Orlando Adventure | FindPenguins

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Trip start
January 12, 2026
Orlando Adventure
Manatee Viewing Center
January 12 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F
Dave and I stopped on our way up to Orlando to the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. It is a nice facility next to one of the power plants which heats the water. During winter months hundreds of manatees gather as they don’t tolerate cold water. We also saw two kinds of sharks and lots of tarpon. Free to park and enter, very neat for the community to have an up close view of these marine creatures.Read more
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Orlando Adventure
First night
January 12 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F
After running some errands and getting settled into our hotel, Loews Portofino, we went to dinner at Voodoo Lounge. The food, atmosphere, and company were amazing. We’re still dreaming about those stacked potatoes. Afterwards we attempted to go to Ice Bar, the largest in North America, but it was closed for a private event. Instead we took the boat shuttle from our hotel to Universals City Walk. The dueling pianos were fun to listen to at Pat O’Briens. We had a great start to the trip and rested up for the next few days at the parks.Read more
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Orlando Adventure
Epic Universe
January 13 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
Our first full day at the parks was at Epic Universe. It opened in late May 2025 and we heard many great things along with some mixed reviews. Overall we had a really fun day, some great food, and learned some helpful tips for our next visit. Currently there aren’t many rides so the lines get very long. The is very little shade so we were lucky to have a fairly cool day to enjoy exploring. We didn’t get to experience some of the rides and shows due to how long you wait for each one but as they add areas it should help people spread out a bit more.Read more
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Orlando Adventure
Hollywood Disney
January 14 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
Our original plan was to have a day of rest between our two days at the Universal Parks. But while standing in line at Epic Universe we realized that Rob and Beth hadn’t experienced Disney recently. We decided to fill our rest day with a day at Hollywood Disney. It’s our favorite of the parks and the day honestly could not have gone better. So much fun was had and now Rob and Beth are annual pass holders. We were all glad we picked a day of adventure over a day of rest.Read more
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Orlando Adventure
Islands of Adventure
January 15 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F
We woke up earlier and earlier each day for the parks based on opening times and today we had early access with our hotel keys. We took the shuttle boat to Islands of Adventure and headed to the world of Harry Potter. The line for Hagrids coaster was insane already so we walked on to the Castle ride and then Dave and I enjoyed a quick ride on Velocicoaster. By the time we finished these two rides in 30 minutes Hagrids coaster was a much more reasonable wait. We all loved this ride, so many twists and turns and surprises. We enjoyed some of the 3D rides like Spider-Man and Kong before heading over to Universal Studios via the Hogwarts Express.Read more
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Orlando Adventure
Universal Studios
January 15 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
In 2.5 hours we had done pretty much all we wanted to do at Islands of Adventure thanks to the early access and fast lane passes from staying at our hotel. We headed over to Universal Studios on the Hogwarts Express which is a ride in itself.

We headed to Diagon Alley and rode Escape from Gringotts then waited for the dragon to roar. And waited. And waited. Turns out if it’s windy they won’t let her breathe fire. Which would be nice if there was a signal when that happens. That was our only hiccup the entire day. We were able to see Marilyn Monroe (Rob’s favorite), ride transformers, the Minion ride, and our new favorite show the Bourne Stuntacular. Last time Dave and I went to Universal we spoke at length to a kind elderly employee while waiting for the parks to open. He mentioned that this show was his favorite anywhere but we didn’t have time that day to see it. So we made it a priority to see this time. And wow, was it amazing. A mix of stunts, technology, and a rotating platform that almost seamlessly melded real life action with screen images. No videography or photography was allowed understandably. It quickly became one of the highlights of the trip. We were done in less than 3 hours so we headed out of the parks to grab a late lunch in City Walk. We ended up at Cowfish, a burger and sushi bar which instantly became a new favorite. It was a cold and windy day for Florida so it was nice to warm up for a bit before taking the bus back to the hotel. The boats weren’t running due to the wind but probably would have been chilly anyway. Despite the weather, Dave enjoyed a Coldstone ice cream before we left for the hotel.Read more
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Orlando Adventure
Universal at Night
January 15 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 46 °F
After relaxing at the hotel for a bit after lunch we headed back to the parks after dark. Some of the rides are fun in the daylight but even more fun at night. We went to Islands of Adventure again and repeated Velocicoaster, Hagrid’s Coaster, and the Castle ride before coming outside just in time to watch the light show on the castle. We had dinner at Mythos which was a mix of good and not so good. Then we hustled over to Universal Studios to catch the drone and light show, Cinesational. We could see parts of the drones and fireworks from our hotel but seeing the show from the lake in Central Park was amazing. We agreed it was likely the best light show from any of the parks we had seen. Because of the wind we were soaked from the fountains and the fireworks were limited but even frozen to the bone we had a great time.Read more
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Orlando Adventure
Last day in Orlando
January 16 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F
Rob and Beth had to leave a day early so Dave and I just relaxed and walked around City Walk. We planned on having a pool/hot tub day but they were closed due to the cold weather unfortunately. It was nice to stroll along the waterway walking to City Walk, explore the gardens around the Hard Rock hotel, and have time to notice some of the intricate details around City Walk. We can’t wait for our next adventure with our fun little group ❤️Read more
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Trip end
January 17, 2026