We'll have joy, we'll have fun, we'll have Christmas in the sun...TR Complete!

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gatorland.........part 2!

After the train ride, we decided to take in a show. On our way to the seating area, we passed by the kids waterpark. I thought it was a great idea for those coming on summer trips, and it looked like a ton of fun. The clouds had started to roll in by this point in the morning, so there was no one using the water play area at this particular time, but I can see it being a popular place on very warm days.

We also took a brief look at the animals in the petting zoo. Steve grew up on a farm, Jake is a 17-year-old city boy, and well.....there was a lot of animal poo in places (I have an aversion to animal poo......sorry ‘bout that, its a hang up of mine)........so this area of the park didn’t hold a whole lot of appeal for us. For smaller kiddos, it would be great fun, but we took a pass.

There were two shows set to run at the same time. Jake picked the Gator Wrestling, so away we went. Steve used his grunt package inclusion to sit himself on a big ol’ gator prior to the show. When he saw Steve coming, Wrestler Tim joked that he might need a break to bring out a bigger gator. What a meanie!!

Jake opted to take a pass on sitting his fanny on said gator. I told him he was chicken. He said he was afraid he’d taste like chicken !! He asked me why I wasn’t taking my turn on the gator’s back, and I assured him that some responsible person needed to hold my very delicate camera. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

The wrestling show was awesome. So entertaining, and darn funny at the same time. First, Wrestler Tim let a child pick a gator for him to wrestle out of the pool surrounding the ring. Then we got to watch him pull it out of the water by the tail.

Once on the sand, he dragged it to the center......and let me tell ya, it was mad. Totally not impressed.

Then he got on its back, and grabbed its mouth with his hands. Apparently Tim didn’t feel like being eaten that particular day. This was a tougher feat than it looks from this picture. After the gator nearly succeeded in trying to chomp him a few times, Tim announced “I think I peed a little”. Yep, so did we.

Then, because he’s a guy, he had to do a little showing off. Typical!!!

Sitting on his back, he taught us all sorts of stuff about gators. Did you know you can poke their eyes down into their heads, and they will just pop right back out again? Its gross, but its true. He demonstrated it for us. Ick.

He also showed us all sorts of things about the strength of their jaws. And to prove his point, he held that big, snappy mouth open with his chin. I think my heart stopped for a few minutes.

He ended the show by flipping that big ol’ gator on its back, and showing us how to put a gator to sleep. You know, just in case you need to do that sometime.

After the show, we wandered leisurely around some more, taking lots of photos and just enjoying the park. We had fun feeding the gators the gator food (we each got a nice big bunch of wieners with our grunt package), and trying to avoid feeding the darn birds that are way quicker than those lazy gators.

Arriving at 10, we left about 1 pm. This is a GREAT park for a 2-3 hour visit, with lots to see and do. And a very affordable add-on to a vacation as well, with regular admission prices in the $20 range for adults. We wanted to leave ourselves enough time to grab lunch and then head to our next attraction of the day.............Wild Willy’s Airboats in St. Cloud.

But speaking of clouds.......would our afternoon plans get rained out? It’s starting to get a little dark outside!

 

[Ali]

I just wanted to say cool pics and I love the song in your title. It was my first favorite song when I was 4 and I still love it.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I just wanted to say cool pics and I love the song in your title. It was my first favorite song when I was 4 and I still love it.

Thank you, Ali!

My son asked me....."What's with the title of your report? I don't get it ". So I explained it to him. And he gave me that blank look and said "Geez Mom, no wonder my friends think you are weird!!".

He didn't think anyone would get my song reference. Wait 'til I tell him not only did someone "get" it, but they liked it .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

After piling back into the truck after leaving Gatorland, we were in search of lunch. We were barely out of the parking lot when the first drops of rain hit the windshield. Then a few more. Then it was a steady drizzle (I must say, our timing was impeccable. A little longer at Gatorland and we'd have experienced a good old-fashioned southern soaking). Within minutes, we were in this:

Holy Hannah, can it rain in Florida. And man, can it come on fast. We dashed into Chick-fil-A, ordered our meal, and wondered aloud as we waited for our dinner to be delivered to the table..........will the airboats run in this weather? And had anyone remembered to pack the ponchos? I can feel a very bad hair day coming on... .

Next up ..........Wild Willy's Airboats. And more gators!

 

[sympatico]

Hi, Gina, great report and pictures as usual. I loved the title and thought it was very fitting to use that song. Jake just needs to be a little older to appreciate it.

 

[cheerky]

Whoa! That is a LOT of gators!!!! Your pictures are fantastic.

 

[Glennie5]

Welcome, welcome!

We have flown from Toronto (2009), Syracuse (Jan. and Aug. 2012) and Buffalo (Christmas 2012). We much prefer to fly from Syracuse and Buffalo over Toronto.........we love clearing customs in our car at the border rather than at the airport before our flight. We also love how small and easy to navigate the Syracuse and Buffalo airports are.

Syracuse is our first choice, as its closer to us than Buffalo (and we don't have the nightmare of crossing Toronto), but Buffalo was much cheaper than Syracuse this last trip, so it made the extra hour of car travel worthwhile.

