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The Weird And Wacky World of Highway 192 in Kissimmee Florida / Extinct Theme Parks & Gigantic Fun

Date: December 27, 2018 Duration: 15m 43s
A visit to highway 192 in Kissimmee Florida just outside Walt Disney World . A road full of unusual and fun roadside oddities . Former theme parks , closed attractions , Disney gift shops and more !
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Transcript

0:03 welcome everyone Adam the whoo here
0:03 today's adventure brings us to Kissimmee
0:05 Florida the thoroughfare you see running
0:06 past the sign is highway 192 my old
0:10 stomping grounds in fact back in early
0:13 2010 when I first started uploading
0:15 content onto YouTube a heck of a lot of
0:18 it took place down this road but it's
0:21 been a while since I documented and
0:24 traversed this pathway that's what I'm
0:26 gonna do today I'm inviting you to join
0:30 me shall you if you'd like to follow
0:33 along at home on a map I will be heading
0:36 westward starting at the intersection of
0:39 Orange Blossom Trail which is called
0:41 Main Street in this area and going all
0:44 the way up about 20 miles to the dead
0:46 end of highway 27 turning around and
0:49 coming back checking out the weird wacky
0:52 and unusual things on each side of the
0:55 road since last time I was here this
0:58 Kmart has closed it's now abandoned a
1:00 company I work for for about five years
1:03 I worked at the one down the road it
1:05 closed first but this one held strong
1:08 for a little while and now it's been
1:10 erased existence which is kind of par
1:14 for the course for a lot of businesses
1:16 around here when my family first moved
1:18 here in the early 90s this was a surf
1:20 shop later became a buffet now it's it's
1:24 empty
1:26 about 20 years or so if you would have
1:28 turned down this inclined driveway would
1:31 have taken you to the parking lot of not
1:33 only the Viking motel which sat there
1:37 but also the entrance to River Adventure
1:40 Golf where I was employed for a short
1:43 while this really does bring back some
1:46 serious memories customers would begin
1:48 their round of miniature putt-putt right
1:52 over there one hole in particular I got
1:54 really good at on slow days I would come
1:57 down here you can see where the concrete
1:59 still is and some of the moss has grown
2:02 over but the destination where the ball
2:07 went it's right there there's the hole I
2:10 would always play this hole this was the
2:12 first first of all of them so I just
2:15 come down here stand right over there
2:18 putt the ball along I got pretty good at
2:21 this particular one not a whole lot left
2:23 from those days except the lights modern
2:26 day there's lots of shrubs probably some
2:30 snakes and Gators down in that foliage
2:33 wouldn't recommend running around in
2:36 there however if you want to send them a
2:37 letter the mailbox still here on site
2:40 but on the opposite end of the spectrum
2:42 not everything is closed Congo River
2:45 course still going strong it's been open
2:48 as far back as I can remember there's
2:51 the Queen the boat they're in the water
2:54 one thing you don't see too often in
2:57 tourist areas are these huge
2:59 markers with numbers stretching all up
3:02 and down the streets the reason they did
3:04 this is to give direction say you went
3:06 to a store and you were looking for your
3:07 hotel or an attraction the employee or a
3:11 local to tell you oh it's over near mile
3:13 marker 12 except I've never heard anyone
3:17 actually do that they usually just give
3:18 you the cross streets I don't think this
3:20 game plan worked out the way they
3:22 thought it would I like the bus stops
3:26 very unique looking notice the turtle
3:29 clock there at the top of the roof now
3:32 we're getting into the section that I
3:35 really enjoy
3:41 the gift shops I doubt they still do
3:41 20-minute photo developing that's a
3:44 thing of the past but check out this
3:46 artwork all along the side it's amazing
3:51 big old alligator there on the side whoa
3:54 people in the hot air balloon are
3:56 getting a little too close watch out he
3:59 bites I'm curious to know if these
4:01 tourist info center stands are as
4:05 prevalent and popular as they once were
4:07 now that the Internet's out there
4:09 there's still a few of them around
4:11 however I just wonder if anyone utilizes
4:15 them straight ahead is the Magic Castle
4:17 in and Suites use quite a bit in a movie
4:22 called the Florida Project where the
4:25 main characters stayed here and right
4:27 next door a helicopter is landing
