We did it. We actually did it.
A full Florida trip. With four kids.
And if you’re imagining perfectly planned days, matching outfits, rope dropping every morning and ticking off everything on a list… yeah, that wasn’t us.
This was very much a “go with the flow, survive the chaos, enjoy the magic where we can” kind of trip — and honestly? It worked.
The Parks We Visited
We split our time between Disney and Universal, which gave us a really good mix.
At Disney, we visited:
- Magic Kingdom
- Hollywood Studios
- Animal Kingdom
- Epcot
- Blizzard Beach
And at Universal:
- Islands of Adventure
- Universal Studios
- Epic Universe
We didn’t try to do everything. We picked what mattered most to us and let the rest go — which took a lot of pressure off.
Our Approach (Spoiler: No Rope Dropping)
We didn’t rope drop. Not once.
The earliest we got to a park was around 10am… and some days it was closer to 11 or even 12 after having breakfast.
And do you know what? It didn’t ruin anything.
If anything, it made the whole trip feel more relaxed. We weren’t dragging tired kids out the door at 7am, and we didn’t start the day already stressed.
We just… turned up, did what we could, and enjoyed it.
The Rides We Loved
We didn’t go in with a massive checklist, but there were a few rides that stood out for all of us.
At Disney, our favourites were:
- Tron
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
- Expedition Everest
- Tower of Terror
- Test Track
At Universal:
- VelociCoaster
- Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure
- The Hulk
- Revenge of the Mummy
- Stardust Racers
- Donkey Kong
The kids were much more about rides than anything else — which definitely influenced how we spent our time.
What We Actually Spent Our Time Doing
A mix of:
- riding what we could
- eating (a lot)
- wandering
- taking photos when we remembered
- and just letting the kids enjoy it
We didn’t prioritise character meet and greets much. The queues were long, and the kids would rather be on rides — so we went with that.
We still got a few autographs, but it wasn’t a big focus for us.
The Weather (And The Rain)
We had quite a few rainy days.
One of our water park days (Blizzard Beach) was cancelled because of it, which was frustrating at the time.
But weirdly? Universal in the rain was actually really good.
The rain is warm, it cools everything down, and it made the parks feel quieter. It wasn’t the disaster I thought it would be.
The Food (Very Different to the UK)
Food was a big part of the experience — and definitely different.
Some things we loved (White Castle being a surprising favourite), some things we weren’t bothered about (Panda Express and Taco Bell didn’t really hit for us).
And there were things that just felt… odd:
- mac and cheese being everywhere
- eggs being a whole confusing situation
- butter tasting sweet and whipped
The kids were very happy though — especially the pasta-loving 7 year old.
The Reality of Doing Disney With 4 Kids
It’s not relaxing.
It’s busy, loud, expensive, overstimulating and a lot of walking.
There were moments of:
- tired kids
- grumpy moods
- “why are we doing this again?”
But there were also moments that made it completely worth it.
The little things. The excitement. The shared experiences.
Would We Do It Again?
Yes.
But not to do more.
To do it the same way — maybe even slower.
Less pressure. Less trying to “do it all”. More just enjoying being there.
Final Thoughts
We didn’t do Disney the “perfect” way.
We didn’t rope drop.
We didn’t meet every character.
We didn’t tick every box.
But we made memories, had fun, and experienced it as a family of six — chaos and all.
And honestly? That felt like the right way for us.
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