(Sea)Lions & Gators & Dolphins….Oh, My! A Halloween PTR/TR with a “wild” theme - Oct/Nov '18

Does your recipe for the hash brown casserole have sour cream as one of the ingredients? I would love to try to make my own version if I could figure out a good substitute for the sour cream.

No, it doesn't! I use this recipe:
1/2 C melted butter
1/2 C finely chopped onion
salt & pepper
1 can (10.75 oz) undiluted cream of chicken soup
2 C shredded Colby, Monterey Jack, or cheddar cheese ( I use a blend of whatever I have)
2 lbs. thawed, shredded hash brown potatoes
- combine everything except hash browns in a bowl until well mixed
- stir in hash browns
- pour into sprayed baking dish, bake at 350 degrees uncovered for about 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender & casserole is bubbly

That's it! Easy peasy.
(If ya think it needs a bit more moisture, just stir in a couple splashes of milk)
 
Last edited:
Oh, how I wish there was a Big Cat Adventure Hour! ::yes:: To have an up-close encounter with either pair of wild cats would be an absolute dream come true :cloud9:.

Those cats are so cute!! I'd love to get close to them!!:cat: I would be tempted to pet them- probably not a good idea!:laughing:

We stumbled upon some snakes and other reptiles (figuratively stumbled, not literally):

:laughing: Snakes just terrify me!!:scared1:

I use this recipe:

:thumbsup2 Sounds yummy! will have to try it! Thanks for the recipe!:)
 
So Gina do you have to get up at the crack of dawn on Friday to work or do you have the day off? Have a great Thanksgiving - watch the Macy's Parade and keep an eye out for the Barenaked Ladies in the parade. A little bit of Canada for Thanksgiving.
 
No, it doesn't! I use this recipe:
1/2 C melted butter
1/2 C finely chopped onion
salt & pepper
1 can (10.75 oz) undiluted cream of chicken soup
2 C shredded Colby, Monterey Jack, or cheddar cheese ( I use a blend of whatever I have)
2 lbs. thawed, shredded hash brown potatoes
- combine everything except hash browns in a bowl until well mixed
- stir in hash browns
- pour into sprayed baking dish, bake at 350 degrees uncovered for about 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender & casserole is bubbly

That's it! Easy peasy.
(If ya think it needs a bit more moisture, just stir in a couple splashes of milk)

I also toss on some crushed ritz or soup crackers or what ever stale crackers I have in the cupboard or panko breadcrumbs as well to the top with the cheese....sooooooo yummy!!!!
 


Does your recipe for the hash brown casserole have sour cream as one of the ingredients? I would love to try to make my own version if I could figure out a good substitute for the sour cream.

I actually make hashbrown casserole in the oven or the crock pot! And it is an ever evolving recipe, depending on what I have on hand. Oh, and I don't measure. But the ingredients I use are frozen shredded potatoes, tons of melted butter, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream (but with the mushroom soup you don't really need it), cooked and crumbled bacon, cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage and tons and tons of cheese. If I make it in the crock pot, I cook it on low and slow for about 6 hours. In the oven, about 30-45 minutes on 350 degrees.
 
Hi Gina enjoying your Gatorland report.:thumbsup2 It looks like a place I will go to when we move down. I am with you I love the big cats, and would love a big cat adventure hour. I hadn't put up a tree in years and we did for the first time last year. The cats didn't scale the tree but went after my ornaments. I am going to use my toddler tree method. I will leave the last few bottom branches blank. I have two new younger cats I rescued and they are into everything. I have a feeling they will enjoy my tree. Your fur babies looked very pleased with themselves.

I would have been just as mad if Brian was in on that kind of trip. You were lucky you almost peed your pants, probably would have:laughing:.

I am not sure if you saw my post on the Blue Friday Discovery Cove special but I was so happy that I got the $199.00 deal with the dolphin swim and the three parks plus parking.:jumping1:. I told Liv that she will indeed do the dolphin swim. Instead of doing the ray feeding at DC I am going to do it at Sea World. I am excited to go to BG. I have not been there but heard it is a nice park. We will have to do the commute back and forth on the same day. I am working on plans there.