I think we must live in the same area. We used to fly out of TO but now always fly out of Syracuse. We have never flown out of Buffalo but would for the right price.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

I am really enjoying your TR. I read your last one and I really appreciate your coverage of the Sea World parks and other Orlando attractions. I am hoping to do at least a day at Sea World on our upcoming WDW trip. Aside from that, we are planning to do a Discovery Cove/Sea World/Aquatica only family vacation in a couple years to celebrate me and DH's anniversary because by then our youngest child will be old enough to do the dolphin swim. Love your pics of Gatorland too; we are going to have to try to make it to that place one day. Christmas season at Sea World looks absolutely spectacular and it looks like they offer a lot of holiday festivities. Your TR is definitely going to let a lot of people in on how great the Sea World parks are over the holidays

 

[BearcatsFan]

Great pics of Gatorland!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Hi, Gina, great report and pictures as usual. I loved the title and thought it was very fitting to use that song. Jake just needs to be a little older to appreciate it.

Thanks sympatico!

lol, you mean I am dating myself with the song title? Time for a new title! (just kidding!) Those darn young'uns don't know what they missed.

Whoa! That is a LOT of gators!!!! Your pictures are fantastic.

Thank you!!!

I think we must live in the same area. We used to fly out of TO but now always fly out of Syracuse. We have never flown out of Buffalo but would for the right price.

We are in the Quinte region. Are you anywhere near our neck of the woods? (now wouldn't that be cool? )

I am really enjoying your TR. I read your last one and I really appreciate your coverage of the Sea World parks and other Orlando attractions. I am hoping to do at least a day at Sea World on our upcoming WDW trip. Aside from that, we are planning to do a Discovery Cove/Sea World/Aquatica only family vacation in a couple years to celebrate me and DH's anniversary because by then our youngest child will be old enough to do the dolphin swim. Love your pics of Gatorland too; we are going to have to try to make it to that place one day. Christmas season at Sea World looks absolutely spectacular and it looks like they offer a lot of holiday festivities. Your TR is definitely going to let a lot of people in on how great the Sea World parks are over the holidays

Aw, thanks 2Pirates2Princess! What kind comments! (you made my day)

I don't blame you for waiting to do DC until your kids are all old enough for the swim. Its an amazing experience that the whole family will want to share in.

I think you will love SW.....its a wonderful park. One of my favourites, as you probably can tell!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Great pics of Gatorland!

Thank you, my dear!

 

[dancin Disney style]

OK...that first photo in the Gatorland pt.2 post....did anyone else wonder what total loon crawled into that enclosure to put up Christmas decoration???? and who's going back in to take them down???

I think Gatorland should be an obligatory place to visit in FL....just like going to a Wayne Newton show in Vegas.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

December 26th..........continued.

The sudden rainstorm that soaked central Florida early in the afternoon was mercifully short lived and perfectly timed. We finished lunch, and got back into the truck under gloomy skies but lessening rain. The air was cooling noticeably, and we cautiously hoped that our airboat plans would go ahead as scheduled.

We made the pilgrimage to St. Cloud using the awesome directions provided by Wild Willy’s staff rather than the GPS, at Wild Willy’s suggestion. These directions were super detailed and allowed us to avoid the Sun Pass tolls. The drive was quiet and uneventful with no traffic.......and considering the congestion in the Orlando and Kissimmee areas, that was wonderful in itself. Definitely outside the tourist area, I would say it took between 30 and 45 minutes to get there from Gatorland.

And about half way there, the sun returned. As did a glorious, bright blue sky. Thank you, Mother Nature. We could not have timed our day’s activities better if we tried.

We arrived, checked in, and were directed to use the facilities (‘cause there’s no place to pee in the swamp!) while we waited for one of the boats to return from a tour. The boats hold 7, so our threesome would be sharing our boat with 3 others from a large group of 9. Our tour time was 3:30 p.m, the last of the day.

A photo of our chariot!

We chatted a bit with our driver, Captain John, and his wife (also a Wild Willy’s employee) as we waited to board. They laughed at us for wearing shorts. We laughed at them for wearing fleece. Born-and-bred southerners, they were shivering in the “cold”. We had questioned whether or not to even bring a sweater!


With empty bladders and the other guests present and accounted for, it was onto the boat and off into the swamp. We had the front three seats, the other family (a mom, dad and child) had the back. It wasn’t long before we were rather thankful that we were wearing sweaters after all........brrrrr, it got cold in the breeze!

Ear protection was provided, and worn by all.

Let’s just say I wouldn’t be winning any beauty contests that afternoon. Having to put my hair in ponytails was painful enough, then you add in the lovely yellow ear protectors and zipping through the swamp at 40 miles an hour and I’m sure I gave Medusa a run for her money.

The tour..........well, it was awesome. A full hour long (maybe even a little more), we zipped through the swamp in some sections, and leisurely trolled through others. We saw numerous exotic birds, a bald eagle, some very cool vegetation (not the kind you see here in Canada, that’s for sure) and yep, we saw gators.

