Green Meadows Petting Farm: A Hidden Orlando Treasure

Green Meadows Petting Farm in Kissimmee, Florida (just outside of Orlando) is a wonderful half-day theme park that gets you away from the thrill rides and cartoon characters. Located at 1368 South Poinciana Boulevard they are just fifteen minutes away from Disney and thirty minutes away from down town Orlando. At the price of $21.00 per ticket (adult and child pay the same price - children under two are free) it is one of the most inexpensive outings in the Central Florida resort area. Groups of 20 or more pay $10.00 each. Florida residents pay $19.00 each. Their web site (www.greenmeadowsfarm.com) tells of a two hour guided tour, but after taking the tour three times (twice on school outings and once as a Cub Scout field trip) I can say first hand that I've never seen the tour go under three hours. They are open from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, with tours from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. Their telephone number is 407-846-0770.

Each trip begins with the easier animals to pet. There are goats and pigs to begin with, but there are also chickens, donkeys and a water buffalo (I recommend caution in petting the water buffalo). While the animals are penned for their own protection, this is a farm rather than a petting zoo. Since it is a farm, the kids (and the adults too) will learn how these animals live on a farm, and at the end of the tour each person will have the opportunity to milk a cow. My eight year-old milked the cow successfully, so it is not something that takes a great deal of skill. Even I managed to get a squirt or two out of her, and I'm about as urban as they come.

The activities also include a hay ride and a scenic tour by a small train, all included in the admission price. The train ride is done on a theme park type of train, complete with open air cars. It covers most of the park and allows the weary to rest their feet for a few minutes. The guide doesn't ride the train, but the engineer gives a tour via the train, and the guide meets you at the station to resume the walking tour. The hay ride is conducted in a safe, made for hay riding wagon pulled by a tractor. It covers the areas not covered by the train ride taken earlier in the tour. Again, the guide ops out of the hay ride and the tractor driver delivers the tour. The guide again meets you at the end of the tour.

After the hay ride, you are left to your own devices to cover some for the same ground again to see the animals with which you wanted to spend a little more time or to visit the gift shop (would it really be a tourist area without a gift shop?).

All in all, the Green Meadows Petting Farm is a great out-of-the-way attraction to make your Florida Disney vacation distinctive.