I've paddled the Emerald Cut a few times now. Initially I didn't like the idea of paying to launch…read moremy own paddleboard. However, it's only $10 now that I have my own life jacket (saving me additional cost of $5 to use one of theirs, as required). Well worth the low cost for some soul-enriching, communing with nature. I have never made a reservation. I normally arrive around 10:30, most recently on a Friday. Parked for free on Baptist Camp Rd. Just a bit of a walk from there with my inflated paddleboard, but I don't mind the extra exercise. You can unload your stuff closer, if preferable. There are port-a-potties available. You can count on there being a line in the check-in office. Various recreation supplies are available there for purchase. The process moves reasonably enough. A reservation will guarantee your entrance, however, and possibly aide quicker personal info collection. I always plan to do the Emerald Cut in roughly 3 hours round-trip, allowing myself several stops to enjoy the surroundings. You do run into (quite literally at times) novice paddlers along the way, which can be a bit tricky, yet not a real nuisance for me. In general, there's friendliness along the waterway. Slighty rowdy, party vibes in some spots, but also opportunities for solace and zen in various nooks. Encountering wildlife, fragrant elderberry, and other captivating flora along this stretch is always gratifying. It's a popular recreation destination for good reason.

Many tourists don't realize Florida is home to stunning crystal-clear spring rivers--perfect for…read moreswimming, kayaking, and tubing aka "hidden gems". My Hubby and I love kayaking, so we booked an excursion months in advance for Rock Springs through TripAdvisor. Our Tour Operator was Get Up And Go Kayaking located at Kings Landing in Apopka, FL. I LOVE saying Apopka ;) The good news: Apopka is a quick 1 hour drive from Orlando. Make sure you don't miss the turn to King's Landing, because the entrance is located on a narrow dirt road. You must drive past Kelly Park (which fills up fast). There is a Park Ranger located here who will guide you to King's Landing. As you get closer and if you see a parking spot, grab it! Check in is located in the Cabin like office where you will have to sign a waiver. If you do not want to take a clear bottom, guided Kayak tour, you can either rent or BYO Kayak versus taking a semi private, clear, guided kayak tour. NOTE: ONLY use their Sunscreen/lotion which is provided at no cost. It protects the wildlife and the Springs. We wanted the full experience as we have previously enjoyed renting clear Kayaks. Our guide for the morning was: Megan, who was fantastic! Full of energy, information and helpful tidbits about the Springs and its human and wildlife inhabitants. Our group was small and capped at 10. We paddled through both narrow and open stretches, and stopped to swim in the warm, crystal-clear water. One highlight was a banyan tree with an 8-foot natural "jump hole"--such a cool experience! It was a serene, memorable day, and fun fact: this is the very spring featured in the Visit Orlando commercials! Yeah, definitely take a day away from crowded Orlando to relax and enjoy Mother Nature! You will Thank Me ;)

Such a wicked spot. Enjoy the spring and rent paddle boards…read moreor just relax in a cabana or on the adirondack chairs along the water side. They have a full bar and a food truck, we got fish nuggets which was yummy with a cold beer.. After a nice bike ride along the trail we rode in for a quick stop but we will be back!

Yeah this place is pretty fun. Lots of stuff to do. The have kayak and canoe rentals with very fair…read moreprices. They have like 13+ miles of trails you can enjoy with lots of geocaching. Their swim hole is really nice as well. Haven't had a bad time here! Enjoy nature!

SCAM!!!!! I found a Groupon for this company and reached out to make sure the date and time were…read moreavailable. It was confirmed that it would work. I bought the Groupon. I was told by the owner that I had to go online and reserve the time slot. They charged me half of what I paid Groupon to reserve it. I received confirmation from the owner and then 40 minutes later he canceled. This place is a SCAM. Do not give them money. As soon as they get it they will cancel your reservation! They claimed that in the 40 minutes from the confirmation (midday) that he lost his entire staff and could not rent me a kayak. This was not a tour. It was a simple unguided 2 hour kayak rental.

This review is for the great customer service I got from them via text to book a pair of Jet Skis…read morefor this Saturday. Booking is online, but they helped me pick the perfect time of day, then sent all information about the rental and what's available for purchase and rentals. I'll update this after we've gone.

Dolphin and manatee tour. The captain and guides were…read moremasters of the area and the topic. They were also great small talk artists. The stop at the island was a highlight. Worth the time and money.

This was a lot of fun, and completely on a whim! We were visiting my daughter and new grandson and…read moredecided to stay at a nearby resort. Looking for some activities, this came up in our search, so we made an afternoon of it. First off, the captain and crew was comical and they made the experience that much more memorable. We seen turtles, dolphins, and a few manatees! On top of that, we debarked on a small island along our tour, got out, stretched the legs, and took in some amazing views. The Mangroves were a sight to be seen. I can just imagine all the sea creature they give habitat to. We also seen some amazing boats, as well as, some interesting... uh... placement of sailboats. Great history of the local storms and the havoc they wreaked! Thank you for the fun experience for the Familia!! As always, enjoy and Happy sailing!

