Florida Orange Juice and the Infamous Orange Bird

Last Updated on May 2, 2023

Orange juice, especially Florida orange juice, is considered one of the healthiest beverages because of its wide range of benefits.

Some of the benefits of drinking Florida orange juice include:

The ability to boost the immune system
Reduce signs of aging
Prevent cancer
Enhance cellular repair and metabolism
Detoxify the body
Improve circulation and blood pressure
Reduce inflammation
Lower cholesterol levels

Vintage photo of people getting orange juice — Tourists receive orange juice at Welcome State (1977). Source: State Library and Archives of Florida.

Drinking fresh orange juice is as beneficial as eating the whole fruit. That is, if it is 100% natural and not loaded with preservatives, additives, and sugar.

The skin and pulp of oranges also have considerable health benefits, but you can get most of the nutrients and beneficial components from orange juice.

However, you may want to avoid frozen orange juice, canned orange juice, or concentrated orange juice because you lose considerable natural goodness with all the processing.

Unfortunately, manufacturers often add chemicals to the juice to replenish the lost nutritional value.

All the impressive health benefits of orange juice can be attributed to its nutritional contents: vitamins A & C, thiamin, potassium, fiber, proteins, copper, magnesium, flavonoids, hesperidins, to name a few.

These vitamins and minerals make it one of the most valuable and nutrient-packed fruits. Plus, in terms of calories, orange juice has less than 50 calories in a serving of 100ml.

Orange juice helps you feel refreshed and on track to overall wellness.

I love Florida Orange Juice vintage license plate

So, go natural and ensure you get all the benefits of this delicious and miraculous fruit juice!

Florida Orange Bird

In 1967, the Florida legislature designated orange juice as Florida’s Official State Beverage.

Original Orange Bird character at Walt Disney World

Orange Bird is a Disney character who debuted in 1971 as a mascot for the Florida Citrus Commission.

Orange Bird appears around the 5:45 mark. Thanks to Retro WDW, Matty, Ruth, Alex & Josephine for this video.

In exchange, the Florida Citrus Commission sponsored the Enchanted Tiki Room attraction and Sunshine Tree Terrace at Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom theme park.

The TV commercial starring Anita Bryant showcases the debut of Orange Bird.

Orange Bird at Maxwells Groves Country Store in Avon Park Florida

At Authentic Florida, we own an authentic Florida Orange Bird bank. We take it with us on our travels around the Sunshine State and feature the bird in many photos.

In case you were curious, Orange Bird is an animated orange canary.

Although once considered a misfit among the familiar Disney characters, Orange Bird, in reality, has acquired quite a cult following.

In fact, Orange Bird is more popular now than ever. This is evident at the annual EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival, throughout the Disney Parks, and at Disney Springs.