Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida, United States
4.0 (2.637 reviews) Spent Ranking #4 in Weeki Wachee Boat Tours • Gear Rentals • Kayaking & Canoeing
excellent gem of amusement park
I had a few hours between business trip meetings and decided to stop for a visit. It is small (doable in a few hours, but very nice grounds and friendly and helpful staff). Everyone their had a nice smile and seemed to enjoy their jobs. The mermaid show was packed (they let the line seat about 20 minutes before the show, so get in line about 30 minutes prior to show). You cannot use flash in the theater, and my camera phone did not end up with great picture. Seating in the middle is best for viewing. Took the boat ride (about 20 minutes) and that was enjoyable as the guide explained about some eagles nests, fish and turtles we saw along the springs. Lots of peacocks strutting around. There is plenty of free parking. At $13 it is worth it considering the prices of the Orlando theme parks.
Address
6131 Commercial Way , Weeki Wachee, Florida, United States, Postal Code: 34606-1121.
Mobile
Website
http://www.weekiwachee.com
Current local date and time now
Saturday, May 11, 2024, 18:08
User Ratings
4.0 based on (2.637 reviews)
Reviews
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5Patti A 5:00 PM Jan 23, 2023
Kitschy and Worth It
I visited the state park today (1/24/23) and for $13 per person you could stay all day and attractions are included. First they offer a tour boat ride. It’s about one half an hour and the effervescent park ranger/guide, Valentine, pointed out different birds including George and Martha the sometime resident eagles! Waiting for the boat a different ranger pointed out 2 manatees! Then we went to a fun amphibian/reptile owl presentation. Lastly the world famous mermaid show which was fun, as expected.They offer food at fair prices and a gift shop. The boat is wheelchair accessible. Free parking and bathrooms.
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4Erik Z 5:00 PM Jul 23, 2021
Great, but plan ahead and arrive before opening hour
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (with the mermaid show and water park) are different than Weeki Wachee Springs kayaking but share the same parking lot. Paying for one does not get you into the other. Thankfully we knew that in advance of our end of June 2021 visit. Both are great experiences and can be squeezed into half a day but best done over closer to a full day. This is a such a great experience between the clear spring water, things for kids to do, natural beauty, fun mermaid shows, kayaking, and water park that we will make sure to add it to our next Legoland or Disney trip to balance fantasy fun with more aesthetic comfort. We took our 3 and 5 year old and they loved it. Sure we were there to see the mermaid show. I saw it as a kid and while kitschy is actually a nice show to see for an adult. The kids really liked it. There are two different shows each day that perform a couple times each a day. The state limits how many people can kayak so booking ahead of time is really recommended during the travel season--I did a tandem with my 5 year old and it was his favorite activity of our trip even before we rounded a curve in the river and found a couple manatees floating by. The only reason I dont give this 5 stars is because you MUST arrive at least 30 minutes before the park opens to wait in line before the park opens. They dont sell entrance tickets online, which is confusing since the kayak vendor does allow for online reservations that are a must during the tourist season. So bring snacks to eat while waiting in line to get your park entry tickets but have kayak reservations for later in the day. You actually have to leave the park walk across the parking lot to get into the kayak rental area. We stayed at a hotel a few miles away but you could easily get here from Tampa, Orlando, or surrounds if you wanted to.
