Alright, imagine Disney World as the coolest kid in town, and Orlando and Tampa are two of its best buddies.
So, let me break it down for you:
You’re standing right in the middle of the Sunshine State, Florida.
To your east, you got
Orlando, the theme park capital of the world
.
It’s like the heart of all things magical, with Disney World, Universal Studios, and a bunch of other awesome attractions.
Now, turn your head west, and you’ll spot Tampa, a lively city known for its beautiful beaches, sports, and great Cuban sandwiches (yum!
).
It’s like the life of the party!
So, which buddy is Disney World closer to?
Drumroll, please!
Orlando takes the crown on this one! Disney World is like Orlando’s superstar neighbor, just a short drive away.
It’s like they’re practically holding hands.
But don’t worry, Tampa isn’t left out.
It’s not too far either!
From Tampa to Disney World, it’s still doable to plan a day trip if you’re up for some fun adventures.
Both Orlando and Tampa have their own unique vibes to offer.
The real question is, which one will you choose to explore first?
🎉
Is it Better to Visit Tampa or Orlando with Children?
Ah, choosing between Tampa and Orlando with kids is like picking between two different flavors of ice cream!
My opinion: Orlando- 100%.
Let’s dig in and see which one might tickle your taste buds more!
If your little ones are all about the magic, enchantment, and hanging out with beloved characters, then Orlando might just be the perfect scoop for you.
Disney World, Universal Studios, and other theme parks are like a kid’s dream come true.
It’s a land of wonder and excitement, with rides, shows, parades, and lots of opportunities for your kiddos to meet their favorite princesses, superheroes, and cuddly creatures.
But hey, hold your horses!
If you’re looking for something a bit more laid-back and beachy, Tampa has a different kind of sweetness to offer.
The city has some fantastic family-friendly attractions like the Florida Aquarium, Busch Gardens, and Lowry Park Zoo.
Plus, Tampa’s beaches are like sandy playgrounds where the little ones can splash around and build sandcastles until the sun sets.
So, think about what your kids are into!
Do they want to go on magical adventures with Mickey and friends, or are they ready for some wild animal encounters and beachy fun?
Of course, you can always mix it up and enjoy both flavors!
Orlando and Tampa are like two scoops in the same bowl, not too far apart.
If you’ve got the time, why not have a taste of both and make unforgettable memories with your kiddos?
Ultimately, it all boils down to what your family craves most – that whimsical Disney sparkle or the laid-back beachy vibes of Tampa.
Either way, you’re in for a treat!
🍦😊
Is Disney World Closer to Orlando or Tampa?
Disney World is closer to Orlando
city.
From Orlando you have a direct road to Disneyland .
The age of children when choosing a park is really a determining factor.
Therefore, I will tell you about Disney World in more detail .
It includes 4 parks –
M
agic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studio and Epcot.
Keep in mind that they are located quite far from each other and have separate entrances.
How to move between parks is a separate issue for study.
Somewhere there is a monorail, somewhere branded Disney buses run. But for residents of Disney hotels, the transport is free, for the rest – for money.
And if you are by car, there is no point in moving between parks inside. You will have to return to the parking lot somehow again.
So, about the parks themselves. For kids under 8 years old – Magic Kingdom is a must-see. There children get into a fairy tale but move on to warnings:
The territory of the park is hge, it is located on the island, ticket offices – on the “mainland”.
You still have to get to the ticket office. Either by Disney transport, or from the car park by train.
And then – either a ferry or a monorail.
On the way to the park, it’s even cool, but on the way back …. I guarantee that you and your children will be deadly tired, your legs will fall off, the children will be capricious.
And you still need to somehow get out of there. And there will be queues everywhere.
It is in this park that there are always a lot of visitors, always crowded.
Therefore, express passes are simply necessary there…
I’m afraid to advise, but I will share my personal experience with pleasure. We bought tickets directly to Orlando – there are a myriad of ticket offices.
Unlike the official site and cash desks at the entrance, they also give a whole bunch of all sorts of coupons and privileges.
So we got 3 FastPass for each day of visit. It helped a lot. I advise you to take two days to visit.
Magic Kingdom has a lot of temptations for little kids.
