So here at Oh! Orlando towers we are looking at our planner spreadsheet and boy oh boy we had better get our running shoes out for this holiday! We have SO much planned its quite exciting.
What we are planning to do over the coming months is to share with you all what our plans are. We are constantly updating the planner when we see something new and interesting and when we learn of ride closures, (the main one being Epcot as there is so much work going on there for the 50th anniversary celebrations), so we are going to pick lots of different things/meals/shows/attractions we have on our planner and let you have some information about them. We will give you our review if it is something we have done before or share our excitement about trying something new, in the hope they may make your planner too!
So without further ado lets jump into it! Our first look at the adventure planner is going to be one of ours, and Ashley and Tiffany’s best days out in Orlando, and it is Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures.
What a wonderful way to spend a day. We actually cannot stress how much fun this is!! Imagine sitting on a tea tray, with an airplane engine and propeller behind you, skimming along at 40mph on smooth water on a hot sunny day…. what’s not to like??
The first time we went to Boggy Creek was back in 2013 – we had been given free tickets from the company we brought the park tickets from (Attraction Tickets Direct) and it was for a 30 minute boat ride. Man oh man we were instantly hooked and from arriving to leaving the staff were awesome. If you love the Floridian hospitality and manners then you will feel right at home here at the ‘Creek.
Boggy Creek is a fun place to visit. Not only are the boat rides fun they are educational as well. The Airboat Captains are a real wealth of knowledge and very funny as well. One time were in the boat and a woman asked “what happens if we fall overboard?” Random question really but the Captain didn’t miss a beat with his reply “well ma’am, first of all, if you do fall in, the water is only 2 feet deep so no need to panic, 2nd thing is if you do panic please make as much noise as possible and splash around!” We all wondered why he was saying this and he went on to tell us that splashing around in the water attracts the ‘gators so everybody will see them better”!Oh how we laughed…… and gripped the hand rail a bit tighter.
A highlight on our last visit was Tracey and Tiff feeding the baby ‘gators. You buy a small bag of food, around $5 if we remember correctly. The look on their faces when a member of staff said just tap the food on the wall and they will come running. She was not joking. One tap on the wall and all the little ones popped up from everywhere! It was a surprise just how fast they move! And an even bigger surprise is that they use their tails as a lever to get higher and grab the morsels coming their way!
Boggy Creek offer educational trips out for groups as well, such as Boy Scouts of America where they can earn new badges etc. The company is a fantastic place for everyone to learn about Turtles, Bald Eagles and American Alligators. Who wouldn’t want to go here for the experience? We love the way the staff are passionate about spreading the word on conservation. We need to get more children interested in these things! Only wish it was nearby to us!!
You can take part in lots of exciting activities here, there is a gem and fossil mine where you hunt for precious stones by shifting through scree and sand, lots of fun for the young ones while waiting for the boat ride.
The Native American Village is a step back in time, where you see how the original Native Americans lived, there are towering Chickee huts that cover genuine handmade creations that show how they were made. The experience brings you a deeper appreciation of the heritage and culture that was once the way of life in the Florida for the indigenous people.
Now for the main event!!! The Airboat rides!!
You will have to take our word for it, but you will not find a better way to spend an hour. Seriously. The views alone are well worth the price of the ride. Beautiful does not even do them justice. Mile after mile of the coastal plain and a vast array of birds and sea life. The thrill of zooming along the top of the water is just the best. You have to wear ear defenders the noise is so great from the motor. The boat captain’s eyes are next level as well, they will power down the boat so you can take off your ear defenders, and say “look over there, you can see the eyes peeking out the water” – we are glad he can! Because you need eyes like a hawk to spot them! When you come across a big ‘gator it’s a real shock, and it’s a thrill and a half to actually get close to one (although NOT that close)… one of the joys of this experience is that it’s not just a tourist trap boat ride. Boggy Creek are a fully functioning animal sanctuary and they share a passion for all the local critters. They play an active part in helping and saving animals. You can see the passion they have for it all in everything they do. Boat Captains are an absolute font of knowledge, they know where to look, how to act around the inhabitants of the wetlands and pass on their love and passion for the animals.
There are a variety of boat tours you can do, we suggest the 30 minute trip for the newbie as some people might not like the speed of the boats. These are $28.95 per adult or $24.61 per child. Babies 2 and under are free. As are service dogs.
The one hour tour is the one we love, you will see so much more and not feel as rushed so the boats can take you further out and see more of the Glades, one of favourite moments was seeing an absolutely huge Bald Eagle patiently sitting on a tree stump watching the world, and boats, go by…a absolutely fabulous sight. Such a majestic, elegant bird.
We came across a ‘gator and the Captain told us a little tip to measure them by, the distance from the eyes to the tip of the snout in inches is the same as the length of the animal in feet. So if the eye to snout is 5” the ‘gator would be around 5 feet long. Yikes. Would not wanna step on that tail in the dark we can tell you!
The 1 hour ride is $48.95 for adults and children aged 3 to 10 its $41.61. Absolutely well worth every cent.
They also do sunset and evening tours. We have not tried these yet but we are definitely going to do that on this next trip.
If you are waiting for a ride or have just got off one and you are peckish there is the new Boggy Bottom BBQ house. A full service restaurant with classic dishes and fixings. You want gator tail and beef brisket this is the place. They even sell Mr Oh! Orlando’s fave fried pickles!! Yummers!! (Stops to wipe mouth) – there are the normal burgers and veggie burgers, ribs etc. You’ll definitely find something to eat here.
A little word about the trip to the creek location, you’ll see the Florida all the locals see. The roads are long and twisty, with some lovely out of the way houses perched by the roadside. Fabulous countryside, trees and wildlife, and a real contrast to the theme parks and shopping malls. It is really easy to find location. Half the fun is the drive there! You see the REAL Orlando, and guess what….it’s brilliant.
We hope you have enjoyed reading about our planning and scouting phase of our next adventure. If you need anymore information just let us know, or if want to take a gander at Boggy Creek’s website or their superb Instagram page. – they are http://www.bcairboats.com/airboat-rides.html. Or Instagram boggy adventures and look for the airboat logo!
See y’all soon!
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