Daytona Beach and Disney World: Golf, Food, and Four Parks

Driving through the night to Daytona Beach

We left at night with my wife's sister driving and her daughter along for the trip. We made good time and stopped for a hotel when we were about three hours from Daytona Beach.

The next day we finished the drive, checked into our Daytona hotel for two nights, and went straight to the beach. I picked up a few local craft beers first, which gave us an easy way to toast the beginning of the trip.

Daytona Beach: Sand, golf, dinner, and mini golf

After settling in, we spent time on the sand before I headed to The Club at Pelican Bay. I had only been playing golf for about two months, so an affordable and well-maintained course was exactly what I needed.

The Florida setting made the round feel different from home. Herons appeared around the course, alligators watched from the water hazards, and the humid air seemed to take something out of the ball. After roughly four hours, I returned to the hotel hot and tired but glad I had added the round.

Dinner was at Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery across from Daytona International Speedway. The surrounding shopping and entertainment district gave us somewhere to walk around, and my chicken tacos were a good finish to the meal.

We ended the evening with mini golf, where even the small alligators near the course became part of the Daytona experience.

From Daytona to Orlando

After two nights, we left early for Orlando. The route taught us a lesson about Florida toll roads: the back-road option was not necessarily cheaper or easier once frequent tolls entered the picture.

Our first Orlando activity was Topgolf, where we spent a few hours hitting balls. Lunch was at Gyu-Kaku, a Japanese barbecue restaurant where we cooked the meat at the table. I tried sake for the first time along with a Japanese beer. The experience was memorable enough that we returned on a later Orlando trip.

After lunch, we checked into our Disney resort, activated the dining plan we had purchased at the time, and headed back out for dinner.

Hollywood Studios and EPCOT

Our first park day began at Hollywood Studios. We moved from ride to ride, but with so much we wanted to see, one park was not enough.

We continued to EPCOT, where the Food & Wine Festival was underway. The booths let us sample food and drinks from around the world while others in the group focused on attractions.

The standout bite was the best lamb chop I had ever eaten. It became one of those small food memories that outlasted many of the rides.

Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and fireworks from the water

We started the next morning at Magic Kingdom, but the crowd became overwhelming. Instead of forcing the day, I moved to Animal Kingdom, where shorter waits made the park feel much easier.

Expedition Everest became my favorite Disney ride, and the low wait let me ride it several times.

That evening, after dinner, we took a boat toward the bus connection. The timing gave us a view of the fireworks from the water—a quieter and more memorable way to see them than standing inside the crowd.

One more Animal Kingdom morning

On the final day, we returned to Animal Kingdom early and went directly to Kilimanjaro Safaris. The wait was only about 15 minutes.

The Pandora attractions were already too backed up for our schedule, so we saved them for another trip. Missing a couple of rides did not diminish a week filled with beach time, golf, food, and all four Disney parks.