Orlando
2026

Land and stock up

Landing around 1pm. By the time we've got bags and cars sorted and reached the resort, it's mid-afternoon — so today is deliberately easy.

• Grocery run or Instacart. Publix on Turkey Lake Road is five minutes out. Full kitchens plus three toddlers makes this the highest-value hour of the trip.
• Pool. The zero-entry main pool has a shallow sloped edge with fountains bubbling up through it — toddler heaven.
• Cookout dinner on the resort grills — easiest first-night option for a crew this size. Or Sand Lake Restaurant Row for whoever wants out.

Pool morning, easy exploring

Pool in the morning, a little exploring after, early night. Monday is a long one — this day sets it up.

• Pool opens at 8am. The 8-to-10 window is the best of the day — cool water, low sun, empty deck.
• International Drive for browsing — ICON Park's shops and promenade, the outlets, Pointe Orlando. Easy in-and-out, all ten minutes away.
• Or go green: Harry P. Leu Gardens — 50 acres of shaded walkable paths, a rose garden, a butterfly garden and a lakeside lawn the kids can run on. Calm, pretty, and a world away from the tourist strip.
• Lake Eola Park downtown pairs well with the gardens — swan boats, a walkable loop, and lunch nearby.
• Back for an early night. Long day tomorrow.

Fort De Soto

A shallow protected lagoon with almost no wave action and a wide walkable sandbar — with kids at one, two and three, calm beats clear.

• Shaded picnic areas and grills. Real restrooms, snack bar, about $5 a car.
• Pack a cooler — food options are thin.
• Backup: Clearwater Beach, 35 minutes north. If red tide or the flags look bad we reroute that morning without losing the day.
• Check FWC red tide status and beach flags before we leave.

ICON Park, then CityWalk

A recovery day disguised as an activity. ICON Park is ten minutes away, gate-free, with a free parking garage.

• SEA LIFE Aquarium — 360° ocean tunnel, sharks, rays, touch pools. Sixty to ninety minutes, which is a toddler's exact ceiling.
• Carousel and the Pearl Express train. Skip Madame Tussauds at this age.
• Check the Wheel is running before buying any combo ticket — it goes down for annual maintenance.
• Home by two. Naps.

Two separate tracks

A possible split — the adults who want a park day peel off, everyone else has a relaxed resort day. Totally optional, decided that morning.

Chores worth doing today: laundry in the in-suite washer/dryer, grocery top-up, and start repacking. It's the only day with no departure.

Over to Aqua Sol

Pure recovery and logistics. Both rooms are ours tonight, so there's no checkout clock and no rush.

• Load up late morning, drive twenty-five to thirty minutes west, check in.
• Aqua Sol has its own water park — slides, volcano feature, splash area — plus mini golf, paddle boats and a fishing pond. Free with the room.
• Early night. Friday runs late.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary

Aqua Sol is fifteen minutes from Walt Disney World — closer than Parc Soleil was. Yesterday's move set this up.

• Morning: Aqua Sol water park and mini golf.
• Noon to three: everyone naps. Adults included. Not optional.
• 4:00pm: into Magic Kingdom on party tickets.
• 4 to 8:30: trick-or-treat trails and character meets. Mickey and Minnie in Halloween costumes, Tiana, the villains.
• 9:15: first Boo-To-You parade, then out.

Out early

Labor Day is September 7, so we're leaving on the front edge of the holiday weekend. I-4 and the airport both get bad and security can run over an hour. Add ninety minutes to whatever feels right.