Meanwhile, Lily got lots of play time out in Hogsmeade with my parents. My dad is a bit of a train fanatic, so he was excited to see the Hogwarts Express pull into Hogsmeade Station when we decided to go the other park. Over in Diagon Alley, we had lunch in the Leaky Cauldron, rode Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, and poked around the shops for a while.
Planning a trip to Diagon Alley? Check out my Muggle’s Guide to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter before you go!
There are so many incredible rides at Universal, but we ended up leaving the parks much earlier than planned. The best rides did not accommodate my dad’s height, wide shoulders, and long legs, and the remaining attractions within Universal Studios were a mix of uncomfortable simulators, lengthy shows, or child-oriented playgrounds and rides. Plus, everyone was tired after the delayed arrival in Orlando the night before! After one of the simulators kicked my mom’s motion sickness into high gear, we decided to just call it quits and go relax at the hotel. Those water taxis were a blessing, and we sure enjoyed the breezy ride along the waterway to the Portofino Bay Hotel.
Note: I will say that the rides at Islands of Adventure are more varied and rider-friendly, and I typically have a good time whenever I visit with family or friends. We just weren’t in the mood to spend any more time in the parks on this particular day. I’m excited to return with my parents in the future and give the parks another shot. I know my dad will love Velocicoaster whenever he returns for round two!
My husband met up with us in the evening, after he got off work. We ate dinner at Cowfish, a delicious fusion restaurant out in CityWalk with a bizarre emphasis on both burgers and sushi. It sounds weird, but trust me, it works. Lily was all smiles, excited about the extra attention and the variety of new foods passed her way.
Day 2: Magic Kingdom
We spent our first Disney day at Magic Kingdom, mostly for Rachel and Lily’s sake. On a longer trip, I know my Dad would really enjoy Galaxy’s Edge over in Hollywood Studios, and both of my parents would love a full spin around the world at Epcot.
The day was magical from start to finish. Rachel qualified for a return time pass that enabled us to “wait” out in the park instead of in the actual ride lines. As a result, we got to spend a lot of time enjoying the atmosphere, seeing shows we might not have had time for otherwise, and even spotting a few favorite characters!
We got a return time for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and joined the waiting area for the Carousel of Progress, only to jump out of line when we saw the real Buzz Lightyear greeting guests over by Space Mountain! Rachel was elated to meet one of her favorite Disney characters and longtime hero. She kept covering her mouth in shock and removing her hand to reveal a huge toothy smile. Even Lily, who didn’t know who Buzz was, was fascinated by this character. It’s ironic that, a few months later, Toy Story is now Lily’s favorite Disney movie.
We arrived at Magic Kingdom with a shortlist of all the rides my family most wanted to experience. In the end, we got to ride virtually everything we wanted, well beyond what was on the list. We rode Pirates, Space Mountain, and Haunted Mansion, sure, but we also fit in some time for smaller rides like The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and my beloved People Mover. We had plenty of time to grab snacks and meals, ride the Liberty Square Riverboat around Frontierland, and take photos on Main Street.
One of my favorite memories of the day was of my dad holding Lily on his lap and giving her little bites of Dole Whip. Lily was watching that spoon, just waiting for her turn, and any time my dad fed himself instead, she just stared up at him like, “How could you!?”
We wrapped up the night with a ride on the Seven Dwarves Mine Train. It was so fun getting to see and do everything we wanted. I won’t lie, having my parents there to watch the baby so we could ride Space Mountain or just eat with both hands was nice as well.
Day 3: Free Day
After two days of exploring Florida’s theme parks, my family’s third day in Orlando was devoted to exploring my parents’ personal interests. My dad really wanted to get a firsthand look at space history up at Cape Canaveral. My mom and sister wisely wanted to rest up and enjoy a relaxing girl’s day at the hotel.