Similar to Ray Rush but less riders and not as intense. Basically a family tube ride. Tons of fun…read moreand it does do fast so hang on tight. So much fun for the whole family.

Did a 4 hour rental on my birthday. Boat was nice, no issues at all. Staff was friendly and in…read moreconstant communication to ensure everything was going good. Highly recommended! Thanks CF watersports!

I stayed at this house as a guest with other family members. The house looked nice and fairly…read moreclean. Upon getting unpacked, two major issues were unresolved and were not satisfied at our departure. They kept saying they would fix the air conditioning (for the upstairs, and the heater for the pool). This made the stay for those sleeping upstairs very, very uncomfortable. And we not able to enjoy the pool. Other minor issues, we took pictures of and also alerted the staff. The house was nice, but... I can not in good conscience recommend staying here. The customer service was totally unacceptable. And...they billing was a nightmare for my cousin. Once returning home and getting her invoice, she and I spend hours on the phone with her credit card company disputing error charges!

This was a really quaint experience. Something for everyone. The pool area features a bar in the…read moremiddle where you can float by on the lazy river as well as water slides. There's a sandy area if you prefer as well as a wading pool (all heated) and there's a little game deck where you can play lifesize Jenga and connect four! The cabanas are reasonably priced and you can book them by the day or by the week. Thanks so much Melissa for helping me with the booking process! The Cabanas come with a bucket of waters and poolside service that will deliver lunch and drinks at the times you'd like! Very nice bartender Cecilia! She was an amazing bartender and made our drinks to order! Well done!

Awesome lazy river. Grab a life vest and go. No tubes for this one. It's a nice long and chill…read moreride. A few water sprays along the way but nice and chill. Sit back, float and just enjoy the ride. If you nestle up against the side wall, you can really feel the current pushing you. More so than in the middle area. Lifeguards all around to keep you safe. Go get 'em! Good times.

Roa's Rapids was my favorite water park attraction, ever. We went on April 28, 2025 and…read moreimmediately noticed that the current has been slowed down significantly. We spoke with a life guard supervisor who told us that this change is permanent due to the guards having to do too many rescues. While I cannot argue against safety, there perhaps should be a height requirement or other notices that would alert guests to the strength of the current. Now that the current has been dialed back, it is just another lazy river. It's a shame.

Man on the phone had an attitude when I just called to check if they were open. He said "there's no…read moreone there is there, then we're closed". I wasn't even there I was just calling ahead, Like if you don't like people don't open a people business!

I called ahead and the man told me they'd be there around 7:30/8. We get there and there's nothing,…read moreI go into the restaurant and the woman said the place was closed. ‍ I don't know who I talked to but I'm certain it was this company and number I called. We found another tube rental vendor down the street towards the park.

Our last day in Orlando and we went to one of MY Favorite Places: Gatorland!…read more We first visited this Gator Sanctuary with our son, Mathew when he was 3 years old and we all loved it. Gatorland was started in 1949 by Owen Goodwin as a 1/2 day Family Attraction. It has since grown and now the Park has over 100+ Gators including a few albino's. Since I last visited the Park in 2018, Gatorland has added a Zipline with 5 lines which zip over Gators. This was an absolute MUST DO! The 2nd favorite thing I LOVE doing, is feeding the parakeets aka budgies You can purchase a bundle of popsicle sticks with peanut butter at one end rolled in bird seed. The Birds will flock to You and start eating. You can actually feel their "tootsies" on your skin and they are very warm. You MUST shuffle you feet to avoid stepping on the little ones who are pecking away at the dropped birdseed on the floor. My 3rd favorite thing is feeding the Gators. You can purchase Turkey hotdogs, break them into pieces and toss them to the Gators! They come swimming up to you to be fed. How COOL! My next favorite is the Gator Show which involves completely harmless Gator: wrestling. Basically the Trainer gently straddles the Gator and tips his chin under his. Be sure to come hungry as they have a cafe which serves, you guessed it: Gator bites/nuggets. They are SO yummy!Okay by now, you have figured it out: I LOVE the entire Park and highly recommend that if you visit Orlando, add Gatorland with Ziplining to your Vacay Adventure, you won't regret it!

Absolutely would come back! So worth your time if you're in the area. The prices make sense and…read morethere are SO MANY gators! The lot of land is much much bigger than we realized. Our favorite area were the crocs - spent a lot of our time watching them. The show we saw was great and we were able to get photos with the gator after. There's also many other animals to see like farm and birds! Staff were all friendly and knowledgeable. Train ride was fun, relaxing, and we got to see even more of the park. Highly recommend!