It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – an offsite, non-Disney, Christmas TR

[Lynne G]

Oh, and to My2. I hope you were not singing the let it go song. We might have got over 30, but hope you had a great day.

 

[grantclaire]

Gina love the Wild Florida pictures! You also have us thinking of doing a non Disney Christmas trip this year. Already have checked Vistana availability. Trying to sell the idea to our DD21 who is away at university. Who BTW says people from Southern Ontario do not know what cold is, she is in Saskatoon where they had a wind chill of -40 C the other day!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I've been wanting to Kayak at one of the state parks one of these trips...but when I see these pics of the alligators, I think maybe not so much!

And yes, Thunder Bay. 15 hrs isn't too bad - we did 47 hr round trip tour out west a couple years ago and it was fine. If we go to Disney at Christmas it will be driving..30 hrs 1 way...but I've always wanted to do it. We love road trips, kids are great in the car. Helps that there's seating for 7 so they can be separated.

You are a better woman than I am, LOL! We did a long car trip, once.....from Ontario to Wisconsin Dells. Great trip, so much fun, but we learned A LOT about ourselves on that journey, number one that we are not road trip people . If I ever see another Trivial Pursuit game, it will be too soon .

Lol. I thought the same thing when I saw Jake wearing the (Criminole) FSU shirt after seeing him wear Gator apparel all the time, I thought ugh, he can't be wearing that. It is not uncommon to see a lot of Gator fans up here in Ontario since Jesse Palmer is from Nepean, Ont. I even have a convertible with licence plate G8TRS 1

I like the colour of the Gators clothing better than the Seminoles, but of course, when I make comments about that, the guys just give me a roll of the eyes. Apparently they think you are supposed to base your team loyalty on more than what colour looks good on you .

Very cool, looks like a neat park, very well-done. Can't wait to see what is next!

It was a very nicely done park......well worth the drive there, and great for families looking to spend a day out of the theme park pandamonium. The airboat tour portion is coming up next!

It finally stopped snowing last night.....we got 23 inches of snow! 23 inches on January 23 (my birthday). I will never forget this one!

A belated happy birthday to you! I hope you havent had to spend your whole birthday weekend shovelling!!

Oy, so....yesterday I looked into Escapology; and apparently sometime in the last 7 or 8 months (the last time I've been there) they've changed their policies. You can play in a room by yourself for an added fee, or play in a room with others (I think it's a max of 6 people per room). And I only just learned this because I looked into going last night. Ugh, so annoying.

Our itinerary for April has had a couple of recent additions anyway, so I am guessing we wont be able to fit it in this coming rip even if we wanted to (the biggest pitfall of an Orlando vacation.....we never seem to be able to fit everything in, despite our best efforts!). It is still on my radar, though, and something I am hoping to add on for October. Steve and I would be totally okay being merged with another group when its just the two of us.

Checking in with 30 inches of snow, though even more where it is drifted. Swept off my car yesterday afternoon, but it has another foot and a half on it this morning. Time to clear it again. We too have beautiful sun, even if it is below freezing and still with 35mph winds. No real melting yet.

We are not fans of any buffets, but that one did look nice.

Another place for us to visit. My DH still talks about the orange grove ride, so I may be stalking it for this year. We do not mind driving all over Florida. We thought nothing of driving to Tampa twice besides the orange grove. Yeah, lots of Florida is rural. Flat too. Not like where I live.

Funny, after this storm, DH said my coworkers decision to retire at the end of December to Florida, was a good idea. We have residents that live part time in down South in the winter and come home in the summer. Many a snow birds head to Florida. For now, neither will be us.


Ok, dreaming over, nice pictures and glad to see all enjoyed.

Glad to hear you are all doing well now that the storm has passed. At least as you shovel out you can enjoy the sun .

We saw some beautiful farmland (lots of cattle) along the way to Keanansville. Steve grew up on a dairy farm, and remarked rather wistfully that he could see himself moving here to work the land and return to farm life. City girl that I am, comments like that scare the bejeezus out of me!

Hello, my name is Bob and this is my brother Doug. Do you have any back bacon and a 2 4?

That's just TMI

Sigh. You just cannot behave no matter how much you try .