I hope you and everyone on this thread have a Happy Thanksgiving:goodvibes
 


Oh yeah, I could spend all day in that aviary (I have a thing for parrots). Plus watch those cats. The bobcats are so cute!
 
No, it doesn't! I use this recipe:
1/2 C melted butter
1/2 C finely chopped onion
salt & pepper
1 can (10.75 oz) undiluted cream of chicken soup
2 C shredded Colby, Monterey Jack, or cheddar cheese ( I use a blend of whatever I have)
2 lbs. thawed, shredded hash brown potatoes
- combine everything except hash browns in a bowl until well mixed
- stir in hash browns
- pour into sprayed baking dish, bake at 350 degrees uncovered for about 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender & casserole is bubbly

That's it! Easy peasy.
(If ya think it needs a bit more moisture, just stir in a couple splashes of milk)

Thank you for that recipe.....it sounds delish! I am so excited to give it a try!
Those cats are so cute!! I'd love to get close to them!!:cat: I would be tempted to pet them- probably not a good idea!:laughing:
:laughing: Snakes just terrify me!!:scared1:

:thumbsup2 Sounds yummy! will have to try it! Thanks for the recipe!:)

Snakes are not my cup of tea, either. Give me a cat....or a gator!.....ANY day.

So Gina do you have to get up at the crack of dawn on Friday to work or do you have the day off? Have a great Thanksgiving - watch the Macy's Parade and keep an eye out for the Barenaked Ladies in the parade. A little bit of Canada for Thanksgiving.

I was fortunate to be given a five day weekend (for the most part). With the exception of about an hour at the office on Wednesday afternoon (to take care of some banking for the business and solve a couple of issues that came up), I am off until Monday morning :thumbsup2.

I missed the Macy's Parade but did watch the America's Thanksgiving Day Parade (held in Detroit) on TV while I did my Thanksgiving baking. Thanksgiving in the USA still feels so strange to me! Much more like a "first Christmas" than Thanksgiving......especially this year when we are definitely not having fall weather :cold:. But we had a lovely dinner with friends, so it was a great day of fun, food and fellowship.
I did most of my Black Friday shopping online and scored some AMAZING deals! :banana: Including a spectacular offer on a year-long photo pass for Universal: $139.99 on for $79.99 :woohoo:.

I also toss on some crushed ritz or soup crackers or what ever stale crackers I have in the cupboard or panko breadcrumbs as well to the top with the cheese....sooooooo yummy!!!!

YUM! Great idea! ::yes::

Ah Gatorland. We love the cats there so much!

They are just gorgeous animals :love:. Such elegance and poise!

I actually make hashbrown casserole in the oven or the crock pot! And it is an ever evolving recipe, depending on what I have on hand. Oh, and I don't measure. But the ingredients I use are frozen shredded potatoes, tons of melted butter, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream (but with the mushroom soup you don't really need it), cooked and crumbled bacon, cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage and tons and tons of cheese. If I make it in the crock pot, I cook it on low and slow for about 6 hours. In the oven, about 30-45 minutes on 350 degrees.

Hmm, never thought of doing it in a crock pot but that would make it all super simple! I'm a HUGE crock pot fan and use mine as often as I can (especially when I've been putting in so many hours at the office).

My mom was always like you....she never measured but her dishes always came out perfect.

Hi Gina enjoying your Gatorland report.:thumbsup2 It looks like a place I will go to when we move down. I am with you I love the big cats, and would love a big cat adventure hour. I hadn't put up a tree in years and we did for the first time last year. The cats didn't scale the tree but went after my ornaments. I am going to use my toddler tree method. I will leave the last few bottom branches blank. I have two new younger cats I rescued and they are into everything. I have a feeling they will enjoy my tree. Your fur babies looked very pleased with themselves.

I would have been just as mad if Brian was in on that kind of trip. You were lucky you almost peed your pants, probably would have:laughing:.

