3 Places to Visit in Orlando, FL

Ever thought about venturing to Orlando, Florida?

In March 2018, I visited Florida for five days with two friends. We planned this trip very last minute, but the way it worked out was both perfect and unforgettable in every way. We got up to quite a lot in five days! Here are three places we visited in Orlando to send your wanderlust sky-high.

1. Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier

Our trip here is a memory I will always hold dear. As soon as we arrived, we rushed to set up camp in the sand. It was unusually cold and windy that day. Let's just say I was grateful we packed a blanket! At one point, I was wrapped up in the blanket alone while my friends dipped their feet in the water. I eventually managed to unwrap myself and went for a dip, too. It was freezing.

Later, one of my friends and I went to a gift shop on the pier to buy souvenirs. I was pleasantly surprised to meet a woman from a town about an hour away from where I live in the UK. Small world! We told her we were studying in Buffalo and that we came out to visit. It was very comforting to talk to her, because it made me feel like a little piece of home was always with me.

As the sun was setting, my friends and I took a walk across the beach. At some point we weren't even talking to each other. We didn't need to. We just listened to the music on our phones and admired the scenery. It got dark eventually. The sky was glittering with stars and we kept walking. We must have walked at least a couple of miles in the sand. We finally reached a slightly populated area full of bars. One bar was suitable for people under 21 (I can't quite remember what it was called), so we went in there and ate before we took an Uber home for the night.

If you're thinking of visiting Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier, I definitely recommend you do!

2. Universal Orlando Resort

Our trip to the Universal Orlando Resort ended up being one of my favourites. My two friends had been suggesting we go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, before we left Buffalo. I was completely up for it and I couldn't believe where we were going.

Aside from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we tried out various rides including the E.T. Adventure ride, The Simpsons Ride, MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack, and Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster. All of these rides were fantastic. They were like no rides I had ever experienced before. It seemed like so much effort was put into them, which made me appreciate them even more. We even caught a parade (I think it was SpongeBob SquarePants themed) while we walked around the park.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was completely breath-taking. I don't know the most about the Harry Potter franchise, but I was completely in awe at how much I felt like I was part of the movie. We visited Ollivander's Wand Shop and tried on our house robes (I'm a Hufflepuff). We ate lunch at the Leaky Cauldron and visited the Honeydukes sweet shop. I would highly recommend getting food from both places! We then tried out the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ride and explored every nook and cranny of Diagon Alley. We also accidentally became part of an Ollivander's wand selection ceremony. My friend was picked to select a wand, which made the experience even more worth it. As the park was closing, we set off home.

One of the things I love most about the Universal Orlando Resort is that you can enjoy yourself no matter what age you are. I was filled with pure joy before, during, and after our visit.

If you ever get the chance to go to the Universal Orlando Resort, treat yourself and go!

3. Wekiwa Springs State Park

My two friends and I (and another lovely girl we met while staying in Orlando) visited Wekiwa Springs State Park. I was completely convinced we were going for a hike before we got there. I was wrong, but pleasantly surprised!

When we arrived, the giant pool of water was the first thing we saw. I initially thought it was a spring we could walk around. It actually turned out to be a pool for visitors to swim in. I then realised I hadn't come prepared in terms of swimming attire (oops).

The pool wasn't very busy at all at the time, so we unpacked the food we brought for the "hike" and had a picnic. It wasn't long before we were surrounded by squirrels trying to eat our strawberries and bread. It was such an adorable scene. It felt like we were in a movie. It honestly didn't seem real.

After food, my three friends jumped in the pool for a swim. Not too long after, I was convinced to jump in, too. As we swam around, I was saying to my friends that this place looked like a scene out of Jurassic Park. It truly looked as if a T-Rex would burst out from behind the trees.

I must have been in the water for ten minutes before we heard the thunder. We moved quickly, getting out the pool, drying ourselves off, and frantically packing the food back up. Then the rain came. It was the most sudden and violent rain I have ever experienced, but it made the visit all the more exciting. Our next thought was to run to the toilet to dry off. The toilet was all the way up a hill, so you can imagine that by then, we were drenched. We found it so hilarious and typical.

When we reached the toilet, half of us attempted to dry ourselves off with a hand dryer while the others went to find phone service to call an Uber. After a 20-minute wait, we took the Uber home along with the wonderful memory of a semi-successful picnic!

Well worth the visit!

Until we meet again, Orlando.