Wild Florida Celebrates Gator Week May 6–11

Get ready to go Wild… for FREE May 6–11! Wild Florida is celebrating their 3rd annual Gator Week with free admission for everyone to its Gator Park plus exciting events lined up for each day.

To many, alligators are viewed as fierce carnivores on the hunt, but that’s not the case. Like many misunderstood creatures, myths develop based on a lack of knowledge and focus too much on fear. Because of this, Wild Florida decided to dedicate an entire week to educating guests, debunking common myths and developing a more positive attitude towards these reptiles.

Jordan Munns, co-owner and co-founder of Wild Florida, says, “The most common emotional response to alligators is fear and that can lead to negative outcomes for wild predators. We hope to convert that fear to a healthy respect and appreciation for these incredible animals. ”

Wild Florida’s mission has always been to provide an unforgettable Everglades experience that promotes a connection with animals while inspiring education and conservation.

GATOR WEEK SCHEDULE:

May 6: Alligators and crocodiles rank in the top two for having the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom. During day one of Gator Week, this power will be displayed during a live demonstration as alligators and crocodiles smash fruits and vegetables with their jaws. Later in the day, there will also be a gator water polo game in the Gator Pond.

May 7: Just like cats and dogs, alligators make very distinct sounds that everyone can master. At 12:00 p.m. inside Wild Florida’s Exotic Animal Pavilion, Wild Florida will host a Gator Call Competition. Later on, the Wild Florida team will host their first “Clock-the-Croc” demonstration, where, using a speed timer, the team will record the speed of one of their crocodiles on land and in the water.

May 8: During day three of Gator Week at Wild Florida’s Gator Feeding Show Pavilion, the Wild Florida team will measure the bite force of a snapping turtle, freshwater crocodile, alligator, and caiman. After the bite force test, stop by the Chomp House Grill as the Wild Florida team tries to break the world record for longest gator po’ boy!

May 9: Wild Florida’s popular Gator Jumpathon returns! At 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Wild Florida’s 3rd Annual Gator Jumpathon takes place inside their Gator Pond, where you can witness the true power of these animals and see just how high they can jump to catch their prey. Then, guests will have an opportunity to jump like a gator themselves and participate in the first-ever “Gator Jump Competition.” There will also be bounce houses available for kids to enjoy throughout the day and educational seminars from experts on alligator hatching, mating and farming.

May 10: Everyone might be used to seeing alligators during the day, but what about at night? Wild Florida will stay open after dark and do a special gator feeding show with their biggest alligator, Crusher. They will also host a Wild Paint Night Out, where Wild Florida’s albino alligators Snowflake and Blizzard will be the stars of the show. Guests will get to paint these impressive animals and see them up close while enjoying a delicious buffet dinner. Wild Florida will also be offering discounted night airboat tours to give guests a unique experience of seeing how wild the swamp is in the moonlight.

May 11: Capping off another year of Gator Week, there will be a Gator Week Corn Hole and Gator Slushy Drinking Competition where the winner from each competition will win a special prize.

Be sure to follow Wild Florida on social media for updates, fun polls, educational tidbits, myth-busting stories, and giveaways throughout the week. Also, check out www.GatorWeek.com for a full schedule of activities.

Admission to Wild Florida’s Gator Park is only $10 for adults; Florida residents receive a 50 percent discount year-round. Admission to the Park is free for any guest who purchases a Wild Florida airboat tour or animal encounter. Learn more about Wild Florida’s offerings at WildFL.com .

Wild Florida Airboats and Gator Park, which opened on Lake Cypress in Kenansville in 2010, focuses on educating individuals about Central Florida’s natural resources. The Wild Florida team is dedicated to protecting, conserving, and enhancing Florida’s diverse ecosystem to ensure that future generations can enjoy the wonders of wild, native Florida.



Teacher Study Pass is Back at SeaWorld Orlando

Certified K-12 teachers can sign up to receive a Teacher Study Pass! There are no blackout dates, either.

Find inspiration for your classroom, be inspired to do a unit on environmental issues or (wheee!) ride Manta to discuss physics and gravity. Pre-register at www.SeaWorldOrlandoTeachers.com then bring your Florida teaching certificate, recent paystub and photo ID with you on your first visit. Easy!

Looking for classroom resources? Visit SeaWorld.org that boasts 4,000 pages of “zoological, ecological and conservation-minded material, including species reference sources, classroom curriculum, conservation project calls-to-action, career information and environmentally focused family activities.”

