gatorland

[lamcci]

Anyone have any thoughts on Gatorland? Is it worth deviating from our WDW vacation (staying onsite) - would it be worth taking an afternoon out to see? Thanks!

 

[jdm]

Yes, definitely worth it. You'll find very varied opinions on this one though! We went there last year with two girls 9 & 11. Mind you, my 9 year old is a huge critter fan and could have spent our whole vacation chasing around the geckos in the parking lots of the theme parks!

We are from the Northwest so gators are not something we see often. We all enjoyed this park. It was a welcome break from the "concrete jungles" and a much slower pace. There were other things there such as birds that you could feed and would sit on your shoulder etc. Other animals such as a rescued bear.. The shows were cool, they callled my husband up to hold this enormous snake. The girls got a big kick out of that.

Scroll down to see the "My inlaws are screwing with my plans" thread and you'll see lots of different thoughts on Gatorland! Hope you have a great trip.

Jenn

 

[GlennandAnn]

I agree with JDM. You will get some mixed results on this one. I for one say take the trip. It is definitely something different to do.

You probably won't spend the entire day there, but it is a nice change of pace

glenn

 

[lejaf]

If you haven't already, you need to read the thread entitled "INLAWS screwing with my plans" It's hysterical and is full of opinions of Gatorland.

We went last year and had a nice afternoon there. My son (age 8) is a nature freak and he loved it. My daughters (age 6 and 1 1/2) were entertained and my husband and I liked a low key and cheap afternoon without all the crowds and rush of the big parks. Make sure you look for dicount tickets...you can find them just about everywhere!

 

[IowaGirl]

I cannot express how much i hated gatorland. I thought it expensive ($70 with discount coupons) for a family of four, and we only got an hour of real joy out of the place. After that hour, I thought I would go out of my gourd looking at pond after pond of crocs and gators. A lot of the area appeared to be empty ponds. They had a nice water spray area, but we could have that at our hotel for free. Pictures with crocs are extra, just a waste of money. Go to the beach for free is my recomendation.
I'd go if it was 5 bucks to get in, or a free day....

 

[lejaf]

When we were there last March we only paid $40 for a family of four (we bought the tickets at our hotel). I'll admit it's not the most exciting place in the world, but my kids really enjoyed it and I really liked having a low key thing to do. We thought it was well worth the $40, but I agree that $70 would have been disappointing.

 

[BarryHom]

I think Gatorland is good for a half day visit. There are plenty of gators to see, but it can get a bit tedious seeing gator after gator. The best part is the jumparoo, though. Seeing a gator leap out of the water to eat a chicken is worth the admission!

I've seen discount tickets all over the place.

 

[kellymonaghan]

I love Gatorland, but to some extent it depends on when you go.

Gators don't do much during the colder months except just sit there waiting for it to warm up.

Best time is in the Spring when species after species of bird come to nest in the Alligator Breeding Marsh. Gators give the birds protection from their natural prey (like racoons and such), so they like to build their nests over gator nests.

Depending on when you go (each species has its own nesting schedule), you'll see many different kinds of herons and ibises. Many of them build nests so close to the wooden walkways that you can almost reach out and touch them.

I think nesting season at gatorland is one of Orlando's best kept secrets.

 

[lulugirl]

Gatorland gave me the creeps.

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

My son (age 8 at the time) and I went to Gatorland last year. I highly recommend it. As others have said, it is a welcome change of pace from the theme-park offerings. The shows were entertaining while also being informative. As Barry noted - the Jumparoo show alone is well worth the price of admission. Go, and enjoy!

We combined our visit to Gatorland with a stopover for a late lunch in Celebration. Touring this "off the beaten path" Disney town was, for us, interesting and different. A few extra photos in the album with memories as pleasant as the experience.