On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Amusement Parks, Leather Goods, Zoos, Tours [Edit]
14501 S Orange Blossom Trl
Loading...
Used to go here every summer while visiting the grandparents...it is SO delightfully white trash it boggles the mind!
There are a lot of STLB's (Short- top, Long-back or mullets) hanging around and some little kid with a tank top on with the remains of a Popsicle all over their face and clothes with their father yelling in the background "CLEETUS! COME AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS HERE GATOR!!!"
soooo fun!
I have never seen so many neon shirts and tube socks since my last 80's flash dance party. All though the pure joy of watching some guy "jumparoo" with a gator seems like loads of fun, I was waiting for some "real" national geographic shit where the gator swallows a whole cow.... to my dismay, it never happened.
But I was able to purchase a new leather wallet and an official "gatorland" shot glass. Oh joy!
4 stars for being 1 of the hickest tourist attractions I've ever been to.
We didn't even know about this place or plan on going here during our Florida vacation when I was 10.
My dad's driving the rent-a-van down some road over here and we're like "GATORLAND!" Let's go!!! - So daddy flipped a bitch and to Gatorland my brother, dad, and I went.
I forget how much entrance was over here, but you basically pay a fee to get in to see all the alligators and crocodiles and then there was like a tour and exhibition shows during the day where those Crocodile Dundee like Aussie folks come out and wrestle an alligator. They told us that crocodiles got the more pointed beaks.
You have to pay extra for the fish and stuff if you want to feed the gators and crocs. We did, and it was alright. Nothing special. Digital cameras didn't exist back then, and us being the guys in the family, didn't bother bringing a camera with us to make this a Kodak moment.
They got some exotic birds over here and some reptiles like giant tortoises and stuff. They look sad. They just stay in the same spot all day as people walk by and look at them and touch their shells.
They also got a souvenir shop with some expensive crocodile leather products in it. They serve some croc/gator food and the food place over here too, but I didn't get to try any of that.
But yeah, if there was one animal that I got sick of seeing while I was in Florida for a week, it had to have been Alligators and Crocodiles.
The Florida Gators, Gatorade, and Timmy Tebow and his missionary work in the Philippines didn't have to do much to live up to the Gator name.
Gatorland is a fun side attraction when visiting Orlando! When visiting Gatorland you must always remember that this park was conceived and built about 20 years before Walt Disney World strolled into town!
It is full of old Florida Charm, and helps you see what Central Florida would have looked and been like had Walt Disney decided to not build here!
It has 3 shows, all of which are entertaining and educational. The breeding marsh is pretty intense as it is full of giant alligators!
The swamp walk is a great place to kind of loose yourself, and explore some beautiful untouched wilderness right in the middle of Central Florida!
All in all it is a great break from the fast paced hustle and bustle of the mainstream parks!
If you find yourself at Gatorland with this in mind you won't be disappointed!
Went here thinking it was going to be just another tourist trap. I was pleasently surprised to find it very interesting and alot of fun. We literally got within a few feet of live gators, a fence between of course. But I ended up spending several hours here seeing everything. If you haven't visited this you should give it a shot. I did get a coupon to get 1/2 off the ticket so that really made it, at full price it would have been iffy for the money. So look around and find a discount coupon they are pretty easy to find.
Now with 20% less rednecks!
I remember going to Gatorland about 10 years ago and it seemed to be swarming with a large amount of confederate flag t-shirts and mullets. Now it seems to be popular with the general tourist population and also British and German tourists. I am assuming that part of this is their now greater mass appeal with more shows, a large water play area, more food options and more of a "park" feel.
They have three main shows, a close up critter encounter, gator wrestling and the world famous "Gator Jumparoo" where gators jump into the air to snare some raw chicken. All the shows are cute and worth seeing and I also would recommend buying the hot dogs to feed the gators throughout the park with.
There is also a upcharge ($2) train attraction and a few snack locations. They also have one larger outdoor restaurant which has normal theme park fair in addition to the opportunity to try Gator Nuggets and Ribs. Both are worth trying just to say you did!
The one thing which rubbed me the wrong way was the constant selling of photos after the shows - it was a bit carnival barker like, but it seemed that a lot of people were buying them so it must be working!
Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed my visit to Gatorland, as I like alligators.
