Beneath Gatorland’s iconic gator mouth entrance and beside a towering wooden cake display, media gathered in anticipation of Gatorland’s 75th anniversary celebration on May 17. A beloved fixture among Central Florida’s historic attractions, Gatorland has thrived with the unwavering support of tourists and locals—providing the park resources to chomp its way through the decades of challenges thrown at them.
“This park has seen a lot in 75 years—we’ve been through wars, gas crises, recessions, two fires, floods … we’ve seen good times and a lot of bad times,” reflects Gatorland CEO Mark McHugh in his welcome speech.
After the gates opened, IAAPA News spoke with McHugh about the park, its evolution, and the factors contributing to its continued success.
Scaling to New Heights
About 15 years ago, the Gatorland leadership team recognized the need to introduce new experiences to the park. This initiative sparked discussions about which additions would best align with Gatorland’s unique identity. With major theme parks nearby, it was crucial for the team to shed the idea of competition and instead choose an attraction that resonated with Gatorland’s scale, personality, and target audience.
“… We can’t compete with the big parks on roller coasters and dark rides and simulated realities … So, we went with low tech. We looked at a zipline,” says McHugh. “There are no moving parts to it, it’s outdoors … and we thought, ‘Oh man, that fits us perfect.’ No big theme park has a zip line. So, that set us apart.”
Gatorland then took its plans a step further, ensuring that all visitors can enjoy a thrilling glide over the alligator lagoon. “We built one for wheelchair accessibility, because no one in the eastern United States has one that’s wheelchair accessible,” says McHugh.
More recently, the team went back to the drawing board to brainstorm another engaging experience. “… We wanted to add another [attraction] … and we thought, ‘Well, what’s more Southern Florida redneck-y than a swamp buggy ride?’” McHugh jokes.
Gatorland’s Stompin’ Gator Off-Road Adventure opened in 2017 and the 15-minute adventure continues to be well-received by visitors.
Growing Demographic Visitation
Gatorland has successfully expanded its demographic reach, thanks in large part to a robust social media strategy.
“As far as growing our demographic visitation, social media has done that. We created an in-house social media team about eight years ago, and our Instagram, our YouTube channel, Facebook … it just skyrocketed,” says McHugh. “And we get people coming in here every day from all different demographics that we used to not get … That has helped us diversify our business."
The expansion of Gatorland’s social media presence also went hand in hand with the launch of a new conservation program that has garnered significant attention. “Savannah Boan, who runs our social media department—she also started Gatorland Global, our conservation arm, about five or six years ago,” shares McHugh.
Facilitating Swampy Celebrations
The growth of Gatorland’s annual events has been another key factor in its continued success. “[Gatorpalooza weekend] has grown every year. This will be our fifth annual Gatorpalooza, and we started with a few vendors. And the thing about vendors is they’re a pretty tight-knit community here in Central Florida,” says McHugh about leveraging a web of relationships with key vendors.
The park hosts holiday-centered celebrations as well. “We also do Gators, Ghosts, and Goblins in October—it’s a weekend Halloween event. We do Ho, Ho, Ho-Down, a Christmas event, and we bring vendors in … We have everyone calling us and wanting to get in on the action here. It adds a whole new entertainment experience to the park when you’ve got vendors, live music, and DJs going … it grows. You just have to take care of it, and nurture it, and it grows,” emphasizes McHugh.
