Michael Grzelecki

Review of Central Florida Zoo and Botani...

This is a very nice zoo. It's definitely a smaller...

This is a very nice zoo. It's definitely a smaller zoo, but that's one of the things that makes it so nice. The staff is unbelievably friendly and approachable, and they will answer questions and provide all kinds of information well above and beyond what you get at a huge zoo. The animals are very well cared for, talking to any of the staff for a minute or two will assure you of that. They also frequently clean and rearrange the enclosures, as well as providing a daily enrichment task like a toy, food puzzle, treat, etc. to keep the animals engaged. There are some neat additional activities you can do for a few dollars more, like feed a giraffe or get up close to the rhino. For a bigger fee, you can also do a behind the scenes trainer experience with one of a variety of animals. If it fits within your budget, these are very cool and informative. They have a Sonny's BBQ with actually pretty reasonable prices for zoo food. A sandwich with a side and a large drink is around $10-$12. There is an abundance of shade throughout the zoo on almost all walkways, which is very nice on hot days. The plants and trees also add to the atmosphere and they have quite a few cool species. A few of the exhibits are also air conditioned. There is not an air conditioned place to eat though. There is a small splash pad and petting zoo for the kids too. Overall you'd struggle to spend an entire day here, but it would be a great afternoon for sure.