Gatorland bills itself as the alligator capital of the world. With 110 acres, 2,000+ alligators and a myriad of other animals and shows, including an alligator wrangling show, they are probably right about their claim.
Gatorland was found by Owen Godwin in 1949 and continues to be privately owned by the family.
I went with my wife and two children, using a deeply discounted FL resident promotion. I was very excited as Gatorland has been on my Florida bucket list for a very long time.
I don’t know the total amount of shows available, but I saw three during my visit…
A gator wrestling show:
The Jumparoo Show:
And the Up Close Encounter show:
Photo by Jim Pennucci
For a few extra bucks you can buy a day pass for the Gator Express train to help you get around the park. I paid the few extra dollars and it was definitely worth it and I recommend you do the same. It was fun, the kids liked it and there are a few sections that can only be seen by train.
Gatorland is also home to two Leucistic Alligators. There are only 12 known leucistic alligators in the world. It is a rare condition in which partial pigmentation is lost in the animal.
Photo by Kmay1208
There is a beautiful nature boardwalk that takes visitors through the adjacent Florida swamp, which will give a little taste of the Real Florida.
For an extra fee, you can also experience the Gatorland zipline course, which looked amazing, but I did not participate in. The largest line has you dangling over the alligator breeding marsh, the same place used to film some of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom movie. For another extra fee you can experience the new monster truck attraction as well, which looks really fun.
Further Information
Location: 14501 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32837
Admission: Adult $29.99 | Child (ages 3-12) $19.99 | Senior (55+) $24.99 | Children 2 & Under are FREE | FREE parking
Hours: Open Daily, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Website: https://www.gatorland.com/
Phone: 407-855-5496
Doing it on the cheap…
- The above prices are the gate prices. If you order online you get $3 off per ticket.
- Here is a $2.50 off coupon for adult tickets that can be used if you purchase tickets at the gate.
- There are homeschool discount days. Learn more about that here.
- There are often FL resident promotions. Usually around 50% off and that can also be put towards an annual pass after your visit, if you so choose.
- Gatorland often runs very good deals on Groupon that you should check out as well.
(updated 10/04/2019)
