Forget Mickey Mouse, meet the alligators
Kirsty Masterman enjoys a bonding parent and child adventure in sunny Florida in the USA
They won’t eat me, will they?” asks my nine-yearold daughter, Jessica, as she takes her place, ahead of me, on the Screamin’ Gator Zipline at Gatorland, Florida. “Not as long as you hold on tight,” I say, encouragingly.
We are well into our motherdaughter trip at this point, so Jessica just rolls her eyes at me and takes a leap of faith. The joke ends up being on me, though, as I’m forced to follow her lead with my jelly legs.
It sets the scene for what turns out to be a truly amazing trip. When you hear people talk about Florida, I’m pretty sure the first thing that springs to mind is Disney and its many theme parks. However, there is so much more to the Sunshine State.
Situated in Central Florida, Kissimmee is the perfect yearround destination for a fun family break. Theme parks, the Everglades, shopping, award-winning spas and championship golf courses are all within easy reach, and with average temperatures of 21C, it makes for an ideal base.
We are fortunate enough to stay in one of Jeeves’ megamansions ( jeevesfloridarentals. com), equipped with lazy rivers, home cinemas, laser tag rooms, a bowling alley and even an indoor treehouse.
No trip to Florida would be complete without a theme park visit, and our choice for this trip was Universal Studios, to experience the new Minions attraction. The day starts off with a bit of “friendly” competition at the new Illumination’s Villaincon Minion Blast, where we “blast our way to supervillain stardom”. I fail miserably.
Finally tall enough to take on the “big” rollercoasters, Jessica is keen to try every hair-raising ride, including the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, which turns out to be one of our favourites. We get to choose our own soundtrack to ride (or scream) along to as we lay back, awaiting our fate. We choose Abba’s Waterloo.
Our mid-february visit coincides with Mardi Gras, so we finish the day watching the nightly parade, while trying to see who can catch the most beads being thrown from the outrageously garish, yet brilliantly designed floats.
Another spine-tingling experience lies ahead at Gatorland: The Alligator Capital of the World, the only place where you can feed alligators up close. Spread over 110-acres, there are plenty of thrills to be had here, and not a rollercoaster in sight.
From baby gators and 14ft monsters to a Spanish-speaking parrot, free-flight aviary and petting zoo, there’s no shortage of wildlife. We were primarily here to take on the Screamin’ Gator – a 1,200-foot, high-flying, terrifying zipline that takes you soaring over an alligatorinfested breeding marsh. I couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated as these majestic creatures crept closer to us.
As we pack our suitcases to return home, Jessica declares, “I love life.” Mission accomplished, Kissimmee, you certainly delivered!