On a Disney College Program, sometimes you can be overwhelmed by the constantly crowded, magically place you call home. Getting off Disney property once and awhile and getting a dose of the real world can be a nice change- if you have a car. If you don't, some of these events and others are available through the housing programs (so check some of them out!).
Orange Picking
As a New York girl, I am fully familiar with apple picking, but I had never gone orange picking! In true Florida fashion, you can fill your bag with fresh oranges, lemons, and limes. I had snacks for a week and lemonade to beat the heat!
Crystal River
Crystal River is a protected area for manatees, but you can take a guided snorkeling tour and be surprised at how friendly they can be! You can even use pool noodles to float along the surface, but don't kick your feet! Manatees don't have great eye-sight so you don't want to kick one on accident.
Devil's Den
Devil's Den is a pretty cool sinkhole. Literally; you may be chilly down there! You can go underground and snorkel or scuba dive around; I suggest scuba diving, but if you only had time to do a quick snorkel like me, it's still an interesting experience. Anyone who doesn't want to get wet can watch you swim around the cave from an opening above ground, which makes for a cool photo-op too! You can also walk around the grounds and stay in cabins on-site.
Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center is one of my favorite Florida attractions. You can see a lot of old shuttle pieces and parts, take a bus tour around the still in use facilities, including the launch pads recently being used by Space X. Learn about training, building, launches, and more; you can even have lunch or go to a panel discussion with an astronaut. Shout-out to jazz trumpet player, Astronaut Winston Scott who told some amazing stories over a buffet lunch!
Monster Truck Tour
How do you tour a swamp? By monster truck, apparently. If you haven't seen a Florida crocodile yet, this is a good bet as you drive along the bottom of rivers and swamps and may see some lounging on the banks. Don't worry, they're generally nocturnal.
