ICE 2016 organizers are pleased to offer the following tour options to enhance your visit to Orlando, Florida, USA. You may choose to add any of the tours below to your main registration. If insufficient tour enrollment causes a professional or destination tour to be cancelled, ESA will issue a full refund after the meeting closes.
Discount tickets to local area theme parks will be made available via a separate website closer to the Congress.
Daily Tours
Airboat & Wildlife Park
Dates: Wednesday, September 28 and Friday, September 30
Time: 8:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Fee: $153 USD per person (lunch included)
Enjoy a closer look at alligators & exotic wild life as your guests glide through 4,200 acres of untouched nature preserve on an exclusive airboat ride. The swamp is free of any development and is 100% pure Florida wilderness. After your rides, guests will have their picture taken while holding a baby alligator. A portion of the funds generated from photos then support the Florida Panther Society continuing the preservation of Florida’s nature and wildlife.
The Wildlife Park gives guests the opportunity to watch, touch and even feed some of Florida’s native land-dwelling animals, as well as various species of tropical birds. Get up-close to gators from the viewing dock in the gator pond! The Wildlife Park is also home to several beautiful exotic species including Zebras, Watusi, Water Buffalo, Emu and Zebu.
A day in this park offers an amazing array of wild life including bald eagles, deer, cows, boars, turkey, alligators and more!
Backstage Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Date: Wednesday, September 28
Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Fee: $156 USD per person (does not include park admission nor is it required)
Due to its behind-the-scenes nature, participants must be 16 years of age or older.
Take a journey to find out what happens behind-the-scenes at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom! During this in-depth program, your guests get an insider’s look at conservation, animal nutrition and medicine, animal care, and behavioral studies. Highlights include visits to a backstage animal housing area, the Animal Nutrition Center, the Veterinary Hospital, and a special ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris. The majority of this program takes place behind-the-scenes- there may be no opportunity to view animals. Please note: no photos will be allows in behind-the-scenes area.
Kilimanjaro Safari: Climb aboard the open-air safari vehicle for an incredible journey through more than 100 acres of African savannah, forest, rivers and rocky hills where hundreds of animals roam free. Unlike any experience this side of the equator, the Kilimanjaro Safari introduces your guests to the splendor and magnificence of creatures both large and small. An unexpected twist takes guests on an adventurous trip in pursuit of a band of poachers while messages of conservation are echoed throughout the expedition.
This tour takes place partly outdoors and includes moderate walking and stair climbing; we recommend participants wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.
Cocoa Beach
Dates: Sunday, September 25; Wednesday, September 28 and Saturday, October 1 (Cancelled)
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Fee: $58 USD per person (lunch included)
Located on a barrier island nestled between the great Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River Lagoon on Florida’s Central East Coast, Cocoa Beach continues to link the birth of the Space Age with the wonder of the future. Sun, brilliant blue sea and warm sand all meet here at Cocoa Beach to offer you an exciting adventure in this spectacular beach-side paradise. Take time to explore the famous Ron Jon Surf Shop as well. Participants are encouraged to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, towels, and wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Guests will have the day to enjoy the beach on their own.
Insect Collecting at the Disney Wilderness Preserve
This tour is currently sold out. Check back for further updates.
Date: Wednesday, September 28
Time: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Fee: $45 USD per person
At The Disney Wilderness Preserve, nature offers you a front-row seat to conservation at its best. Home to more than 1,000 species of plants and animals, The Disney Wilderness Preserve is an essential part of the Everglades ecosystem and contains 3,500 acres of restored wetlands that act as nature’s “sponges” in the landscape capturing rain, filtering out nutrients and replenishing our ground water.
The core of The Disney Wilderness Preserve is comprised of what was once an 8,500-acre cattle ranch situated at the head of the Greater Everglades watershed. In the early 1990s, the ranch was slated for extensive residential and commercial development which would have spelled the end for the property’s degraded—but restorable—wetlands, as well as the destruction of significant habitat for endangered plants and wildlife.
This tour lets the entomologists do what they do best: insect collecting. The participants will have opportunities to collect insects from interesting Florida habitats within DWP as well as swamp buggy tour of the preserve. Nets will be provided for those who need. We recommend participants wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather and bring plenty of water.
Epcot
Dates: Monday, September 26; Wednesday, September 28 and Friday, September 30 (Cancelled)
Time: 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Fee: $147 USD per person
Travel to the future and around the world, all in one visit. Epcot is an ever-changing, always-entertaining world of discovery where you can explore the wonders of the universe and many of its cultures. Future World puts you in the middle of fantastic adventures and exploration as you take a hands-on look at the 21st century. World Showcase features 11 different countries offering the best of their culture, entertainment and cuisine. Experience Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, a nighttime spectacular filled with thunderous fireworks, sky-piercing lasers and a moving soundtrack. This tour includes an Epcot after 4 PM ticket and transportation to and from the park.