Gina love the Wild Florida pictures! You also have us thinking of doing a non Disney Christmas trip this year. Already have checked Vistana availability. Trying to sell the idea to our DD21 who is away at university. Who BTW says people from Southern Ontario do not know what cold is, she is in Saskatoon where they had a wind chill of -40 C the other day!

Woohoo . A Vistana Christmas trip in 2016.....I am now officially jealous . You will have to start a trip report so I can live vicariously through YOU this year. I would recommend you book soon, though, if the Vistana is on your wish list, because I know it sold out for Christmas before summer this year. Apparently lots of folks have the same idea we do .

I wouldnt survive a winter in the western provinces . I have a friend who lives in Edmonton, and her facebook posts make me cringe. One year, she was snowblowing her driveway in May. That is just SO wrong .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

After touring the Alligator Pond, we still had a little bit of time before we had to head to the dock for our airboat reservation, so we meandered around the animal park a little more. There was a beautiful little red fox snoozing contentedly in the corner (my photo of him, sadly, did not turn out the best) and an assortment of little wild cats (leopards, if I remember correctly.....and again, that pic was a dud ). We encountered a couple of peacocks strolling leisurely about:








...and they were remarkably unafraid of the human guests who walked among them.


There were the cutest little lemurs hopping from branch to branch, and they were definitely a favourite among park guests:





...plus, there were some unique lemur species that we hadn’t seen before, too. The sandy brown and black markings on these little fellows were very cool indeed (sorry about the photo quality here, the picture was taken through the murky glass):





We encountered a huge, three-toed sloth who hung lazily from the wires of his cage:





...and of course, what Florida wildlife park would be complete without some massive, poisonous snakes? They (and all wiggly, slithery, evil-eyed slippery reptiles) creep me out. Yuck .





There were several small demonstrations being hosted in various areas of the animal park, with animal care staff providing up-close encounters and informational sessions to guests. You could specifically plan to attend these sessions, if you so desired, by cross referencing the interaction times with the park map they provided us at check-in. Photos with the animals were also offered, but shots with your own camera or cell phone were strictly prohibited (and that point was very, VERY forcefully made ). Some of the animals could be fed by guests as well, and animal food was sold for a small fee at the onsite Chomp House Grill.


Since it was getting close to our tour time, we decided to leave the animal park and make our way to the washrooms before boarding. It was stiflingly warm (a very good day for zipping around at high speeds on the lake and through the swamp!) so we also picked up a couple of bottles of water from the park store to take with us on the tour.


We made our way to the covered seating area behind the souvenir shop to await the call to board our swamp chariot.










We would be soon heading down the long boardwalk to our airboat!





Meanwhile, we enjoyed the peaceful view.








Each boat held a number of families, so they beckoned us by last name when it was time to board. They had several boats leaving at the same time (apparently 11:30 am was a popular choice for tours!) and we were among the last group to be called. Collecting our waters and personal items, we made our way to the boat with our fellow tourists.











We were near the back of the line to board, so we had expected to be seated at the back and up near our Captain, but apparently.....no one wanted the front row seat . So despite being the last on, we actually had a mighty spectacular view, broken only by the protective guard rail at the front of the boat.





We pulled slowly away from the dock....





....and within minutes we were navigating our way through the reeds and the lily pads .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Ear protection was provided, and we used it for the first part of the tour. We really didn’t find, though, that it was needed (perhaps because we were the furthest of all guests from the huge fan on the boat) and we removed it shortly after our tour commenced.



Our captain (born and raised in this rural area of Florida) was very knowledgeable, and continually stopped the boat to point out something interesting or give us some insider information on the things we were seeing. He was great about allowing us lots of time to snap photos as we came upon the things we were all anxiously waiting to see: alligators!





While our Captain had cautioned us that the heat and humidity would be detrimental to the number of gators we would see on the tour (on hot days like these, they had less need to come to the surface to find warmth....on cooler days, they would be seeking to sun themselves in an effort to moderate their body temperatures), we still managed to see a full dozen different gators throughout our one hour boogie around the lake. While a couple were fairly young and small, several were a full (and very impressive) 9 feet in length. Some were out in the wide open, others a little harder to spot....like this one (check out the bottom left quarter of the photo):





The views were beautiful, and the boat moved swiftly across the water.....which gave us a much-appreciated cooling respite from the heat and humidity of the afternoon.








