My gator count was a game of blackjack on a recent nature outing.
Hello subscribers, it’s Haley, the voice of In the Loop: Theme Parks Scoops.
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I have the pleasure of covering Florida attractions, and not every attraction requires paid admission.
Enter the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive.
I recently took the family and we spotted 21 alligators. All in all, we probably spent about two hours meandering the 11-mile route through the wetlands along Lake Apopka.
The drive is free and now is especially a good time to go because gators are spending more time outside the water to get sun exposure.
Gatorland
Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn’t want to go to Gatorland for the holidays? 🎅
From alligators in the wild to the “Alligator Capital of the World.”
Every theme park has its own Christmas event, and Gatorland is no exception.
Starting tomorrow, the park will start its Holiday Ho, Ho, Ho-Down. The signature holiday extravaganza has holiday tunes, festive displays, interactive characters plus that good ole Gatorland charm you get with every experience.
The event runs every weekend in December leading up to Christmas.
I especially love that you can take pics with Gator Claus and Krampus Croc. By the way, my friend and colleague Christie Zizo did a round-up of Krampus events for those who seek to celebrate the dark companion of St. Nick.
A sweet snap 🍭
Gatorland already has an award-winning gift shop, so I have high expectations for their new specialty candy store.
Sweet Tooth’s Candy Store checks off boxes for every kind of sweet tooth: Crafted chocolates, confections, specialty candies and a Hershey’s Ice Cream counter.
The park spent three years planning this shop and it opened just in time for the holiday shopping season and to go along with the park’s 75th anniversary celebration.
I love the color scheme used for the storefront as it’s giving me Key West vibes.
Walt Disney World
What’s in the works at Disney World? 🏰
While many big additions and updates are still far off, Disney World is working expeditiously on some projects for next year, many of which have a summer opening date, a time when Disney will be officially competing against Universal Epic Universe.
That includes Test Track. We’ve known that the EPCOT attraction will reopen next summer with an updated storyline.
One thing that we can already see that’s different is its name. From General Motors to Chevrolet to GM again. The automobile manufacturer is once again taking over sponsorship for the new age of vehicle test driving. GM was the original presenter when the ride opened in 1999 before sponsorship switched to the company’s Chevy brand in 2012.
For a breakdown of attractions coming to Disney World next year, click here.
New cats on the rock 🦁
More big cats are moving into Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
This week, three siblings joined the savanna, a male and two females.
Mshango, Zahara and Neema mean a lot to Disney’s conversation mission and eventually could breed with another pride.
The only place to see these three is on a Kilimanjaro Safari. If you need a quick, cute cat fix, don’t forget about “Tiger TV Tuesdays” when the animal care team gives weekly updates on baby Bakso.
Legoland Florida
Bright lights and bricks 🌲
If LEGO sets are on yours or your child’s Christmas list, consider a trip to Legoland for the holiday season and surround yourself with the bricks.
Legoland is upping its Christmas decorations and celebrations. This weekend, there will be a tree-lighting ceremony and the resort has its version of Elf on a Shelf.
Click here for a run-through of holiday fun.
The best way to spread holiday cheer is by posting photos on our PinIt! page. There’s an “In The Loop” channel.
Feel free to keep me in the loop through my email or reach out to me on my X or Instagram.
See you next week.