We have been twice over the past 10 years. We really enjoy this park.
First, if you plan to take the jet boat ride, arrive early it sells out quickly. I know we were there in December both times but I don't remember if it was a weekend or weekday. On our second visit we were too late to get tickets for the jet boat so we did a lot more walking and exploring.
We really enjoyed the airboat ride the time we did it. We learned a lot from the guide.
We walked all over the place and saw gators up close and in person, it was quite an experience for us.
I personally would not get into a kayak or any other type of small craft in gator infested water, but I am from the West Coast and am perhaps a bit paranoid.
We actually enjoyed the canopy walk. You get to get up above the tree line and there are several points of interest to find. Lots of bird nests etc. a totally different perspective from being down on the floor of the forest.
As a side note, the MOTE Aquarium has sea excursions into Sarasota Bay that are really fun and informative.