Here you will find princess dresses, and masks, and all sorts of luminous things, and photos with Snow White or a mermaid. Be prepared for this, all of this also takes a lot of time and money!
Food in the parks is expensive and purely American – hamburgers, hot dogs and other fast food.
Magic Kingdom – the most “long-running” park. I think it works until 9pm. After dark, there is an electric parade, fireworks and a light music show at Snow White’s palace.
Be sure to study the schedule and plan on which day you will stay late. For example, we got on a day when the park was open until 1 am!
The next park is Animal Kingdom
.
The kids will love it, and the adults won’t get bored either.
One day in quiet mode is enough.
I recommend visiting after the noisy and crowded Magic Kingdom. In the Animal Kingdom, things are much calmer. In addition, it is a very beautiful area.
In other Disney parks, children will not be so interested.
They are aimed at an older audience.
Although I would advise going to Epcot.
For children, I recommend Nemo’s Journey there, against the background of a real aquarium, there is quite a children’s attraction with cartoon Nemo and company, and then you can walk around the aquarium.
The boys will definitely like the race. And the whole family will be very interested in walking around the lake and visiting different countries.
Go to Mexico – there is a very fun attraction for children and adults.
As for other parks:
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
is Disney’s animal world.
This is where you can meet the heroes of the cartoon The Lion King or take a ride on the Kilimanjaro safari .
Pandora
– The World of Avatar is the newest theme park based on James Cameron’s Avatar movie.
Opened very recently.
Is Tampa Cooler than Orlando?
Tampa is cooler in summer and warmer in winter, because it is located on the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay.
Better to come to Tampa in winter when there are no hurricanes.
Tampa is located on a peninsula along Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, has an 11% chance of being hit by hurricanes at any time of the year.
Most of the population’s 347,645 live mostly near the coast, making their homes very vulnerable to storm surge.
Our Trip from Orlando to Tampa
We started our journey in Orlando because of Disneyland.
The main thing here is to choose the right place where you will spend the night .
If you choose to stay in hotels on the territory of the Disney park itself, then you will find yourself in rooms specially designed for guests of the magical world of Disney with the appropriate furnishings.
Other bonuses: you can skip the queue, guests get an extra hour in one of the parks, and the issue of transport is also resolved. It’s comfortable.
But if you want to live not in the Disney Resort, but in a hotel nearby, then pay attention to the city of Kissimmee , which is much closer to the Disney park than Orlando itself.
And then it remains only to decide which park to go to.
Only Disney (Disney World Resort) has as many as five different locations! After we moved to Plant City from Orlando.
But Florida’s world of magic doesn’t end outside of Orlando. After driving a little, you can immediately fall into the power of other theme parks, which are located on the way to Tampa.
I have highlighted the most interesting ones:
Legoland
is an amusement park with roller coasters near the town of Winter Haven and the largest Legoland in the USA.
Dinosaur World
has over
150 dinosaur sculptures that can be seen in this park!
Located near Plant City.
Busch Gardens
Tampa Bay
is a zoo in Tampa that shows the world of the African savannah.
There are giraffes, hippos, cheetahs and lions.
Adventure Island
is another water park in Tampa.
In Plant City in the morning, right after breakfast, we went to look at dinosaurs in Dinosaur World, get acquainted with their worlds and marvel.
And in the late afternoon we went to Tampa.
The next entire day we spent in Tampa.
First we went to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay , which belongs to the SeaWorld family of parks. Here met the real African World.
And in the evening we walked around Tampa itself. We spent a quiet evening of relaxation in Ybor City, a place with hundreds of boutiques and restaurants of Cuban cuisine.
And we walked along the long promenade of Tampa – Tampa Riverwalk – already 2,5 miles long!
After Tampa we went to Cocoa Beach.
It was the longest trip, on Florida’s Highways.
Florida highways are tolled at 6 centers per mile. If you do not want to pay, then you can go around on the 520 road.
On that day, as a reward for driving through all of Florida, we simply checked into a cozy hotel on Cocoa Beach and went to the beach.
By the way if your children are not so interested in Legoland, dinosaurs and elephants, then instead of going to Tampa you can immediately go to the beaches of Cocoa Beach.
Then the road will be almost twice as short.
In Cocoa Beach , you can relax as much as you want.
