Wild Florida Archives

Kissing an Alligator, Feeding a Lemur & Other “Wild” Experiences!

April 20, 2014 by Beeb 10 Comments

Blowing kisses to an alligator!

Travel & related consideration provided by Experience Kissimmee; cuddles provided by Mr. Alligator!

In addition to offering airboat tours, Wild Florida is also home to an extensive Wildlife Park. After we finished our ride, we made our way to the park to check out the animals!

One of the first things you notice in the park is the fabulous birds running around!

I loved getting a chance to see more of Florida’s natural beauty up close. The Hawk Swamp boardwalk winds through trees growing out of the swampy water below – it was so stunning in the morning light, and very different from any other forest I’ve observed in real life before.

As you make your way into the park, you can take part in a hands-on alligator demonstration. The staff introduce you to a small gator and give a little Q&A session about gator facts; this was the second time on my trip to Florida that an alligator handler said, “If you need to get away from an alligator, run straight or trip the person next to you.” 😉 Contrary to popular myths, running zig-zag won’t help – it was advised that you should try to find a tree to climb. Fortunately, I didn’t have to climb any trees to get away from my new buddy!

But first, let me take a gator selfie:

And the gator fun doesn’t stop there – they also have an area where you can actually feed alligators with pellets!

Here’s a video of me feeding a gator!

I think I crossed off every possible activity with gators on this trip. I held an alligator, sat on an alligator, rode a zip line over alligators, fed an alligator, and, yes, ate an alligator. And before my trip, I said to Jai, “I hope I get to touch a gator when I’m in Florida.” My hopes were exceeded!

But if gators aren’t your thing, maybe you’d like to a feed a lemur instead? Wild Florida offers a special enclosure where patrons can go in small groups to feed and play with lemurs. I sat down on a bench while lemurs darted around and above me, climbing all over the place – our guide recommended leaving cameras behind, as lemurs are very curious and will grab things from you and run away! No way was I going to risk my DSLR with a group of cheeky lemurs. 😉 However, I had my Garmin VIRB with me, which is specifically designed to withstand being bumped and dropped, so I brought that along and got a video of the experience:

These guys have the softest little hands – they’re so light as they hop all over you! Getting to pet and feed a lemur grapes was a fantastic experience and I’m thrilled I got to do it!

I also got to enter an enclosure and stand right next to a sloth – how cool is that?! Kristen Bell would’ve had a nervous breakdown here.

The sloth enclosure was also home to beautiful birds that we got up close and personal with!

Stacey makes a new friend!

Outside, we were looking at photos on Kristy’s phone and laughing when we heard a loud voice start laughing behind us. It was this guy:

We had a fun “Conversation” with this Cockatoo!

Wild Florida is also home to a tortoise exhibit.

Finally, we also saw a Zorse, which is the offspring of a horse and a zebra, and a Zedonk, which is the child of a zebra and a donkey!

With our tour guide at the Wild Florida Wildlife Park!

Between the airboat ride, the great nature and animal exhibits, and the opportunities to interact and feed so many amazing creatures, Wild Florida was a true treat for me.

For More Information:

Wild Florida
Phone: (407) 901-2563
3301 Lake Cypress Road
Kenansville, Florida 34739
Wildlife Park Admission: $18 for adults and $15 for children; admission is included if you purchase an airboat tour ticket. More information on price options available here.

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Wild Florida: Airboat Tours to Remember

April 19, 2014 by Beeb 1 Comment

Photo courtesy Experience Kissimmee.

As a first-time visitor to Florida, I was particularly excited to take an airboat tour with Wild Florida. Getting to see local habitat in such a classic way seemed like something that would be a very memorable and fun experience!

Our group climbed onto one large airboat with our guide, and off we went! Ear protection is provided, and while not required, recommended because of how loud the engine is. You might want to turn your speakers down a little before playing this video from my airboat tour:

The tour was fabulous – riding an airboat is so enjoyable, and it was so much fun coasting over the swamps as we passed alligators, birds, and cows. Yes, cows will wade out into the marsh and calmly chew on grass while gators lurk in the water nearby. I wasn’t expecting to see cows out there and it made me laugh!

It’s neat observing alligators in their natural habitat and seeing with your own eyes how they blend seamlessly into the background. It was hard to spot many of the alligators that our guide pointed out, as I found myself frequently mistaking sticks and logs for gators and gators for logs!

Our guide would stop anytime he spotted something interesting and point out alligators and birds to us. He told us all kinds of cool factoids and answered questions; one of our group said, “What would happen if one of us fell in?” to which another one joked that the gators would say, “Mmm, dinner!”. Our guide replied, “No, the gators would swim away from you because they don’t want to be dinner!” Although alligators are very dangerous animals, they are also scared of humans and not quite so vicious as, say, crocodiles. Our guide told us that most of the incidents in recent years with humans getting bitten were the result of people feeding wild alligators (!!). It was interesting to learn more about gators and explains how I was able to step inside a pen with Chester and not get immediately devoured. 😉 (Don’t try this at home, etc. etc)

He also told us about the alligator hunting tours he offers – it never even occurred to me, but gator hunting is permitted and quite popular in Florida. Hunters buy a special permit and may kill up to 2 alligators per year. Our guide offers hunting tours because the cost for non-locals to buy a hunting permit is much higher – not to mention that it probably isn’t the best idea to go chasing alligators with a harpoon by yourself…

Our group asked him about some of the reality shows they’ve seen featuring alligator hunting, such as Swamp People, and our tour guide told us that most of the hunting techniques for gators that are legal in Louisiana are illegal in Florida, so they conduct their hunts a bit differently. Who knew!

