Ever since we became parents, we often talked about visiting Disneyland in Florida with our children. Thanks to clever advertising algorithms, we were constantly reminded of this idea – long live cookies! Once you dive deeper into planning, you’ll find countless experience reports and blogs that offer great insight. In the following lines, we want to honestly reflect both the positive and negative aspects of our trip to give other families a realistic impression. We also won’t ignore the costs, since they play a crucial role when planning such a trip. This is not a classic travelogue meant to stir emotions, but rather an informative account.
We are Carina and Matthias and have two daughters: Sophia (10) and Luisa (7).

Booking and Flights

A key factor was the timing of our trip. With school-aged children, we’re bound to the school holidays, so we opted for the Christmas break. We looked at offers from travel agencies and online portals. The differences were larger than expected: direct flights to Miami or Orlando ranged between €7,500 and €8,500. We ultimately chose flights with a layover, booked via an online comparison portal, for a total of €4,750 (economy class). Our outbound journey with a stop in Montreal took 13 hours in total, and the return flight via New York and London took about 14 hours.

Orlando: Disney, Pool and Earaches

Especially with children, one should not underestimate the strain of traveling. That’s why we spent the first day at the pool of our hotel, the Caribe Royale, which was well equipped with pools, leisure facilities, and a sports bar. Sophia struggled with fatigue and nausea that day. On the second day came the highlight of our trip: Disneyworld 

The “World” in Disneyworld only makes sense once you’ve seen the scale of it in person. The area around Orlando feels like one giant theme park, mostly dominated by Disney: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Typhoon Lagoon, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Blizzard Beach. We chose to spend a day at Magic Kingdom, which cost us $808 – a hefty price compared to amusement parks in Germany. However, the setting and attention to detail were spectacular. Shows and live performances from Disney movies created a magical atmosphere. Our children were impressed and delighted.
On the downside were the extremely high prices, the rather poor quality of the food, and the enormous crowds, with wait times ranging from 45 to 90 minutes per attraction. A good tip to pass the time: the app “Heads Up.” Despite these drawbacks, it was an unforgettable day for our daughters.
The next day brought an unfortunate turn: Luisa developed a painful ear infection. Fortunately, we found an "Urgent Care" clinic nearby, similar to a general practitioner’s office. The visit alone cost $250, with treatments billed separately. Luckily, our international travel insurance (through Barclaycard) handled everything smoothly, so after a $150 deductible, we were reimbursed for most of the nearly $600 in total costs. Medications had to be paid for separately.

Clearwater, Clearwater Beach and Tampa

While we mainly used UBER in Orlando, we rented a car for the trip to Clearwater (€589 for 11 days). We left Clearwater itself after just one night, since our beach vacation made more sense at Clearwater Beach. The remaining days were spent at Springhill Suites Clearwater Beach. The weather in December/January was like sunny spring days in Germany – sometimes perfect for swimming, sometimes windy. Depending on the weather, we planned our activities: beach days, visits to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a hop-on-hop-off tour in Tampa, and a day at the Busch Gardens Tampa amusement park. Clearwater Beach met all our expectations. The beach was long, clean, and ideal for families. However, those seeking peaceful seclusion may not find it here. A particular highlight was the hop-on-hop-off tour in Tampa. The combination of a boat ride and a tour on a little trolley train was fun for everyone and kept the kids entertained. Unfortunately, Busch Gardens turned out to be disappointing. For nearly $600 including parking, we managed only two rides due to extremely long wait times (120–180 minutes). The food options were expensive and poor in quality. Many of the alternative play areas were outdated or out of service. Overall, Busch Gardens was a letdown.

Conclusion

It was the first time we didn’t spend Christmas with our extended family. Nevertheless, we truly enjoyed our time in Florida and took home many unforgettable memories. Florida offers amazing entertainment options and is very well suited for family travel. One of the most beautiful things was watching our daughters embrace new experiences and easily connect with people.
However, it’s important to be aware that the USA is a very expensive travel destination. Finding healthy food – especially for kids – was often a challenge. In summary: despite a few challenges, it was a wonderful time filled with valuable experiences that especially broadened our children’s horizons – the trip was definitely worth it!
You’ll find more impressions and detailed daily reports with photos on our website: www.neunzehnzehn.com