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Aldrin Jenson

Five days in Orlando: Disney, Universal, and EPCOT

Trip: Orlando, Florida · April 23–27, 2026 · with Dan

In April I did the most touristy trip of my time in America: five days in Orlando with Dan, hitting Magic Kingdom, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and EPCOT back to back to back. I landed on two and a half hours of sleep and came home very happy. It was a lot more fun than I expected.

Aldrin with both arms raised in front of Cinderella Castle under a bright blue sky

Magic Kingdom, finally.

Arrival day: Disney Springs, iFLY and the wheel

Orlando is a city built entirely around fun, and you feel it the moment you land: everything is an experience. Our warm-up day started at Disney Springs, the free shopping and food area, which gives you the Disney atmosphere without a park ticket. There’s a volcano with a waterfall pouring down it outside the Rainforest Cafe.

Aldrin standing in front of a fake volcano with waterfalls at Disney Springs

The volcano at Disney Springs.

There were vintage cars parked along the water, including an old amphibious car that actually drives into the lake.

A turquoise vintage amphibious car parked beside a waterfront walkway with palm trees

An Amphicar, the car that’s also a boat.

And of course I had to try a lightsaber in the Star Wars shop.

Trying out a lightsaber at Disney Springs.

Then iFLY indoor skydiving, where you float on a column of air in an orange jumpsuit. It’s shorter than you’d think, but really fun. We finished on the ICON Park wheel at sunset, which goes round twice. By then my two and a half hours of sleep had caught up with me, and I nearly dozed off mid-loop.

The ICON Park observation wheel in Orlando against a blue sky with scattered clouds, the entrance plaza below

The ICON Park wheel.

From the top you can see all of Orlando, flat and green all the way to the horizon.

Aldrin standing inside the glass gondola of the wheel with Orlando spread out below

The view from the top, still awake.

Magic Kingdom

We took the boat to Magic Kingdom instead of the monorail, and approaching the castle slowly over the water felt exactly like arriving at a kingdom.

We did a full day: Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, the Mad Tea Party, the Tiki Room, and It’s a Small World, which is so gentle it nearly put me to sleep in the boat.

Aldrin smiling next to a golden Dumbo statue among flowers

Dumbo, in gold.

The Little Mermaid ride was one of the prettiest, all glowing fish and colours.

A dark ride scene of glowing colourful fish and sea creatures from The Little Mermaid

Under the sea.

At the centre of the park is the Partners statue, Walt Disney and Mickey holding hands, with the castle right behind.

Aldrin standing beside the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse with Cinderella Castle behind them

Walt, Mickey and the castle.

Inside the castle’s archway there are huge mosaics telling the Cinderella story in tiny glass tiles.

Aldrin standing in front of a large glass mosaic inside Cinderella Castle's archway

The mosaics inside the castle.

When it got dark, the parade came through, every float lit up in thousands of lights.

A night parade float covered in glowing lights, with a colourful lit-up creature

The night parade.

Then the castle turned blue for the night, and we stayed for the 10 PM fireworks. Everyone tells you to stay for them, and everyone is right.

Cinderella Castle lit up deep blue at night

The castle at night.

And then the sky lit up.

A burst of gold and pink fireworks filling the night sky over Magic Kingdom, treetops and rooftops silhouetted below

The fireworks.

Fireworks over the castle.

We didn’t get to Tron or the Jungle Cruise. A full day isn’t enough for everything, even with passes.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure: the best day

Universal was the high point of the trip for me. We rode Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, my favourite ride of the whole trip, then the Forbidden Journey inside Hogwarts, Spider-Man, Kong: Skull Island, and the Hulk coaster, twice.

A coaster train on Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure threading past the ruined castle arches at Islands of Adventure

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

In the Wizarding World I had my first Butterbeer. I don’t even have a big Harry Potter attachment, and it was still my favourite thing all day. The detail in that part of the park is unreal. There was even a choir of Hogwarts students singing outside the castle.

