Jen Bonner: Hosting The Kissimmee Experience

Background 

Having lived in Central Florida for 19 years, and originally from Maryland, Jen’s connection to Kissimmee began at a young age. During a family trip when she was about 6 years old, her only wish was to see an alligator. The family’s plans changed, and they could not visit Gatorland, so she had to wait two more decades until finally visiting the classic Florida attraction and fulfilling her childhood dream of seeing an alligator in person. Fortunately, The Kissimmee Experience took Jen and the episode guests to several attractions known for gators, including Gatorland in episode nine! 

Film, Theater, and More 

If Jen looks familiar to you, it’s probably from one of her many acting and hosting roles. She has starred in numerous films including the lead role in the rom-com Let Love Grow (2023), a supporting lead in Love the Reef (2023) and The Twilight Café (2023), Jagged Mind (2023), Killroy Was Here (2022) directed by one of her personal heroes Kevin Smith, and No Vacancy (2022) starring Dean Cain and Sean Young. She is also the host of The Lifestyle List on WeTV, a Lifestyle Expert on NBC’s Daytime, and a recurring guest host on HSN, which showcases her impromptu conversational ability that The Kissimmee Experience creators were looking for.  

Follow Jen's Instagram @itsjenbonner.

In addition to film and television, Jen has participated in over 100 theater productions, advertising commercials, and writing, directing and producing roles. She’s also done character acting at theme parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. She beat over 600 hopefuls auditioning for a role at the Jedi Training Academy and landed the position. If you’ve ever been approached by a skilled Jedi in costume at Galaxy’s Edge, it just may have been Jen.   

One of my favorite theatrical roles was Belinda in Noises Off, a bucket list role with one of the most amazing casts and crew I’ve ever had the honor to be a part of. On film, a role that will forever hold a place in my heart is Steph Sobel, the antagonist in The Kid Who Only Hit Homers, based on Matt Christopher’s YA classic. It’s so fun to play the bad guy. And the best part? Both of these took place right here in Central Florida! But I would be remiss if I didn’t say being a Jedi was pretty cool.

— Jen Bonner

Approach to the show 

Writing  

For an unscripted show, The Kissimmee Experience relied heavily on Jen’s professional ability to engage with the viewers and the other guests on-screen. The show’s creators wanted her speaking parts to feel natural and comfortable, so Jen helped craft the language for the introduction and conclusion of each episode. 

Connecting On-Screen 

Production was a whirlwind, with tight windows for each segment to maximize efficiency. That meant that Jen had precious little time to get to know each episode’s special guest before appearing with them on-screen. Each guest had a unique story and relationship to the destination, which Jen teased out masterfully in each episode.  

We basically had the car ride to get to know each other. I purposefully didn’t research the guests so my meeting them would be genuine and authentic. So when we picked them up each morning, I welcomed them and started to make them feel at home so they could be their true selves and really enjoy their time with us.

— Jen Bonner

Experiences 

With the tagline “Every episode is a new adventure,” Jen understandably had to prepare herself for activities of all sorts during production. She ate at some amazing restaurants in the destination. She engaged with nature and wildlife during eco-tours, monster truck tours, and relaxing garden chats. She visited classic Florida attractions and world-famous parks. She experienced luxurious vacation home mansions and four of the destination’s unique hotels and resorts. During the action-related episodes, Jen rode thrill rides, zip lined over alligators, competed in martial arts challenges, and took an unexpected kayak trip through the headwaters of the Everglades. All that, and the show barely scratched the surface of the great variety of activities in Kissimmee. 

I think it’s impossible for me to choose a favorite – because my taste in adventures is as eclectic as our show — but I really think the ones with animals were probably my favorite, not to give too much away. I grew up in a very rural area and my family owns a farm, so I think I just feel pretty at home with them. But truly, it was such fun to see all the amazing things to do in my area that I have never gotten to do. I can’t wait to do more!

— Jen Bonner

Choose Your Own Kissimmee Experience 

Jen inspired us all as the host of The Kissimmee Experience. She showed us that anyone can enjoy a trip to Kissimmee and Central Florida, and more importantly, anyone can find true meaning, form greater connections, and create more vibrant memories with travel. If you want to see Kissimmee like a guest of the show, start your journey right here on our website to find curated itineraries and locations that are just right for you.