I visited the Florida Eco Safari at the Crescent J Ranch in early January and learned that this is much more than an attraction ride through the Florida wilderness but a story about a family. Your visit starts by driving into the 4,700 acre St Cloud ranch back to the Visitor Center which is a beautiful building with a wrap-around porch and enough rocking chairs for everyone. Plan to arrive a bit early or stay a bit late to simply sit and enjoy. If you’re hungry, half the Visitor Center is occupied by the wonderful Little Cypress restaurant.
Your Coach Safari Tour begins in a theater style room with a movie/story about Allen Broussard . Allen was an avid outdoorsman, whose dream was saving a piece of the Florida wilderness after understand the ecological value of the Crescent J once he became a Wildlife Ecologist. After Allen passed way to early, his mother and father made Allen’s dream come true when the founded the Allen Broussard Conservancy for the purpose of purchasing the land and keeping it as a wildlife preserve. A portion of the proceeds from visitors to Forever Florida go to purchasing more land to be preserved. Visit http://www.foreverflorida.com/AllenBroussardConservancy/ to learn more.
Once aboard the Coach Train, you head out into the wilderness on a narrated tour where you’ll experience streams, wetlands and learn about the array of white tailed deer, alligators, birds and the occasional black bear. The ranch is a living museum for Spanish Colonial Cattle and unique Cracker Horses. There is plenty of time for picture taking and questions on top of the 8 foot high safari coach. Remember, the Coach Safari Tour is an included admission with the Go Orlando Card. See Forever Florida to learn more.
Additionally, Forever Florida offers Horseback safaris and a new Zipline Safari as well as hiking trails. Additional programs available include the full-service Cypress Restaurant, meeting planner and special event facilities, educational camp programs for kids and adults, field trip and scout programs, camping and cabin rentals.
Get your cameras ready for the Florida photo adventure of a lifetime!
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If you find your visit to Orlando is going to include a trip South to Miami, then you may want to check out Jungle Island’s Lemur Experience. This unique offering allows members of the public the chance to learn extensively about these colorful and vivacious creatures, while interacting with them in a hands-on way.
The 45-minute experience brings small groups of guests – no more than six at a time – in the park’s Lemur Nursery, where young ring-tailed lemurs, and the rare red-ruffed and black-and-white ruffed lemurs are growing up and developing. Before the interaction begins, the guests are educated about the lemurs natural habitat, diet and habits and are advised of the best way to pet them and feed them their favorite treat – juicy grapes.
When everyone is comfortable, the lemurs come out to meet their newest friends (and servers!) Quite the rambunctious crowd, the lemurs often make themselves right at home either on guests’ laps, shoulders or heads. (Don’t worry – they don’t charge for their hair styling services.) After a lemur has leaped off of your head, you’ll never be quite the same!
Native only to the island of Madagascar, lemurs are considered very rare in the animal kingdom. While some species of lemurs have actually gone extinct as a result of habitat destruction, the three types of lemurs on Jungle Island are each classified as either endangered or threatened.
As in their natural environment, the female lemurs certainly run the show. Female dominance is common in many branches of the animal kingdom (humanity arguably one of them) and the lemurs are certainly no exception. On Jungle Island, the dominant female is named Susie Q and all the males have been known to mind their P’s and Q’s around her.
Jungle Island’s Lemur Experience is offered daily, but advance reservations are suggested. The Lemur Experience costs $45 per person for the 45-minute experience and can accommodate up to six guests at a time. Reservations can be made by calling (305) 400-7275 between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, 7 days per week.
Jungle Island, Miami’s entertainment destination, is located in the heart of the city between Downtown Miami and South Beach. The multifaceted grounds host Miami’s newest theme park, home to the world’s most rare and incredible animals. Guests marvel at the engaging animal shows and presentations, participate in hands-on interactions with fascinating animals, and are amazed by the park’s breathtaking landscapes and vistas.
“It’s not a thrill ride,” said Dan LeBlanc, chief operating officer of the Visitor Complex. “You won’t be dodging asteroids or battling any aliens. We have worked hard to ensure that it is as close as you can be to simulating the reality of a Space Shuttle launch within the confines of Earth’s gravity.”
Orlando’s popular Gatorland has always drawn visitors to its 110 acre site with the promise of up close encounters with its primary inhabitants. Now there are four more reasons to spend some time at the “Alligator Capital of the World” – four of the world’s largest white leucistic alligators.
These striking blue-eyed creatures are each over 10 feet in length and weigh over 800 pounds. They are on display in a special exhibit space that allows visitors to (safely) get within a few feet for an unbelievable view of these extremely rare animals. Originally discovered in a Louisiana swamp, the white alligators were collected as babies before the liability of their lack of pigment caught up with them.
In addition to its newest residents, Gatorland has thousands of alligators and crocodiles. It also features an aviary, a nature walk, a petting zoo, rides, a restaurant, a Gator Wrestlin’ Show, and more. Now in its 60th year, admission to Gatorland is included as part of the Go Orlando Card. So stop by on your next visit to Orlando for a fascinating and fun experience.
