If you live in New York City, you know how brutal this winter was; it was even reported that this was one of the coldest winters the city has had in 11 years. To escape the frigid temperatures—and, frankly, the seasonal blues—I took a trip down to Orlando, Florida for a weekend in late February. Not only did I get to bask in the warmth that the south so generously provides, I also got a headstart on my base burn for the summer. Read on to discover how to spend a perfect 24 hours in Orlando.
7:00 am: Wake up at an Airbnb
I was traveling to Florida with my boyfriend and his friends for a joint bachelor and bachelorette party, so we had a giant Airbnb for the occasion. If you don’t have a big group, an Airbnb is still a great option for privacy—and a private pool.
8:00 am: Split Up and Hit Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios
The last time I was in Disney World was for my high school’s senior trip in 2016—so essentially 10 years ago. I’ve been looking for more ways to add “whimsy” into my life, and those were the exact vibes I got while roaming around Magic Kingdom. We started the morning on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and continued our journey to other more popular rides in the park. As the designated bag holder (i.e. the person in the group who doesn’t like rides) I sat out in the sun while the other girls hopped in the line for TRON.
12:00 pm: Lunchtime in Magic Kingdom
Once I was reunited with the girl group, we stopped by the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to be covered in fairy dust (more whimsy!). From there, we indulged in chicken tenders and fries for lunch, as we had to prepare for our “drink around the world” adventure to come.
3:00 pm: Drink Around the World in Epcot
Finally, my favorite part of the trip had arrived: drinking around the world in Epcot. The whole group made a break for a ride, so I got a head start in Mexico with a margarita. An hour later, the whole group was back together, each with a margarita in hand. We took our time visiting each country—some standouts being Norway, USA, Italy and France—before a classic Florida rainstorm made its way in.
6:00 pm: Leave Disney and Hit the Pool
Following a day at Disney, it was time to recover at the Airbnb. Ordering takeout and watching the sunset from the pool, it was the perfect end to our day of childhood nostalgia and surging adrenaline.
How to Ride in Orlando
📍 Rent a PWC from Island Vibez Watersports
Instead of spending the day at Disney, you can also spend the day out on the water. Rent a PWC and coast through coves. You can also do this in the morning, and then hit Disney in the afternoon.
