Social media

So, you are in Orlando or just looking at going. Where do you start when investigating?

Social media is a very good starting point, if you just put ‘Orlando theme parks’ into YouTube you will get a mind boggling array of vlogs, vids and previews pop up!

First off we’ll start by saying no amount of videos or pictures will ever do the place justice! We always get super animated when talking about all things Floridian, always comparing pics and vids with friends who are going and who have been.

YouTube, now this is a brilliant platform to find out what’s happening at the parks or in the areas, every park or big attraction will have their own channel so they can showcase what’s happening that day or what’s coming soon.

Walt Disney World has Mickeys not so scary Halloween nights starting in August so the channel will be showcasing that in subtle ways till the 16th of August (I know, Halloween starts in August, who knew!) this will be all interlinked with twitter and Instagram posts.

The new breed of “influencers” that are popping up are also a great way of finding things out as well. A favourite of ours is “The Tim Tracker” his laid back style of presenting with his wife Jen is a really relaxing view. He not only gives you ideas about the parks but he visits lots and lots of areas off the beaten track that you wouldn’t normally think of visiting! The latest one was a Ranch and Rodeo in the wilds of Florida. Not only did you get to see the local wild life but he showed the different types of accommodation that ranged from fully air conditioned teepees to log cabins.

He visits ALL the parks with alarming regularity giving updates on construction and new rides and all the food options. His hints and tips have saved us loads of money but more importantly saved us time to see and do other things.

Another new vlog/blog is by the Lowe family. First time visitors to the Sunshine State, their weekly blog show how they are preparing for the holiday of a lifetime. A very good channel where all the family get involved in the making and they showcase some brilliant “Mickey Ear” building skills! They also have an Instagram page under the same name.

We’re not going to mention every YouTube site we watch, that would be a whole blog in itself. All we can say is find one you like, and the content that entertains you. We like quite light hearted ones but there is a bewildering array of different styles out there.

Instagram.

Instagram is very good platform for interacting with the parks and people. You tend to get a very quick response to a query that’s been posted, most places now will be linked to a hashtag, so if you search a specific hashtag, whatever has been posted with that # will pop up. Virgin Atlantic are very very good at this and not just the airline their staff also are repping the company. One in particular is Laura also called skyprincess11, she shows the Airline in a brilliant light, a member of the cabin crew showing all the fun and food and fitness all over the world.

Another fun account to follow is called “guy behind the magic” this gentleman works at Walt Disney World in Orlando at Toy Story land. His account is a real pleasure to read and follow his adventures as he looks after the “toys” in the park. His job as security at the park gives us a real insight in the day to day running and adventures! And he’s just gotten married, that was a real treat to see all the preparations and the big day as it happened.

A favourite of ours on Instagram is called The Laughing Place, the official account of Walt Disney World for all things Disney related. This page is packed with fun photos and clips that really showcase the whole experience from parks to the hotels.

Instagram has really changed how big companies interact with people from insta walls in parks to new snacks that are only around for for only one or two days so these will be photographed and instantly uploaded to the world ensuring free massive publicity for the parks and for the instagrammer!! for example #dolewhipfloat and a mind boggling amount of pics of the parks fave snacks pop up!

Once you fall down the rabbit hole of vids, vlogs and blogs its hard to stop!! We always look forward to the daily vids from Tim Tracker, even though we are in the planning stages of our next adventure we cannot wait to get our fix from Orlando!

Happy hunting for all the hints and tips and fun planning. If you want further advice or want to know what we watch we’ll be will to share with you just drop us a message.