That being said, as other reviewers have mentioned, there were a few disturbing elements I didn't care for:
-The Gator Jumparoo show was demeaning to both the alligators, and the people performing (what's with the hardcore redneck act?0
-Some of the alligators, such as a huge, huge fellow that was known for eating dogs, were housed in extremely small enclosements that depressed me. Seeing the giant tortoise "enclosure" (a small pool of water on concrete and a small fence ) was the most saddening, as those guys really should have a better area to hang out in. :/
-There was a small (3 year old) alligator you could pet; it was basically stuck in a rectangular fishtank, nothing else inside, and its mouth taped shut. Seriously, seriously depressing... that little guy must have been scared the whole time it was in there.
Furthermore, there was no helpful information ANYWHERE about alligators. Why not a sign explaining the difference between crocs and alligators? Why not scientific info or thoughts on how you can help environmentally with the creatures? What about facts for what they eat, how they sleep, anything?! Nothing like this could be found anywhere, and the best information we got was from one of the staff members.
Still, I enjoyed the visit because of the huge amount of birds, alligators and crocs I saw - especially the ones swimming around freely in the water area. Worth a trip if you like gators, but some of the elements were definitely a turn off.
First of all, the picture someone posted of a chicken tender freaked the hell out of me when I first looked up "Gatorland" on yelp. WTF?
All right, on with the review. Gatorland, oh how you try so hard. You not only have a multitude of gators, but a hodgepodge of other animals as well. Flocks and flocks of birds. A 90 year old tortoise the size of a mini cooper. A cage o' iguanas. Some snakes behind glass. A random water park with plastic gators that spew out water. The gator theme seemed a little lost at times, but it all came together in some strange way...
It was interesting and I had a great time. But I think the only way I'd return is if I downed a six-pack pre-gatorland.
Campy yet educational, Gatorland is a nice relief from the other theme parks in the area. Check out the gator wrestling and the gator feeding (jumparoo). Wander around the park, and spend a few peaceful minutes in the huge breeding marsh. It's quite pretty, with lots of water birds hanging out on the shoreline. It's interesting to stare down at an alligator that is about 2 feet away.
If you want to, try the gator sampler, consisting of gator ribs and fried gator (nuggets). The ribs are gristly and the meat so intense that you really can't finish them all. I find it sad to admire the alligators and their abilities and then eat them. But while at Gatorland, do what the locals do.
Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my!
Well it's actually more like Snakes and Turtles and Gators oh my!
Gatorland allows you to get closer to these enormous jawed beasts than you'd probably like to. If you're lucky (and I use the term loosely) you'll even get to watch one eat.
If you're more into the Steve Irwinesque type thing - you can watch a guy wraaaaaastle a gator. Definitely something different than just doing Disney :)
Bat guano essence near the entrance. Bird poop from the nesting grounds that happen to cover the main walkway. Raw hot dog juice all over you from feeding the gators. Apparently the fish in the brown, stinky water is tilapia.
You will either be pooped on or eaten by a mosquito within the first 15 minutes of entry. Gators in every possible age and size; but since you're not allowed to play with them, the petting zoo is more popular (the potbellied pig must have been running amok too long, as it's hairy and a bit loony like a boar). And bless their hearts for having the bat and bird sanctuaries on the property, but man it smells. I will never think of tilapia in the same way again.
Great gift store. But figure that at least hot dog juice is all over everything. Heh. I said hot dog juice.
I used to go here a lot as a kid and I just went back after maybe 15 years. First of all, I understand inflation, but the tickets have gotten outrageously expensive! I understand that there was a big fire a few years ago and maybe that's the reason, but I think it's turned into the typical tourist trap. Most of it is still the same, but they have added a little water park and playground. The thing I was most excited to see was the gator feeding where they dangle chickens above the water - and it was two rednecks racing to feed two gators two chickens.. DUMB! Then the place closed at 5:00 with a couple of good hours of daylight left! Other than all those things, it was great.
I came here when i was a kid and it's fun when you are young or you are fascinated by alligators but when you get older this becomes kind of boring, besides looking at the live animals there is some pretty good restaurants and live shows with people playing around with the gators right in front of you and it is a real.
I haven't been here in a long time, but I remember enjoying this more than Disney World during a family trip to Orlando.
Highlights:
- sampling the various gator meat dishes in the food court (gator chowder, gator kebabs, etc.)
- watching them feed the gators raw chickens dangling from wires so that they would jump out of the water to feed
- going on the swamp "hike" up to the tower and looking down to see the place surrounded by alligators
- the spectacularly kitschy gift shop which was 100% crammed full of gator/Florida souvenirs
Apparently they shot a James Bond movie here once, so you *know* it's cool just because of that.