Aldrin smiling and holding up a cup of Butterbeer in a crowded street at Universal

My first Butterbeer.

Performers in Hogwarts robes singing in front of a tall standing stone

The Hogwarts choir.

Over in the Jurassic Park area there’s the original movie jeep.

Aldrin standing next to the red and yellow Jurassic Park jeep in front of bamboo and a T-rex head

The Jurassic Park jeep.

Marvel Super Hero Island was all comic-book colours, with Spider-Man’s building towering over the street.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man building with a giant Spider-Man figure under a cloudy sky

Spider-Man.

The Hulk coaster was the one we went back for. It looks even better lit up green at night.

Aldrin standing under the green tracks of the Incredible Hulk coaster at night

The Hulk coaster, after dark.

We also rode the Popeye river-rapids raft, which soaks every single person on it. As the park closed, Seuss Landing was all lit up.

The colourful, curvy buildings and trees of Seuss Landing lit up at night

Seuss Landing at night.

The one I missed was the VelociCoaster. It was closed for weather, then reopened while we were at lunch. It’s first on my list next time.

EPCOT: the park for grown-ups

EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) was the chill closer, and it felt like the most grown-up of the parks. You walk in under Spaceship Earth, the giant silver ball.

Close-up of the faceted silver geodesic sphere of Spaceship Earth against a blue sky

Spaceship Earth.

The World Showcase is a ring of country pavilions around a lagoon, and in one afternoon we walked through France, Norway, Germany, the UK, Morocco, China, Japan, Mexico and Canada, each with its own buildings and its own food.

Aldrin standing in a red British telephone box at the UK pavilion

A red phone box in the UK pavilion, months before I saw the real ones in London.

Japan was one of the most beautiful pavilions, with a pagoda among the pines.

A five-tiered Japanese pagoda among pine trees at the EPCOT Japan pavilion

The pagoda at the Japan pavilion.

Its red torii gate stands right at the edge of the water.

The Japan pavilion's red torii gate at the edge of the World Showcase lagoon at EPCOT at dusk

The torii gate on the lagoon.

Mexico is inside a pyramid, where it’s always night, with a little market and a boat ride under a starry sky.

A twilight-lit interior with a Mayan pyramid and trees under a deep blue artificial night sky

Inside the Mexico pyramid.

Mission: SPACE turned out to be easier than its warnings make it sound. Guardians of the Galaxy, Test Track and Frozen Ever After were still on my list when the day ended. EPCOT quietly needs more than a day.

Aldrin standing by the World Showcase lagoon on a sunny evening

The lagoon, in the evening.

EPCOT was also the one place on the whole trip where I caught myself thinking, I could live somewhere like this. Which makes sense, since the park started as a prototype of a planned community.

Spaceship Earth glowing pink and purple at night with palm trees in front

Spaceship Earth at night.

A solo hour with dolphins

My flight home was hours after checkout, so I spent the gap at SeaWorld, mostly just watching the dolphins. I stood there with a growing pile of physics questions: how do they float without moving? How does the blubber keep them buoyant? How do they turn that fast? No answers, just open questions, which are my favourite souvenir from any trip.

Looking back

I had a great time. The express passes made a huge difference, one park a day was the right pace (and we still didn’t finish), and taking the boat to Magic Kingdom and staying for the fireworks were the two best calls of the trip. And next time, the VelociCoaster.

Notes to myself

  • We stayed near Celebration for about $72 a night, 10–15 minutes from the Disney parks and 20–25 from Universal.
  • The order that worked: Disney Springs on arrival day, then Magic Kingdom, Universal, and EPCOT to wind down.
  • Express passes at Universal sold out that morning. Book them early.
  • The Popeye raft ride soaks you completely.
  • Kennedy Space Center got squeezed out. It’s first on the list if I go back.
23-07-2026
https://aldrinjenson.com/travel/orlando/ Aldrin Jenson