4:29 getting back from a tour for a few bucks
4:33 you can go up inside one of those
4:35 copters and get a bird's-eye of the area
4:39 it might pass on that today what does
4:42 that phone next to the registration desk
4:45 entrance do it's super old-school and
4:49 why is it in a glass box like that oh
4:54 yes while we're on the subject of
4:58 bizarre things - wizard I love this
5:03 guy's good to see you still stand it
5:06 strong
5:07 I bet the helicopter tour going overhead
5:10 probably looking down thinking what the
5:13 heck there's even a couple
5:15 fire-breathing dragons painted on either
5:18 side of the banner they're holding I
5:23 love it so much
5:25 your daily dose of vitamin C would be
5:27 complete you stuck a rather large straw
5:31 from the top of this
5:34 that's big in the side of the building
5:36 as always reminding us it's always in
5:39 the best interest of others to share
5:41 this truly is a marvel of citrus glory
5:44 I'm glad it's still here for all to see
5:48 including those grabbing a bite to eat
5:50 at Waffle House unless you're walking
5:52 most people don't even realize this but
5:56 on the backside of these ground-level
5:58 billboards are brochures pamphlets and
6:02 magazines all free just showing what's
6:06 all around this tourist area just reach
6:09 out open it up and grab one this one is
6:15 adorned with a classic car hot rod in
6:17 the middle surrounded by Elvis to the
6:20 right Marilyn Monroe to the left and a
6:23 jukebox there on the corner and adjacent
6:26 to this property is yet another one with
6:30 the facade painted very patriotic indeed
6:34 even an eagle right there on the side
6:37 code joined with machine-gun America
6:41 where you can rattle off a few rounds if
6:44 you so choose I guess they must be doing
6:47 well because here's a brand new and look
6:49 at the size of that one
6:51 it's probably the biggest one on highway
6:54 192 a slight jungle theme to this one
6:58 elephants tigers I think I even see a
7:02 gorilla up there a zebra on the woodwork
7:06 not just that but also the rock
7:09 formations down here a bit paint is all
7:12 sorts of tropical animals a frog is
7:16 looming down at the parrot
7:18 does it even know it's watching I'm
7:21 above word of warning however a lot of
7:25 these places don't take kindly to
7:27 filming inside you can take photos of
7:30 video outdoors but once you go inside
7:32 with the camera they don't like it too
7:34 much some sea life is happening there's
7:38 a manatee some penguins this is around
7:41 the back of the building the front is a
7:43 little bit more impressive
7:45 a mermaid of enormous size next to her
7:52 lighthouse just swimming around through
7:54 the air or should I say through the sea
7:56 they just have to take my word for it
7:58 but in that store they have gadgets and
8:01 gizmos aplenty
8:02 they've got whosits and whatsits galore
8:05 but if you want a thingamabob they might
8:09 be sold out this one states that it's
8:11 the number one gift shop I don't know
8:14 what the ranking system is that because
8:16 I must admit from the outside
8:18 perspective this one looks much more
8:21 spectacular the customers at that Cici's
8:24 Pizza can be very disappointed if that
8:27 volcano blows oh wait a second no it's
8:30 not the Sala volcano just a rock
8:31 formation with the waterfall ooh that
8:35 would be dangerous I've reached the
8:36 farthest westward portion highway 192 to
8:42 continue in this direction it suddenly
8:45 turns
8:46 to highway 27 without any notice
8:49 whatsoever I'm now gonna head back
8:54 eastbound and see if it's a little more
8:57 wacky the opposite way see what happens
9:03 looks like we got Shamu and another
9:05 member of his immediate family a wolf
9:09 howling and that awning that leads to a
9:12 unaccessible door there's a polar bear
9:15 I'm starting to think a lot of these
9:16 facades are all painted by maybe the
9:20 same person or the same company decades
9:23 ago sea lions just basking in the Sun
9:26 really hard to differentiate the side of
9:29 the wall from the real clouds nicely
9:34 done
9:34 if you want to keep a lake secret
9:37 probably not the best idea to advertise
9:39 it on the street side well that guy just
9:42 went through that through that light
9:43 really quickly this whole area has
9:45 definitely changed over the past few
9:47 years a while back this was known as
9:50 splendid China a theme park now it's
9:54 owned by Jimmy Buffett he's putting up a
9:56 Margaritaville resort looks like it's
9:59 gonna be a lot of fun when it's
10:01 completed equipped with even a waterpark
