DISWolves
Dreams really can come true !!!!
- Joined
- May 26, 2007
- Messages
- 1,750
Day 9 – Boggy Creek Airboats & Kona Café
Today's Videos ***Boggy Creek Airboats*** & ***Wishes!***
Today was a first for us, during our many trips to Disney. We had taken up the Groupon deal of $21 per person for a 60-minute scenic nature airboat ride. We departed OKW at 8:30 and made a quick call at Good’s Food to Go at OKW, to grab a few muffins as we had not eaten breakfast yet. With our sat-nav tuned in, we headed to the Boggy Creek location at East Lake Fish Camp on Big Bass Rd in Kissimmee. Our journey took us along the 522 West Osceola Parkway, East Osceola Parkway and eventually onto Boggy Creek Road. The final part of the journey leads you down a narrow road, edged on both sides with shacks fitted with reinforced metal window shutters. The car park is in a shady tree lined spot, right outside where the airboats are parked.
We had almost 20 minutes to kill before our time slot and there was no sign of life anywhere. Just across the way was a café/ gift shop, so we had a look around. I often wonder how places like this make a living. It was obvious from the sun faded gifts, that some of them had been around for a while. Slowly, one by one, more cars arrived and eventually our guide arrived and started up the airboat’s engine.
The first thing to hit you is the noise. I am glad to say we were all supplied with ear defenders.
Soon we were boarding the craft, lead by a foreign family, who had arrived only two minutes previous, and swiftly secured the front bench seat!
We departed via a small canal, at an idle pace, spotting a few exotic birds at the waters edge. As the canal widened, the swampland came into view and then we felt the full surge of the engines. The boat powered effortlessly across the water and manoeuvred in and out of the reed beds with ease. It was amazing to see the skill of the driver, drifting the boat with inch precision.
We made a few stops along the way, visiting a few new nests, but never managed to spot any alligators. The driver later told me, that our top speed was just under 50 mph.
Returning back to the dock, we were given the chance of a few photo’s in the raised driving seats.
Also, behind the ticket office, one of the staff had a small alligator, with it’s jaws taped together, available for you hold and to have a photograph taken for you to purchase. No personal cameras were allowed!.
I did not see anyone take up the offer. Inside the ticket office, we purchased a fridge magnet, and also an alligator tooth key ring for my nephew.
Since we had nothing planned for the rest of the day, we decided to head to the Florida Mall. Emma purchased some strange looking Converse flip flops from J.C.Penney. We had a slow meander for a few hours, stopping at Starbucks for a Frappo and then headed back to OKW. Tonight we had our ADR at Kona Café in the Poly and since we had planned on late night in Magic Kingdom, we decided to use Disney transport due to the uncertainty of what the monorail operating hours were back to T&TC. On the few occasions that we have used Disney transport, it has always turned up in a reasonable time and tonight was no exception. As we were approaching Magic Kingdom, we encountered one of the famous Florida rainstorms. It was bouncing waist height from the floor, so we decided to wait at the bus station. As time was pressing on, we decided to make a dash to the monorail station, where we caught the resort monorail to the Poly. After checking in, we were seated rather quickly, but the table was against the low iron fence next to the balcony, so I requested another table, which we were given after a few minutes wait.
Our server tonight, had far too many tables to attend to and as a result, the service was poor. Tonight, Sue sampled a Lapu Lapu that we had read about on the DISboards and she enjoyed it.
Our meals for tonight were
Sue – Coconut Almond Chicken + Banana Chocolate Crème Brulee + Lapu Lapu
Emma – Pan Asian Noodles + Kilauea Torte + Diet Coke
Nigel – Shrimp & Scallops + Kilauea Torte + Diet Coke
The meal was O.K. but nothing special, maybe this was partly due to our poor server. We caught the monorail back to Magic Kingdom, arriving just in time to catch the start of the Electric Parade, watching from Main Street Station. After the parade had passed we wandered in and out of the shops and eventually made our way to the top of Main Street where we decided to stay put and watch ‘Wishes’. I filmed it on my compact camera, but I noticed a few feet in front, someone was filming on an iPad. It looked like he was holding a small television!. After ‘Wishes’ a lot of the crowd started making their way towards the park exit, so we dodged our way across the flow and headed over to Splash Mountain. Bad news!!!!.....Splash was out of action, so we moved next door and managed two consecutive rides on Big Thunder Mountain. We all think that this ride seems a lot faster in the dark. We saw people gathering, ready for the second showing of Electrical Parade and we managed to find a good spot just outside of Peco Bill’s.
After the parade had passed we moved across to Haunted Mansion, where we also rode this twice, without any wait. It was just after midnight, as we made our way in to Tomorrowland and joined the queue for Space Mountain. As usual, Disney did a super job of hiding the lines, and what looked like a 15 minute line, snaked its way around various barriers and eventually ended up as 50 minutes wait time. This was the first time we had ridden this for a few years, since I think on last years visit it was in rehab, so I had forgotten how fierce and sharp the turns were. After a full day, we left Magic Kingdom as the Main Street clock was showing 1:30am and managed, yet again to catch a bus just as it was leaving. We eventually reached our beds at 2:15am.
