The Best of 2022

It’s that time of year when we sit back and take stock on the year that has almost passed, enjoying a look in retrospect at another exciting 12 months in this fabulous destination.

Just to start with, it has been our first full Orlando year since 2019, thanks to the pandemic, and it has been wonderful to have business back to normal once again.

Everyone thrives when things are progressing in a positive manner, and 2022 has certainly been a year for getting back in gear and making it an encouraging experience for all concerned, with everyone pulling in the same forward direction.

It was a big year, a bold year, and one full of highlights and special events, from the opening of the new Peppa Pig theme park in Winter Haven to this month’s announcement by Universal Orlando of their novel Minion Land for 2023.

New Attractions and Theme Park Delights in Orlando

There was a LOT to enjoy just in the new rides this year, with each of Epcot, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens unveiling headline attractions that all lived up to the hype, and more besides.

Walt Disney World’s offering was a blockbuster in every sense as the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster absolutely blew us away for style, humour and thrills, all wrapped up in a typically immersive environment in Epcot’s new World Discovery area.

SeaWorld also raised the bar for coaster excitement with their Ice Breaker, which features a unique backwards-forwards launch sequence, a 93ft tall beyond vertical spike, an 80ft top hat feature and a speedy 1,900ft of track. It’s a pretty quick ride at barely 90 seconds, but it’s a five-star thrill.

Equally, Busch Gardens maintained its tradition for adrenalin surges with the towering steel-wood hybrid coaster Iron Gwazi. This hard-to-miss edifice in the middle of the park reaches a height of 206ft and hits a top speed of 76mph – the fastest in Florida – with two corkscrew inversions. We also summed it up, along with Ice Breaker, in this blog last March.

Excitement Outside the Theme Parks

Disney and Co didn’t have the monopoly on wonderful new attractions, though, and the Kennedy Center wasn’t far behind with introducing another compelling exhibit to its space frontier in the shape of Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex.

This imaginative exhibition brought us the present and future of all the space exploration systems happening at the KSC (which saw more than 60 rocket launches this year!), and it served to underline just how dramatic the current state of the USA’s space programme really is.

Downtown Orlando also had its own big opening with the debut of the Steinmetz Hall at the Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in January. This 1,650-seat concert venue is designed to provide practically perfect sound and can be configured into a variety of seating arrangements with a high-tech mechanical sub-structure that can completely re-arrange the seats and staging.

Disney also produced more creativity and immersive entertainment with their Galactic Starcruiser resort in March, when this all-new Star Wars experience – complete with characters and “missions” aboard the space ship Halcyon – offered a completely unique environment on two-day, all-inclusive trips to a Galaxy far, far away.

(PS: Don’t forget our Star Wars-themed villas, including a selection we highlighted in our blog last year).

There was even more to appreciate at Orlando International Airport, where the opening of the dazzling $2.8billion Terminal C in September promised to give new arrivals a truly great Florida welcome with its high-tech facilities and extensive food and beverage outlets.

Great new eats in Orlando, too!

The latest and greatest weren’t confined to our attractions, either, as we also saw a terrific array of new restaurants and other dining opportunities, which continue to be another Orlando highlight.

ICON Park, in the heart of the bustling International Drive tourist corridor, was foremost among the culinary creativity. Fresh from the 2021 debut of Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips and the Key West bar style of Sloppy Joe’s, we saw another enticing outlet open this autumn.

Brother Jimmy’s specialises in North Carolina barbecue, and it is a full-on, no-holds-barred dive into the world of smoky goodness, with outstanding dishes like their pulled pork and Black Angus brisket, as well as some seriously delicious cocktails. If you’re in party mood, or celebrating a birthday, this is definitely a great choice.

So, too, is Camelo Pizzaria on I-Drive, which we were lucky enough to sample during its preview opportunity in May. This traditional Brazilian outlet brought its own original style to the world of pizza-making, which we highlighted in a June blog about the best pizzerias in town.

We also saw the very first Michelin Guide for Florida, published in June, which listed no fewer than 33 Orlando restaurants under its different categories of upscale recommendation, underlining once again that The City Beautiful can do high-quality dining as well as anywhere in the world.

But, Best of all…

If we’re honest, though, the best thing about 2022 in Orlando was the fact that we were pretty much back to normal in all aspects.

After two years of pandemic-induced hiatus and setbacks, we were able to enjoy the full range of Florida attractions throughout the year, with just some common-sense precautions here and there to highlight the fact Covid-19 hasn’t, actually, disappeared.

All our villas were back in business, and we enjoyed a record booking period in January and February, confirming – as if it was needed – that Orlando remains the UK’s favourite long-haul destination.

Yes, that was the year that was – and we hope for even better in 2023!

What were your holiday highlights of 2022? Tell us about them on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages, and don’t forget to interact with us on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages… and don’t forget to interact with us on Pinterest, too!.