Leu Gardens
Dates: Tuesday, September 27 and Thursday, September 29 (Cancelled)
Time: 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Fee: $81 USD per person (lunch included)
Led by trained docents, your guests will explore an amazing 50-acre botanical oasis minutes from downtown Orlando. Each garden is designed specifically to further our mission: inspire visitors to appreciate and understand plants. The Leu House Museum located in the heart of the gardens reveals turn-of-the century living for the families who once called this home. The gardens and historical home were donated to the City of Orlando in 1961 by Mr. Harry P. Leu and his wife, Mary Jane. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather.
Shopping in Orlando
Date: Wednesday, September 28
Time: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Fee: $48 USD per person
This activity involves walking. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Stops include:
Orlando Premium Outlets-International Drive- Welcome to Orlando’s newest kingdom, devoted to shopping. With over 110 of the hottest brands including new additions like Hugo Boss Factory Store, Tourneau, Tumi, White House Black Market, Esprit, Le Crueset, Crabtree & Evelyn, ClarksBostonian Outlet and Central Florida’s only Neiman Marcus Last Call, as well as favorites like Coach Factory, Gap Outlet, Ann Taylor Factory Store, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike Factory Store and The Children’s Place, you’re sure to find a great bargain.
Orlando Premium Outlets-Vineland Avenue - A sophisticated combination of quality designer brands, significant savings and an architecturally-themed outdoor village setting caters to upscale, value-minded shoppers. Some of the retailers located at Orlando Premium Outlets include Anne Klein, Barneys New York Outlet, Burberry, Coach, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger and Versace. Upon arrival, you will receive a VIP coupon book filled with added savings at participating outlet stores.
University of Central Florida – Bug Closet Tour
This tour is currently sold out. Check back for further updates.
Date: Wednesday, September 28
Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Fee: Free
Officially known as the University of Central Florida Collection of Arthropods (UCFC), the Bug Closet is founded by Stuart M. Fullerton in 1993, who possessed a lifelong passion for entomology. UCFC possesses one of the largest completely databased collections in the world with over 510,000 specimen records for insects and other arthropods with more being added daily. We especially pride ourselves on our Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps) and Coleoptera (beetles) holdings. A shuttle from the Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida will be provided to transport participants to visit the Bug Closet. The participants will have opportunities to examine specimens and speak to the curator and the collection manager about the collection.
Post-Congress Tours
Overnight to Archbold Biological Station
Date: Saturday, October 1 – Sunday, October 2
Time: 6:30 AM (Oct. 1) – 5:00 PM (Oct. 2)
Fee: $215 per person (including meals and lodging based on double occupancy).
Archbold Biological Station (ABS), is a scientific resource for field study of the natural environment. We are located in the remote heart of south central Florida. The station serves as a hub of discovery and a portal to the Florida scrub, one of world’s most threatened ecosystems.
Visitors have the unique opportunity to view and learn about this landscape that has been continually explored by ecologists for decades, and is still revealing intriguing science. You will have an opportunity to view collections and collect specimens in their natural habitat.
Come and discover more about this marvelous ecosystem and the great facilities. Early departures from the tour are not available. Please be sure to arrange all travel to depart Orlando after 6:30 PM on Sunday, October 2 to ensure you have plenty of time to return from the station.
The McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and the Florida State Collection of Arthropods
Date: Saturday, October 1
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Fee: $60 USD per person (lunch on your own)
The McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity houses one of the world’s largest Lepidoptera collections, representing most of the world’s 20,000 butterfly species and many of the estimated 245,000 moth species. The center includes the 6,400-square-foot living Butterfly Rainforest, an adjacent 4,600-square-foot exhibit gallery featuring information about Lepidoptera and rain forests worldwide, as well as more than 31,000 square feet of research laboratories and collection space. The Florida State Collection of Arthropods houses specimens from around the world and is ranked among the top 10 North American entomological collections. The collection features thousands of drawers, slides and vials containing an estimated 9 million prepared specimens. We are pleased to offer a one-day tour to both the McGuire Center and FSCA for those who are interested in visiting these world-class facilities. The tour includes round-trip transportation from Orlando to Gainesville as well as the behind-the-scene tour of the McGuire Center. Museum staff will be available to guide for the participants.
In addition to the available tours, the congress attendees can make arrangements to visit FSCA, Bug Closet, and Archbold Biological Station for a longer duration on an individual basis.