In addition to the multitude of alligators, we saw a bunch of other wildlife including an assortment of waterfowl.








These little guys had to really move to get out of the way of the boat in time!








Our captain knew just where to take us to see where the gators might be relaxing. As we pulled up alongside them, they really didn’t seem to mind that the Tourist Paparazzi were snapping pictures like mad....though a few took the opportunity to disappear back under the water as a result of the unsolicited disturbance.

















We came across this little dude, who was swimming along (apparently minding his own business) until our boat came roaring up behind him. We got a nice demonstration on just how fast alligators can swim, when they want to.








The hour on the water went by SUPER fast.....and I was sad to see the dock come back into view . I swear I could have happily stayed out on the boat all afternoon if they had allowed me to.





We gave our guide a good tip as we disembarked (he had done a great job, and it was well earned) then the boys granted me a few minutes to attempt to repair the hair in the ladies room. After a full hour of being whipped around on the boat combined with the ridiculous humidity levels meant that there was precious little I could actually do to it, but you can’t blame a girl for trying, right?


There was still a lot more of the park we had yet to discover, so we headed off to explore the balance of what Wild Florida had to offer. More to come!

 

[pepperandchips]

Looks like you got some good time with your gators on this day!! Good thing you got a nice big breakfast in before that adventure!!! I love sloths, what a cool experience getting to see that guy just hanging out. Great updates!

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

The air boat ride looks good fun. We've considered it before but so far have only gone on a 2 hour tour at the Blue Spring State park.

Just a quick question, where is the Steak n Shake you go to?

 

[pigletto]

Holy Gators!! I bet my ds would love a tour like that one of these days. Great updates Gina.

 

[dixonsontour]

Caught up, glad you enjoyed the airboat

 

[greenclan67]

Wisconsin Dells road trip!!!! We have done lots of road trips, Chicago, Williamsburg, Virginia beach, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the Dells. As much as I loved the Dells, it was the most boring drive ever, and will probably never go again.

 

[chiamarie]

...and of course, what Florida wildlife park would be complete without some massive, poisonous snakes? They (and all wiggly, slithery, evil-eyed slippery reptiles) creep me out. Yuck .

I can't help it; I must comment on this to educate. (It's sort of engrained in me at this point )

These are Burmese Pythons. Meaning they aren't native to Florida, rather they originally come from Southeast Asia. However, they are slowly taking over the Florida Everglades, and Florida in general. Basically people have gotten them as pets, not realizing how big (and potentially dangerous, as their way of hunting is by slowly strangling its prey and swallowing it whole. Snakes have the ability to unhinge their jaws to eat things that are much larger than their mouths, pythons this size could easily eat a toddler or dog) they are, and don't know what to do with them when they get so large. So, they just let them go in their back yards (or where ever). But now they are killing Alligators and American Croc's and out competing them for food. To the point that they now do python hunts down in the everglades to try and help get rid of them. It's called "invasive species"; and it's all thanks to the wonderful humans that live on this earth.

Also, Burmese Pythons are neither "poisonous" or "venomous". The difference being, something is poisonous when ingested, it will make you sick. Something is venomous when they bite you and inject venom (poison) into you.

So, there's your science lesson for the day!

 

[Vestmama4]

Loving the updates as we are buried in over 2 feet of snow. This wild life park and boat tour look super fun and I will definitely keep in mind for our future trips. Yes, Christmas Eve (which was a month ago today) was super warm...my family spent that day swimming at our resort pool and then exploring Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. We had dinner at Hoop De Doo Revue. It was our best Christmas Eve ever! And how I miss those warm temps now...

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Looks like you got some good time with your gators on this day!! Good thing you got a nice big breakfast in before that adventure!!! I love sloths, what a cool experience getting to see that guy just hanging out. Great updates!

They had a really impressive selection of animals, and the animal areas were meticulously maintained. Not smelly (even in the heat) or dirty and so well groomed. The animals looked very healthy and happy, which was so awesome to see.

The air boat ride looks good fun. We've considered it before but so far have only gone on a 2 hour tour at the Blue Spring State park.

Just a quick question, where is the Steak n Shake you go to?

The Steak & Shake we go to is on South Apopka-Vineland Road, just past the entrance to Disney Springs:

http://www.steaknshake.com/locations/23719-steak-n-shake

Holy Gators!! I bet my ds would love a tour like that one of these days. Great updates Gina.