I am not sure if you saw my post on the Blue Friday Discovery Cove special but I was so happy that I got the $199.00 deal with the dolphin swim and the three parks plus parking.:jumping1:. I told Liv that she will indeed do the dolphin swim. Instead of doing the ray feeding at DC I am going to do it at Sea World. I am excited to go to BG. I have not been there but heard it is a nice park. We will have to do the commute back and forth on the same day. I am working on plans there.

I hope you and everyone on this thread have a Happy Thanksgiving:goodvibes

I did see that you snagged an AMAZING deal on your Discovery Cove admission!! So happy for you!! :banana: Getting such an incredible price just makes an already awesome day even more special :goodvibes. Let the countdown to Orlando begin!

Ah yes, the ornaments :blush:. Violet managed to steal a red bow off my tree the other day and went streaking across the living room with it held tightly between her teeth. On my first quick glance at her, it looked like she was sporting a pair of bright red lips :rotfl:. I hope your plan to keep the bottom branches bare is successful!

46503545_2709301579083730_2013427552504250368_n.jpg


Oh yeah, I could spend all day in that aviary (I have a thing for parrots). Plus watch those cats. The bobcats are so cute!

I wouldn't be sad if Santa wanted to put a baby bobcat in my stocking ;).
 
haha - I tagged u on fb with that photo about the ornaments!!

cant wait to read more about gatorlana!!

It was too awesome not to share here! :teeth: It literally made me howl right out loud!

I will get another entry posted hopefully later tonight.....its been busy Thanksgiving but I'm finally getting my to-do list wrapped up!
 
Saturday, October 27th: Gatorland, the conclusion

45003826_10157135898126416_7200040736442548224_n.jpg


After we finished up our late lunch at Pearl's Smokehouse, we decided to walk off all those calories on the Swamp Walk.

44958942_10157135908206416_3885928968804630528_n.jpg


46491584_10157194831276416_8236238666465280000_n.jpg


The swamp walk is just what you think it is: a peaceful stroll along an exceptionally well maintained boardwalk through natural (and otherwise undisturbed) swampland. As you enter, there's a warning or two for all visitors:

44934565_10157135908051416_499114571760402432_n.jpg


I can't imagine WHY anyone would choose to leave the clean and dry wooden walkway for the murky depths of a swamp inhabited by heaven-knows-what :confused3 but I'm sure there's an idiot in every crowd :rolleyes2. Of course, just the fact that they advertise the presence of snakes had me on full alert :eek: ..... while I have a great appreciation for all creatures great and small, I have an absurd [and quite likely unwarranted] fear of most things slithery. There would be absolutely no risk of us not following the park guidelines to a T while in this area of the park.

46756594_10157194831461416_165266617813434368_n.jpg


I have to say, it's simply GORGEOUS along the wooden boardwalk: there's something very beautiful but also hauntingly eerie about the silence of the swamp. Of course, there was an odd noise or two which reminded us that we definitely weren't alone (even if it felt unbelievably secluded) but otherwise, it was hard to keep in mind that we were just a few short miles away from a tourist mecca. This is a taste of "real Florida" in the heart of Orlando.

45033173_10157135908001416_5857735114229809152_n.jpg


We walked along, hand in hand....snapping photos, admiring the vegetation (vastly different from that found in the north) and savoring the tranquility of the afternoon.

44969646_10157135908091416_6546846433436237824_n.jpg


46643965_10157194831476416_7574710215644282880_n.jpg


44987637_10157135907956416_1419147092558872576_n.jpg


We peered into the waters along the wooden walkway, hoping to spot perhaps a small gator or another interesting creature. While we didn't see any gators, we did find a few cool bugs, several birds, and this fellow who was doing his best to hide from the human visitors:

44964287_10157135908146416_4204602764640124928_n.jpg


Based on this sign, pretty sure this guy was a cottonmouth.

