Wild Florida is the only park in Orlando where you can have airboat rides, a gator park, and a safari park all in one place. It was a great adventure for us. Originally we went just to take a ride on an airboat. We had tried another airboat ride somewhere else and it was ho-hum at best. Wild Florida was a very different story with an airboat tour, a gator park, and a safari park all in one place.
Airboat Rides
On the airboat, we skated along the surface of the water at high speed sometimes and at other times slowly made our way through ten-foot-tall weeds finding lots of birds (including Eagles) and alligators. I would definitely call it a thrill ride! All the airboat pilots are local individuals and they were glad to stop the boat every now and then to look more closely at something of interest while sharing their knowledge about it. He even offered personal stories about the lake area and airboats in general.
Gator Park
The Gator Park is home to over 200 animals, both native and exotic. There is also a boardwalk over Hawk Swamp that winds its way through tall shady Cypress trees. Sadly for us, it was dry when we went, otherwise I expect we would have seen many birds and turtles. And who knows maybe a gator or two. While at the park, check the schedule for animal encounters including a hands-on alligator demonstration. You could also choose an animal encounter with two-toed sloths, African crested porcupines, or ring-tailed lemur families. Extra charges apply for the encounters starting at $21 per person, but most of them appear to be $41. Petting zoo and bird aviary areas are free of charge.
Safari Park
The drive-through 75-acre Safari Park is home to over 100 species of exotic animals from around the world. Set up to look like an African safari, the animals are free to roam. This allows you to get up close and personal. You can drive your own air-conditioned car thru the 2-mile path as you observe zebras, giraffes, bison, antelopes, and more.
There is food in the park prepared by the Chomp House Grill. They even serve fried gator nuggets along with drinks like the Swamp Slushy. Before you leave to make sure to visit the gift shop to find souvenirs in all price ranges.
Wild Florida is located in Kenansville Florida on the shores of Cypress Lake in the headwaters of the Florida Everglades. It is about a one-hour drive south of Orlando or about 40 minutes south of Kissimmee/WDW.
