The Disney Wilderness Preserve

Peaceful, serene, gorgeous, thought-​provoking. This place is amazing. Disney is working with the Nature Conservatory to restore health to the Everglades ecosystem. Apparently, there were some mistakes made when it came to urban planning in the state of Florida which cause detrimental effects to the Everglades. Kudos to Disney in their efforts to help restore the wetlands. I went there knowing very little about the subject and left with some knowledge, but I also wanted to learn more. If you are interested in learning more, I suggest checking out the wiki page entitled, «Restoration of the Everglades.»
This place is perfect for nice 30 min — 2 hour hike to clear your head and enjoy unspoiled nature. And can you believe — it’s completely free!
HELPFUL TIP: If you are an out-​of-​towner with a rental car and using the tollway to get here and didn’t opt-​in for a SunPass, MAKE SURE TO HAVE QUARTERS WITH YOU. There are unmanned tolls that you will pass that only take change.

First off, this is not affiliated with Disney at all and don’t expect this to be entertainment related at all. Do expect a beautiful view of what natural Florida is all about. Take the full hike, less than 2.5 miles, and view the natural landscape of Florida including palmettos, cypress trees on Lake Russell and try to spot some native wildlife. I can’t say we saw much more than some birds but we did try to identify some scat, saw some snake tracks and tried to see if maybe there were actually alligators in the water.
Even without seeing much we did have fun along this hike and the kids and adults enjoyed themselves. Take your water and dress accordingly. It’s a nice, beautiful, free day to spend outside becoming one with nature.