What better way to ring in the new year, than to spend it at the most magical place on Earth? I spent my last day and the first hours of 2019 at Disney's Animal Kingdom and Epcot, and it was literally the best way to end and start a new year. The last time I had been to Disney World was when I turned 22, but I only went to Magic Kingdom. The last time I went to any of the other parks... I was about five years old. The fun did not just end at Disney though, I also went to Busch Gardens and The Kennedy Space Center!
We began the day by going to Animal Kingdom, and we explored the entire park. We checked out all the areas, and were blown away by the Avatar section, Pandora! I loved the movie so much that seeing the movie come to life in front of my eyes was absolutely magical. My favorite attraction though... The Festival of the Lion King. I knew that was the one attraction I absolutely could not miss. Being as obsessed as I am with the movie, this should not come as a surprise that I almost cried watching the performance... it was that beautiful and moving. We only spent the morning at Animal Kingdom because we had the rest of the world waiting for us at Epcot!
Oh, Epcot. This is definitely the Disney park for adults. I have heard many things about this park now that I am of age and how drinking around the world is an absolute must. So, naturally I had to check it out and welcome the new year the proper way. I gotta say, I completely fell in love with this park and all the countries that it featured. We went to every single country and got the signature drink in each, make sure to build a nice base though because the drinks WILL GET TO YOU. I recommend not rushing through all the countries though, take your time and enjoy what each has to offer. Because this was New Year's Eve, some of the countries had their own parties going on and the USA, China, and Italy were BUMPING! We successfully drank around the world, survived, and welcomed 2019 with open arms.
The next park we went to was Busch Gardens and I have only been here one other time and it was years ago. I've gotta say, this might be one of the best parks I have ever been to, literally loved every single ride I went on. I recommend buying the "Quick Queue", since it is way cheaper than the fast passes at any other parks and it will give you a better experience overall. The park has definitely gone through a complete facelift, since I did not remember a single one of the rides they have now from when I last came. One of my favorite things about this park was the safari experience - all the animals were so active that day! I even got an incredible picture with my fellow King of the Jungle. Going through this mini safari definitely woke something in me, something that is making me want to travel to Africa and go to a real safari. We shall see.
You know, when I was a kid the first thing I ever wanted to be when I grew up was an astronaut, so coming to the Kennedy Space Center is a childhood dream come true. I cannot even begin to describe my level of excitement when I came to this place, I was in complete awe. The visitor center has everything you could possibly think of to have a full space experience. They have an IMAX theatre, exhibitions with different versions of astronaut suits, rocket exhibits, photo ops, space-themed restaurants and cafes, and... special meet and greets with real astronauts! I highly recommend this place, everyone should go to it at least once in their lifetime.
I must say, this has been by far one of my favorite ways to end and begin a year. Especially going around the world one final time, it just seemed very fitting for me. Thank you again to my incredible mother for making this experience possible! I love you and wish you the best 2019 ever! And now, may the new year bring many more adventures and may it take me to new places!
#Travel #Disney #BuschGardens #KennedySpaceCenter #NewYearsEve #NewYear #NASA