46526066_10157194831176416_657114027599593472_n.jpg


Gotta admit, I was freaked out and totally intrigued at the same time. I snapped a few photos and then beat a path to a safer distance away: I didn't want to invade his personal space to the point where I annoyed him into some retaliatory action :rolleyes1. Steve was pretty impressed that we made a snake discovery [and doesn't suffer from Ophidiophobia like I do] so he stayed to admire our new friend a little longer than I did. I was more than a tad relieved when he finally decided to put some space between them: a snake bite was not the way I wanted to conclude the first day of our vacation :rolleyes:.

We continued along, stopping to read all the great little signs that dotted the Swamp Walk. Their signs might be silly but they're quite informative at times, too.

47048905_10157194831211416_3459288169118171136_n.jpg


Once we had completed the loop of the Swamp Walk, we continued our exploration of the balance of the park. We checked out the giant gator skeleton courtesy of the Skeletons Museum at the Icon Orlando (Orlando Eye) complex.

44985113_10157135898866416_4963021567375179776_n.jpg


We spent some time visiting with the iconic white gator, Pearl, at White Gator Swamp (she's HUGE!!):

45093842_10157135898976416_8538963161376620544_n.jpg


44948363_10157135898916416_2250647757427572736_n.jpg


....and we stopped by to see Chester, the infamous massive alligator who was captured in Tampa some years ago in a residential subdivision after he started eating the dogs belonging to the neighborhood residents. He doesn't really play well with the other gators at the park, so he gets his own private bachelor pad:

45050151_10157135899106416_184419925685698560_n.jpg


The picture doesn't do Chester justice: his size is just incredible. I can imagine the poor pups who became his dinner were barely more than a light snack for this massive beast.

We stopped to view our Adventure Hour photo, and opted to purchase the digital image on a Gatorland USB ($20), then headed to check out the children's splash park that was, as you would expect, gator themed (albeit fairly subtly):

44946636_10157135908366416_1914848982090121216_n.jpg


45097803_10157135908416416_6711066917475450880_n.jpg


It was a warm day by northern standards but "cold" to most Floridians (temperatures topped out at around 76 degrees that afternoon), so the splash park was not at all busy. I would expect it would be quite the hot spot (pardon the pun) in the summer months, though!

44944394_10157135908296416_8004656117219065856_n.jpg


We rounded out our Gatorland day by making the gator nursery our final stop: these little darlings were varying degrees of teeny tiny, some barely more than a couple of inches long. Such cutie patooties! :cutie: I would have loved to have taken some of them home!

44989814_10157135908681416_3212370280227799040_n.jpg


A few turtles swam among them as well. Even alligators need to have friends!

45033143_10157135908736416_1682471876779048960_n.jpg


We perused the gift shop for a while and enjoyed looking at all the cool stuff that they offered for sale: everything from the more unique (like some very tasty looking wine) to the more customary (clothing and stuffies).

44945944_10157135899326416_6525896965945819136_n.jpg


We didn't really find anything we wanted to purchase, so eventually, we decided to call it a day and head to the car. As Steve so rightly reminded me, "we don't want to wear ourselves out on the first day".

He's a sensible guy, my Steve ;).

44954234_10157135909006416_4228268017261215744_n.jpg


Gatorland was definitely a hit ::yes::. A fun, low-key, entertaining day that was easy on the budget but still big on fun. Adventure Hour was the absolute highlight: hand feeding the big gators with no barriers between us was an experience we will never forget! There were a couple of other shows that we would have liked to have caught (especially the Gator Jumparoo) but unfortunately our timing just wasn't on point. That gives us a reason to go back again in a year or two....and on that visit, we'll definitely have to plan to do the Swamp Buggy ride!

We made the short drive back to SVR to kick back and relax for a bit before our much-anticipated evening plans: we had a dinner date with @chiamarie that we had been looking forward to for weeks :goodvibes.

The balance of our Saturday is next :surfweb:.
 
I too dislike snakes and wouldn't have wanted to encounter any on the walk through the swamp, which by the way, looks very nice. We've never been to Gatorland, but if we have a non WDW vacation again I will put it on the list. The splash park for kids looks really good.
 
