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In Polk County, Canadians Can Find Savings and the ‘True Florida’

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A young female American buffalo grazes in the marshes of Brahma Island in Lake Kissimmee, Florida. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)

“Florida — it’s one hell of a drug,” proclaims Taylor Swift in her 2024 song named for the Sunshine State. Many Canadians would agree with the lyric.

Year after year, Florida is the No. 1 destination for Canadians. Snowbirds primarily from Ontario and Quebec flee the cold each winter for sunshine, theme parks, golf, and seafood. For 2025, you can add another attraction — places where you can stretch your loonie.

Although the Canadian dollar has been steady or even rising against many foreign currencies, it has languished at multi-decade lows against the U.S. dollar in recent months. The situation has created a 40% additional cost on purchases for Canadians who venture south of the border. Finding ways to save on the family sun getaway has become more challenging. One way to cut costs is to venture to lesser-known locations that are still within proximity to Florida’s main draws. Besides value, such a choice gives you the benefits of encountering a new area that may be a surprise and providing an adventure that complements the fantastical, reality-free sensations of the state’s famed theme parks.

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A blue heron is among the beautiful birds that airboat tour riders will see in Florida’s Lake Kissimmee. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)

One location that is gaining prominence is Polk County, home to Central Florida’s tourism industry and a destination that’s as close to Disney World properties as Orlando International Airport. Located west of the Magic Kingdom’s home base, Polk County features one of America’s fastest-growing cities, Lakeland, and sprawling campgrounds that have made it a top choice for RV travellers. Among those properties is Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale, which has added cabanas to its RV hook-up availability. The cabanas are ideal for a family. They have full kitchens, bunk beds, pull-out couches, WiFi, private bathrooms, and parking.

Camp Margaritaville also has lots on its grounds to satisfy kids and their parents. Along with the good-time Jimmy Buffet vibes of the bar and pool, there is a mini-golf course and two playgrounds.

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Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale is filled with family activities, including climbing walls, slides, and mini-golf. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)

From Auburndale, you can drive to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, home to the Star Wars attractions, in 30 minutes, and experience Florida’s natural gems. I was amazed that my son, Gabriel, was as wowed by his first airboat tour as he was with piloting the Millennium Falcon ride at Disney. Midway through the 75-minute nautical trek into remote Brahma Island, Gabriel asked, “How long do we have left?”

My expectation was that he was getting tired of wind pushing into his face or wearing the noise-cancelling headphones that protected his hearing from the cacophonous high-speed propellers used to power the airboat.

Instead, Gabriel was feeling anxious about the airboat docking too soon. “I don’t want it to end,” he declared, laughing as giddily as I’ve ever seen him.

MORE FLORIDA: Canada Brand Opens Near Tampa

The 62-metre (205-foot) Bok Tower is the focal point of a U.S. National Historic Landmark. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)

The boat ride itself is fun. An airboat is a unique mode of transportation; the vessel floats along marshy waters and even scoots over flat terrain, bringing passengers deeper into the remote environment. It was in the heart of Brahma Island that Gabriel became fully enthralled as he observed the wildlife. Not only the gators that are the star attraction of any airboat tour in Florida, but the flocks of marsh birds, deer, and American buffalo, all of which come into close view when you’re on the tour, which is operated by Grape Hammock Fish Camp of Lake Wales.

Captain J.C. Greeman said the rides offer a contrast to the Disney and Universal Studios theme parks that are a short drive away.

“You don’t get any more wild than what you see here. This is true Florida,” stated Greeman, who has been a fishing boat captain for more than 18 years and joined Grape Hammock in 2024. “With kids, what I like is that they’re a fresh mind. It’s just so much fun to watch them get excited by what’s out there. You could see with your son, he was more interested in the birds. Some of them, all they want to see are the gators. The main thing is they get to experience this.”

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A sighting of a baby alligator is among the highlights on a Grape Hammock Fish Camp airboat tour. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)

Another nature-immersive attraction that is too often overlooked by Canadians is the magnificent Bok Tower Gardens. A landmark built for contemplation, the gardens were designed a century ago by Frederick Olmstead Jr., who is best known for his work on green spaces in New York state. Named after its founder and another New Yorker Edward Bok, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who edited the Ladies’ Home Journal, the property is a pristine attraction that connects you with the trees and flora of Florida’s central region.

Polk County isn’t void of theme parks of its own, either. LEGOLAND and Peppa Pig Theme Park, sister properties, are located on the same grounds in Winter Haven. Visitors can enter with one ticket for both parks, as well as LEGOLAND’s water park. Of the two, Peppa Pig is the one that will engage younger kids more. Designed through the eyes of children between ages 2 and 7, the theme park can be experienced in an hour, including the gentle rides and character encounters. It’s a sweet, pleasant place that little ones and their parents will appreciate.

