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Central Florida Zoo
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
21 reviews for Central Florida Zoo
21 reviews in English
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Review from Kimberley K.
New York, NY
11/6/2011
I'm disappointed reading the other reviews giving Central Florida Zoo only 2 and 3 stars. They have limited animals, so? It's a funding issue, not a quality issue. If you're interested in seeing more animals, how about considering donating to the zoo. You do realize that it's primarily donations that feed and house the animals, right? It's a small zoo and isn't comparable to the Bronx zoo and others, but for what they have, it's spectacular.
Even though the acreage isn't impressive, there's a great wooden walkway throughout the zoo that must have taken quite a while to construct. The exhibits have different angles for viewing which is also nice. My favorite part of my visit is definitely chit chatting with the macaws. -
Review from Kim H.
Ormond Beach, FL
1/29/2012 4 Check-ins Here
I happen to love the zoo here. It is a bit light on the animals; this is coming from someone who grew up in Miami and the Miami Zoo is an amazing zoo. The zoo seems to work hard to make it a fun and educational place for kids to go. I kind of felt I should have given it 4 stars, but since I can't think of anything they couldn't do with out spending a gazillion dollars, I went with the 5 stars. Great little splash park, lots of cool programs, petting area, playground, butterfly gardens with giant chess/checkers board and the money you spend there goes to conservation and education. They are always looking to improve the zoo. Saturday around 3pm is feeding time in the "snake house." Always cool thing to see. I love that you can tell how dangerous the snake is by the way the mouse is introduced into the cage. Sometimes the feeder will put the mouse in the (oh lets call them) extend-o-tongs and kind of nudge the snake so that they will eat . The king cobra, the door flies open quickly the food is tossed in and door slammed shut! In addition to all the zoo fun, they now have all these cool things to do in the wooded area out front. Originally it was just the carousel and tiny train. Now they have a very cool ropes course (zoom air) that is open the same hours as the zoo. On weekends they have laser tag and a bungee jump too. If you expect a huge zoo like you would find in giant cities, you will be disappointed, but if you are just looking for a great day with the family, I think you will be very pleased.
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Review from Christopher E.
Winter Springs, FL
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been taking the kids to the Central Florida Zoo for years. It's great for young children -- plenty of playground areas. I was disappointed to see the elephant was gone and that the camel they'd replaced it with was on leave. Talk about trading down! I was thinking of getting a family membership, but you can really see this zoo in an hour and not need to come back.
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Review from Rod H.
10/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
This isn't Animal Kingdom, Bush Gardens or The San Diego Zoo, but its a great way to kill a couple hours. The price is cheap its $13 to get in or you can purchase a season pass. I have watched many of the animals for years and watched the family dynamics. They have really cool monkeys, I can watch them for hours. They now have an area with zip lines and a laser tag course. They offer several after hours events like brew at the zoo, and Halloween they have things for kids and adults. Keep this in perspective, its cool for a several hours, but not an all day event.
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Review from Robert G.
Orlando, FL
6/12/2011
I have seen some zoos. Some are enormous and full of animals, and by nature (haha get it!) are awesome because of that. And what other zoos might lack in size, they make up for in character or a few outstanding exhibits. Central Florida Zoo is DEFINITELY a smaller-scale zoo, but it manages to provide a few hours of entertainment nonetheless.
It is a decent size park, which the Zoo definitely uses to its advantage by spreading the exhibits out all across its land. However, they put a lot of exhibits together so you don't feel like you're walking miles to get to an animal. The "diversity" of the animals, however, seems to be lacking. There are a LOT of birds...which is fine, but almost every single exhibit incorporates a bird in some way. In the sloth exhibit, there are birds. In the temporary exhibit for Gus the Shriner's Camel, there are birds. Even in the blue macaw exhibit, there are OTHER birds plus macaws! It started to feel like a Hitchcock movie.
The zoo is in the process of revamping some of their exhibits, and I really missed seeing the elephants :( (the zoo's long-time resident elephant Maude retired to Zoo Miami recently). Hopefully, the renovations will "spruce" the park up a little bit, and give new life to an attraction that has such great potential!
If you have kids, the splash park looked like it was a huge hit, and the zip-line course was relatively cheap! All in all, I enjoyed my time here, and I can't wait to see how the good people of the CFL Zoo will work to make their park even better! -
Review from Gerald H.
Orlando, FL
It's a small zoo compared to many big city zoos. The walking paths are under the sprawling trees which helps fight the heat. The only good thing about the zoo was the reptile exhibit.
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Review from Colleen B.
