Orlando Florida Temple

Temple 111

November 26, 2019

Orlando, Florida

      When traveling anywhere we always try to make time to visit a temple, whether if it’s flying to another country while in Africa, or just going to the St. George temple while visiting my family. Going to the Orlando temple was the same. We were heading to Ivy’s brother’s house in Alabama and decided to have a layover in Orlando so we could do the temple there. 

It was our first time to Florida, and it was the end of November so we were fairly excited to escape the cold of Utah and go enjoy the warmth there. Of course, since we were in Orlando, we went to Disney World. We rented a car once we landed and drove to our hotel which was inside Disney World. It was very convenient, being only a bus ride away from the theme parks and only twenty minutes from the temple. The only unfortunate thing was that our flight landed at 4:30 a.m. and we were going to Magic Kingdom at 9. We got to our hotel some time after 5:30, took a power nap, got ready and left to catch the bus at 8. 

It took over an hour to get to the park, but although we were tired and rushed, we were so excited to be there. We spent the day at the park and had a great time, of course, at the so called happiest place on earth. The next day we went to the Orlando temple, and it is one of the most peaceful, and truly happiest places on earth. 

The temple appeared before us as we drove to it from the south. It’s hidden amongst all the trees, as all buildings in Florida are, but stands out like no other building. It’s a single spired temple and has palm trees surrounding it, along with massive oak trees. As we walked around the temple we also found some orange trees that were bearing fruit. There’s water fountains on each side of the temple and they add to the beauty of the temple grounds. 

We went inside and did a session. The interior was beautiful, with pink cushions in the ordinance room, and tall, stain glass windows with giant flowers in them in the celestial room. We were lucky enough to be the witness couple during the session. And after going to Disney World and waiting in lines, trying to make our way through so much confusion, and being exhausted, the temple was wonderful and perfect. We felt the peace that is expected there, and it was a great way to finish our time in Orlando. Immediately after the temple we drove to the airport where we boarded our plane and flew to Alabama. 

The rest of the trip was amazing as well spending time with family. We spent Thanksgiving with Paul's family, went to the beach, and enjoyed the week with them. Spending time with family was definitely the highlight, but the temple was a bonus for us and made the trip even more worth it. That is why we always encourage everyone to go to the temple, whether its a few minutes away, or a flight away.