Alligators and Airboats with Kids in Florida

After fulfilling our daughters' dreams at Disney World, we wanted to make sure our son's dream of seeing gators came true as well. So, off we went to Wild Willy's Airboat Tours!

We were looking for other things to do on our Walt Disney World trip and stayed about 15 minutes from Disney World at The Grove Resort and Water Park, a Disney Good Neighbor Hotel (more on this fantastic spot in a future post!). Equipped with our rental car, the approximate 45-minute drive to Wild Willy’s was a breeze—though we were slightly concerned we were lost when we found ourselves driving through a residential mobile home park. A quick call to the airboat office assured us, "You're in the right place!"

Our one-hour airboat ride on Lake Tohopekaliga (to-hope-ke-liga) was just right—not too long, not too short. The ride itself at the time we went cost about $50 a ticket. While it's not the cheapest activity, the experience was definitely worth it and became a highlight of our family vacation. It was all of the kids favorite part of our trip and the most talked about when they shared about their trip back home at school.

We chose to visit in March, and after several cloudy days, we were lucky to enjoy clear skies and sunshine. Another plus is that March in Florida means there are not as many bugs, and it is not deathly hot. Since it was cloudy and then sunny on the day we went, it turned out to be perfect for alligator-spotting since these cold-blooded creatures love sunbathing after cloudy days. Our captain explained that Lake Tohopekaliga is home to approximately 8,000 alligators and plenty of other wildlife, including the chance to spot a bald eagle!

The tour provided life jackets and noise-cancelling headphones (a must-have as the airboat is incredibly loud). Our captain occasionally stopped the boat to point out wildlife and share fascinating details, which added to the overall experience. I always prefer some guided commentary and would have been disappointed if we had just driven around for an hour without any interesting facts and history woven in. 

See the video below about that hilarious incident—when our captain skillfully spun the boat in a 180-degree spin, then a woman seated just in front of us suddenly tipped over out of her seat! Thankfully, she didn't fall into the lake, and no alligators were involved. Everyone, including her, laughed heartily, and even the captain was surprised, saying it was a first for him in over a decade of giving tours.

The ultimate highlight for our reptile-loving son was getting to hold Cricket the alligator. As for me—well, let's just say I was not as excited to hold Cricket, but he was very sleepy, so I survived!

From the thrill of gliding over the water to memorable wildlife encounters, an airboat tour is an adventure we'd highly recommend!

See our YouTube video below about our airboat experience!