OH YEAH! Let's go 'rassle some gators!
Come on, let's not get too carried away, Ryan. Gatorland is a realistic swamp habitat for some of the oldest creatures on earth. Gator wrestling just happens to be a part of it. It's what keeps the crowds and the money coming in. Go on a day when it's not too crowded. You might get a private viewing of alligator feeding. I must say, they get some pretty delicious-looking steaks. And if you can believe it, the food stands offer alligator nuggets. Needless to say, this probably wouldn't be the best place to bring your animal activist friends. But if you're in the mood for some good old-fashioned entertainment, go to one of the oldest roadside attractions still in business.
AN' HELP THE CROWD PICK OUT A GATOR FOR ME TO 'RASSLE! Yeah! Come on!
There's a lot to do here: The gator wrestling was way cool; the jumparoo for the chickens was fun; the train tour that takes you around the whole park'; the bird feedings; the gator feeding, where you buy hot dogs and toss then in the swamps and the gators will eat it, but it must be on his side, because they can't see too good in front of them. I kept hitting them on top of their heads with the hot dog chunks--they were kind of freaking out! There was also a reptile show that was pretty cool. The employees seem to really enjoy working there.
There's great scenic walking up and around all kinds of interesting things. At first I figured maybe we'd be there an hour or two tops, but we were their for over 3 hours. The kids I think would really enjoy it and us big grown-ups won't be disappointed.
My husband and I were looking for an attraction that wasn't ride or movie orientated. Gatorland was the perfect fit!
They have a petting zoo, which have lots of different animals from pigs to birds. You can feed them as well as the gators. I HIGHLY suggest feeding the birds! That was one of the coolest things ever. You may get bird poop on you but its well worth it!
If you go try to see at least one show too, they are all fun and everything there is family orientated.
Gatorland is definitely a spot not to be missed. There aren't too many places in the world where you can get so darn close to Alligators in a controlled environment (so you hope).
If you're lucky you can catch the wranglers stringing out whole chickens on a laundry line into the middle of a pond full of gators. It's truly crazy. If you've seen Jackass the movie, you know what I'm talking about.
In addition to the various reptiles you can view here you can also get your picture taken holding a baby gator with a giant snake around your neck.
It's all good fun and a great family attraction to visit.
Gator Jumparoo is fun to watch. All staffs are very friendly.
Other two shows are not that exciting. Actually, watching tourists put their new born babies on top of a live gator for pictures after the show amuses me more than the show itself. Whether I would do that or not is a different story.
The marsh area is very nice, very close to what a natural habitat would be. You are able to see gators, variety of birds, insects, turtles... but it is small, you can walk around the whole marsh area within 45 mins.
I'm not too thrilled about the other fenced and caged animal areas. Especially that poor black bear, locked in a small caged area with very little plantation. A larger scale zoo probably will be a better place for him. After all, it is a "gator" land, do they really need to have a bear there for display?
Overall, I don't think what Gatorland delivers lives up to the ticket price they ask for. I had way better time spent in Brazos Bend state park ( it is an alligator natual reserve in Texas) than here. Maybe I just rather see animals live in their natural environment than be in cages and put on shows.
Let's see...Gator Jumparoo ('you're about to see a gator do something he wouldn't normally do in nature')...the gator hatchery (which ends with a trip to the gift shop--selling gator skin wallets--and the restaurant that serves fried gator bites)...and gator wrestling. It was all a bit disturbing to me.
I once worked on a commercial here. Got stuck back in the swamp in the rain one day. Got food poisoning another (not from Gatorland food!). So perhaps my memories are bias due to memory of being in a rainy swamp with gators and puking my guts up in said swamp.
But Gator Jumparoo still creeps me out, as does ending a visit to cute baby gators by eating their predecessors.
Gatorland is a fun place to visit when you want to get out of the Disney hoopla. It is quite large, so I think you can easily spend 2-3 hrs here. If you want a place that's more interactive, you may want to go elsewhere, but for a nice relaxing stroll during a beautiful day, gatorland is the place to be!
My definition of a pretty old school Orlando area attraction. Gatorland offers a variety of excitement including flamingo watching, gator nuggets, a train ride, petting zoo, animal shows, gators, gators and more gators. If you are stuck in Florida and looking to do something a little bit off the tourist Disney beat this is a good alternative.
Forget trains and planes. I navigate on wheels…
I'm living 20 minutes north of Orlando for the…
These are the places I go when I have some free…
Places that are a must to go when on vacation, in…