We got a good view of this guy sunning himself!

Here I am on the airboat with the gator behind me! Thanks to Melissa for the photo.

As a bird lover, I also enjoyed seeing the wide variety of native birds, including the Northern Crested Caracara and a Bald Eagle nest.

There is a Bald Eagle nest tucked into the top of the center tree.

I truly enjoyed exploring the Central Florida Everglades in such a fun and memorable way! Check out this video compilation of some of the highlights of my tour:

We saw this little gator as we exited the dock!

In addition to airboat tours, Wild Florida also offers a full wildlife park, which I’ll be showing you in my next article. This place truly has so much to offer and I’m so happy I had a chance to visit!

For More Information:

Wild Florida
3301 Lake Cypress Road
Kenansville, Florida 34739
Phone: (407) 901-2563
Tickets: 1/2 hour tour is $25 per person for adults and $22 per person for children aged 3-12; price also includes admission to the Wildlife Park and a hands-on alligator demonstration. Other price points available for longer, private and nighttime tours – price list available here.

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Wild Florida – A Great Theme Park Break for Your Kissimmee Vacation

February 18, 2013 by Momstart 2 Comments

Wild Florida – A Great Theme Park Break for Your Kissimmee Vacation

By: Ashley

After a few days of being surrounded by people and shuffling through lines, you might be ready for a break from the theme parks in Orlando. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE theme parks and thrill rides. I’m also a huge fan of seeing the wild side of things which is exactly what Wild Florida is all about.

Wild Florida is an wildlife park where you can experience amazing air boat rides through the head waters of the Everglades. Wild Florida was actually my first air boat ride, and I absolutely LOVED it! An air boat gives you the chance to put yourself out in the middle of the Florida swamp land. There is no better way to see the wild side of Florida than from the seat of a boat in the middle of the swamp! What does it look like when you’re riding on an air boat? I was able to grab a little video so I could share it with you! (It’s definitely a little loud, so you might want to adjust your volume.) Keep in mind, it’s some buzzing around in the boat and then stops along the way when your guide spots some cool wildlife!

In addition to AMAZING air boat tours through gorgeous Florida wildlife, Wild Florida has a great wildlife park: home for exotic animals, birds, and tortoises. I was extremely impressed with the clean and friendly feel of the wildlife park. All of the animals seemed loved and well cared for. I even saw an animal that was new to me! Have you ever heard of a Zonkey? You also have to make sure you check out some of the young alligators that you can even hold!

Once you have seen the animals, you can take a walk through the “Hawk Swamp.” This platform walk through the wetlands lets you have an up close look at life in the Everglades. I actually learned about “cypress knees.” Cypress knees are the unusual root system growth that occurs with Cypress trees growing in the swamps. Some think this is a way for the tree roots to gain extra oxygen since they are usually submerged in water. Others think this is more of a structure for support and stabilization. Either way, it just goes to show that there is so much for anyone to learn from our friends at Wild Florida.

As if the day at Wild Florida wasn’t exciting enough, they were able to cap off the day with a delicious meal. Sometimes you worry that at parks the food won’t really seem very fresh. With great meat options, my rib lunch was delicious!

If you’re going to be in the Orlando area, I strongly encourage you to check out Wild Florida. It is a place I would love to go back to with my family.

Experience Kissimmee brought me to Florida to experience Kissimmee in person. All opinions are my own, and no compensation was received.

About Ashley – Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at Momicles and follow her@Momicles2010.

5 Ways to Experience Kissimmee Without Going to Disney #Kiss10

February 6, 2013 by Momstart 6 Comments

5 Ways to Experience Kissimmee Without Going to Disney

By: Ashley

We all know that Disney is a magical place, but Kissimmee is home to so many amazing activities and adventures! You could plan a weeklong vacation to Kissimmee full of fun and adventure without even going to Disney. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Disney (Who doesn’t?!?), but sometimes families need to know what else there is in Orlando.

1. Wild Florida – This place is full of Florida wildlife from the second you step onto the grounds. A petting zoo, airboat rides, and of course alligators can keep your family busy for hours!

2. Forever Florida – If you want to see some untouched, natural Florida scenery, but aren’t feeling the boat riding bug, Forever Florida is a great stop. This eco-ranch of 4700 acres offers a ton of adventures including horseback tours, safari rides, and amazing zipline tours.

3. Arabian Nights – This family owned and operated dinner entertainment show features gorgeous horses and a patriotic story. Enjoy a meal while watching a theatrical show unfold before your eyes.

4. Gatorland – It’s impossible to feature Florida wildlife without alligators and Gatorland is the alligator hot spot. Gator shows, gator rescues, gator babies, mysterious white gators, and more can be found at this great Orlando attraction where you could easily spend a day.

5. Premium Outlets Orlando – Once you’ve seen the wild side of Kissimmee, you can take a day to hit this shopper’s paradise. Upscale stores like Coach, and kid friendly stops like Stride Rite make this a great shopping destination for all.

So there you have it – 5 ways to spend a day in Orlando without going to Disney. I have to admit that not all of these places are officially in Orlando or Kissimmee, but they’re all very close. They also all have great online resources to help you plan your family’s visit. Don’t forget to check out our own Kissimmee experiences here on MomStart to help you plan your trip.

Experience Kissimmee brought me to Florida to experience Kissimmee in person. All opinions are my own, and no compensation was received.