Captain John would stop the boat from time to time, allowing for photos and sometimes to point out something interesting (with some neat details). He was very patient with questions and super knowledgeable about the wildlife native to the area.

The sun was starting to set by the time the boat rolled back in to the bank. We were invited into the office to meet the two-year-old resident gators who make their home at Wild Willy’s. This was Cricket. No tape on the mouth or anything......he seemed to be quite happy to be passed around from guest to guest.

The owner, Wild Willy (who also did a 3:30 tour with another group in a separate boat) stopped by during our gator meet-and-greet to say hello, shake our hands, and thank us for coming out. He asked us to stay put for a moment, then returned to bring us each an orange picked from their own tree to take home as a snack (and oh, were they good.......best oranges we’ve ever eaten). He also gave us some snail shells, pulled from the swamp and the shore, to take home as souvenirs (they are huge........Florida snails are MASSIVE, apparently). The ladies in the office also gave us each a Wild Willy’s Christmas postcard as we headed to the truck.

Tickets for this attraction were purchased at 50% using an offer on Livingsocial, so this awesome afternoon out was just over $50 for the three of us. An absolute steal. The guys voted this as one of the highlights of the trip, and something we would absolutely do again on a future trip. Plus, it was an awesome accompaniment to our morning at Gatorland. Hats off to all our friends at Wild Willy's for an AWESOME time!

 

[greenclan67]

OK...that first photo in the Gatorland pt.2 post....did anyone else wonder what total loon crawled into that enclosure to put up Christmas decoration???? and who's going back in to take them down???

I think Gatorland should be an obligatory place to visit in FL....just like going to a Wayne Newton show in Vegas.

We went last year in March, and I actually said to my kids when we were looking at the pictures. Who the heck put those up!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

OK...that first photo in the Gatorland pt.2 post....did anyone else wonder what total loon crawled into that enclosure to put up Christmas decoration???? and who's going back in to take them down???

We went last year in March, and I actually said to my kids when we were looking at the pictures. Who the heck put those up!

lol, we remarked on the same thing!

Gotta wonder if that's a threat at the employees' yearly performance reviews. "If you don't shape up, you'll be the one putting up the Christmas decorations this year!!"

Maybe they throw in a diversion......you know, like a side of beef, tossed into the far corner of the enclosure.........then when those gators are all meandering over to sample the buffet, a whole crew goes in at once and hangs the decorations simulataneously.

Would be fun to be a visitor in mid-November to find out!

And from a group benefits perspective, I wonder what kind of rates their employees pay for Accidental Death & Dismemberment and short-term disability premiums?!?

 

[Glennie5]

We are in the Quinte region. Are you anywhere near our neck of the woods? (now wouldn't that be cool? )

Yes we are - I just showed my husband a picture of your family and he thinks he went to grade school with your husband.

 

[papertraveller]

All caught up. Wow, those gator pics are something -- and I really, really don't like gators!

So sorry you all got sick. We also succumbed about a week after arriving. DD go a nasty stomach bug and then a full-blown fever that took her down for two days. DH then picked it up so badly that I was worried about the rental car and the fact that he was the only registered driver.

He rallied enough to get to the airport and home, and he spent the next day and a half in bed.

At least, like you, we had some space to spread out so everyone could recover at their own pace, one in bed while another watched tv in the room next door.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Yes we are - I just showed my husband a picture of your family and he thinks he went to grade school with your husband.

Really?! Wouldn't that just be rather cool! I just send ya a PM .

All caught up. Wow, those gator pics are something -- and I really, really don't like gators!

So sorry you all got sick. We also succumbed about a week after arriving. DD go a nasty stomach bug and then a full-blown fever that took her down for two days. DH then picked it up so badly that I was worried about the rental car and the fact that he was the only registered driver.

He rallied enough to get to the airport and home, and he spent the next day and a half in bed.

At least, like you, we had some space to spread out so everyone could recover at their own pace, one in bed while another watched tv in the room next door.

Oh man, sorry to hear that "the bug" affected your family getaway as well . It really sucks to be sick when you're on holidays. I am sooooo grateful that ours hit us all at once and was pretty short lived. It could have been so much worse.

I cannot imagine how families in a standard hotel room manage when the flu or illness strikes. Its got to be so tough!!!

 

[Glennie5]

Really?! Wouldn't that just be rather cool! I just send ya a PM .

How weird is that. When I started reading your trip report I kept thinking I knew you from somehere and it turns out our hubby's went to school together. I wonder if we have been in the same place at the same time and that is why I recognized your picture.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

How weird is that. When I started reading your trip report I kept thinking I knew you from somehere and it turns out our hubby's went to school together. I wonder if we have been in the same place at the same time and that is why I recognized your picture.

So.........for all you reading along, it turns out that Glennie5's husband and my husband did, in fact, go to elementary school together (and its a tiny little elementary school in a small town....what were the chances of THAT?).

If you need either one of us this evening, we'll be sitting in our respective living rooms (which are only a few miles apart), each humming "Its A Small World After All"!