Thank you!!

Caught up, glad you enjoyed the airboat

It was great fun. The second airboat tour we've done (the other was Wild Willy's over Christmas 2012) and I will give a little comparison of the two experiences in an upcoming post. While I adore our days at the theme parks, I also love getting out of the touristy areas and see some of the "real" Florida on our vacations.

Wisconsin Dells road trip!!!! We have done lots of road trips, Chicago, Williamsburg, Virginia beach, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and the Dells. As much as I loved the Dells, it was the most boring drive ever, and will probably never go again.

We want to return again some day, but we'll probably fly into Madison and then rent a car. I don't see it on our radar for anytime in the near future, but I *do* want to go back....we made some great memories there!

Driving through Chicago was one of the scariest moments of my life. Worst thunderstorm I've ever seen, and people were still flying down the highway when the rain was beating down so hard you couldn't see two feet in front of the end of the car. I am sure my life flashed before my eyes .

I can't help it; I must comment on this to educate. (It's sort of engrained in me at this point )

These are Burmese Pythons. Meaning they aren't native to Florida, rather they originally come from Southeast Asia. However, they are slowly taking over the Florida Everglades, and Florida in general. Basically people have gotten them as pets, not realizing how big (and potentially dangerous, as their way of hunting is by slowly strangling its prey and swallowing it whole. Snakes have the ability to unhinge their jaws to eat things that are much larger than their mouths, pythons this size could easily eat a toddler or dog) they are, and don't know what to do with them when they get so large. So, they just let them go in their back yards (or where ever). But now they are killing Alligators and American Croc's and out competing them for food. To the point that they now do python hunts down in the everglades to try and help get rid of them. It's called "invasive species"; and it's all thanks to the wonderful humans that live on this earth.

Also, Burmese Pythons are neither "poisonous" or "venomous". The difference being, something is poisonous when ingested, it will make you sick. Something is venomous when they bite you and inject venom (poison) into you.

So, there's your science lesson for the day!

Well, smartie pants , you certainly know your snakes!!! Thanks for the correction.....I just assumed something that ugly had to be venomous by default .

I actually have a "snake story" coming up in the next post or two. Still makes my hair stand on end, even thinking about it now.

Loving the updates as we are buried in over 2 feet of snow. This wild life park and boat tour look super fun and I will definitely keep in mind for our future trips. Yes, Christmas Eve (which was a month ago today) was super warm...my family spent that day swimming at our resort pool and then exploring Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. We had dinner at Hoop De Doo Revue. It was our best Christmas Eve ever! And how I miss those warm temps now...

2 feet!! That's a LOT of snow to shovel .

Hoop De Doo has always been on my wish list. One of these days, Steve and I are going to go ahead and splurge. As you know, that kind of cheesy fun appeals to me greatly .

 

[chiamarie]

Well, smartie pants , you certainly know your snakes!!! Thanks for the correction.....I just assumed something that ugly had to be venomous by default .

I actually have a "snake story" coming up in the next post or two. Still makes my hair stand on end, even thinking about it now.

Ha, I can only imagine! I can appreciate snakes and the roll the play in the ecosystem; but that doesn't mean I like them. If you scroll back far enough (it was sometime in December....I think...) I have a facebook post about snakes; outside my door. I've only lived here since August, and I've seen 2 now. And I am less than thrilled about it. They had better stay outside, because I will FREAK if they end up indoors......I can't even think about it.

 

[JaxDad]

I can't help it; I must comment on this to educate. (It's sort of engrained in me at this point )

These are Burmese Pythons. Meaning they aren't native to Florida, rather they originally come from Southeast Asia. However, they are slowly taking over the Florida Everglades, and Florida in general. Basically people have gotten them as pets, not realizing how big (and potentially dangerous, as their way of hunting is by slowly strangling its prey and swallowing it whole. Snakes have the ability to unhinge their jaws to eat things that are much larger than their mouths, pythons this size could easily eat a toddler or dog) they are, and don't know what to do with them when they get so large. So, they just let them go in their back yards (or where ever). But now they are killing Alligators and American Croc's and out competing them for food. To the point that they now do python hunts down in the everglades to try and help get rid of them. It's called "invasive species"; and it's all thanks to the wonderful humans that live on this earth.

