Florida
Orlando/Kissimmee
I know many of you are asking yourself, Florida, a weekend getaway? It's not really somewhere you could hop in your car, see the sites and drive home the next day, unless you live near by, but if you ever considered a nice family vacation this is a good place to consider.
Florida is a huge state with many wonderful sites to see and things to do so I'll only focus on the areas many of you are familiar with, Orlando/Kissimmee. So many exciting places to venture to and there's something for everyone!
Who could imagine that in just Orlando alone, there are seven theme parks, three water parks and over 90 other attractions!
The most famous of theme parks are of course, Disney World! Disney World hosts four themed parks. Magic Kingdom, which is the main park where you can meet all your favorite, classic Disney characters, see Cinderella's Castle, check on what Captain Jack Sparrow's up to and enjoy thrilling rides for all ages. There are many shows throughout the day and be sure to stay and watch the parade and fireworks display! A perfect ending to a magical day!
There is also Disney's MGM Studios theme park. A tribute to the world of showbiz! If you like action and adventure, this is the park for you! Be a rock star and experience the thrill of zooming from 0 to 60 mph in a coaster limousine! Or be terrified as you drop 13 stories in an elevator you thought would bring you to safety from the spooky, old hotel. Throughout your MGM experience, you'll recognize some of your favorite TV shows and movies and also learn how it's like to be on a movie set, the stunts, props and the ins and outs of filming. There's also something for the classic movie buff. There are many wonderful shows at MGM Studios throughout the day, Indiana Jones being one that is most memorable. And then there's one of my favorites, Muppet Vision 3-D. You'll want to stay for the final show, Fantasmic! Such an exciting lights and fireworks show you don't want to miss!
Another one of Disney's themed parks is Epcot. A park that shows us the world and it's cultures and also a look ahead to the future! Where else can you travel, by foot, to many different countries in one day?! Only at Epcot! Visit countries like England, China, Mexico and Japan, or at least feel like you did. This had to be the highlight of my experience at Epcot. You can easily spend most of your day in that area. Oh, they also have a spectacular fireworks display before closing.
One of Disney's newest parks, and my favorite, is Disney's Animal Kingdom. If you love nature and animals, you'll love this park! It's like one gigantic zoo with bonus features. There is a 3-D show that will end up being one of your favorites, It's Tough to be a Bug. I'm not that crazy about bugs but this show is a lot of fun! My suggestion is right before leaving the park, watch the fabulous live show Festival of the Lion King! A great way to add an exclamation point to the end of your Animal Kingdom experience.
If you do plan to visit the Disney themed parks, make sure to check on the times and if they are planning to have their fireworks display, if this is something you plan to stay for, and then plan your week out accordingly. You'll want to try and get there as soon as the park opens because there is so much to see and do! And pick up a daily events calendar and map to plan out your day at the park so you'll not miss one thing!
Disney World is not the only park in Orlando though. Two exciting parks, Universal Studios and Universal's Island of Adventure! Universal Studios themed parks focus on entertainment, thrills and fun! I'd say that Universal is more geared towards older children, teenagers and adults as Disney is more geared towards toddlers all the way up to the young at heart. But Universal is good fun for the family, plenty of fun adventures! Never a dull moment!
My favorite themed park, next to Disney's Animal Kingdom, is Sea World Adventure Park! Plenty of rides and shows as is usually expected for a park, but Sea World brings you up close to marine life, up close to creatures you may never get to see in the wild. So beautifully breathtaking. I'll always remember my experience with watching the dolphins swim and being able to touch them. Petting the stingrays at the Stingray Lagoon and feeding the sea lions at the Pacific Point Preserve.
Not only are there the major themed parks, but there are also smaller venues that are just as fun to visit! If you like wildlife and want to get up close to a gator, Gatorland is the perfect destination! For over 50 years, Gatorland has been a themed park and wildlife preserve, and you won't be disappointed if you want to actually see a gator. It's not called Gatorland for nothing! Many who had vacationed in Florida as a child have fond memories of Gatorland and it's huge gator mouth entrance.
After visiting Gatorland, continue the experience of Florida wildlife with an airboat ride on Florida's everglades! You'll find other airboat ride companies but one that I can truly recommend is Boggy Creek Airboat rides. Take a thrilling ride across the Everglades in a fast moving airboat and enjoy nature's wildlife. I must say that this was awesome and hope to do this again! You'll see alligators resting along the shore, and if you're lucky you may even see baby gators as well. One unique feature at Boggy Creek is the Wildlife Safari Tour. It's like an open bus with monster truck tires! There's a ramp you have to go up to get inside! This will take you out along an actual working 8,000 acre cattle ranch. There you'll see many beautiful animals such as deer, gators and even a gigantic bald eagles nest high up in a tree! And along with the nest, you'll see the majestic beauty of our nation's symbol.
Continue the fun into the evening with a dinner show! There are many dinner theatres in Orlando and surrounding areas such as Arabian Nights, Dixie Stampede and Medieval Times.
Florida has so much to offer and even a weeks stay is not long enough to see everything there is, just within Orlando and Kissimmee, but you'll have wonderful memories of the places you did go and the fun times you had! And maybe if you wish upon a star, you'll get to visit again!~ C. S. Whiteford
Check out these websites!
A gator we saw while on the Safari Ride at Boggy Creek.
A view of another air boat, from our boat, zooming by!
Disney World's Magic Kingdom!
Disney's Epcot, at night.
