Make Time for Wild Florida

It’s been a while since we last visited Wild Florida down in the depths of Osceola County, so we thought we’d head out that way for an update tour recently. We’re so glad we did.

This is the place to come when you need to take a break from your holiday and breathe in the full beauty of the Sunshine State.

After all, you’ve come all this way; you’ve invested two (or more) weeks of your valuable time off; and you’ve almost certainly run yourself ragged trying to have a good time in Orlando’s tourism wonderland, checking out the world-famous theme parks and other attractions.

So, with all that travelling, we’d like to ask you just one question – have you actually *seen *Florida?

On the doorstep of Disney and Universal

It’s not a crazy question, as many visitors spend SO much time dashing from park to park and attraction to attraction, that they actually miss what’s right on the doorstep of Walt Disney World, Universal and Co, and that is the real, honest-to-goodness sights and sounds of the Sunshine State.

You won’t find them in the parks, or in the hotels and villas, or on International Drive and the shopping centres. But you will find them as soon as you drive out beyond the obvious tourist hot-spots, and that’s where Wild Florida comes in. We last wrote about them more than four years ago in our blog, and a lot has happened in their little corner of Florida since then.

Just to start with, this tranquil little attraction is only 38 miles from Disney, but it is a whole world away in real terms, as it gets visitors into the heart of the countryside, and provides a chance for a unique close-up experience with the flora and fauna that is guaranteed to captivate and enchant visitors from the word go.

Wild Florida in the Middle of Nowhere

Wild Florida advertises itself as being “in the middle of nowhere,” and that’s the feeling you get as you drive out to Lake Cypress Road, Kenansville, south of Kissimmee, where they are surrounded by roughly 15,000 acres of sheer Florida nature.

It isn’t the back of beyond of course (it takes only 55 minutes to get there from the Champions Gate villa area, and an hour from Davenport), but, with the fact there are no other buildings or signs of human habitation anywhere to be seen once you arrive, you could definitely be convinced you’re a long way from anywhere.

And that’s all part of the rural charm – albeit with all mod cons, like the on-site cafe, large gift shop and modern restrooms (not ‘toilets’ in America, remember!).

Since it opened in 2010, Wild Florida’s stock in trade has been its airboat rides, with five different tours to choose from, including their standard half-hour jaunt over Lake Cypress to a private night-time tour.

If you haven’t tried an airboat ride before, it is one of the essential ‘real Florida’ experiences. It is a bit like flying at ground level in these amazing flat-bottomed speeders that can reach 40mph powered by the giant rotor behind the captain. They are capable of reaching into any part of the lake and its surrounding wetlands and marshes, skimming over the water, and even solid ground in places.

They are low-impact on the environment and can provide close-ups of all the wildlife, which varies from cattle straying in from neighbouring ranches to white-tail deer, raccoons and, of course, alligators. Lake Cypress has around 1,000 gators of all sizes, from the latest hatchlings to 13ft specimens, and your airboat captain – who is fully US Coastguard certified – will be extremely adept at spotting them and providing close-ups, all in perfect safety.

Part of the Great Birding Trail of Florida

The lake is also on the Great Florida Birding Trail, hence it is absolutely bursting with birdlife, including bald eagles, ospreys, great blue herons, egrets and sandhill cranes. You’ll be amazed at how much you see – and learn – on your 30 or 60-minute tour, and you’ll be completely immersed in a thoroughly natural and pristine environment.

But that was just the starting point for Wild Florida. Over the years they have added a series of new and exciting experiences, from their Gator Park and Hawk Swamp Boardwalk (a beautifully tranquil trail above a genuine Floridian swamp area that feels like another planet) to the Chomp House Grill and shaded Gator Pavilion picnic area.

This rustic kitchen serves up some surprisingly tasty fare, including standards like hot dogs and chicken tenders, a pulled pork sandwich and barbecue chicken, or more adventurous offerings such as gator, catfish and frog’s legs in their ‘Swamp Sampler.’ It’s genuine down-home Floridian fare, and it’s mighty tasty, too!

The Gator Park – which is included with all airboat rides – features a surprising variety of animal and birdlife that is both native to the Sunshine State and more exotic (like zebras, African crested porcupines, Australian wallabies and South American tree sloths).

Another notable feature is provided by the colourful macaws, many of which have been donated to the park by overwhelmed owners, as these birds need lots of room to roam and enjoy lots of company, which they certainly have here. In fact, nearly all of the animals, including most of the gators, have been brought here after being a nuisance elsewhere or becoming too much of a handful for their owners.

If you didn’t see them on your airboat ride, there are raccoons, deer, foxes, bobcats and gators – lots of gators. There are around 100 of them in the central pond, and there are some great viewing spots, plus the chance to feed them – a really novel experience!

Newest feature in the Safari Park

But their most recent feature is easily their most extensive – and exciting. The Drive-Thru Safari Park opened in December 2019, and has quickly become their most compelling feature, offering almost 200 acres of genuine wildlife safari from the comfort of your own car.

That’s right, everyone gets to drive their own vehicle through this collection of exotic animals for genuine close-ups that deliver an astounding array of panoramas, from African zebras, giraffes and antelopes to American bison, mouflon sheep and many more. There is even an opportunity to feed the giraffes at a special elevated feeding platform.

It all adds up to a truly fascinating look at the Florida you probably never knew existed so close to all the attractions, and it’s a guaranteed 100 per cent natural thrill alongside all the man-made ones.

Now, who’s ready to try some gator tail…!

Have you been to Wild Florida or tried an airboat ride? Tell us your experiences on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages… and don’t forget to interact with us on Pinterest, too!.