Airboat Tours

[KimWDW]

My husband has always wanted to do one of those Everglades airboat tours to see the swamps and alligators, etc. Has anyone been on one within an hour's drive of Disney that they would recommend? Or not recommend?

Thanks!

 

[nacho113]

There are a few in the Lake Tohopekaliga area near Kissimmee (about 30 minutes drive from the Disney area), but these are more about the Airboat and less about the Everglades.
For a true Everglades swamp experience you need to head much further south to the area west of Miami.
That being said, we have enjoyed several excursions on the lake in the Kissimmee area, Boggy Creek airboats is a lot of fun and quite often has Groupon discounts. Wild Willy's Airboats (also lots of fun), Spirit of the Swamp and Orlando airboats are a few others in the area.
These are all on a lake with a marsh area, not in the actual Everglades but the experience is somewhat similar. Wildlife sighting is more hit and miss in this area, our last couple of visits we saw a few young alligators (maybe 18-24 inches long), momma and papa gator didn't seem to be anywhere around. There's also a lot of the native birds and some turtles etc. Book early in the morning or an evening ride if you want to see some of the bigger gators, they sleep during the warm part of the day.
Oh and one tip: gator hunting season starts at the beginning of October, they get pretty scarce at this time of the year (hiding out I guess)

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We did the tour with Wild Willy's in St. Cloud at Christmas 2012. It was great fun (and we would highly recommend them)....you can read about our experience in my trip report, found here, beginning at post 73:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/we...ristmas-in-the-sun-tr-complete.3041415/page-4

This Christmas we are giving Wild Florida a try. They also have an animal park that is free with your airboat ticket. We thought it looked like good value and well worth the drive there (the inclusion of the admission to the animal park makes it more than "just" an airboat tour). We'll let you know how it was after December 24th .

 

[JaxDad]

There are a few in the Lake Tohopekaliga area near Kissimmee (about 30 minutes drive from the Disney area), but these are more about the Airboat and less about the Everglades.
For a true Everglades swamp experience you need to head much further south to the area west of Miami.
That being said, we have enjoyed several excursions on the lake in the Kissimmee area, Boggy Creek airboats is a lot of fun and quite often has Groupon discounts. Wild Willy's Airboats (also lots of fun), Spirit of the Swamp and Orlando airboats are a few others in the area.
These are all on a lake with a marsh area, not in the actual Everglades but the experience is somewhat similar. Wildlife sighting is more hit and miss in this area, our last couple of visits we saw a few young alligators (maybe 18-24 inches long), momma and papa gator didn't seem to be anywhere around. There's also a lot of the native birds and some turtles etc. Book early in the morning or an evening ride if you want to see some of the bigger gators, they sleep during the warm part of the day.
Oh and one tip: gator hunting season starts at the beginning of October, they get pretty scarce at this time of the year (hiding out I guess)

I agree the "true Everglades" are much further south, but the Boggy Creek/Shingle Creek/Lake Toho area is technically the hydrologic headwater for the whole watershed. So in a way, the OP's husband will still get his "Everglades airboat tour" at the places you and Gina recommended!

 

[KimWDW]

Thank you so much! Lots to research now.