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This photo was taken by Global Resort Homes a great home rental place to stay while on vacation in Kissimmee at Sea World. If you want to see more photos like this one follow Global Resort Homes on Facebook. You can also follow Kissimmee CVB on Facebook or just book a stay and see for yourself.
When you’re away from home for a week and cramped in a hotel you probably eat out a lot. If you have a fridge in your room you might also have a microwave then you’re still probably eating unhealthy and that kind of eating can be a burden on your wallet. You also miss out on the fun times you could be having cooking and eating at the dinner table as a family.
My most recent stay with Global Resort Homes was with 20 others most of them were woman for Disneynature’s Chimpanzee Red Carpet Premiere. You know when you get that many girls together, you have drama, and arguments, and absolute fun! Nothing takes away the fun factor!
We had a pancake night one night. We made pancakes, eggs and bacon for 22 people and you can’t do that in a hotel. As we were cooking we got a little silly in the kitchen as you can tell from the photo above. It was so much fun hanging out with so many of my blogging friends. On another night we had a pizza night and did Jell-o shots. And the very first night we had a fabulous dinner made for us by Chef Linda. These are all things you just cant do staying at a resort or hotel. I mean, yeah I supposed you could have a pizza night but can you cram 22 people into your hotel room? Nope, you would have to rent a conference room to have group fun. Plus at the end of every night we were able to sleep in our own rooms.
Global Resort Homes is not a time share. You don’t have to sit through any meetings, or listen to any talk about the homes. You just pick one out to stay in, pay for your stay and you’re left alone. The only thing you get is if you have a problem someone will come fix it.
Houses are different sizes and you have a fridge, washing machine and dryer and a kitchen to save money while you’re in Kissimmee. It’s so much cheaper to be able to cook your own food and drink a pot of coffee rather than going out for every drink and meal. Also, the kitchen facilities in these homes are worth bragging about. They come stocked with plates and cooking necessities. Some even have basic spices salt and pepper. And if you don’t want to cook, just remember the in home chef option.
To learn more about Global Resort Homes:
Florida Eco Safaris is all about adventure. You step foot on this amazing property of protected land with hogs, alligators, horses and cows all around. Of course they’re all separated and the alligators aren’t allowed anywhere near the people. They had issues with one alligator a few years ago, he really wanted to be included in the safari, coming back no matter how many times they removed him, so they just made him a home inside Florida Eco Safaris and you can wave hello to him as you zipline or do the Cyprus canopy cycle over him.
I just did three of the four new exhibits and WOW that was the adventure of my life. I never knew how scared I could be until I did the Panther Pounce. You go up stairs until you’re 70 feet up and then they hook you to a harness and you’re supposed to walk off the ledge. UM yeah…..that took me a while to work up the courage. The more I thought about it the more scared I was. In fact, I was next to hyperventilating. I asked a lot of questions and finally I just did it. I took the plunge and dropped. The drop that was easy and almost relaxing, it was trusting myself to take that step that scared the *hit out of me. And yes, I have to admit that I cussed the whole way down, I never cuss, never except I did then, even though it was the easy part, I couldn’t believe I just did that. I’m not sure I would do it again. It’s hard to make yourself step off into nothingness. When I was done, I thought I was going to pass out, that could have been due to the almost hyperventilating in fear, and the fact that we had already done two of the other new adventures and I didn’t have water for over 2.5 hours. So I’m no pansy I tell you that! Watch!!!!
I also did the zipline roller-coaster Rattlesnake and loved it. I want to go again and again. I do have a love of the thrill of rollercoasters. I love them so much, I remember being a kid and terrified and my parents forced me and I was still terrified and when I became a teenager suddenly I loved them. So whenever I hear the word rollercoaster I have to try it. I Loved the zipline roller-coaster, you go up and down and swing side to side and you hit a palm tree and it’s amazing. I thought I was going to run into the metal bar and then I dropped down and it was an amazing thrill.
We also did the Superman Zipline and it was such a smooth ride. I wasn’t afraid I just glided off and flew to the other end. It’s awesome. The final new adventure isn’t open yet. They were in testing stage and we were out of time. Otherwise I probably would have tried it too because I like to try new things. I’d hate to miss the opportunity and regret it later never having the chance to do it again.
Thank you goes to Disney as part of the exciting Premiere of Chimpanzee, Global Resort Homes for a place to stay, Kissimmee CVB and Florida Eco Safaris.
I was here back in December and did the Boggy Creek Airboat Rides and it was fun then (Finding Alligators In Florida Wetlands Boggy Creek Airboat Rides), and it was even better now. The weather was warmer the sun was out and it felt great. I loved the feeling of the sun and wind going through my hair. Living in Seattle is not my favorite aspect of my life. I miss the sunshine for at least 9 out of 12 months of the year so today was a refreshing soothing bask in the sun on an air boat.
