Drive-thru safari
People in cars again meeting giraffes, emus, wildebeests and more
Wild Florida, an animal attraction in Osceola County, has reopened the drivethrough safari part of its business after weeks of coronavirus-based closure, and co-owner Sam Haught says humans were ready for it.
“They’re just absolutely loving it because there’s so much cabin fever,” Haught said. “And this really does offer a safe alternative for people that want to go have a family adventure or go on a date, you know?”
The Drive-thru Safari Park allows visitors to drive through an 85-acre area populated by bison, elk, emu, llamas, zebras and more. A herd of wildebeests lives at Wild Florida. Customers stay in their cars (speed limit: 5 mph) on a 2-mile course, eventually arriving at a giraffefeeding station. That section is optional, and the attraction has installed markers to help create social-distance spacing between people there. It also limits the number of visitors on the platform.
“We didn’t intend for this to be a pandemic-proof product, but has turned out to be that way,” Haught said.
“You pull up in your own car to the check-in kiosk, and you’re able to book online and roll down your window, or just hold up a sign that says ‘We’re the Jones family,” he said. “We usher them in without any contact, no hand-to-hand transaction or anything.”
The scavenger hunt and a safari-guide podcast for the attraction, located south of St. Cloud, are available for download before arrival.
The safari’s maximum capacity is 2,500 people per day. “We’ve been hitting that number,” Haught said.
The drive-through safari debuted in December but closed a couple of days after the governor’s shutdown orders. It reopened May 4. The owners are determining when to bring back other Wild Florida offerings, including the alligator park and airboat tours, Haught said. A zipline attraction planned to open this spring has been put on hold, he said.
Right now, the admission price for the safari is $15 per adult ($10 for children ages 3-12). It’s “pandemic pricing,” Haught said.
“We just really feel like this is a unique opportunity for families and individuals to go have a good time in the middle of this crisis that we’re in,” he said. “We feel grateful that we can provide something that still works.”
For more information and ticket sales, go to wildfloridaairboats.com.