I WENT ON HOLIDAY AGAIN!

Going on a holiday is one of my favourite things to do, but during these last two years I did wonder if I would ever get to go on holiday again! Luckily for everyone, the world has opened up once more and we’re now allowed to travel again.

 

Everyone has their favourite place to go to and mine is Orlando, Florida. It isn’t just because of all the parks and warm sunshine, but also because Florida is very wheelchair accessible – except for their public toilets – which I will talk more about it later on in this Blog. But for now, let’s start by getting there!

 

We always fly from Glasgow to Orlando; we like to do this because if we change over somewhere, it will be a LOT of work getting my wheelchair ready and going for another flight, especially when it’s a big airport, so flying from Glasgow direct to Orlando is better for us.

 

I find Glasgow Airport a great airport, we always get through check in and security easily and quickly, which gives me time to pick my perfume! 😊

 

When it comes to getting onto the airplane, that is very easy too. We are able to get my wheelchair right up to the airplane, and then there are always airport staff to help me board the plane. But, one time, as we were sitting near the door, my Dad just lifted me onto the airplane. Then the staff take my wheelchair away and it goes into a special apartment next to the cases.

 

I just sit on a normal airplane seat, which is OK, though I do find it a bit uncomfortable. It is the only way to get to Florida so I put with it, but I do wish I could fly in my wheelchair (maybe some day)! My last holiday to Florida was the first time that we flew with TUI and they were very good to fly with. The flight took about eight and half hours, which wasn’t too bad. We flew in to a new airport called Melbourne Orlando International. Melbourne Airport is very small, which means it is easy to get through!

 

Once we landed, we needed to wait until everybody got off and then they brought my wheelchair up, but we didn’t wait too long. We got our cases and got through the airport quite quickly, which is always good after a long flight!  Our hotel was an hour and 20 minutes away from the airport, so we got a coach there. The coach had a wheelchair lift, so I went on the coach in my wheelchair. The journey from the airport to the hotel was fine, and it let us see other bits of Orlando.

 

We have been going to the same hotel every year since 2010, it is called Rosen Inn at point Orlando International Drive. This hotel is great for disabled access. We always get a ground floor room with a roll-in shower. The room is quite big for my wheelchair and it has two double beds. There aren’t any hoists in the room (which is terrible) but we do manage. The hotel has three swimming pools which have hoists into them. Like I said earlier, our hotel is on International Drive.  International Drive is 18.5 kilometres long and has a lot of restaurants and shops, plus it isn’t too far from the parks.  

 

We love eating out for breakfast and dinner when we are away.  Our favourite restaurants are Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Perkins, Buffalo Wild Wings… and many more! All of the restaurants are accessible.

 

Orlando is famous for theme parks like Disney World and Universal Studios. However, as we have been to Orlando so many times we’ve done all of the theme parks. So, this year we decided to not to go to any of the parks because they can be very tiring, especially when it is really warm. So, our last Florida break was more of a chilled holiday with us having relaxing days at the pool, doing all of our shopping and we going to downtown Orlando, which it was good to see.

 

Like I said, we did a lot of shopping. Orlando has some great shops, including two outlets at each end of International Drive, and there are two shopping malls called Mall at Millenia and the Florida Mall. I love going shopping in Orlando. My favourite shops are Holster, guess, Gap and many more… especially where the shop sells trainers. 😊

In terms of getting around in Orlando, we use their public buses. All of the buses have ramps and they clamp wheelchairs in too, which it is great. 

 

Orlando is very accessible, as can be seen with their transport, hotels, restaurants and shops. Even when we went to all of the theme parks, they had some rides which wheelchairs could get on. But Orlando hasn’t a single Changing Places toilet, not even in any of theme parks. But I must say, this year I found that all their disabled toilets are quite big which it makes it easier.  It is strange in a way because America is ahead of us terms of their transport but we are ahead of them terms of Changing Places toilets. They may catch up with us some day!

 

When it comes to booking our holiday, until a few years ago we always booked through a travel agent, because we found it safer with all of my needs, but these last few years we started booking our holiday over the internet/phone. The way it works that is we booked the holiday first and then the travel agent puts us in contact with the guest assistants team (I think every travel agents has one of these) then the Guest Assistants Team sorts everything out for me, like the hotel room, the bus from the airport to the hotel, and so on.

 

Overall I love my holidays to Florida – it is really a great place to go to for a holiday.

 

I hope you enjoyed this Blog and if you have any questions, please contact me. You can find all of my contact details are under contact me on this Website.

Written by Jill