Rocket Launches, Chicken Tenders & Walmart Wonders
We made it! After months of planning (and an unholy amount of packing), we finally touched down in sunny Florida, ready for adventure.
Day one had it all—space launches, epic food, and, of course, a Walmart trip. Buckle up as we take you through our first day of our Florida adventure.
Jetty Park & The Rocket Launch… That Wasn’t
We started our morning full of excitement, heading to Jetty Park to witness a live SpaceX rocket launch—something we’ve both always wanted to experience. The anticipation was unreal, and the setting couldn’t have been better. We had never been to Jetty Park and its somewhere we see some other big space nerds like ourselves visit to watch the launches.
It was great – clear waters, uncrowded, a warm breeze, and a prime spot to watch the launch. At only an hours drive from the hotel – Universals Cabana Bay Beach Resort – we thought it was perfect.
But as space travel goes, things don’t always go to plan. The launch was delayed for 5 hours… so, instead of changing locations, we decided to explore Jetty Park.
There was a shop and cafe on site, public toilets (that were ok… not the best but defo not the worst I’ve ever been in), the beach was large and had golden sands and there were some other free actives you could do like fishing on the popular pier (where we were going to watch the launch), some kids play areas and picnic/BBQ pavilion areas you could hire.
As it was getting hot, 34+ degrees, we popped to the shop, stocked up on water (and Aaron got some sunglasses) and we just just chilled out waiting for the launch. We saw a ton of wildlife, from sea turtles (we saw 4 in the end) all kinds of birds, some squirrels and even some type of eagle.
Not a bad way to spend the morning.
Just as we were gearing up for the big moment, the launch was scrubbed due to weather conditions at the recovery site. A bit disappointing for sure, but that’s just part of the experience.
Don’t forget its $15 parking at Jetty Park for the whole day, and you can get your parking permits HERE.
Disney Springs & The Best Chicken Tenders Ever?
With our rocket launch plans on hold, we moved to plan B: food!
Disney Springs was the perfect choice. We made a beeline for Chicken Guy!—Guy Fieri’s famous chicken joint—and wow, did it deliver! Crispy, juicy tenders, incredible sauces (including the legendary Donkey Sauce), and the best part? They accidentally gave us nine tenders instead of four. Absolute win.
By now, the Florida heat was in full force, so after a quick mooch around Disney Springs, we decided to head back to the car and off Walmart to stock up on some snacks for our next adventure.
Walmart Wonders: Sauce Aisles & Shopping Sprees
I LOVE Walmart and yeah, some people say it’s just like ASDA but its not – It’s SO MUCH BETTER!!
No US trip is complete without a visit (or two) to Walmart, so we grabbed a trolly and wandered the aisles in awe of the sheer variety of everything – nothing like the small selection of stuff we have at home.
The sauces WOW (seriously, so many BBQ options), so I grabbed some must-haves, and hunted down those American exclusives you just can’t get back home, and stocked up on water and fun snacks. It was great!
I did had a side mission set by my mum… To find her a particular air freshener sent (because priorities). But after getting lost and what seemed like 100 years of searching the aisles for it, I came up empty and put that quest on hold until our next Walmart outing.
After grabbing a few final bits we headed back to our hotel Cabana Bay for a well-earned treat. Aaron had a malt shake at the ‘Shakes’ malt shoppe at the hotel, and I had a lemon gelato. Aaron said his shake was great (peanut butter and strawberry malt combo I think) and my gelato was good to – shame it was totally frozen. The server took an age trying to get my serving in a bowl and it then took me forever to try and eat it. It was as tasty though.
What’s Next? NASA & Another Shot at the Launch!
Despite the scrubbed launch, our first day was an incredible start to the trip. Tomorrow, we decided to head to the Kennedy Space Center for another chance to see that rocket take off—fingers crossed this time it actually happens!
Want to watch all the action from day one? Check out our full vlog video here.
And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more Florida vlogs.
Didn’t see our epic pre-travel and travel day vlog where we fly Virgin Upper Class for the first time?
Check out the full video here!
Until next time guys… Bye for now!
Lou x