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The charming Peppa Pig Theme Park rides are ideal for younger children, including 6-year-old Gabriel Brijbassi. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)

LEGOLAND, meanwhile, is a mix of rides — some of them intense, like The Dragon roller-coaster — and stunning creations that are wonders on their own. The centrepiece is Mainland USA, where cities like New York and Las Vegas are recreated with the famous Danish bricks. Kids can put their own creativity to work in the Imagination Zone, where they can construct their unique builds. (Be sure to sanitize hands as the LEGO bricks have passed through a lot of fingers!)

Take a peek inside the LEGOLAND Hotel, or stay the night. The food is better than other theme parks and there is a play area in the lobby where kids will make quick friends.

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It’s 5 o’clock somewhere and it sure is nice when it’s at the Tiki Bar at Camp Margaritaville in Central Florida. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)

Another attraction not to miss is the Florida Children’s Museum, where Gabriel spent hours with hands-on experiences that facilitate his learning. Whether it was grabbing a kid-sized shopping cart and loading them up with plastic produce and snacks to imitate the grocery-store experience or developing an animated movie with toys, the Lakeland attraction kept kids thinking and active.

For Canadian families looking to save on their upcoming getaway to Florida, Polk County provides a number of options that make the trip more manageable for budgets without sacrificing entertainment options or the quality of your stay.

MORE ABOUT VISITING CENTRAL FLORIDA

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Cabana guests have use of golf carts to get them around Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)

Getting There: Air Canada has 20 flights originating in the country to Florida, including direct flights to Orlando from Toronto and Montreal. Vancouver travellers can connect to Orlando through either of those major Canadian hubs. For those venturing beyond Disney and exploring more of the Sunshine State, Air Canada has a direct option from Miami to Vancouver that is the longest non-stop flight in North America. The flight takes seven hours, but is extremely convenient for west-coast travellers seeking a sun getaway.

Where to Eat: Nineteen61 is the kind of anchor restaurant any destination needs to attract visitors. Dedicated to the Cuban roots of chef and co-owner Marcos Fernandez, Nineteen61 is full of flavourful, exquisitely crafted dishes that have Latin, Caribbean, and Southern U.S. influences. It truly is one of the best restaurants in Florida and worth the trip to Lakeland on its own. I tried it a year ago, before it opened its popular new rooftop. [Read More: “Nineteen61 Rises to Stardom”]

More recently, I visited Harry’s, which is a few steps from Nineteen61. It features New Orleans-inspired cuisine in a cheerful atmosphere.

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It will be easy to live by the mantra of Lucille’s Cafe when you visit, thanks to its quality food and service. (Adrian Brijbassi photo for Vacay.ca)

Located in downtown Winter Haven, Lucille’s Cafe is a two-year-old restaurant that feels like it has been there forever. Operated by a husband-and-wife team, Lucille’s exudes care for its diners with an emphasis on scratch cooking, including condiments. Kids will love the chicken fingers and fries, and parents will appreciate the care with which they’re made.

Where to Stay: Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale has a minimum three-night stay for its cabanas with rates starting at $279.29 USD (about $405 CAD) per night in March. The cabanas are comfortable and modern, making for a pleasant and cozy stay.

Note: Vacay.ca occasionally publishes articles about destinations outside of Canada that our editors believe will be of interest to our readers. In this feature, Managing Editor Adrian Brijbassi profiles Central Florida, which offers reduced-cost accommodations and activities compared to other notable locations in Florida. Visit Florida and Visit Central Florida supported his trip; no organization, business, or tourism representative reviewed the article before it was published.

Adrian is the editor of Vacay.ca and VacayNetwork.com. Adrian has won numerous awards for his travel writing, travel photography, and fiction, and has visited more than 55 countries. He is a former editor at the Toronto Star and New York Newsday, and was the social media and advocacy manager for Destination Canada. His articles have frequently appeared in the Huffington Post, Globe & Mail, and other major publications. He has appeared on national and local broadcasts, talking about travel, sports, creative writing and journalism. In 2019, he launched Trippzy, a travel-trivia app developed to educate consumers about destinations around the world. He also edited "Inspired Cooking", a nutrition-focused cookbook featuring 20 of Canada's leading chefs and in support of the cancer-fighting charity, InspireHealth. "Inspired Cooking" was created in honour of Adrian's late wife and Vacay.ca co-founder, Julia Pelish, who passed away of brain cancer in 2016.