Hotties aside, it's so much more than gators - lots of different animals (not just reptiles), a nice train ride, plenty of shows, a great "swamp" walk (elevated wooden boardwalk) that takes you through real Florida and is actually a swamp area that feeds the headwaters of the Everglades, and one of the best and most well-known natural bird rookeries in the Southeast (big with wildlife photographers, dependent upon the time of year)
They play up the hillbilly schtick there but they're really a wonderful super professional facility (majorly focused on conservation and species preservation but that doesn't get much attention beyond local news; they're frequently on Fox35 in the mornings). If you ever engage with them, they immediately drop any sort of schtick and are SO knowledgeable about every animal there and love educating you about all the animals, their quirks, etc.
Plan for all day (or most of the day) (operating hours usually are 10-6), if you want a leisurely visit. They've got an AWESOME splash pad for your little one as well! Just don't expect food options to blow you away. The food is pretty standard hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders, etc. We usually eat at Pearl's there bc there's nice covered seating, fans, and sometimes even peacocks roaming around while you're eating.
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)