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The Atlanta Braves’ 2009 spring training schedule features an 18-game home schedule at Champions Stadium within Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Conveniently located near many Orlando area attractions and hotels (many offering great deals), this is a great family friendly complex which makes for a great way to spend an afternoon or evening.
The Braves are entering a dozen seasons of spring training baseball at the 200-acre sports complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando. The Atlanta Braves will host several opponents in 2009, including visits from the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. After two weeks of workouts, the Braves will plan an 18-game home schedule that includes two World Baseball Classic Exhibition games featuring Panama (March 3) and Venezuela (March 5), as well as a pair of contest against the Yankees and Mets. For ticket information visit www.atlantabraves.com or call 407-839-3900.
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Hey everyone, I’m beginning to upload videos all over the internet about the Go Card. You can find them on Youtube, Flickr, and other popular sites. We’re no going to make you scour the web, though. I’ll post them right here! Check out this first one about Fun Spot Action Park.
We had a couple of videos sent to us from them: a standard promotional video, and a blooper reel. I decided to combine the two to reflect the fun attitude of the attraction itself. Leave a comment if you like it!
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Silver Springs Nature Park photo uploaded by hellis813
Earth Day is coming up on April 22, and these days it seems like everyone in the travel industry is buzzing about ways to make vacations more eco-friendly. The City of Orlando is also concerned about environmental conservation, so late last year they launched an initiative called Green Works Orlando. The plan calls for increasing the number of trees and green spaces in Orlando, investing in green buildings, and conserving natural resources.
This Earth Day, why not visit some of the Orlando attractions that let you experience nature first-hand. From animal petting zoos to rides along the Florida everglades, here are some of our picks.
Silver Springs Nature Park features glass bottom boats, giving passengers unrivaled views of marine life in the Silver River. Other highlights include the Big Gator Lagoon, Panther Prowl, and other animal exhibits.
Gatorland is a 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve. The park opened in 1949 and continues to provide inexpensive family fun with educational wildlife programs, one-of-a-kind reptilian shows, and more.
Green Meadows Petting Farm offers a two-hour guided farm tour aimed at teaching children and adults about farm life. Kids have the chance to milk a cow and touch pigs, turkeys, chickens, ducks, and more.
Boggy Creak Airport Rides takes visitors deep into the Everglades to discover parts of Florida that remain untouched by man. The half hour airport ride is led by a certified U.S. Coast Guard captain and features views of turtles, bird, and other animals in their natural environment.
Florida Eco-Safaris at Forever Florida covers 3,200 acres of pristine Floridian wildernes, along with the 1,500-acres Crescent J Ranch. Visitors experience life as a Florida pioneer with horseback safaris, nature trails, pony rides, a petting zoo, and more.
Anything we’ve missed? Leave a comment and let us know!
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What could be better than a trip to a water park on a hot Florida day? How about a trip to a water park that’s included with the Go Orlando Card? That’s right - we’ve added Wet ‘n Wild Orlando as a bonus offer when you buy a 3, 5 or 7-day card. You can boogie to hits from the 70s at Disco H20, take a relaxing ride through waterfalls on the Lazy River, or cool off with a refreshing water ride on The Blast. Your bonus offer includes free admission and one free tube rental.
We all know that Florida is swamped with Spring Breakers this time of the year, but it can also be a great time for your family to take a break as well! Ignore the throngs of crazy collegiates, grab a Go Orlando Card, and check out this listing of new attractions open just in time for spring, as well as other Orlando fun that’s sure to please the whole family.
There’s Sea World’s new park, Aquatica, the new Simpsons ride at Universal Studios, Busch Gardens Africa, and the continuation of Disney’s Year of a Million Dreams. Plenty of your favorite attractions are having special spring events, including “Hippity Hop Adventure” at the Central Florida Zoo, great shows at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, and NBA playoff battles at the Amway Arena.
Happy spring to you and your family!
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WonderWorks will celebrate its’ 10th anniversary in Orlando on Tuesday, March 4. All month long, visitors will be eligible to win their share of $10,000 in prizes. Florida Residents receive a rate of $10.00 ( +tax) per person for WonderWorks general admission after 1:00PM on March 4th ONLY. (Of course, Go Orlando Card users get included admission daily, so visitors needn’t feel left out.)
This interactive theme park for the mind features an earthquake simulator, you can attempt to land the Space Shuttle or play one of the many virtual sports. There is a “bubble lab” for the kids or try you hand at some Lazer tag. WonderWorks is also home to the Outta Control Magic and Comedy Show featuring unlimited pizza, salad, beer, wine, soda and popcorn. The show runs twice nightly at 6 and 8pm.
You can’t miss this place-it’s the giant white upside down building on International Drive near the Orlando County Convention Center and next to Pointe Orlando.
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Girl at water park Photo uploaded by 
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