10:05 came around to the back end it looks
10:08 like this gate is the only remaining
10:10 artifact from the splendid China days
10:13 not allowed to go in there because it is
10:15 a construction zone but also these metal
10:20 pieces that are all broken up they are
10:24 also original as is the wall but
10:27 everything inside completely gone back
10:32 when the theme park was built so was
10:34 this shopping center one thing is gone
10:37 but another still remains oh wow and
10:42 indoors I have to say this is pretty
10:44 amazing that it still exists for one
10:47 reason or another this place slipped
10:49 past my radar I had no idea it was here
10:52 till now directly above the produce
10:54 section is a Panda and his friends next
10:58 to the registers where the magazines are
10:59 there's even a little moat a bridge
11:02 there's water inside a grocery store
11:05 there weren't a whole lot of customers
11:07 in there the marketing idea about
11:09 putting it next to splendid China
11:12 probably sounded good at first but then
11:13 when they closed WAMP WAMP WAMP WAMP
11:17 there's a giraffe stop there's a giraffe
11:20 well actually there's there's two of
11:23 them I always loved that kid up there
11:25 giving the thumbs up love thumbs ups
11:28 don't be deceived this is not the same
11:32 wizard we saw earlier there's two of
11:35 them there's two wizard gift shops east
11:39 and west bound nice I have one major
11:44 question the tree to the left of the
11:47 screen why is it so frightening
11:57 has its mouth open has some eyes on the
11:57 treat limbs very scary-looking right
12:02 always like to stop off and see big fun
12:05 the monster-truck use in the movie
12:08 Roadhouse with the SWE's dog Patrick
12:12 Swayze that's that's that's the nickname
12:16 I think that's what he goes by the
12:20 ferris wheel at Old Town looking rather
12:21 glorious it's made to appear as if
12:24 you're in a hot-air balloon with the
12:26 ride vehicle attached to it but in
12:29 reality you're not in a hot-air balloon
12:30 you're just attached to very tall
12:32 spinning wheel I never went in this
12:35 attraction slash movie theater when it
12:37 was open wasn't really available to the
12:40 public for too long it's been sitting
12:42 empty for years
12:44 taking it true that I really don't know
12:46 exactly what it even is called the
12:47 antigravity theater you float around in
12:52 there or did you float around in there
12:53 while you watched a film
13:00 huh there was a period in time where
13:00 this was called the haunted mansion
13:03 obviously didn't last because pretty
13:06 sure Disney owns the copyright on that
13:09 name but the building still stands it's
13:13 used for something else now a church I
13:16 believe pretty impressive looking
13:19 nonetheless I kind of missed a huge
13:22 Gator that used to be in this parking
13:24 lot I was always told it was the second
13:27 biggest in the world a structure that
13:30 started here you can see where the new
13:33 pavement is stretched all the way down
13:35 near the highway itself at the Gator
13:40 motel appropriately named and this
13:43 building also still sits empty and
13:46 abandoned a former roadside zoo the sign
13:51 is asking not to go past that point over
13:53 the bridge doesn't look too structurally
13:56 sound either way nor does this gooey
14:00 waterway look at all the green algae on
14:04 top of it
14:05 well if there's any real live alligators
14:09 down in there
14:10 you can almost picture the cascading
14:12 waterfall greening down that rock
14:14 formation it's been a while but I still
14:19 see it in your mind's eye you try there
14:23 be pirates in this I don't know why I'm
14:27 talking like that there's pirates in
14:30 this like to see them traversing the
14:33 side of their ship here at this
14:38 miniature golf course and those are
14:40 headstones
14:50 says rest in peace that's what happens
14:50 if you don't get a hole-in-one it's
14:52 pretty a pretty terrifying tourist
14:55 attraction that's gonna do it for today
14:58 if you're new here please subscribe
15:00 by doing so it helps keep you in the
15:02 loop up-to-date on future adventures I
15:04 will be going on endeavours in my life
15:07 as well as uploads here on this channel
15:09 if you enjoyed this particular episode
15:11 up and down the jaunt down the weird the
15:15 wacky the unusual and the strange things
15:18 on highway 192 in Kissimmee around the
15:23 Walt Disney World area not on property
15:26 but just outside just shy by an inch or
15:31 so give it a big thumbs up let me know
15:36 you can't I'll see you in the next video
15:39 the vlog is over