Gator Wrestler? Yep, that’s one of Jonah’s possible career opportunities he would like to pursue. That or an author – he can’t yet decide. Since he is only about to turn 11 he still has plenty of time to discern his future career, perhaps he could do both!
When a friend, who lives in Florida and knows of Jonah’s love of animals, found out we were moving to Florida, she said a must see spot for us was Gatorland. We quickly put the destination on our to do list.
One of the many reasons we moved to Florida was so that we would be able to take advantage of some unique offerings as far a animals, wildlife and nature are concerned. Gatorland is one such place. While Gatorland is a bit more of a tourist destination than an educational destination, it’s definitely worth a visit.
Plan on spending a half day or so at the venue. It could be stretched into a full day if time was taken for the splash pad for the younger kids and the zip line for older children and adults.
We took advantage of the special for Florida residents around Christmas time, so it was an affordable trip for our family.
Visiting Gatorland in Florida
When we arrived at the park the first thing we did was attend one of the shows, the Gator Wrestling show of course! Wouldn’t you know when the host was looking for a guest from the crowd, who did he pick? Yep, Jonah. Jonah was able to go down into the arena and see the gators up close. What a treat for him!
After the show, both Levi and Jonah were able to sit on a real alligator for a picture. It was the highlight of the day for them.
The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around and visiting the other animal exhibits. There are more than alligators at Gatorland! We rode the Gator Express, and visited different birds.
We started our visit after lunch, so we did not eat at any of the food venues. The restaurant serves gator bites (not their own gators!) and even has some gluten-free options. You can not bring your own lunch into the park.
All of the children enjoyed the afternoon, not just our animal lover. While I wish the two shows that we saw were a bit heavier in the education rather than entertainment department, Gatorland was still a worthwhile destination for our family. I would recommend it to yours too!
Alligator Resources:
Kids Learn About Alligators – Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Alligator vs Crocodile – what’s the difference? a great explanation
Alligator Safety – Living with alligators in Florida
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