Catboats on Lake Dora, if you're looking for a thrill combined with some nice scenery and an activity that you really can't do elsewhere. They're little 2 person speed catamarans, on a guided tour around Lake Dora and the canal. You do a gentler start across the lake while you learn the boats, get up to some decent speed, check out the houses along the lake, then check out the canal (wildlife viewing, very scenic), then on the way back across the lake you can really let the boats fly - we really took advantage of this, gunning it up and over the wake from others, splashy and thrilling, I think the others on the tour thought I was nuts the way I drove that thing. We were soaked after. The people who had more sane driving styles were merely lightly splashed, so the wetness level depends on you. Or, in my friend's case, it depends on being stuck in the boat with the lunatic driver. It was absolutely fantastic!
For less high speed, I agree a kayak excursion on Blue Springs state park. No real chance of manatees in Aug. We went in Feb, to what was supposed to be a manatee tour, but the weather was so warm & lovely (for Feb) that the manatees vacated to sea. We instead had a really nice kayak tour of alligators, birds, mangroves, etc. Also very enjoyable, even without manatees, and a good break from the constant stimulation/walking of the theme parks.
