Gators and Friends
Gators and Friends things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Our group of 5 reserved zip lines well in advance and paid the required deposit. When we checked in the first of the two ladies working inside had no idea how to split our payment. The second lady overcharged me almost $50 and kept telling me there was nothing else she could do. The manager walked in and started taking care of it but he had no clue there's a discounted price on the zip lines for groups of 5 or more on their website. He was able to get it straightened out and we went on our way. We watched the alligator feeding but couldn't hear hardly anything the guy said. We were able to hold the baby alligator and feed the animals, all before our time to go zip lining. That's when we found out we had 2 more groups for a total of 5 more people going with us. I was really upset that after paying over $300 we had to share this experience with a crying child and other people we didn't know. I feel our group was large enough and we spent plenty of money to go alone. We paid for an experience, not to have to get close and personal to other sweaty and smelly strangers. At our final landing the manager came up and told our guide he was taking too much time getting everyone unhooked and the line for the next person, a matter of seconds. I understand seconds add up and I understand they're there to make money... But, again, I paid a lot of money for this experience for my 2 kids who are both graduating high school and shipping off to the Army next week. I did not pay for the experience of the manager coming on the platform and scolding and embarrassing our guide and making us feel uncomfortable. That should be done in private. Once we were unharnessed and free to go back into the park we went back to the animals because we were sure we hadn't seen, fed, and petted them all... But we had... If you're going just for the animals the ticket price is way too high, in my opinion. If you're going for the zip line be prepared to have an amazing time, but also be aware that you may be spending a small fortune to have to share your experience and be really close to strangers...
Shonda Baxley
00
We stopped here while on a road trip. Our family didn’t really enjoy it at all to be honest. During the gator feeding, we were expecting them to be informing us about the gators both in general and the ones there specifically but they just asked if we had questions. I was also really looking forward to the baby gator interaction but they never mentioned it when they finished feeding the big gators so my family took off to the petting zoo part after standing around for a few minutes after they did the feeding. Petting zoo in Texas often means you go in the pin with the animals and get to interact with them directly while feeding or just petting them. Here, you don’t go in the pin, you feed them through a gate that is kind of challenging to feed many of the animals through. The deer and goats have big gaps in the fencing that they can stick their heads through but other animals are harder to get to feed. When we finished in the petting zoo, I still didn’t see anything about the baby gator interaction so I asked as we started to leave and the people at the front desk said they do it after the gator feeding and the next one wouldn’t be for another 45 minutes at the time we asked. So we missed that because we needed to get back on the road. The zip line and go karts would have been cool to do but the website does let you know that those are down right now. I have two stars because I was able to pet a kangaroo and that was cool to me but all in all, my family doesn’t think this place is worth the stop. I hate to leave a bad review, I really do, but I just want to be honest for anyone else looking for something to do while traveling through
Krissy
00
The place is alright!! The animals seem very old tho. The goats were pretty much the only ones to be waiting at the fence to being feed by the visitors!! The deers and the rest of the animals seem to be so miserable there!! Also their fur look like they were not well taken care OR because they were old animals who knows!! We ask if we could do the zipline they told us it was all full! Yet there were more people coming... We gave the park about 2 laps just to finish the cups with food we bought. It wont take long to go trough the whole park. My two kids rode the pony's now you must be really carefully ther is one pony that if you dont hold the rope good it would take the step of it's own and try to run fast the entire place! We saw it happen to this mom and her tottler the pony just took off and the little boy was all crying and scare for his life as mom couldn't get to him!! That was a very scary experience! Anyways we got to hold a small alligator that was pretty exciting experience! Also there were not feeding the alligators because it was cold. We might be coming back when the weather becomes more hot!!
Joana Reyes
00
This was a great adventurous stop for me. This took me out of my element. My family couldn't believe that I wanted to go see alligators (mind you this was a solo road trip for me). I couldn't bring myself to hold the baby gator but I did feed all of the animals (minus the gators and lemurs as instructed). I must admit feeding a few was scary. I forget the name of the one it was but I will include a picture. It came up to me so fast I may have stepped back a little quick. 😂 The horned animal did get me a little hot. I kept trying to feed the other animals in his pen and he would push them out of the way and eat it all. But I guess that's the rules in his species; he was the alpha. The gator "swamp" was intimidating. That was a LOT of gators. It was so close to closing that I didn't get to ask how they made it look like a swamp. All and all this was a great spot. Glad the lady talked me into doing the feeding.
LaKesha Raynor
00
Very cool experience if your traveling. You get a big cup of food for maybe 5 bucks that let's you feed all the different kinds of animals. There's kangaroos, deer, goats, miniature horses, alpacas, lamas, sheep, a goose, and of course alligators. There are ziplines and a ropes course that go over the alligators water but they were closed due to it being off season. The go cart track was also closed due to it being off season. Some off the fences needed replaced and there's only one spot to clean your hands in thw whole park. Overall definitely recommend stopping by to check it out.
Haylee Johnson
00
If you're looking for a quick and fun family outing, the Gators and Friens is a great place for it, especially for young adventurers! From the moment you step through the gates, it's clear that this place is designed with children in mind. Wide, stroller-friendly walkways and clearly marked paths make it easy to explore. Interactive exhibits and touch-friendly encounters keep little hands and curious minds engaged. Whether it’s feeding baby goats, watching gators during feeding time, or petting llamas and kangaroos, the sanctuary offers plenty of hands-on fun.
Alexander Mikaberidze
00
Nearby Attractions Of Gators and Friends
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Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
11441 US-80, Greenwood, LA 71033
Map
Phone
(318) 938-1199
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Website
gatorsandfriends.com
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Reviews
Overview
4.6
(737 reviews)
Ratings & Description
outdoor
adventure
family friendly
pet friendly
attractions: Texas Welcome Center and Rest Area, Waskom Travel Information Center, Welcome To Texas Marker, Cowhands Tobacco, Texas Travel Information Center at Waskom, restaurants:
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