Join us for Gator Week, May 29 – June 3, 2023!
It’s no secret we know a thing or two about alligators. To share this knowledge and passion with our visitors, our team at Wild Florida will host a one-of-a-kind event centered around one of Florida’s most recognizable, yet misunderstood animals… the American alligator!
To many, alligators are simply fierce carnivores on the hunt, but that’s not actually the case. Like many misunderstood creatures, myths develop based on a lack of knowledge. Because of this, we decided to dedicate an entire week to educating and debunking many common myths surrounding these reptiles, along with some of their reptile cousins, through live demonstrations and interactive experiences. There will be plenty of fun photo-ops and guest appearances made by some popular inhabitants of our Gator Park.
The best part is we’ll be giving everyone who makes a small cash donation to the Wild Florida Scholarship Fun will get FREE admission to our Gator Park during Gator Week! Bills donated will help graduating Osceola County high school seniors pay for college. Join us May 29 – June 3, 2023, for Gator Week, where you and your family can enjoy a week full of gator-themed activities and demonstrations. Check back soon for our daily schedule and the activities we have planned only throughout Gator Week.
Gator Week Schedule
Gator Call Competition – At 2:15 PM, we’ll focus our Exotic Animal Show segments on different types of crocodilians. For instance, we will bring out a Nile, caiman, albino, and regular American alligator. Learn the cues our Croc Squads use to train our gators’ new behaviors. These only work on our Wild Florida gators, so do not try this in your own backyard. The winner will receive a Wild Florida goodie bag filled with tickets, stickers, and more!
Feeding Frenzy – We all have our favorite foods, but what about alligators? We’re going inside our Gator Pond to find out what the alligator’s favorite food is during our feeding show at 11:30 AM and see what type of food makes our gators really jump. We’ll also demonstrate the power behind an alligator’s bite by watching them crush melons!
Crusher Show – Crusher is the largest alligator at Wild Florida, weighing close to 1,000 pounds and measuring up to 13 feet long. While you learn more about Crusher and his unique personality, our Croc Squad will demonstrate the different commands he’s learned, along with seeing how powerful his bite is with different foods.
PLINKO! – Play your favorite game, Wild Florida style! For an extra $5 donation to our Wild Florida Scholarship Fund, grab a chip and drop it in your lucky spot on the PLINKO board to earn some cool prizes like gator feed or a chance to win a VIP experience for two!
Donations made will go to the Wild Florida Scholarship Fund to provide scholarships to graduating Osceola County high school seniors!
*Must show proof of donation at check-in to receive park admission.
Crusher Appreciation – We love all gators, but Crusher sure is our favorite! Give him a wave at our Gator Park, and be sure to watch his very own show at 11 am and 3:45 pm! He may be the largest alligator at Wild Florida (in personality and size), but we promise he loves to see all his four and two-legged friends.
Check out our daily schedule to see what fun things are happening today!
Gator Jumpathon Contest – People often think alligators can only hunt for food that happens to go for a swim, but their powerful tails can help propel half of their body out of the water and into the air! Meet our team in our Gator Pavilion during lunchtime to see what it’s like to jump for your food like an alligator, and the highest jumper will receive a Wild Florida goodie bag filled with tickets, stickers, and so much more!
Rock your Crocs! – Wear your Crocs on Thursday and receive FREE chow for our alligators and crocodiles. All you have to do is show off your cool kicks at the gazebo in the Gator Park to get your chow. Also, be sure to strut your Crocs to our Croc Squad and say hi!
Gator Slushie Drinking Contest – Unleash your inner gator with our Gator Slushie Drinking Contest! Meet our team at the Gator Pavilion at lunchtime to go head-to-head with other participants as you compete to see who can drink a green slushie the fastest WITHOUT using your hands! This activity is for any gator lover age 8 and up. The winner will receive a Wild Florida goodie bag filled with tickets, stickers, and so much more!
Live Band – If you ever need to cool off and take a break from the activities, the Celery City String Band will be playing live music during lunch under our Gator Pavilion.
Meet Slater the Gator with K92 – Our friends over at K92 love gators as much as we do, so we are making one of our gators the official mascot of K92! Be sure to stop by Wild Florida from 11 am to 1 pm and say hi to the K Krew as we officially introduce Slater the Gator to all of our friends! Obie, Chloe, and Slater will be hanging out starting at noon to chat and take photos.
Live Band – If you ever need to cool off and take a break from the activities, the Celery City String Band will be playing live music during lunch under our Gator Pavilion.
Mission
To promote education, conservation and eliminate detrimental myths about alligators.
What to Expect at Gator Week
Alligator Myth DEBUNKED: Alligators CAN bite underwater!
If you live in Florida (or anywhere that has alligators, really), you’ve probably heard your fair share of “foolproof” ways to scare off or escape from alligators, by running in a zigzag pattern, etc. We’re not sure who started these myths, but one is if you dive underwater, an alligator won’t bite you…
This is completely false. Don’t believe us? Check out our YouTube video to watch the Wild Florida team test the myth for ourselves!
Class Photos
Which student was most likely be sitting with you at the lunch table?
Share on social media which classmate you’ll hang out with during #GatorWeek!
Gator Facts