With Thanksgiving approaching, my mindset is on vacation. Naturally I’m reflecting on my first trip to Florida. I visited Naples with a day trip to Orlando (to visit Disney World). My personal tour guide (/boyfriend), Alec, showed me so many wonderful places that I hope you will be able to visit as well.
Alec made several videos from our trip that I will link below because sometimes pictures aren’t enough.
Our first stop was Vanderbilt Beach, a popular public beach near the Naples Ritz Carlton and other beachfront hotels. The water was comfortably warm and very flat (perfect for floating around).
Because of the time of year, our days were cut short by consistent 3 o’clock rain/thunderstorms. Still, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Brio at the Waterside Shops. This Italian restaurant has amazing flatbread, caprese, and other Italian food.
I ordered the Steak Salad, one of my new favorite dishes. I have found that if you order something like a Steak Salad or a Salmon Salad, they give you a very generous amount of salmon/steak (typically) along with a salad so you are able to get both protein and greens.
Another yummy Italian restaurant is Bravo, located in the Mercato. In that same shopping area is Yogurbella, which has super delicious frozen yogurt and endless toppings.
Pick a clear night and visit the Turtle Club Restaurant on Vanderbilt Beach for a wonderful sunset dinner. I enjoyed the salmon while Alec had the grouper. Both were phenomenal and the view was beautiful. We walked along the beach after to watch the remainder of the sunset.
Next up: DISNEY! I have been to Disneyland several times but never Disney World. We purchased the park hopper ticket and visited the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. It was a very long day (I got 27,000 steps according to my Fitbit) but definitely worth the 3 hour drive from Naples.
I previously wrote a piece on Travel Snacks and I must say these came in handy at the parks. Alec and I both tend to get a little grumpy when we are hungry so we both snacked on Kind Bars and Larabars while waiting in line for the rides.
Where to Eat in Disney World:
I was very worried about finding places to eat that would not be fried, battered, or greasy but I was pleasantly surprised by all the options. Here are a few suggestions if you visit the parks:…