Flowers in Florida

Flower festing at Walt Disney World's Epcot! 

In March, my team and I traveled to Orlando for a work conference held on property at Walt Disney World. I'd been to this event before, but it had been several years, so it was good to return, meet up with some peers in the industry, and learn about some of the ways folks are adapting to the changes in our line of work and building new best practices. (Plus, I got to meet Mickey!)

Making friends with Mickey!

I decided to stay in town a day or two after the event to enjoy Orlando on my own dime. Though the Disney parks were pretty full (It was right around spring break season.), the conference offered attendees the opportunity to purchase half-day park tickets at a discounted rate. Since the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival was in full swing (and I'd never been to that), I decided to spend half a day enjoying the blooms at Epcot! 

Oh. My. Goodness. The topiaries and gardens were gorgeous! And everywhere you looked! I cannot imagine the type of effort and maintenance that goes into creating this event. Not only that, there were specialty pop-up food experiences throughout the park. I had a wonderful time, oohing and aahing over all the flowers, sampling the delicious bites on offer, and enjoying Epcot. 

After I was done at the park for the day, I collected my bag from the Disney resort where I'd been staying for the conference and checked into a great little condo on Lake Bryan that I found on AirBnb. This was the perfect home base from which to complete my exploring - cozy, comfy, great water views, a pool, etc. 

Letting it go in Norway!

The next morning, I started with a fantastic breakfast at Cafe Tu Tu Tango, where the food is delicious and the vibe is adorably quirky. (I literally saw a fortune teller who'd set up shop at one table. She was taking all comers.) I tried the Cuban style pulled pork Benedict and the indulgent monkey bread, and they were both FANTASTIC. (And did I have a mimosa? Yes. Yes, I did.) 

Me and Samuel L. Jackson throwing shade.

After sating my hunger, I caught a quick Uber to Madame Tussauds Orlando. This attraction is in a great tourist area called ICON Park. There are TONS of shops, restaurants, and things to do there (think ferris wheels, carousels, an aquarium, a Museum of Illusions, just tons of stuff), so if you're looking for a place to kill a few hours in Orlando, this is a great option. 

Until this trip, I'd never been to a Madame Tussauds. Not in all my years of traveling. I'd always considered them hokey tourist traps. And they are. But OMG, I had so much campy fun at this one that I don't think I cared! 

This attraction started out with some more historical wax figures - Ponce de Leon, Thomas Edison, etc. (Not surprisingly, I was one of the few people who wanted my photo with Thomas Edison, but there it is. #nerdlife)

I'd assumed (wrongly) that the attraction would have some folks stationed throughout the venue to take photos of you with the figures. I quickly realized that this was not the case. However, in one of the very early rooms of the venue, I met Clementina. Like me, Clementina was in the city on business and had decided to see a bit of Orlando while she was in town. We decided we'd go through the venue together and take photos of one another with all our favorite wax figures. 

Harry and I both miss Clementina! 

For the next hour or two, we HAD A BLAST taking goofy tourist photos with wax figures of Harry Styles, Whoopi Goldberg, Wonder Woman, Shaquille O'Neal, Oprah, Jackie Chan, E.T., Samuel L. Jackson - just everyone you can think of. It was a complete HOOT, and finding Clementina was such a happy stroke of serendipity! (After we were finished, she asked me if I was staying the rest of the day to explore ICON Park further. She'd bought a package ticket that also got her into the aquarium and onto the ferris wheel. Sadly, I had to decline, as I already had tickets for my next activity, but I often wonder what further trouble we could have cooked up together at ICON Park! Wherever you are, Clementina, I miss you!)

Recreation of a luxury Titanic state room at Titanic Orlando

My brush with fame still buzzing in my bones, I made my way to my final tourist activity of the trip - Titanic Orlando. (I'd actually considered booking their dinner experience, but when I saw YouTube videos of folks drinking from plastic cups at this dinner they'd paid $75 for, I opted to just explore the artifacts on my own.) The exhibit itself is very well done. Upon entry, docents provide you with a small card that contains your identity - the name of one of the passengers who was actually aboard the Titanic's maiden voyage. 

You'd never know by looking at it
that this first class dinnerware sat
at the bottom of the ocean for decades.

Then, you progress through a series of rooms containing artifacts recovered from the ship and the debris field (suitcases, hardware, dishes and items from the cargo hold, a two-ton section of the ship's hull, etc.) as well as items from survivors and others related to the shipwreck (photos, postcards, mourning pins). 

Throughout the exhibit, items marked with red flag placards indicated that they were recovered from the ocean floor. (Some of the dinnerware from the first class dining room looked pristine. You'd never know it sat at the bottom of the ocean for decades.) Other areas featured replicas of parts of the ship - staterooms, the verandah, the wireless bay, and the famous central staircase. 

At the end of the exhibit, walls of names list both those who survived and those who perished. You can look up the name assigned to you at the start to see if your identity was rescued from the ship or perished in the freezing waters. (My identity, a Mrs. John Borland Thayer from first class, survived.)

I enjoyed this attraction, and it was a quick stop. (I think I spent about 1.5 hours here.) Afterwards, I grabbed some dinner and headed back to the condo to pack up for tomorrow morning's departure. 

I've been to Orlando several times, but I was able to see and do some new things on this trip, which I really love. And, as for incorporating more magic into my life in 2024, the happiest place on Earth is a great place to do just that!