Just found your most recent TR! Especially enjoyed your Gatorland installment:sunny:
Looks like a great day!
 
We visited Gatorland in May a few years back. It was surprisingly fun. The swamp boardwalk was actually my favourite part. There were tons of baby birds, and even nests with eggs in them visible from the boardwalk. We spent the other half of the day on a Boggy Creek airboat ride. It was a great day.
 
Funny to see the baby gators swimming with the turtles...they'll be eating them for dinner in a few years! Maybe they don't eat the turtles at Gatorland, though, since they're kept and fed in captivity. The marsh walk reminds me of a great place in SC called Cypress Gardens. You'd probably love it!
 
That swamp walk terrifies me. I usually make it more of a swamp run when we go!

I'm gonna have to look into the swamp buggy ride. I think that might be new.
 
I too dislike snakes and wouldn't have wanted to encounter any on the walk through the swamp, which by the way, looks very nice. We've never been to Gatorland, but if we have a non WDW vacation again I will put it on the list. The splash park for kids looks really good.

The splash park looked like a ton of fun. Made me wish we had a little one or two along for the fun so we could partake in some water play :p. I'll have to see if I can convince my brother-in-law and sister-in-law to join us in Orlando with their 3 kiddos again! I know those three little ones have been begging to go back since they came along in 2016.

Just found your most recent TR! Especially enjoyed your Gatorland installment:sunny:
Looks like a great day!

Welcome to the thread! :goodvibes So glad to have you along!

We visited Gatorland in May a few years back. It was surprisingly fun. The swamp boardwalk was actually my favourite part. There were tons of baby birds, and even nests with eggs in them visible from the boardwalk. We spent the other half of the day on a Boggy Creek airboat ride. It was a great day.

Much of the swamp walk was bare on our first visit 8 years ago.....a cold snap had made most of the trees lose their leaves. It was nice to be able to see the marsh in its more customary state this time. Aside from the snakes :rolleyes2 it is stunningly beautiful along that boardwalk!

Funny to see the baby gators swimming with the turtles...they'll be eating them for dinner in a few years! Maybe they don't eat the turtles at Gatorland, though, since they're kept and fed in captivity. The marsh walk reminds me of a great place in SC called Cypress Gardens. You'd probably love it!

I will have to Google Cypress Gardens to see what its all about. I haven't been to SC but I would love to visit Myrtle Beach some day!! ::yes::

That swamp walk terrifies me. I usually make it more of a swamp run when we go!

I'm gonna have to look into the swamp buggy ride. I think that might be new.

I'd be afraid of catching a sandal on the boards and going face first over the side and into the water :rotfl:. But, I'm naturally clumsy at the best of times!! :laughing:

Looks like the Swamp Buggy was introduced in November 2017, so its only been a feature at the park for a year. When do y'all head back to Orlando for your next family fun trip?
 
Saturday, October 27th: the conclusion

On our way back to SVR from Gatorland, we decided to make a stop at Sam's Club -

46671714_10157197430026416_6641086356736966656_n.jpg


- for supplies for the villa: important things like bottled water (neither one of us can stomach the taste of Florida water :sick:), snack foods, milk & juices, and some adult beverages :drinking1.

46689667_10157197430421416_2175814772702838784_n.jpg


We normally go to Walmart or Publix for these kinds of supplies, but Sam's Club finally became an option for this trip after we picked up a crazy cheap membership (thank you Groupon!) this past spring. It was SO nice not having to deal with the Walmart chaos :crazy2: or the higher prices of Publix ::yes::. We ended up buying WAY more than we needed (one of our bad habits on EVERY trip), but took as much home with us as we could.....even that massive bottle of rum that never did get opened all week. Hopefully the cleaning staff got to enjoy some of our unused leftovers (especially all the unopened cans of Canada Dry) after we checked out.

