Gatorland

Reviews 4

DA

David

I first heard about Gatorland while listening to stand-up comedy on Pandora radio. They said, "You must call their customer service number because it is a riot!" Well, Gatorlands phone message did not disappoint; I will provide no spoilers, so before anything, give their number a call. We made plans and jumped in the car. I was first impressed that the area in which the park is located is quite nice. I would have assumed that, with all these gators running around, they would be in some isolated swampish area, but nope...its a nice area. We planned on visiting the park and doing their zip line course. We got general admission included with the zip line package. We walked around for a bit, admiring the variety of gators, and ran into a show. It was not only funny but impressive what they manage to make the gators do in the name of entertainment. I found myself saying "wow" and laughing at their skits. I assumed this park would be low-budget and, in the words of young teenagers, "lame," but that is nowhere near the truth. I was having fun and that was before we even got on the zip lines. I did advance research on the zip lines since I am cheap and try to avoid spending money on something that is dissatisfying. We arrived to the zip line staging spot and met the staff and our group. The staff had upbeat attitudes and helped us get strapped into our belt harness things. We made our way up the first line, and I can admit the heights were getting to me a little, but then I saw this cute little 5-year-old in front me of me all pumped up, and that made me sure of two things: 1) a 5-year-old is braver than I am and 2) I wish I had had a shot of tequila. We wiggled our way to our first jump and I pushed myself off as if there was a gator about to bite my butt--and I went zzziiipppping down the park. It was a blast and Id rather not give away the extra stuff they do on the course because the surprise is half the fun. We enjoyed ourselves and have even recommended it to many people since. Funness :)

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KA

Karla B

We went here June 11th, 2016. I remember Gatorland when I was younger, it has been around since the late 40s. They were upfront about why they bred the alligators and what happened to them after they stopped being able to breed them. I felt sad for these alligators. There are way too many of them together, they are territorial reptiles. I don’t remember there being so many of them together like this when I have been there before. One alligator got up on a concrete island. You could see the scars, it looked like it had been in a few fights. Then as some of the people started to throw food at it, these other alligators started to bite at it’s legs and underbelly. I am all for educational and conservation. However, seeing these territorial reptiles being forced into such close proximity with each other, it isn’t natural. What I remember from a trip there in the 1980s was that the store was selling actual alligator shoes and purses. At least back then they were upfront about it. The Up Close Encounters was disappointing for the children. They had maybe 3 or 4 different reptiles & spiders, etc…. They didn’t take any questions from guests and it was over so quick. I overheard a child wanting to ask questions and the guy turned his back on the kid. We were really looking forward to that show. My daughter and nephew were like why didn’t they show us more or tell us more about them. It isn’t the same place I remember it being from the 70s-90s. The staff and employees were good for the most part. Those we talked to were helpful and explained things to the kids. They have a water area for the kids, it is a great addition. Being in Central Florida, it gets hot and humid especially with no breeze. There is now a zip line that looks like it would be fun. There is so much potential there and in the past it was a great experience. This time it was okay. Slow down the breeding and get those alligators into a more natural habitat.

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J

J Oliver

I took a friend from the West coast here to experience a true Florida attraction and she really seemed to enjoy it. Not anywhere near as ticky tacky as either of us expected. We had a great time photographing the animals. Its a terrific place for wildlife photographers. Oddly enough, Gatorland is rated among the top ten places for wildlife photography in the Eastern U.S. The boardwalk features a wild bird rookery that has to be seen to be appreciated. Non-captive herons, egrets, storks, spoonbills, anhingas, cormorants and other species raise their young there in the late Winter and Spring. The alligators provide protection from natural predators like raccoons and bobcat (the gators will snatch up a fallen chick in a heartbeat, though)! There are over 1,000 gators and crocodile at gatorland. They dont turn any of them into gator bites, though; they sell them to other zoos or let them live out their old age on the property. The keepers seem to have real affection for the animals. Most appear to be very well kept. However, the mammals (cats in particular) could use better, much larger habitats. Enlarged panther and bobcat habitats that allowed for more natural photography opportunities would be appreciated by humans and kitties alike! The deer and owls also seemed cramped. Gatorland has expanded over the years, so hopefully theyll make improvements for these species a priority. Id also like to see Gatorland capture some of our invasive species and make an educational center featuring them and other threats to Florida wildlife. Anything that would help to curb the dumping of exotics in our State would be greatly appreciated!

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EL

Ellie Pilkington

Our main purpose going was to do the zip line. My ten year old daughter and myself did it together. She obviously has no fear and everything was going to what was seeming to be a great day! The staff up to the last line were all very professional and safety was a top priority which comforted me doing this with my young daughter. On the last zip you go together as a pair and it was exciting for my daughter to race her mama, everything is great then right when we are coming to the platform (by the way she was beating me) they throw the rope and yell "CATCH THE ROPE!" Ok, thats fine and I caught the rope but NO my ten year old DID NOT! She proceeds to slide backwards in the middle of the alligator infested water which I guess as my first motherly instinct was to yell to the guy what an A* hole, thats my ten year old daughter so go get her fast! I would like to apologize for calling you an A*hole first but would also like to say as a parent shes my cub and I felt she was in danger at the moment. Once she was rescued and brought back up and I made sure she was okay was when I realized I probably let mama bear take over way to quickly and for that I cant apologize. I think honestly these young kids need to use better judgement when expecting a ten year old to catch a rope going at a high rate of speed and probably being a little disoriented. If they calculated it correctly the percentage of a young child accurately catching that rope was less than a 40% chance, especially when I myself was like what did he just do to me!

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