Gatorland in Orlando - Orlando / Florida Guide
Florida Guide > Other Parks
Gatorland is over 60 years old and has changed considerably since the original attraction was built. The first building was stockade style with a dirt floor covered in sawdust and a thatched roof, it was built by the Seminole Indians who lived on the property and who also wrestled with the alligators as part of the entertainment.
The new building is totally different, it boasts 19, 000 square feet of retail, meeting and office space as well as an open air pavilion which houses the historic gator mouth entrance.
Guests get the chance to see Florida’s most famous animal residents but also a wide variety of other animals and birds. There are opportunities to see the gators being fed store bought chicken in the Gator Jumparoo Show – the term feeding frenzy is very appropriate! This particular show has been running for over 20 years but is still extremely popular with audiences today.
It is also part of Gatorland’s goal to teach the public about Florida’s wildlife but in the best possible way and that is by making it entertaining for all, young and old alike. You can even attend programs called ‘Trainer for a day’ and ‘Keeper for a day’ which provide you with a crash course on working with these fantastic creatures. You also get to learn about wading birds and how they build their nests and raise their young and also about the maternal side of alligators and how these fierce creatures are actually incredibly tender and caring towards their young.
If the Florida heat starts to get to you then you can make your way to the Gator Gully Splash Park where you will find over a quarter of an acre of cool fun, There are giant egrets with water pouring from their beaks, duelling water guns that are mounted on the backs of two giant gators and plenty of other delights to cool down kids of all ages, there are also shaded seats for those that prefer to just spectate and changing stations so nobody needs to go home in wet swimwear!
All in all Gatorland is a fantastic place for the whole family, it combines, fun, education and up close encounters with Florida’s wildlife.
Gatorland is located on highway 441, just North of the Orlando - Kissimmee line – it is around 15 minutes from Disney, and the best website to buy tickets to visit this great attraction is http://www. park-tickets. com
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