Wild Florida Adventure Park recently welcomed its 1 millionth guest to take an airboat ride — a tour of natural Florida on a U.S. Coast Guard certified airboat, where riders can see alligators, turkeys, wild hogs, eagles, and many other animals who call the Florida Everglades home. The airboats travel through swamps, marshes, and rivers.
“I can’t believe we’ve hosted one million guests on airboats. I was running the cash register 15 years ago when our first guest walked in and still have the first dollar they spent,” said Wild Florida Adventure Park Co-owner Sam Haught. “We had big dreams that first year with hopes of growth, but really had no idea it would get this big. We’re so grateful anyone shows up, so to have one million, it’s hard to comprehend.
“We’ve done a lot things at Wild Florida but the bellwether has always been the airboat tours. It’s really a tribute to how beautiful the natural resources are in Osceola County and how incredible it is to be the headwaters of the Everglades.”
Haught and his team surprised the Raegan family just before their ride, presenting them with a certificate and Wild Florida gift bag.
While airboats are a specialty at Wild Florida, the park also includes a drive-through safari (with a giraffe feeding station), gator and exotic animal park.
“Seeing our first guest cry tears of joy during an encounter was a watershed moment for us,” Haught said. “We firmly believe people are much more likely to help protect wild populations of animals once they have a stronger connection with them. We’ll fight to save the things we love.”
