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Category winners from TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies 2022 travelled to the Sunshine State on a Top 50 Champions Trip with Visit Florida to sample some of the destination’s newest attractions and undiscovered destinations
“I’ve been to Mars!” exclaims a TTG Top 50 Champion grinning gleefully from ear to ear, while a second retorts: “I went to Jupiter!”. We’ve just had our very first experience of outer space, but with our feet firmly planted on the ground at Gateway, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s latest attraction.
Welcoming space enthusiasts from early June, this new building houses an immersive simulation ride offering the opportunity to encounter the Perseverance rover on the Red Planet, soar 40 light years away to an exo-planet system, get an up-close look at Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s moon, and visit a pre-supernova star.
The simulation is an exciting addition to Kennedy Space Center, complementing other attractions such as the shuttle launch experience, chat with an astronaut and bus tour around the complex. Nasa plans to launch the moon-bound Artemis 1 from Kennedy Space Center in 2023, which adds another string to the destination’s bow.
“To hear they’re going back to the moon from February next year is really exciting,” says Graeme Brett, director at Westoe Travel, which is TTG’s Top Travel Agency in the North East for 2022. “I think it’ll encourage a whole new generation to be interested [in Kennedy Space Center].”
This isn’t the only place TTG Top 50 Champions are reaching new heights, however, as they discover when we board VelociCoaster at Universal Orlando Resort’s Islands of Adventure. Guests first rode this new Jurassic Park-themed rollercoaster last year, and as we accelerate to 70mph into dives and twists and turns (this is now the fastest coaster in Florida), the terrifying roars of prehistoric raptors ring out almost as loudly as agents’ screams.
Agents’ jelly legs have just about recovered from the thrills of Universal Orlando Resort (for not only did we brave VelociCoaster, we pushed our nerves to their limits on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit and The Incredible Hulk Coaster) when we make the 40-minute journey to Kissimmee’s Chain of Lakes. This is where we’re going in search of a beast not too dissimilar from a raptor; the Floridian alligator.
Few are aware the edge of The Everglades is within such easy reach of the attraction parks, the landscapes so unrecognisable from those in Orlando, and yet whizzing through the wispy reeds of Cypress Lake in an airboat is just as thrilling as riding the Krakatau Aqua Coaster at Universal’s Volcano Bay. When we glide into a slow drift, the engine cut by our captain, there’s not a sound except the low hum of insects and occasional birdcall of the protected sandhill crane.
“That right there,” our captain says with a southern slur, “is a six-foot gator”. Heads swivel to the right of the boat where a few metres away a gigantic snout can be seen snaking through the still, glassy water.
Elsewhere in the Sunshine State, also within an hour’s drive of Orlando, visitors can spot Florida manatees, otters and dolphins. We spend time in the Indian River Lagoon, south of New Smyrna Beach, and see so many frolicking Atlantic bottlenose dolphins we lose count. Manatees prove elusive on our eco-boat tour with the Marine Discovery Center, but we do spot bald eagles, snowy egrets and entire families of pelicans and protected great blue herons. Visitors are guaranteed to see nature’s creatures here, given the lagoon is home to more than 4,000 species of flora and fauna.
Back on land, New Smyrna Beach is a hippy hangout complete with boutique stores, country bars and arts and cultural hubs such as the New Smyrna Museum of History and The Hub on Canal.
“It’s really interesting to learn from its museum New Smyrna Beach is the second oldest city in Florida,” says Susan Dearing, personal travel consultant at Designer Travel, which is TTG’s Top Travel Agency in the North West for 2022. “It’s also great to see all the different species of birds and hear about important conservation work, so I’ll definitely be recommending twin-centres for Orlando [and New Smyrna Beach] going forwards.”
SMARTER
Book clients into on-site accommodation at Universal Orlando Resort to benefit from early park admission (one hour prior to opening) at Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay.
BETTER
Where budgets allow, opt for Universal Orlando Resort’s Group VIP Experience for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, which includes a dedicated tour guide, queue jump for a minimum of 10 rides, behind-the-scenes access, breakfast, lunch and more. Upgrading to the Private VIP Experience, which also includes dinner, is an option too. Contact your preferred ticket provider for prices, but expect them to start from £200pp.
FAIRER
Universal Studios provides a “Quiet Room” for guests with autism or other cognitive sensitivities. Located at Health Services beside the park’s main entrance it has rubber floors, an activity wall, dimming lights and hiding tunnels. Find A Planning Guide For Visitors With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Other Cognitive Disabilities at universalorlando.com.
Excitement need not stop at the end of the day either, with accommodation in Kissimmee providing endless thrills from the comfort of a holiday home. When we stop by The Small World Castle at Reunion the “oohs” and “aahs” come in floods in response to the games room, cinema and fairytale-themed bedrooms – there’s even an indoor woodland playground complete with slide, a turreted chill-out zone and a Cinderella stained-glass window.
Some of us spend sunset sipping well-earned tipples in the hot tub while others – the big kids – squirt each other with a water gun in the pool. We know why Florida is nicknamed the Sunshine State; because it never fails to put a warm smile on its visitors’ faces.
Agents attending the Top 50 Champions Trip share newly acquired tips from their first-hand experience
“Use the 2023 moon missions in your marketing and build Florida itineraries around the launch dates.”
Graeme Brett, Westoe Travel
“Recommend clients opt for one of Universal Orlando Resort’s three Premier hotels – Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Portofino Bay and Loews Royal Pacific – to get the Express Unlimited Pass, which permits early park admission and queue jump, included in the price of a stay.”
Nicola McCafferty, Downe Travel
“Emphasise how easy it is to get around Universal Orlando Resort when staying on-site and using the free shuttle buses between parks and hotels.”
Richard Cross, The Travel Village Group
“Suggest a twin-centre itinerary incorporating the attraction parks in Orlando and a laid-back coastal destination such as New Smyrna Beach.”
Susan Dearing, Designer Travel
“Explain Volcano Bay is well worth a visit because it offers a mixture of fast-paced adventure and relaxed beach vibes.”
Christiane McCorgray, Thorne Travel
Watch the video coverage from the TTG Top 50 Champions Trip 2022 to hear agents’ highlights and selling tips:
Book it: USAirtours offers three nights at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort Dockside Inn and Suites, six nights in a villa with private pool at Encore Resort at Reunion and three nights at the Hampton Inn New Smyrna Beach for £2,049pp. Price is based on a family of four departing 5 May 2023 and includes 14-day Universal Orlando 3 Park Explorer Tickets, one-day admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, car hire and flights from Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic.