The marsh was lower than it was back in December, Florida could use a little rain but the alligators didn’t seem to mind. We found on of the mommy alligators not too far from her babies. She was giving them some time to play unsupervised, well partially unsupervised. She was close enough to come scare away a predator, but she was far enough away they probably felt some independence. (not that I’m an alligator expert though, who knows that they were doing) Maybe they had a fight and mom needed a time out. I often need a time out myself when it comes to parenting. Parenting is HARD stuff!
Mostly since I’ve done this before I enjoyed the company of my friends, seeing the birds flying around and the thrill of finding alligators that never gets old. I’ve been trying to tell my friends at home that I work on these trips but they keep telling me yeah right, you can’t convince us of that. Well look at this, this is the bloggers sitting down at the picnic table working away as we’re trying to make our twitter goal. We do really work.
Of course they were also waiting on the little alligator to make an appearance. Thank you goes to Disney Global Resort Homes, Kissimmee CVB and Boggy Creek Airboat Rids.
If it’s not enough that my very first time zipling at speeds I’m not used to traveling at heights I’m not used to standing at we were also soring over Alligators. As far as Alligators go I would say he’s pretty sweet, if you talk to him he’ll move closer to you. I’m not sure he’s hungry, I think he enjoys the conversation, at least that’s what I was telling myself as I was praying that my lines wouldn’t give.
When asked if I wanted to go on a trip to Kissimmee, Florida, I said yes, of course. I was expecting Disney World, I’ve never been there before. Next thing I know, I’ve signed myself up for ICE, bi-plane riding, and zip-lining. UHHH, the nerves kicked in at the words ziplining and bi-plane riding. Hmmm. Ok, here we go, I wasn’t going to back out. I put on the gear and felt quite adventurous.
Then we climbed the stairs, the rickety stairs up to our first line. Now we’re talking rules and don’t touch this and don’t’ do that, my hearing glosses over as I’m noticing how high we are and that we have to be unhooked for a brief time as we get ready to jump/fall/sit into our glide across the trees. My nerves kicked into high gear and I wasn’t sure what to do.
As I watched everyone go before me I was wondering if I could really do this? The thrill seeker in me won out. I did it, I flew through the trees like a bird and loved it. It wasn’t until about four lines into it that I was actually able to really enjoy it. I’m pretty sure I’m afraid of heights but I have a closet thrill seeker in me that rides mechanical bulls, runs through the streets of New York in a ball gown, and fly down zip lines over Alligators.
Florida Eco Safaris take care of everything you need. They provide tour guides who help you along the way. They are quite prepared for any and all occasions and ours even provided some quick witted much needed humor to lighten the tension of something so adventurous. They of course provide the gear and keep up with all ziplining standards. I had an amazing time and can’t wait for round two. At Florida’s Eco Safaris you can choose from four amazing ways to explore Forever Florida: Coach Safari, Horseback Safari, soar over it all on Florida’s biggest and All New Zipline Safari™, or pedal through the treetops on the New Cypress Canopy Cycle. We also did the Cypress Canopy Cycle, it’s a lot of work and I was a little too close to really large spiders for my taste but I did really enjoy the workout.
Travel Expenses were covered by Kissimmee CVB, Global Resort Homes and Florida Eco Safaris. Special thanks to Kas pictured above for helping to organize the event.
Sometimes I get lucky and have so many fabulous photos of a place I visit that the entire review can be in photos and Fantasy of Flight was breathtakingly photogenic. In Seattle we have The Museum of Flight where we can take all kind of photos of airplanes. It’s walking through a museum. Fantasy of flight takes you on an adventure while showing you all the airplanes over the years. You not only get to see the planes you feel the life they lived. You have to see it to completely understand what I’m saying. You live the fantasy!
Fantasy of Flight is in Polk Florida very close to Kissimmee. It’s worth the drive over to see a unique display of the history of planes. They offer a variety of guided tours including visits to their working restoration and maintenance areas. My favorite part was the tour we took. Walking through areas of war actually made me nervous.
Some of the aircraft we saw has been carefully restored to represent the same dignity they possessed when they ruled the skies. They were beautiful planes. I think because my son has such a fascination with airplanes it gave me a fascination. Seeing everything through the eyes of a child makes me feel young again. This is defiantly a place I want to take Miles to one day.
One area that we didn’t try was the Fun with Flight Center. There you can take a spin on a state-of-the-art hang glide simulator and climb on board a real B-17 Flying Fortress in a WWII bombing mission.
Travel and Expenses were covered by Kissimmee CVB and Global Resort Homes
Just outside the Fantasy of Flight in Kissimmee Florida is Waldo Wright’s Flying Service. There you get to fly above Florida in a little bi-plane and relive adventures of the 1930’s.
That’s what we did back in December of 2011. Thanks to Kissimmee CVB, Fantasy of Flight, Global Resort Homes and Waldo Wright’s Flying Service, I got to dress the part of someone who took a little joy ride in a bi-plane. We heard the history of the plane, as it was used to smuggle alcohol at one time, a fact I found to be really cool. Plus flying through the air in bi-plane was much easier and much more fun that I ever thought it would be.
