Alligator facts in Orlando Florida

Sometimes you hear so much on the news about alligators, snakes and bugs in Florida that it sounds like your going to a jungle on your Orlando Vacation! Well I can tell you to relax, as like all things the critter stories are mostly overblown. Yes, Florida is home to lots of exotic looking wildlife,,,, out in the woods and swamps.

But just like your not going to see a bear in NY city even though New York state does have bears, your not likely to see any alligators or snakes. For the sake of this post, let me talk about the Florida alligators. Now there are plenty of alligators in Florida, most of them small around 2 to 4 feet long. However they can grow up to 18 feet or more in the swamps.

Just about any place that has water will have an alligator. In fact it’s surprising how common they are in small ponds and streams. I jog along a lake each night, and I often see about 6 or so cruising the edges. Alligators main diet is fish, frogs, ducks and any type of small animal that gets too close. Yes that also means cats and dogs. [Read more…]

Going to Universal Studios Orlando with friends

I’ve been having a very busy week, so sorry if I’m not posting each day. This Friday I’m going to Universal Studios Orlando for a full day with a friend of mine. It’s been a little while since I’ve been there, so I’m going to take lots of pictures to share with you all. Of course I should be doing that a lot now that I have a website devoted to the theme parks and Orlando.

That’s one of the perks you have when you live in Orlando is going to the theme parks. They have Florida residence annual passes that are a good deal so it becomes affordable to go every week if you want. Not too many people can just decide to go to Universal Studios at the last minute! However many people that live in Orlando hardly ever go.

Why not you may ask? Well, it’s just like anything else. Most people work very hard and deal with what life always throws at you. Florida is not what some think, that you move down and spend your time lying in the sand and going to theme parks every other day! You still have to work, deal with the kids and life’s curve balls. [Read more…]

Driving in Orlando Florida tips, tricks & the law

Okay so your not going to get to drive that type of car in the picture! If you go on a Florida vacation, chances are your going to need to rent a car or van. Actually if you plan it right and just do the major theme parks you don’t need to rent a car at all. But if you want to really see the different things in Florida, and I recommend that you do, then you need a car.

Orlando Florida is a very vast, spread out area with everything located miles away from each other. Surprisingly you can get to where you want to go very fast because everything is connected by highways and toll roads. Almost all roads have two to three lanes each way. I’m not going to get into every detail of Orlando driving here, just the basic laws you want to know.

But first, just how do people drive in Orlando? Well, it depends on if your in a tourist area or a local area! Driving around Disney and the other parks you will be surrounded by other tourist who don’t know where the hell they are going! People do strange things when they are frustrated and lost. I’ve seen cars stopped dead in the middle of a highway reading a map! [Read more…]

Christmas in Orlando, Florida

So here it is, only a few days before Christmas, 2008 in Orlando Florida. To the tourist from the north used to snow Orlando at Christmas time looks very different than what they are use to, which is snow! But Orlando has many of the same things you find up north at Christmas. We have the holiday lights strung up all over the houses, but also wrapped around palm trees!

Those fake icicle lights seem to be everywhere, and those inflatable snowmen and reindeer show up everywhere. Many use that snow in a can for spraying on the windows to give a cool winter effect. Yes we buy Christmas trees, sold by the road from tree farmers up north. They cost a lot, and some put up a big tent to put the trees under so the hot sun does not dry them out.

I myself use the fake ones, seems more green to me than cutting down thousands of trees just for a week or two. Unfortunately we also have all the same holiday music blaring from the malls and radio stations. I’ve got a secret to combat that however, I’m 90% deaf! Yes sometimes a handicap comes in handy, lol. [Read more…]