Free FaceBook Timeline Photos Taken at Busch Gardens

Whether we like it or not, FaceBook is changing to Timeline over the next few weeks. I, for one, am ready to be ahead of the curve with some photos for the “new view.”

Please feel free to download these pictures for use on your FaceBook page without alteration. All I ask is for a “like” on my SeaWorld Mommy page and/or Twitter (@seaworldmommy) and that you make a comment about something you like on one of the blog entries (maybe this one?!) here or at my sister site SeaAttract.

To use the photos, click on an image. When it opens in your browser window, right click on it and select “save image as.” Save it to your photos folder, then in FaceBook, upload it to your timeline photos folder.

If you really enjoy these, consider a donation to the Conservation Fund for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens. Together we can make a difference!

Preschoolers are FREE in 2012 at SeaWorld, Orlando and Busch Gardens

Preschoolers can enjoy all of 2012 for Free!

Children age 5 and younger get into SeaWorld AND Busch Gardens for all of 2012 for free! The Preschool Pass is good for unlimited admission with NO blackout dates the entire year. Every special event is included. Every festival. All of it! Click HERE to sign up.

Our resident preschooler is looking forward to the “Just for Kids!” festival featuring concerts by Lazy Town, Max & Ruby, the Doodlebops and Choo Choo Soul, along with plenty of family-friendly fun and activities on Saturdays, Jan. 14 through Feb. 4.

At Busch Gardens, Sesame Street Safari of Fun is ALWAYS a hit. New this year (and on our to do-list: Iceploration, premiering this February.

“Must-see” preschool attractions at SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld’s littlest guests can enjoy the wildly popular 4-acre play area, Shamu’s Happy Harbor.  It’s a kid’s dream come true, complete with kid-size rides, a 4-story net climb, and a great place for parents to relax while watching their kids have splashes of fun.  The park’s first family-oriented roller coaster, “Shamu Express” can be found here along with other kiddie rides to explore.

Of course no visit to SeaWorld is complete without being splashed by Shamu!  SeaWorld’s newest killer whale show, “One Ocean,” features majestic whales performing spectacular behaviors, including thrilling high-energy leaps, while educating and inspiring kids and their families to make a difference in this world.  And at “Blue Horizons” kids will be awed by graceful dolphins, false killer whales, a rainbow of exotic birds, and entire cast of divers and aerialists.

Kid-favorite “Pets Ahoy!” will leave children giggling as a menagerie of rescued dogs, cats, birds, rats, skunks, pot-belly pigs, and other animals performing a series of uproarious and amazing skits.

While older kids are flying, gliding and soaring on Manta, younger ones can experience the incredible underwater world of tropical fish and rays in the floor-to-ceiling aquariums.  Manta’s underwater viewing area is home to more than 3,000 species. Kids can even “pop up” in the middle of a small aquarium, surrounding themselves with hundreds of fish for some great photos.

At Dolphin Cove, kids (and parents) can touch and feed dolphins and also go below the surface for an underwater view where they just might see a dolphin blowing a bubble or two!

Plus, SeaWorld features a cozy Baby Care Center located at Shamu’s Happy Harbor with top-of-the-line changing facilities, private feeding rooms and pint-sized potties.  This brightly-colored building gives parents the privacy and comfort of a home-away-from home in the middle of all the fun and is a one-stop shop for baby necessities.

Busch Garden loves kids, too!

Don’t forget this awesome new FREE Preschool Pass also includes Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Just a short hour’s drive away, in addition to all the  wondrous animal encounters at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, preschoolers will delight in Sesame Street Safari of Fun, a sunny funny play land, filled with moments that your family can share for the first time — like a first coaster experience aboard Air Grover. And everyday smiles can be repeated time after time —clapping along to original shows, splashing in our expansive water play area and enjoying kid-size rides.

Sign up today!

The Free SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Preschool Pass is an exclusive online offer, available at SeaWorldOrlando.com or BuschGardensTampaBay.com. It is exclusively for Florida residents ages 5 and younger and is valid for unlimited admission – with no blackout dates – through Dec. 31, 2012 at SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The Preschool Pass does not include parking or Premium Passport discounts or benefits.

After registering through either park’s website, registrants can pick up the Preschool Pass for their child by bringing a printed confirmation and a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate to any ticket window at SeaWorld’s or Busch Gardens’ front gate.

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