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Gatorland

Do they actually sell gator tail and gator-made food there? :lol:

Yes at Pearl's Smoke House they have gator on the menu.

http://www.gatorland.com/pdf/gatorlandMenu2008-2009.pdf

I haven't tried it yet at Gatorland. I used to get gator tail all the time at Sea World when they had the Al E Gator's restaurant.

The only gator product I've purchased and consumed from Gatorland so far was some jerky in the giftshop, it was pretty good but also had pork in it.
 
Yes at Pearl's Smoke House they have gator on the menu.

http://www.gatorland.com/pdf/gatorlandMenu2008-2009.pdf

I haven't tried it yet at Gatorland. I used to get gator tail all the time at Sea World when they had the Al E Gator's restaurant.

The only gator product I've purchased and consumed from Gatorland so far was some jerky in the giftshop, it was pretty good but also had pork in it.
Gator-on-a-stick is fried and, basically tastes like chicken. I know LOTS of people say that about many different things...but fried gator really does taste like chicken. Alligator sausage is also pretty good.
 
Looks like Gatorland is jumping in on the Halloween fun.

From the Theme Park Rangers:

At a preview earlier this week, I wasn't sure to expect, and that was part of the thrill. The atmosphere out there is unfamiliar, especially in the dark, so something spooky could potentially come at you from any direction. We even viewed the ticket taker suspiciously.



The basics and backstory: Groups of about 25 people are toured through the Gatorland grounds under the auspices of solving why folks have gone missing. Along the way, you encounter aliens, a startling number of zombies, a couple of rednecks (aka Bubba and Cooter), real alligators in the swamp and a few fun surprises that I won't spoil here (and, boy, is it tempting).

Gator Hallow will only last for 4 nights (Oct 16-17, Oct 23-24) but it sounds like a lot of fun and is insanely cheap (Costs $10).

You can find more about it at www.gatorland.com
 
:lol: I wanna meet Bubba and Cooter

So we met Bubba & Cooter. :lol:

I thought it was fun for what it was and you can't complain about the price either. The creepiest part was actually before the tour happened. While you wait for your group to be called, you can do a variety of things. One of those activities is a bog walk in pitch black to read stories of Halloween. I'm sure I heard a gator or two close by. :lol: I suggest the locals to check it out as it's a different experience then HHN, and again...it's $10.

I'll have a full review on Wednesday, when the site opens. :thumbs:
 
More news on the zipline has been released. From the Orlando Sentinel:
bubba500.jpg


Gatorland guests will be zipping over jumping crocodiles, the alligator breeding marsh and through the park’s bird rookery by June, park officials said Thursday.

Details of the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line, announced during groundbreaking for the attraction, create some wide-eyed expressions.

“Our bankers and insurance guys went ‘What’? ” said Mark McHugh, Gatorland’s president and CEO.

The project has been 15 months in the making, a period that included a tour of other zip lines and getting proper permits for the zip line’s tower, which top out at 75 feet. (The current observation tower at Gatorland is 48 feet.)

What Gatorland officials noticed while visiting other zips was a lack of animals, something in ample supply at the South Orange Blossom Trail park, which opened in 1949.

“That’s probably one of the most diverse animal habitats you’re going to see on any zip line in the United States — I would suggest anywhere outside of Costa Rica, as far as the animal experience on the zip ride,” McHugh said.

“That’s going to be the hook for us,” he said. “That’s what’s going to make us different.”

They worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Commision and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to make sure the plans were safe.

zipcourse1000-575x431.jpg


The first tower will be located by the Gatorland train station. The first stretch of zip will be over the crococile exhibit. The second one will be over the ”jumping Cuban crocodiles,” McHugh said.

“The crocodiles can jump — they can’t jump 40 feet,” McHugh said.

The third zip goes over the giant Nile crocodiles and near the saltwater crocodiles.

The fourth leg, almost 600 feet long, zips through pine trees and comes out across the south end of the breeding marsh and ends near the gator wrestling arena.

Next will be a swinging bridge over the main walkway of the park. And the final stretch will be a dual zip line where folks can race. It will be parallel to the parking lot and visible from Orange Blossom Trail.

“You want something that people driving by can see,” McHugh said.

It’s the first ride ever at Gatorland, not counting the train that skirts the property.

“This is our sweet spot. This zip line is Gatorland. It’s quiet, it’s eco-friendly, it takes you through some of our most beautiful ecological assets out there. We really think we’ve hit a home run,” McHugh said.

Pricing has not been settled yet, he said, but he expects the zip experience to be between $60 and $70, and that would include admission to the rest of the park. Regular admission will not change. Maximum capacity for the zip line will be about 200 people a day, McHugh said.

Cost of the project is $1.5 million. Gatorland expects to create 15-20 full-time and part-time jobs via the zip line.

McHugh said the park had done “very, very well” during the recession.

“We’re just not going to take our foot off the pedal,” McHugh said. “One of the areas that we see that we’re weak is with the teenage demographic. So one way to add a little excitment to our park is to put a zip line in there and let them zip over alligators and crocodiles.”

Zip lines have been established at other Central Florida attractions, including Forever Florida near St. Cloud and the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford.
 
News on the ZipLine, which opens June 16th.

There are a few restrictions for riders. Children must be at 37 inches tall and weight at least 60 pounds. Adults must weigh less than 275 pounds and may be asked to step on the scale before being cleared to ride.


"We're going to have young. We're going to have the older. We're going to have the people who aren't so athletic. We're going to have the athletes. We're going to have the thrill seekers. It's going to cast a net that we're going to catch a lot of people with," Hileman said.


When the Screamin' Gator Zip Line officially opens it will cost $69.99 per person which will include admission to the park.

Read More: http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-n...t-feature-offers-birds-eye-view-of-ar-232923/
 
I don't know if anyone noticed, but Gatorland will be doing a Halloween event this year, “Gators, Ghosts and Goblins”, select dates starting Oct. 19.

Gatorland’s first annual Halloween event brings gators, ghosts and goblins

I'm sure the HHN planners aren't too worried about Gatorland stealing their thunder :grin:

It's nice to see a traditional family attraction doing something new like this. Should be good, family fun!
 
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