Orlando, FL
Love me some Zoo action. The only other ones I have been to was the Philadelphia Zoo, Busch Gardens and Animal Kingdom so actual Zoo visits are limited. I REALLY want to go to the San Diego and Bronx Zoo really bad.
Anyway, my point of all that is to let you know the CFL Zoo is not overly impressive. Is it a great stop to enjoy a couple of hours outdoors, YES! Is it an all day adventure? Not really. The price for a few hours of entertainment is pretty decent. It was a little sad as far as grandness, not really sure why, possibly because it is a small scale zoo and the animal areas are not that huge compared to the amount of land that seems to be available? I did really enjoy all of the monkeys and birds though.
My favorite part that I could have spent hours in with a nice cold iced tea and a book would be the butterfly garden. It was small but so pretty and a good amount of butterflies.
Overall, I would def go back but am really looking forward to the improvements and additions they are making!Listed in: Orlando Venues, Orlando Outdoor Activities
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Review from Jeanette S.
Orlando, FL
10/31/2010
I visited this zoo on a Saturday with my nieces to go trick-or-treating. I was expecting the whole animal experience, but what I got was one elephant and two big cats, which in my book does not a zoo make. The focus here is more of an amusement park feel - there was a bouncy house for kids to play in, a water park area, a ropes course. The focus is less on the animals and clearly on stuff for kids to do. I was soooo glad we were with our family - if we had gone by ourselves/ on a date we would have been pretty bored. But as I said it's geared towards kids so we had fun watching the girls play.
A note about their Halloween set-up. They have 8 "trick-or-treating" stations. I was really excited to get some candy... and then it turned out they were mostly handing out koozies, frisbees and other trinkets. I considered having a temper tantrum but decided against it. The Halloween decor on the other hand was outstanding - they had tons! That part was pretty cool, but sadly not enough to earn more than two stars overall. -
Review from Lynette D.
Belle Isle, FL
12/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
Not the greatest zoo I've ever been to. In my opinion really quite awful as far as zoo's go. The coolest thing we saw were some pretty funny kangaroos and the "petting zoo" portion is pretty nice where you can hand feed some cows. There is nothing really exciting or enticing about this zoo. The exhibits are lack luster and its just not a visually pleasant place. We went during the Halloween event last year and it just was a bit disappointing.
A great animal experience is GreenMeadows Petting Zoo, you get to interact with lots of animals. It is a bit pricy but they offer a great coupon in the entertainment book.
But yeah "Central Florida Zoo" is nothing really too exciting, and the train ride and zip lining that they offer are pretty overpriced. -
Review from Janene H.
10/12/2008 1 photo
I've been looking forward to going back to the zoo for a while and finally got to go this past Saturday. I love animals and support conservation and am looking forward to instilling those values in my son. I remember way back in the day this zoo was nothing but cement cages with sad animals pacing back and worth. The zoo has come a long way since those days. The animals are all in appropriate habitats and don't have the repetitive behaviors that indicate stress. In fact, it was kind of a let down that most of the animals were holed up asleep when we visited.
We started with a nice walk along a boardwalk that meanders through some swampy vegetation and walks you past some raptors and gators. We saw some monkeys, porcupines, large cats, Asian elephants, kangaroos, emus, and tons of different birds. The only demo or organized presentation we saw was available was the elephant demo. It was OK, and I thought the narrator must be new since she was reading straight from her paper but at the end of the show the keepers said it was her last presentation after 3 years! Hmmm... Elephants are always cool and they had the 2 females going through some behaviors and followed up with a question/answer session. There was also an "encounter" available for $9.50 which we did not do.
There is a very small petting/feeding area that has 3 goats, 2 small cows, 2 turkeys, another goat and one disinterested llama. You don't walk among them, just feed them through the fence, or in the goats case he was practically climbing out to get at our little food cup!
The big hit for my 1 year old son was the splash zone. The kids loved running around and cooling off while the adults relaxed in one of the Adirondack chairs nearby. There are animals that spray water from their noses, palm trees that rain down mist, funnels that fill up with water that tip over splashing their contents and lots of little fountains that shoot out of the ground for a few minutes before disappearing for a time. This made the park for my boy, and from the looks of it, most of the kids.
We checked out the small but neat insect house that, thankfully, is air conditioned. We also for $3 per adult took a ride on the cute mini-train that circles the parking lot. There is a carousel too that costs and extra $2.
I thought I would get an annual pass and it would be a fun thing to do every so often with my boy. After visiting we decided to wait until next year. The zoo has come a long way and I see new exhibits coming but they are notably missing some major animals. There were no hoofed animals (besides the petting area)- no giraffe, zebra, antelope of even deer. There is probably too much competition from places like Animal Kingdom and Busch Gardens- but how can this little zoo compete?