Also, Burmese Pythons are neither "poisonous" or "venomous". The difference being, something is poisonous when ingested, it will make you sick. Something is venomous when they bite you and inject venom (poison) into you.

So, there's your science lesson for the day!

Not to totally highjack this awesome thread, but I wanted to second chiamarie's great post. The pythons and other invasives are a huge problem for Florida ecosystems. I spent many years working on Everglades restoration projects. The second month-long "Python Challenge" to try to thin the population is now in its second week. I would also add that in addition to released pets, the python population had a boost from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and damaged zoos and pet stores.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Ha, I can only imagine! I can appreciate snakes and the roll the play in the ecosystem; but that doesn't mean I like them. If you scroll back far enough (it was sometime in December....I think...) I have a facebook post about snakes; outside my door. I've only lived here since August, and I've seen 2 now. And I am less than thrilled about it. They had better stay outside, because I will FREAK if they end up indoors......I can't even think about it.

I guess that's a good reminder, if I ever *do* get lucky enough to live out my dream of moving to the Sunshine State, that my comfy little condo needs to be on the second floor or higher. If I ever found a snake.....of any kind, any size.....in my house, I would certainly have a heart attack on the spot. I'd rather encounter an alligator in my yard or strolling around my living room than a Florida-sized snake.

Not to totally highjack this awesome thread, but I wanted to second chiamarie's great post. The pythons and other invasives are a huge problem for Florida ecosystems. I spent many years working on Everglades restoration projects. The second month-long "Python Challenge" to try to thin the population is now in its second week. I would also add that in addition to released pets, the python population had a boost from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and damaged zoos and pet stores.

People seriously just release pythons outside when they no longer want them? Really? (what on earth is WRONG with people????)

Crazy things that we northerners just don't think about. Racoons, bears, coyotes, skunks......all potential backyard nuisances for us for sure. But not mongo-sized snakes!!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Cool pictures Gina!

Do they have shorter rides than one hour?

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Cool pictures Gina!

Do they have shorter rides than one hour?

Yes ma'am . We paid $41.66 each, including tax and the 20% off discount code, for the one hour tour (regularly $47.50 plus tax). There is also a half hour tour for $26.50 plus tax. Both options include free admission to the animal park, which is $18 pp as a stand-alone purchase.

 

[chiamarie]

I guess that's a good reminder, if I ever *do* get lucky enough to live out my dream of moving to the Sunshine State, that my comfy little condo needs to be on the second floor or higher. If I ever found a snake.....of any kind, any size.....in my house, I would certainly have a heart attack on the spot. I'd rather encounter an alligator in my yard or strolling around my living room than a Florida-sized snake.



People seriously just release pythons outside when they no longer want them? Really? (what on earth is WRONG with people????)

Crazy things that we northerners just don't think about. Racoons, bears, coyotes, skunks......all potential backyard nuisances for us for sure. But not mongo-sized snakes!!

A- Yes, people really do that. Just like people dump their dogs, cats, or whatever other pet you can think of, that they don't want anymore. Those people are not my friends.

B- Just to clarify; as a reminder, those pythons aren't "Florida Snakes"....the ones outside my house were MUCH smaller than that (a black racer, and either a King Snake or a Coral Snake). Although I still don't know if one was venomous or not; thank goodness I haven't seen him since. And everyone says there's no way there's venomous snakes near me; but I will continue to watch closely to make sure he's not knocking at my door.

 

[greenclan67]

I guess that's a good reminder, if I ever *do* get lucky enough to live out my dream of moving to the Sunshine State, that my comfy little condo needs to be on the second floor or higher. If I ever found a snake.....of any kind, any size.....in my house, I would certainly have a heart attack on the spot. I'd rather encounter an alligator in my yard or strolling around my living room than a Florida-sized snake.



People seriously just release pythons outside when they no longer want them? Really? (what on earth is WRONG with people????)

Crazy things that we northerners just don't think about. Racoons, bears, coyotes, skunks......all potential backyard nuisances for us for sure. But not mongo-sized snakes!!

I would rather endure another jelly fish sting then see any type of snake. Omg. I hate, hate, hate them. My kids chase me in the dollar store with the rubber ones and I will scream in the middle of the store. I am not sure I can read your update about snakes.