Coming up next………Lazy day, Premium Outlets and ADR at Marrakesh
Return to INDEX
Today's Videos ***Boggy Creek Airboats*** & ***Wishes!***
Today was a first for us, during our many trips to Disney. We had taken up the Groupon deal of $21 per person for a 60-minute scenic nature airboat ride. We departed OKW at 8:30 and made a quick call at Good’s Food to Go at OKW, to grab a few muffins as we had not eaten breakfast yet. With our sat-nav tuned in, we headed to the Boggy Creek location at East Lake Fish Camp on Big Bass Rd in Kissimmee. Our journey took us along the 522 West Osceola Parkway, East Osceola Parkway and eventually onto Boggy Creek Road. The final part of the journey leads you down a narrow road, edged on both sides with shacks fitted with reinforced metal window shutters. The car park is in a shady tree lined spot, right outside where the airboats are parked.
We had almost 20 minutes to kill before our time slot and there was no sign of life anywhere. Just across the way was a café/ gift shop, so we had a look around. I often wonder how places like this make a living. It was obvious from the sun faded gifts, that some of them had been around for a while. Slowly, one by one, more cars arrived and eventually our guide arrived and started up the airboat’s engine.
The first thing to hit you is the noise. I am glad to say we were all supplied with ear defenders.
Soon we were boarding the craft, lead by a foreign family, who had arrived only two minutes previous, and swiftly secured the front bench seat!
We departed via a small canal, at an idle pace, spotting a few exotic birds at the waters edge. As the canal widened, the swampland came into view and then we felt the full surge of the engines. The boat powered effortlessly across the water and manoeuvred in and out of the reed beds with ease. It was amazing to see the skill of the driver, drifting the boat with inch precision.
We made a few stops along the way, visiting a few new nests, but never managed to spot any alligators. The driver later told me, that our top speed was just under 50 mph.
Returning back to the dock, we were given the chance of a few photo’s in the raised driving seats.
Also, behind the ticket office, one of the staff had a small alligator, with it’s jaws taped together, available for you hold and to have a photograph taken for you to purchase. No personal cameras were allowed!.
I did not see anyone take up the offer. Inside the ticket office, we purchased a fridge magnet, and also an alligator tooth key ring for my nephew.
Since we had nothing planned for the rest of the day, we decided to head to the Florida Mall. Emma purchased some strange looking Converse flip flops from J.C.Penney. We had a slow meander for a few hours, stopping at Starbucks for a Frappo and then headed back to OKW. Tonight we had our ADR at Kona Café in the Poly and since we had planned on late night in Magic Kingdom, we decided to use Disney transport due to the uncertainty of what the monorail operating hours were back to T&TC. On the few occasions that we have used Disney transport, it has always turned up in a reasonable time and tonight was no exception. As we were approaching Magic Kingdom, we encountered one of the famous Florida rainstorms. It was bouncing waist height from the floor, so we decided to wait at the bus station. As time was pressing on, we decided to make a dash to the monorail station, where we caught the resort monorail to the Poly. After checking in, we were seated rather quickly, but the table was against the low iron fence next to the balcony, so I requested another table, which we were given after a few minutes wait.
Our server tonight, had far too many tables to attend to and as a result, the service was poor. Tonight, Sue sampled a Lapu Lapu that we had read about on the DISboards and she enjoyed it.
Our meals for tonight were
Sue – Coconut Almond Chicken + Banana Chocolate Crème Brulee + Lapu Lapu
Emma – Pan Asian Noodles + Kilauea Torte + Diet Coke
Nigel – Shrimp & Scallops + Kilauea Torte + Diet Coke
The meal was O.K. but nothing special, maybe this was partly due to our poor server. We caught the monorail back to Magic Kingdom, arriving just in time to catch the start of the Electric Parade, watching from Main Street Station. After the parade had passed we wandered in and out of the shops and eventually made our way to the top of Main Street where we decided to stay put and watch ‘Wishes’. I filmed it on my compact camera, but I noticed a few feet in front, someone was filming on an iPad. It looked like he was holding a small television!. After ‘Wishes’ a lot of the crowd started making their way towards the park exit, so we dodged our way across the flow and headed over to Splash Mountain. Bad news!!!!.....Splash was out of action, so we moved next door and managed two consecutive rides on Big Thunder Mountain. We all think that this ride seems a lot faster in the dark. We saw people gathering, ready for the second showing of Electrical Parade and we managed to find a good spot just outside of Peco Bill’s.
After the parade had passed we moved across to Haunted Mansion, where we also rode this twice, without any wait. It was just after midnight, as we made our way in to Tomorrowland and joined the queue for Space Mountain. As usual, Disney did a super job of hiding the lines, and what looked like a 15 minute line, snaked its way around various barriers and eventually ended up as 50 minutes wait time. This was the first time we had ridden this for a few years, since I think on last years visit it was in rehab, so I had forgotten how fierce and sharp the turns were. After a full day, we left Magic Kingdom as the Main Street clock was showing 1:30am and managed, yet again to catch a bus just as it was leaving. We eventually reached our beds at 2:15am.
Coming up next………Lazy day, Premium Outlets and ADR at Marrakesh
Return to INDEX
