ORLANDO — On my 18th visit to Florida, I recently returned to Orlando for the first time in almost a decade.

The best things haven’t changed. But plenty of good things have happened in that long interim.

Here’s a roundup of a few of the O-Town experiences that I loved the most …

BRIGHTLINE

Honestly, this Miami-Orlando train is a game-changer. The Orlando section of track just opened to revenue service in September 2023. I rode this new railway in both directions (embarking in Miami, then returning to Fort Lauderdale), and in both classes of service – Smart (economy) and Premium (first). Overall first impressions: the trip was smooth, painless and affordable. And, honestly, kind of fun.

Full disclosure: I love trains. I’ve ridden them all around the world, from the Trans-Siberian to the Indian Pacific to the Shinkansen. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a Florida railway. The station in Miami was sleek and sunny. The security check was high tech: no shoes or belts in bins. And you can even bring full-sized liquids.

All images courtesy Visit Orlando.

 Boarding the train, it was fresh, clean, spacious and, yes, bright. Seats in Smart were a little tight, but not overly so. The overhead shelf easily fit my Tumi carry-on suitcase. All of the power outlets worked, and the WiFi was fast and didn’t require a password.

The route isn’t exactly scenic – nobody is going to mistake this for the Orient Express. But the tracks provide views you wouldn’t get from the interstate, the train dancing past green golf courses and little canals, letting you peek into people’s backyards. At the end of the line we arrived into the station, connected to Orlando International Airport (MCO), exactly four minutes early.

All images courtesy Visit Orlando.

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT

This was my first solo theme park visit, and while I had visited Universal Orlando once before, it was so long ago I remember few of the details. But I love rides and rollercoasters and theme parks in general. And I had a lot of fun.

I scribbled down a few tips along the way, and have shared the three of the most salient here.

All images courtesy Visit Orlando.

Tip 1: Before you even enter the park, download the Universal Orlando app. In addition to ride and attraction wait times and other helpful information, you’ll get maps of all three Universal parks. Paper maps are no longer available, so this is fairly essential.

Tip 2: The Express Pass is worth every penny. While they say that it cuts the wait times in half, I found the pass performed even better than that. For example, on the Jurassic World VelociCoaster, the regular line would’ve taken me 120 minutes. With my Express Pass, I reached the front in less then half an hour. Either way, it would’ve been worth the wait – the ride took my breath away.

Tip 3: Consider a midday break to exit the parks and have lunch at CityWalk, a collection of shops and restaurants outside the ticketed areas. The crowds tend to be lighter. And, importantly, many of the food outlets are branded establishments (Panda Express, Moe’s Southwest Grill) with the same (or similar) prices to what you’d find anywhere else, so you can save a few bucks.

ICON PARK

This was my first visit to this 20-acre theme park, which opened in 2015. Unlike Disney and Universal, at the much-smaller ICON, each of the attractions is ticketed separately. Which is a huge advantage, because you can visit together with a group of friends or big family, and everyone can pick and choose what they want to do (and pay for). Then go out for a meal or a beer (or whatever) at one of the many on-site restaurants and bars.

There’s an aquarium and a Madame Tussauds wax museum and a carousel. Riding the signature 120-metre observation wheel, you tower over it all, with views from the top stretching many kilometres, bright lights in all directions. And at the Insta-ready Museum of Illusions, I had my head served on a plate, then plunged through an infinity well, and climbed a wall – except, not at all.

Restaurant recommendation: At ICON Park, Brother Jimmy’s serves some of the best barbecue I’ve ever had. The smoker sits right on the restaurant floor, with meats like their award-winning brisket going low-and-slow, 16 hours over hickory, marbled so perfectly it’s like eating a wagyu steak. Also: both the mac and cheese and coleslaw are perfectly creamy.

Hotel recommendation: Located right next to Walt Disney World, Drury Plaza Hotel is within close driving distance of both Universal and ICON. Rooms are big and comfortable, some with views over Disney and the nightly fireworks. And they serve both complimentary hot breakfast and, at evening Kickback, snacks and drinks (including beer, wine and cocktails).

More details about travel to Orlando can be found at visitorlando.com.