And from a parent's perspective I was disappointed in the food/drink offerings. Not that it's a big deal but they don't allow outside food/drinks but didn't sell juice for kids and have a very limited food selection- like corn dogs, hot dogs, etc. Oh, and no soft serve ice cream! I couldn't believe it! It just seems like the thing to do at the zoo, have an ice cream cone!Listed in: Authentic Florida, Splash Parks!!!
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Review from Doug T.
2/4/2011
I have been to this zoo many times. I went here as a child and I have been a few times with the kids in recent years. Overall it is a pretty fun little zoo if you are local, especially if you have kids.
They have a splash zone at the entrance which my kids go crazy for every time we go. They would be perfectly happy just doing that without the zoo.
However if you actually want to see animals this place is a little on the mediocre side. A large portion of the park is walkways through the woods with no exhibits. Then you have a large area of animals that aren't really all that new to Floridians (gators, snakes, and such) As for the interesting parts you have elephants, kangaroos, emus, a few different types of monkeys, many exotic birds, and cheetahs (which I have never seen because those things are always sleeping.) There are a few cool little learning activities for the kids and an nice little gift shop. The food isn't too great, They only have a little snack bar which is pretty limited on variety. There are however snow cones next to the splash zone.
They have a few other additions including a little petting zoo that's not all that great, a little ride around train at the parking lot, and an entire canopy of zip lines you can be trained on and ride.
Overall it is a nice little inexpensive treat for the kids, but not very impressive for animal lovers. If you are local give it a shot. If you are on vacation, stick with the big parks and skip this one.
favorite part...The sign that reads "future home of the Bengal tiger." That sign has been up for years. It's in front of trees, still no tiger. -
Review from Dana H.
10/31/2008
I love the zoo! I took my second graders here recently for a field trip and was highly impressed by their educational program. The staff is completely knowledgeable and put on a great show for the youngsters. The program is well structured and FUN. They offer programs for different age groups at very affordable rates. If you're going on your own, it's cheap!
Only $11 bucks for adults... woohoo! As far as the animal exhibits go, they have it all. We saw everything from snakes to elephants. The elephant exhibit was pretty impressive, but my only gripe is that they were so far away that we could barely see them. Granted, it was a HOT Florida day so they probably were very happy in the shade.
All the animals at this zoo seem well-cared for and healthy. The staff really seems to have a love for animals and enjoyment of their jobs. This is a great place to spend a fun (and educational) day whether you have children or not! -
Review from Amanda K.
Orlando, FL
10/4/2008
Who doesn't love the Zoo??
The Central Florida Zoo (Formerly the Sanford Zoo) is a great place for kids and adults to visit and learn about all kinds of animals.
The Good:
Animal Exhibits:This place has mammal, reptile and bird exhibits, and have every thing from tiny porcupines to large Elephants. All of the animals are in very nice environments, and there are shows and demonstrations throughout the day.
Cheap Entertainment: At $11 for adults and $7 for kids, this is definitely one of the cheapest ways to spend a day with the family. And who knows, you just might learn something!
The Bad:
N/a
I loved visiting this zoo when I was a kid, and now taking my little one here is more fun than ever! A must for families!
Overall 9.1/10 Animal Explorations! -
Review from Ericand C.
Orlando, FL
1/31/2011
Its not a big city zoo but its perfect for a few hours of learning about florida's local animals and a couple of world wide animals! In addition to conservation teachings and a little petting zoo there are zip lines and a laser tag for an additional price. Nice place spend a day with the family.
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Review from Marci L.
6/7/2010 2 photos
This is a fantastic local zoo with a great variety of animals!! Only about 15 minutes from Orland and only $12 per person admission makes this an awesome attraction!
My mom and I trekked out to the zoo on a recent Saturday afternoon. It was hot, really hot, but the shade on the paths and the distractions of the animals made it totally bearable!!
You get really close to these animals, and there are tons to choose from... a wide variety of primates and cats and a great elephant house! There are also insects and reptiles from central Florida and beyond. There are a number of birds, including two eagles that are hidden in the back path, so be sure to take the walk.
My favorite was the petting zoo, which had some animals with LOTS of personality! The food was only $1 and we met some sheet, goats and cows who were very friendly and love the attention (food)! There are hand washing stations right at the zoo, so no worries for you germaphobes!
There is also a little water play area for the kids, but it looked pretty tempting for us as well! :)
I am looking forward to trying to ropes course very soon- it looks awesome!!Listed in: Funtivities!, I would walk 500 miles!
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Review from Daniel C.
