When planning a trip to Central Florida, it’s easy to picture soaring roller coasters, massive resort complexes, and endless smartphone apps dictating your daily schedule. But long before Orlando became the polished theme park capital of the world, road trips through the Sunshine State had a very different kind of magic.
They looked like roadside fruit stands, cypress swamps, and a giant concrete alligator mouth welcoming families to an attraction that felt authentically, wonderfully wild.
Founded in 1949 by Owen Godwin Sr., Gatorland—affectionately known as “The Alligator Capital of the World”—predates Walt Disney World by more than two decades. Today, while the surrounding region has transformed into a bustling metropolis, this family-owned 150-acre park and wildlife preserve remains a peaceful pocket of classic Americana.
At the center of its modern renaissance is Savannah Boan, Gatorland’s Crocodilian Enrichment Coordinator and International Ambassador for Gatorland Global. A former U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Orlando radio personality who spent seven years applying for her dream job at the park, Boan has built a massive social media following by introducing millions of people to animals they might otherwise fear.
Here’s what makes this vintage Florida institution so special today, how one resilient little reptile inspired the world, and why a visit to Gatorland offers the kind of authentic connection travelers are craving.
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A True Taste of “Old Florida” Magic
Gatorland
In an era of hyper-planned theme park vacations, stepping into Gatorland feels like taking a refreshing breath of fresh air. The nostalgic vibe is everywhere, right down to the Gatorland Express train—a staple that has taken families over the alligator habitats since the park’s early days.
Even the iconic, giant alligator mouth entrance has stood the test of time, enduring decades of Florida hurricanes and fires to welcome generations of visitors.
“If you’re coming to Florida, you want to see real Florida—and Gatorland is real Florida,” Boan explains. “It’s not manufactured. Gatorland was here before Disney and all the big parks. If you want real value for your dollar, to have fun, learn something, and have a great family day without being stressed out about a $25 Coca-Cola—or paying for parking—come visit us.”
Boardwalks wind beneath natural cypress canopies, giving visitors a shaded look at Florida’s native landscape that remains unchanged by nearby commercial growth. That blend of nostalgia and simplicity is exactly why generations of visitors keep coming back.
“We see the same families year after year, and we still have the same decorations from way back in 1949—like this big fiberglass alligator everybody sits on to take pictures,” Boan shares. “Occasionally, people send me photos of themselves on it when they were four or five, and then photos in the exact same spot at 40 or 45. It’s such a beautiful thing and a part of Florida family history. Grandparents bring their kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids over and over again.”
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Behind-the-Scenes Connections and Daily “Drama”
Gatorland
Beyond the throwback atmosphere, what sets Gatorland apart is the deep, genuine connection between the staff, the visitors, and the resident reptiles.
“We definitely don’t have an app—the most progressive thing we have is a YouTube channel, which I started when I came to work here,” Boan notes. Through their videos and livestreams, the team has built an intimate community: “Our guests are like our family. We’re very bonded with them through YouTube, and we get to watch annual passholders’ kids grow up.”
While Gatorland spans 150 acres, only about 25 to 30 acres are developed as the main park—leaving the surrounding property as an untouched natural sanctuary. The preserve is a thriving Florida ecosystem home to wild otters, wood storks, herons, and raccoons. During nesting season, thousands of wild migratory birds fill the trees directly over the alligator lakes, using the gators below as natural protection against tree-climbing predators.
Inside the park’s expansive lakes, Boan knows the animals’ distinct quirks and behaviors intimately.
“Our CEO is so smart in encouraging us to develop relationships with the animals under our care,” Boan says. “I have favorite alligators that are mostly tuned to my voice. I know everything they do, what they like, and what they don’t like. Crocodiles, on the other hand, are a lot of drama—they’re like a soap opera or a telenovela, especially the male crocodiles.”
That daily dynamic unfolds across interactive park experiences like the iconic Jumperoo Show, where gators leap out of the water to demonstrate their natural power, and Adventure Hour, where guests go behind the safety fence to feed giant gators up close. For handlers like Boan, every reptile is a distinct individual. She tracks the daily movements of resident gators like Terminator, using subtle clues to figure out why he might have moved across the lake on any given afternoon.
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The Inspiring Tale of Jawlene
Gatorland
No story at Gatorland has captured more hearts than Jawlene, an alligator rescued in Sanford, Florida, in September 2023 who had lost her entire upper jaw.
When she first arrived, her chances of survival seemed bleak. “When we got her, she was bone thin and on death’s door,” Boan recalls. “Our vet gave her an assessment and said, ‘I don’t know, Savannah.’ But I said, ‘Nah, she’s going to be fine.'”
Through endless patience and creative feeding techniques—from floating food pellets with crickets to hand-feeding—Jawlene made a miraculous recovery. Today, Jawlene lives comfortably alongside her unexpected pool mate—a small donated pet turtle named Nelly Wafer—and continues to inspire visitors from all over the world.
“You’d think Jawlene would love me, but she’s still an alligator and tries to bite me every morning when I clean her pool,” Boan laughs. “She’s super feisty, but she wouldn’t have survived if she wasn’t. She’s the queen of all alligators and probably the most famous alligator on the planet.”
Today, as Jawlene approaches the third anniversary of her rescue, Boan is working on a children’s book to share her message of resilience: “We’re writing a children’s book about her with the message to not give up. We were just amazed at how inspirational she’s been and what a great ambassador she is for her species.”
Protecting Crocodilians on a Global Stage
“Gatorland Global is something my boss, Mark McHugh, and I created,” Boan explains. “We use it for all of our conservation projects in Florida and around the world, and none of that money stays in-house.” Funded in part by revenue from their massive YouTube channel, the initiative supports hands-on crocodilian research, habitat preservation, and community education across the globe:
In Cuba, Gatorland Global partners directly with scientists at the Enterprise for the Conservation of Zapata Swamp to protect critically endangered Cuban crocodiles through head-start and release programs. The initiative also provides financial backing and resources to the Holland Bay Sanctuary in Jamaica to support breeding, microchipping, and wild release efforts for American crocodiles.
Halfway across the world in Timor-Leste, Boan travels to communities like Suai Loro to consult with village elders on safe human-crocodile coexistence while honoring local cultural beliefs that revere the crocodile (Avo Lafaek, or Grandfather Crocodile) as sacred.
Closer to home, Gatorland serves as a primary rescue facility for local Florida “nuisance” alligators displaced by suburban expansion and human interaction.
“Gatorland is alligator paradise for a reason—our alligators are like high society,” Boan says. “They live a sweet life.”
To learn more about Savannah Boan’s global conservation work with reptiles, check out her TEDx Orlando Talk, read about her rescue efforts with Jawlene in Orlando Weekly, or explore Gatorland Global to support wildlife initiatives around the world.
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