I drove up the coast with Dan, my dad, and Lily, and spent the day at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex. We were disappointed to see that several main attractions were closed due to COVID, including the bus tour out to the actual launch pads. Still, there was plenty to do! We got to see models of several notable rovers, shuttles, and other spacecraft. We watched an IMAX overview of what missions are currently ongoing and in the works. We took a stroll around the rocket garden, a little pavilion with replicas of famous rockets from past U.S. missions.
Most notably, we spent a lot of time in the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, where we got to see the actual space shuttle Atlantis. There was also a replica of the Hubble telescope, some touching tributes and space memorabilia from the Challenger and Columbia disasters, and several interactive exhibits for a hands-on learning experience. I loved getting to share the experience with my dad and husband, both of whom have a deep interest in space exploration. Being there with people who are truly passionate and knowledgeable about the items on display made everything so much more enjoyable.
In the evening, we returned to the Portofino Bay Hotel and had a family dinner at Bice. I stay at the Portofino Bay Hotel at least once per year, but this was my first time at Bice. Everything was delicious! We ordered two platters of fritto misto for the table, and I had the cappellaccio – short rib ravioli with spinach, mushrooms, and marsala cream sauce – as my main. Lily, who had been a smiling and sociable dream for the entire trip, chose this moment to have a very noisy and dramatic meltdown. Poor girl was so, so tired from three consecutive days away from home, and Dan wound up taking her outside to calm down and watch the boats bob around in the harbor.
Day 4: Epcot
We spent the fourth day of the trip at Epcot, my favorite of the Walt Disney World theme parks. Rachel loves the movie Frozen, so we grabbed a return time for the Frozen ride and killed some time in the Norway pavilion. We snacked on coconut and custard school bread, troll horns stuffed with orange marmalade cream, and strawberry rice cream pudding from Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe, and lucky Lily got to try a little of everything! Rachel got to meet Anna and Elsa, and we took a break to unmask in Akershus until it was time to ride.
Rachel loved Frozen so much, we got a second return time to ride again the moment we exited the gift shop! Unfortunately, the ride broke down for several hours, so we continued our culinary journey around World Showcase instead.
We sampled Flower and Garden Festival dishes like the Cajun-Style Roasted Oysters from Magnolia Terrace and the Meyer Lemon-Poached Lobster Salad from The Citrus Blossom, both of which we enjoyed out by the water. Check out my 2021 Flower & Garden Festival Guide for more favorite dishes, like the Boneless Impossible Short Rib from Trowel & Trellis!
We spent a lot of time exploring my mom’s favorite pavilion, Morocco. After three days of theme parks, hotel pools, and jetlag, Rachel was pretty wiped. We breezed past the last third of World Showcase, from France to Canada, and made plans to wrap things up and head home. We transferred our unused Frozen return time and rode Test Track instead, which everyone enjoyed. When we got off the ride, of course, Frozen was finally open again, so off we went to get another return time! We had to talk Rachel down from riding Frozen a third time!
Day 5: Goodbyes at Paddlefish
On my family’s final day in Orlando, we said goodbye to our beautiful hotel and spent some time just relaxing at our home in Clermont. I wanted to take my family on a drive and show off some of our favorite local spots, but everyone was exhausted. Finally, I admitted it would be better for Lily to stay in and take a long nap in her own bed. Rachel was so happy to relax on the couch and watch a movie, and the rest of us were definitely grateful to sit in the air conditioning.
We went out to Disney Springs and had a delicious final lunch at Paddlefish. We sat on the upper level, in a bright and airy dining room inside a converted paddleboat steamer. Everyone’s meals were tasty, the staff was accommodating, and Lily got to try a ton of new food items.
Now we know she’s not allergic to shellfish! We watched the Boathouse amphicars glide through the water and made faces at Lily as we ate. It was a memorable last meal together, and we are so looking forward to sharing many more when we visit Seattle in a couple of weeks!
Until then, I hope you all are having an incredible summer!
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