Winter Park, FL
2/15/2009
My wife have gone to a couple other zoos in the area -- Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa and the Jacksonville Zoo -- and they are both better than this one.
It's still pretty good, but nothing great. For $10.95, you get what you pay for: a couple of hours killed.
We didn't get a chance to see any of their shows, but most of the animals in the exhibits were active (we went in February). They have a feeding area for goats, llamas, cows and turkeys where you can buy food for $1. This was the most fun part of the day. Everyone in the area was laughing and having a good time.
I think we'd go back again, but not for a while. -
Review from John N.
Dearborn, MI
3/7/2011
Absolutely the worst zoo I've ever been to. The have about 10 animals (one of which is like a housecat) and most of them were not on exhibit when I was there.
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Review from Vern C.
Youngstown, OH
2/27/2011
Very good exhibits....nice walk way...worth your time to visit...
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Review from Adam H.
Oviedo, FL
10/13/2009
The wife and I decided to take our 7 month old daughter to the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford as a family fun day. We had heard mixed reviews about the zoo, but considering it cost 10 bucks for adults and the little one got in free, we figured it was worth a shot.
We arrived right at 9am when the park opened so we could get through the park before it became too hot later in the day. Plenty of parking was available either by the train ride or right at the main gate. We were greeted with a smile and preceded right into the zoo and started to explore all of the different animals. We were surprised at the variety of animals considering the price of admission; kangaroos, elephants, tigers, monkeys, it was like a big zoo. Getting to the zoo early allowed us to see most of the animals up close because they were all being fed at the time. The elephants were particularly neat because the trainer brought bales of hay right in front of us so we could watch them eat. The zoo is very accessible with wooden boardwalks leading to all areas of the zoo. I am guessing, but I would say there were probably 30 to 40 different animal enclosures that we saw, and there were signs for new enclosures coming soon. Our daughter's favorite part of the zoo was the petting area where we had an up close encounter with a goat. You can buy food for $1 and feed the goats, llamas or bulls.
There weren't many food options open in the morning, but that wasn't much of an issue since we were able to go through the whole zoo in about 2 hours, stopping to take breaks to watch the elephants and kangaroos of course. Air conditioning is limited to the snake/frog house, so plan on going on a cool day because it does get hot out there. Luckily there is a small water park in the zoo with animals that spray water and a nice shaded seating area for the parents, make sure to bring swimsuits.
One thing I was not expecting was the ZoomAdventure course located all over the entire zoo property. It looks like this aerial adventure course was added in just the last year or so because everything looked brand new. The layout is massive stretching from the front gate to the park all the way back to the main entrance into the zoo. The course has long zip lines, rope bridges, swings, you name it. The catch is that the aerial course is not included in the price of the zoo, which may be a good or bad thing. You can go to the aerial adventure course only, without having to pay for the zoo, but if you planned on bringing your kids to the zoo and they see the aerial course, you may have to fork out some more cash. I didn't see the actual prices because we only went to the zoo, but I wouldn't mind coming back and trying to course.
I look at it this way, parking at Disney or SeaWorld is between $12 and $14; that's more than the price of 1 adult admission to the Central Florida Zoo (where parking is free). Also, a round of mini golf in the Orlando area is about 10 bucks and usually lasts for 1 hour at the most. The zoo costs about 10 bucks and can last all day if you stretch it out, not to mention that it is interactive and educational. If you are looking for Disney's Animal Kingdom or SeaWorld, this is not the zoo for you, but if you are looking for a fun and affordable outing for the whole family, I would recommend this place. -
Review from Amanda C.
Orlando, FL
2/21/2009 6 photos
I took my 2 year old sister and son to the Central Florida Zoo recently. I was disappointed to see how very very little they actually had there. Mostly everything was unexciting birds and various monkeys. They do have a small petting zoo which was the highlight of the day.. or I should say few hours we were able to find anything to do there. They also have two elephants which my little sister thought were pretty neat. The price is reasonable, only $10 for adults and free for small children under 3, though the man at the admission tried to be sly and charge us for my 2 year old sister. I say pass if you can find somewhere better to go.
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Review from Nicole G.
Orlando, FL
1/17/2009
This zoo is in Sanford, but that's right in the backyard of Orlando. It's close and reasonable in price, which add to the reasons to go there. At this zoo they have a pretty good verity of animals. You'll see elephants, llamas, kangaroos, emus, alligators, monkeys, birds, snakes, turkeys and so much more. Also they offer a area where you can purchase a cup of food for $1.00 to feed to some of the animals. It's nice cause it allows you to get close to some of the animals and actually pet them. In addition the zoo recently opened a little water park type section for kids so that they can cool off on those hot summer days.
Listed in: The Places I Go Out