We hauled all the groceries up to the villa and got everything put away nice and neatly before indulging in an hour or so of relaxing before freshening up for dinner. Our original plan had been to meet with @chiamarie at Rocco's Tacos, but when I called in the afternoon to secure a reservation I was informed that they had 400 others already confirmed.......Rocco's, apparently, is quite the Orlando hot spot on a Saturday night :eek:. After some texting back and forth, we opted to enact Plan B and meet at Kobe's Steakhouse instead: a bit disappointing for all of us (we had all been pumped for Rocco's! :sad1:) but perhaps it ended up being all for the best in the end. T's dog had been having some health issues that were concerning her, and Kobe's was much closer to her home. Changing our dinner location to Kobe's would mean she wouldn't be away from her house so long and we knew we'd still get a crazy good meal. So, Kobe's at 8 it was :thumbsup2.

The three of us had exceptional timing and arrived at the restaurant within minutes of each other. We had a bit of a wait for a table.....apparently it is not just Rocco's that was full up on a Saturday evening!.....but time passed quickly as it was filled with plentiful chatter and getting caught up since the last time we able to get together. We maintain fairly regular contact via social media (isn't Facebook grand? :p) but it's just not the same as hanging out with someone in person. Conversation flowed freely as usual, and we were called to be seated after about a half an hour.
Having visited Kobe's in the spring, there were no surprises on this visit. In fact, I think we ended up ordering the exact same meals as we did in May :lmao:. We're so adventurous ;).

46508021_10157197430221416_4072414374327746560_n.jpg


My biggest regret about this particular dinner is that I couldn't eat anywhere near as much as I would have liked to: the medication I was taking for my sinus infection had been causing my stomach to revolt, and I was feeling a bit green as we sat down around the large community table. I ate somewhat lightly as a result: I wasn't interested in suffering a gastric catastrophe on Day 2 :sick:. I knew they would be happy to box any leftovers and we could enjoy them at our leisure over the next week :thumbsup2.

Here comes an onion volcano!

46847909_10157197430191416_7236746085299912704_n.jpg


46759391_10157197430436416_8968111620668522496_n.jpg


The community "experience" on this meal was a bit hindered by the fact that English was not the first language of any of our seatmates.....or our chef!! ....but the food was, as always, AMAZING :worship:. There was fire, there was a lot of sizzling, and there were gobs and gobs of garlic butter.

46725838_10157197430086416_2657497953404452864_n.jpg


What more can a person ask for?

46783764_10157197430281416_305849195288330240_n.jpg


The courses at Kobe's just keep coming. From soup and salad to noodles, rice, veggies and meat.....it's seemingly endless and oh-so-delicious. Amidst the corny jokes (only some of which you can understand completely, yet we giggle at them all :laughing:), the flipping of food into his chef's hat, and the regular bursts of flames from the grill.....everything still ends up being cooked tender and perfect.

47118140_10157197430481416_4360562785323581440_n.jpg


Oh yes, and there is also a steady supply of white sauce! T and Steve bathed their meals in that signature liquid.....so much so, that our chef finally passed Steve the bucket instead of filling his little white dish a million times :rotfl2:. We have no idea what exactly is in it, but it was definitely a favorite of my dinner companions!!

46760001_10157197430606416_6935695145870295040_n.jpg


The night, as always, flew by far too quickly. I also, once again, took way too few photos: this one was literally the best we ended up with, and it's not even clear :confused3. Apparently Steve's hand wasn't so steady after 6 pounds of food smothered in a half gallon of white sauce :rolleyes1. Next time, I'll be bringing my selfie stick!! ;) (no matter how much the husband protesteth :laughing:)

46759352_10157197430041416_7129412614894911488_n.jpg


It was fairly late when we bid T adieu and we made the short drive back to the villa. We indulged in a short soak in the Fountains hot tubs and then called it a night. We had a full day of SeaWorld fun planned for Sunday.....including riding the new Infinity Falls for the first time!....so a good night's sleep was essential. Lucky for us, shut-eye came easily and we were enjoying alligator dreams within minutes of our heads hitting the pillows.

Coming up: an "Incredible" day at SeaWorld!

45002969_10157136041166416_4810191366669729792_n.jpg
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top