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A Conversation With Dr. Laura

Ready to get out of the house but not sure where to take the kids? For large or small families, Kissimmee, Florida is the perfect locale for delicious dining, unique attractions, and the best places to stay. As a parent, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of vacation. You can get perfectly Whelmed here!

Dr. Laura and her family on an airboat at golden hour

Our friend and influencer Dr. Laura Scott recently visited Kissimmee on a road trip from Miami. She, her husband, and her four daughters spent a weekend staying and playing at so many Central Florida attractions and we had the chance to find out all about it!

Q: What’s your favorite thing about living in the sunshine state?

A: My favorite is the weather. I love not having to dress the kids in a million layers or worrying about shoveling snow. I love just knowing we can get outside and enjoy the outdoors pretty much any time of year, which I don’t take for granted down here.

Q: How did you get started with your blog and Instagram?

A: I started it during medical school. I went to Harvard Medical School and the second year is the year everyone becomes a zombie for our first licensing exam. Our lives were dedicated to this one test, and I really tried to keep living my life in the meantime. I knew that I wanted to perform well and that it was important, but I wanted to hold myself accountable for other things, so I started a blog. Within a few months of doing it, I started to get a lot of messages from people who were interested in medicine and never knew you could have those interests outside of medicine and actually be successful. Gradually the blog grew and became more of an empowering space to allow people to be who they want to be while still being successful.

Q: What’s the most rewarding thing about your career as a dermatologist?

A: It’s definitely making people feel better about the skin they’re in and having people trust you. I’m not into changing faces, I’m really into making people love the skin they are in.

Q: Have you visited Kissimmee before your recent trip?

A: Yeah! We’ve stayed in the area numerous times, at least eight or nine.

Q: How would you describe Kissimmee?

A: It’s just a space that has so many different things, and that really came to life this trip for me. There is truly something for everyone, whether it’s going to Gatorland or doing water parks with the kids. Obviously, you have theme parks, but there is so much more in terms of getting outdoors and relaxing. It’s really a place that has something for everyone in paradise!

Q: Was this your first time staying in a Kissimmee vacation home? What did you think?

A: It was our first time doing a vacation home, which was so, so nice. Everyone is going to have their preferences, but when you’re traveling as a large family, options are limited. Having the conveniences of home and the space for fun was amazing. A lot of moms can relate to the feeling of being “touched out;” we always have people climbing on top of us and that’s maximized on vacations. You don’t necessarily always feel like you got a break after vacation. This was one of those trips where I still had some of my space, and I didn’t feel totally touched out.

Q: What’s the most unexpected thing you encountered during your trip?

A: ICON Park and all the things in that area. I had never been there or heard much about it. All the restaurants, wax museum, and aquarium make it easily a whole-day spot.

Q: Where was your favorite place you ate while you were here?

A: That would be Art Smith’s Homecomin’. Homecomin’ was amazing. Everything that we ate was so good. The cocktails were fantastic and the kid’s menu was great. Little things like having crayons and coloring for the kids really make a difference when you are traveling with children.

Q: Based on your experience, how much time/how many days would you recommend a family like yours allocate for a trip to Kissimmee?

A: You want a least a week to do it all. If you’re road tripping like we were, a three-day weekend is doable. But if you can stay longer, I would really recommend at least a week. Any one of the places we visited, we could’ve stayed there for the whole day.

Q: What tips do you have for a family traveling to Kissimmee?

A: I would definitely say to go with the vacation home. That’s a no-brainer for me now. No matter what you’re doing, snacks on snacks on snacks is the recipe for success. I always have a fanny pack for snacks. People are also very concerned with babies’ nap schedules, but my advice is to take them with you. They will nap around your schedule. You have to let go of the schedule and just go and have fun.

Q: If you could pick one thing you’d take the kids to do again, what would it be?

A: Believe it or not, Gatorland! We didn’t give ourselves enough time because the kids didn’t want to leave the vacation home. But once we got to Gatorland, they wanted to do everything. There’s way more to do than just seeing the gators like the petting zoo, the birds, the train, and the zip line. There are so many cool things you can do in this park!

The other thing would be the farm stand, Showcase of Citrus. It was super, super cute. It would be so nice when they have pumpkins in season around Halloween.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share?

A: I think anybody planning a trip should be doing a mix of things. It shouldn’t be all theme parks. Having experienced this side of things, I really think it would be perfect to have a balance. You know, have your crazy theme park day, but then go do the airboat tour or lay back at the Citrus Farm and have a wine slushy. That balance of perfectly Whelmed! Everyone plans for Walt Disney World Resort, but it’s so much more. The local attractions should definitely not be missed. They really do justice to Florida, and it’s important to remember that.

Laura and her family had a blast here in Kissimmee! Follow her @laurascottandco on Instagram or check out her blog. Stay up to date on Kissimmee happenings by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.