When I’m on vacation I’ll admit – a bit of kitsch will lure me into an “educational” destination. So when I learned of the giant gaping jaws at Gatorland and the promise of a coveted Mold-a-Rama souvenir, it wasn’t too hard to get me to go there.
Even if it meant risking Retro Roadhusband for a tacky vacation photo op!
(Ah, what a HAM! No wonder the gator wanted to chomp him! (he’s such a good egg to pose for my pictures too- ham AND egg!!))
Family owned and operated since it opened in 1949 (totally love that) Gatorland totally surpassed my expectations and I wish we had been able to spend more time there! It was bigger than I thought it would be (their website say it’s 110 acres) and has thousands of alligators, crocodiles and other animals to check out. I’ll give you a sneak peek inside, but by all means check it out in real life for yourself, and you won’t be sorry.
(the fine print says “if you fall in, the gators will eat you. And that might make them sick” – love an attraction with a sense of humor!)
We saw these little fellas when we first walked in, and weren’t sure if they were just some statues piled up for effect, but no, they were all ALIVE! And living in harmony with the turtles – can you see that one being used as a pillow? I reckon if a gator wanted to use me as a pillow I’d oblige. Better than being an hors d’oeuvre!
There are some MUCH BIGGER gators in the park as well- so watch your step!
And speaking of steps – we very much enjoyed walking around the park, but if you want to get an overview of the entire park you can ride the Gatorland Express for a nominal fee.
According to a sign at the park their original miniature train the Iron Horse Express debuted at Gatorland in 1961, making it the very first amusement park ride in Central Florida. It was retired from active duty in 2000 after logging in almost 500,000 miles (in half mile increments!) and is still on display in the park.
C’mon, says Retro Roadhusband, we’ve got gators to see!
Here’s a glimpse of one of the bigger crocs we saw on our “croc walk” but you just can’t get the sense of scale (and scales!) and size unless you’re really there. 
I couldn’t help but think that, however we disparage zoos when they’re done poorly, a setup like this must be pretty sweet for all animals concerned – they don’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, or becoming someone’s next meal, or being killed by poachers. I swear I see a little smile on his face.
One thing we were surprised at was how many birds there are at Gatorland, and not just the fancy wild ones like this wild heron.
I was fascinated by the display of budgies / parakeets who were at one point a hugely popular house pet. Once they fell out of vogue however, people had no problem releasing them out in the wild, and a large population of them migrated to St. Petersburg, FL. Heck, don’t we all want to migrate to St. Pete? In any case, we just missed it timing-wise but we saw that you can actually buy a “seedsicle” and enter the budgie display and feed them. Dang!
We did get to see some of their famous leucistic “white” alligators though, which I decided to commemorate with my Mold-a-rama souvenir:
(I’ll be posting about the wonders of the Mold-a-rama machine in a separate post!)
Though the front of the park and the original gift shop suffered a horrible fire in 2006 it was completely rebuilt and reopened in 2008. Along with every alligator related gift you can imagine, you can also buy food to feed the gators and birds, and there’s a snack bar for people as well (random note -they sell beer and have a gluten-free menu!).
Because we had to scurry I totally missed the snakes.We did see some goats, and now I wish we had also stayed for one of their live gator “wrasslin” shows. Not being adventurous-at-all- we declined the Zipline through the park option as well, but if that’s your idea of fun, then by all means go for it!
So remember, when you visit Gatorland not only are you getting a wicked value ( a family of eight can visit Gatorland for less than the cost of one person at any of the larger area theme parks)but you’re also supporting a family owned attraction. And I’ll be darned – I learned something and didn’t even realize it!
Gatorland
14501 South Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32837-6699
(407) 855-5496
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The picture of Cliff on the boardwalk is in front of the rookery where hundreds of wading birds, from Roseatte Spoonbills to Wood Storks, nest every year. Ironically they are there because the alligators keep the nests safe by eating any pesky rascals that may go after their eggs (like raccoons.)
ah, the circle of life – thanks for the additional info Rick!
We visited Gatorland as a family when I was a kid, and had such a great time! Though I wish they still had the “disobedient children will be thrown to the alligators” sign. Or do they?
Jen – oh what a funny sign! I did not see it (but then again I’m realizing I supposedly totally missed another Mold-a-Rama machine on site- totally kicking myself!) but there were a lot of humorous signs at Gatorland. How fun to have memories of it from growing up!
I helped my father clear the land for Gatorland in 1947 when I was 13.. It was 16 acres, half of that the “lake.” Thanks to my brother Frank’s management we survived his death and grew from a “roadside zoo” to a “destination attraction.” I’m glad you liked us.
Owen – I’m touched that you would swing by here to Retro Roadmap – thanks so much for stopping by! I could tell from walking around Gatorland how much care and thought has gone into the park over the years, and how well taken care of your gators are. We were surprised about how much we enjoyed our visit and wish we didn’t have to rush through! Please accept my thanks for doing such a good job at keeping your non-corporate owned roadside attraction such a destination. We hope to be back soon, and will make sure the Retro Roadkids visit there soon too! Take care, and keep up the good work!
Awesome blog, Betty. Thanks for stopping by our park. How about you let me send you a Gator Wrestler mold from our other Mold-A-Rama machine at Gatorland?
Mark – so glad you like Retro Roadmap – we certainly had a fun (but all too short) visit to Gatorland. I’d be honored to add an alligator wrestler to my small but growing collection of Mold-a-ramas!
I remember going with my family on summer vacations too. Such a neat place. I’m so glad it’s still there. I had never heard of the mold o rama machine. Neat-O.
Debbie- thats cool you got to go there as a kid – I’d love to take the Retro Roadkids someday!
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