Sunshine State of Mind

Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World turns 20 years old this week!  To celebrate we list off twenty fun facts that you might not have known about the park; like what happens to all that elephant poop?  And what's really at the center of the Tree of Life? Link to YouTube video mentioned on this episode: Ten Things you didn't know about Disney's Animal Kingdom - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4hiZ3aMgfk Contact us! Twitter: @FloridaPodcast  Follow us on Facebook Email: SunshineStatePodcast@gmail.com

Universal Studios Florida just began showing off their new Fast & Furious: Supercharged attraction during technical rehearsals this week before the grand opening in May.  What do we think of Universal's decision to base a major attraction around this franchise?  Does Universal Orlando rely too heavily on motion simulator rides?  And we discuss, debate, and list our favorite motion simulator rides across Central Florida. Thanks to @thetimtracker for giving us all a sneak peak of the new ride during it's soft opening this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk8Y5pB_FuU Our own experience at the soft opening of Pandora: Flight of Passage Is the Fast & Furious franchise strong enough to attract theme park fans to Universal? Too many motion simulators at Universal? We rank and discuss our favorite motion simulator rides in Florida. Listener tweets Rumors of a Moana "Fire Mountain" roller coaster at the Magic Kingdom. https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2017/04/24/move-over-volcano-bay-rumors-point-to-a-new-volcano-coming-to-magic-kingdom Have your own favorites?  Let us know!  Twitter: @FloridaPodcast  Follow us on Facebook Email: SunshineStatePodcast@gmail.com  

We traveled the state from coast to coast to find destinations all over Florida that native (and transplanted!) Floridians would rather keep to themselves.  These are the non-Disney Worlds, the lesser known gems that aren't advertised all over those tourist brochures you see in the hotel lobby.  These are Ten Amazing Places Floridians Don't Want You to Know About. Link to the YouTube video that we reference to give you a look at each of of these locations; https://youtu.be/Rjro7-6bkUI  Lake Jesup, Sanford - The most "alligator infested lake in Central Florida" and a great, natural alternative to places like Gatorland. Caspersen Beach, Venice -  While all the tourists are up at Venice Beach, you'll be sifting for sharks teeth with the locals. Downtown St. Petersburg - What many still think is a quiet little retirement town, has actually turned into a hip destination for arts, music and food lovers. Thai Buddhist Temple, Tampa - The Sunday Thai market is a weekly, must see, food and musical festival set amongst a beautiful backdrop. Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Micanopy - You don't have to head way out West to see wild bison and horses roaming in a natural unspoiled setting.   Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales - The centerpiece here is the 295-foot singing tower that sits among a world class botanical garden and bird sanctuary. Everglades Safari Park, Miami - Just outside bustling Miami, you can finally take that airboat ride through the Everglades that's on your bucket list. Falling Waters State Park, Chipley - In a state as flat as Florida, we bet you didn't know there was a place to see a 72-foot waterfall Florida Caverns State Park, Marianna - We bet you didn't know there was a large underground cave system you could visit either. Devil’s Den Prehistoric Spring, Williston - Swim, snorkel, or scuba in crystal clear water in this amazing, one of a kind underground freshwater spring. Have your own favorites?  Let us know!  Twitter: @FloridaPodcast  Follow us on Facebook Email: SunshineStatePodcast@gmail.com

We love the theme parks of Central Florida, but there are a handful of attractions that we would rather see bulldozed, updated, or replaced with something better.  We discuss which attractions we'd like to see retired, and suggest some updates we'd like to see to improve others. The story of Alien Encounter. www.themeparktourist.com/features/20150310/30034/depth-retrospective-extraterrorestrial-alien-encounter Do you have your own "Least Favorites"? Let us know your thoughts and opinions! Email: SunshineStatePodcast@gmail.com Twitter: @FloridaPodcast

There are dozens of towns in Florida that call themselves the "Capital of the World" in one thing or another.  In this episode, we talk about some of these places, what they're World Famous for, and what to see and do there. University of Florida International Shark Attack File www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks Fossil Guy's Guide to Fossil Shark Teeth Hunting at Venice Beach www.fossilguy.com/sites/venice/index.htm Stuart Sailfish Regatta www.stuartsailfishregatta.com

We spent three days in St. Augustine, seeing and doing just about everything in town, and came up with our list to discuss of the best things to see and do in America's Oldest City. Castillo de San Marcos St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum review www.thepiratemuseum.com Old Town Trolley Tours vs. Red Train Trolley Tours Ghost Tours Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum https://www.ripleys.com/staugustine/ St. Augustine Lighthouse review St. Augustine Alligator Farm  Exploring the city on foot

Central Florida is the "Theme Park Capital of the World" and with so many parks, comes a lot of roller coasters!  In this episode we rank and discuss each of our five favorite roller coasters in Central Florida and why we love them.  Our favorite roller coasters at Walt Disney World, Busch Gardens, Universal Studios, and Legoland are discussed and debated.   Here's a link to that YouTube video we talk about on this show that got everybody in the comments all riled up!  YouTube: Top Ten Roller Coasters in Florida