I was a bit scared because I’m used to small planes being quite shaky, this wasn’t it was a smooth ride and the weather was perfect for us. I loved the wind in my hair and seeing the water and orange groves below me.
So here are the fly girls.
Kas – Southern Bellas Ways To Save
Crystal – Simply Being Mommy and Becca – Mamabblog
Jen – The Mom Reviews
Now here are the planes. Waldo Wright’s Flying Service offers a variety of vintage biplane experiences. Travel back to the 1930s to enjoy an authentic barnstorming ride in a New Standard D-25, or the 1940s for a more hands-on WWII adventure at the controls of a Boeing Stearman N2S-3.
Here’s a little history:
The New Standard airplane was designed specifically for barnstorming at the request of Ivan Gates, the proprietor of the famous Gates Flying Circus. Gates, with Clyde Pangborn, formed and operated one of the largest groups of barnstorming airplanes from the middle 1920s and into the 1930s. Carrying 4 passengers in a large front open cockpit, the airplane was instrumental in introducing hundreds of thousands of people to their first airplane ride, when aviation was in its infancy. Many still remember flying out of a pasture near their hometown when they were young. There are very few of these magnificent airplanes still operating today; in fact, Waldo owns two of the seven presently airworthy and flying.
My husband had told me a while back that he was going to take our son up and I said. NO WAY. You are not taking my son on a bi-plane. Now that I’ve been on one as soon as I know my son can stay in his seat, he’s allowed to fly with his dad and a professional pilot of course. Waldo Wright’s Flying Service is located in Polk City just outside Fantasy of Flight. If you ever are in the Kissimmee area you should consider going up in one of his planes.
Travel expenses were covered by Global Resort Homes and Kissimmee CVB.
My adventures in Kissimmee Florida weren’t only holiday excursions, we also had lots of adventure. One of the adventures felt like an episode out of CSI Miami and as we went around every turn in the wetlands, I was expecting to find a body floating in the water. You know what TV does to the imagination right? Happy to report no bodies found, just Florida Wildlife.
We were taking an adventure with Boggy Creek Airboat Rides. On this adventure with Boggy Creek Airboat Rides we took a tour through the wetlands looking for alligators, can you guess how many we found. I only expected to see one, and thought we’d be lucky if we saw one. instead we found 18. Most of them were itty bitty babies but it was still so much fun finding and counting them up. The tours started with a leisure idle down a natural canal viewing exotic birds,
turtles
and the 18 Florida alligators we found in their own natural environment.
Ok, we found them as we went along our 30 minute tour of the wetlands, not all in one spot. We found babies in groups and as the alligators got larger they were found in smaller numbers.
We flew down into the wetlands experiencing the wind and water whisping our faces as we traveled on the airboat reaching up to 45 miles per hour. Boggy Creek Airboat Rides is the best way to experience the beautiful Central Florida Everglades. Our tour guide was great at finding the wildlife and explaining everything to us. We saw and eagle and I have to warn you there are a few spiders here and there and even though I’m terrified of them I would ride the airboat again in a heart beat. I had a great time. I’d never seen a collection of shells like this before.
The Boggy Creek Airboat Rides offer 4 airboat tour choices. A 30 minute or a 1 hour scenic airboat ride on 17 passenger airboat, 45 minute airboat tour on 6 passenger boat & the 1 hour night airboat ride. They suggest that In the warm seasons the best time to see alligators is at night. If you are not able to go at night they suggest coming first thing in the morning. Our tour took place in the morning.
I got to drive too, ok, I’m just pretending to drive, I would have run over something I’m sure or tipped the boat over.
And at the end of the tour we had a lesson on alligators and all had the chance to hold one. I gave him a kiss. I guess Alligators don’t turn into princes like frogs do.
This tour was made possible by Global Resort Homes and Kissimmee CVB.
As part of our exploration of Kissimmee and Central Florida we visited the town of Celebration. Celebration looks like a quaint little town right out of a movie. The buildings are all colorful and as they look different they all blend in to each other having the same picket fence appeal. First off we had dinner at Columbia Restaurant.
Columbia serves a taste of Columbia, which is something I’ve never experienced before. I tried the sangria and I had an excellent dinner with rice, sausage, beef and pork, it was called Paella “Campesina”. The flavors were fantastic. I had a hard time stopping because it was delicious. I was actually full before it even arrived because we had the original “1905: salad. YUM. My friend didn’t like what she ordered and since the serving sizes were huge I had plenty to share with her. I also tried the Sangria and we had a fabulous lime dessert. After dinner we hurried over to Celebration for the SNOW! It snows in central Florida and they have an ice rink. (although the ice rink looks like it’s made plastic.)
The Snow comes down at different scheduled times and it’s actually soapy bubbles. Somehow even as bubbles the snow captivated all the people there and feel as magically as real snow does. Watching all the people gave me joy. You could see people in the streets just lifting up their arms looking straight up into the sky with their arms outstretched. I had a great time.
I recommend visiting the picturesque town of Celebration built by Disney. They know how to do food and fun!
All travel and expenses were paid for by Global Resort Homes And Kissimmee CVB.
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