While on vacation, my 4-year old asked to go to a "long zoo" which he defines as a zoo with a lot of animals and usually involves a long walk to see them all. It had to be something that the 9-year old and adults would enjoy, too. Our vacation rental was only 15 minutes from Disney's Animal Kingdom which would have qualified as a "long zoo", but I was hoping for something a little less commercial and a lot less expensive. For the fun of it, I Googled "long zoo" and Wild Florida Safari popped up. It was less than an hour drive from our vacation rental and outside the urban sprawl, so we decided to give it a try. After easily and quickly ordering tickets online for 3 adults and 2 kids ($31/adult and $22/child), the total came to less than 1 single-day, single-park ticket to Disney!
It was hot the day we visited, so we really enjoyed driving through the safari park in our air-conditioned car. We enjoyed seeing so many animals native to Florida and many exotic animals as well. We loved that they were able to roam freely and that their habitats were so well maintained with plenty of shady spots for them to stay cool in the hot, Florida sun. They looked very well cared for and we were happy to learn that many of the animals were rescues. The park map was very detailed and we all got into the game of "Where's Walter"; so much so that we drove through the safari park twice (you can drive through as many times as you want to with a single admission) just to spot more of the symbols. We're happy that we went through a second time because more of the animals we had seen at a distance the first time were closer to us the second time. The kids enjoyed seeing George and feeding Henry (the giraffes) after our second drive through the safari. Only $5/bundle to feed the giraffes (we've paid $15/bundle for the same experience at a zoo local to us).
Also included in our admission price was a visit to the Gator Park (a short drive next door). Even more amazing animals to see in this self-guided walking adventure and SO MANY GATORS (rescues) that we could see up close and personal (they were safely in their habitats). Peacocks were roaming freely and walked right beside us. We saw the male fan his feathers and dance to impress the female nearby. The walk through the Cypress grove and swamp was informative and we spotted a turtle on a fallen Cypress knee. The animal habitats were beautiful and these animals also looked very well cared for. There was a covered playground for the kids to climb, make new friends and take a break for a while. There were many covered areas providing shade from the hot sun as we walked along. The food from the on-site grill smelled wonderful, although we had dinner plans so we didn't eat at the park. The row of rocking chairs in the shade by the bathrooms provided a comfortable waiting spot and unique departure from picnic tables or benches. The gift shop had a large variety of well-priced items. Overall Wild Florida Safari Drive-Thru Park and the Gator Park were an excellent experience, great value for the money and one that we will visit again next time we vacation to that area.