One of the things we have always talked about doing since we moved to Orlando was an Airboat Ride. Even though we live hours from the Florida Everglades, there are still plenty of options in Central Florida. Here is our experience with Midway Airboat Tours along the St. John’s River.
Overview
An Airboat Ride is one of the best ways to see Florida wildlife because they are able to access areas that would be nearly impossible by foot, vehicle, or even other boats. Airboats have minimal drafts so they can travel in very shallow water and can actually go up over small pieces of land to hop from one body of water to the next. During our experience, there were times when half the hull was in the water and the other half on sand, especially when making sharp turns.
The docks at Midway Airboat Rides.
Airboat Rides at Midway
The reason they’re called Midway is because they are located midway between Orlando and the beaches. The area was originally a fishing camp founded in the 1930’s when people would line up just to come fish and hunt the immediate areas surrounding the fish camp. In the 1970s, Midway added the airboat adventures. Through the years the fish camp ultimately slowed and stopped, but the airboat tours remained and thrived.
Location
As their name implies, they are located halfway between Orlando and the beaches just east of Christmas on Route 50 (Colonial).
Drive time to Midway Airboat Rides from:
Downtown Orlando - 40 minutes
Universal Studios - 45 minutes
Walt Disney World - 60 minutes
Cocoa Beach Pier - 35 minutes
Orlando International Airport - 40 minutes
Pricing
All of their rides are one hour but pricing can fluctuate based on how many people and if you do a private ride or just purchase a few seats.
One Hour Airboat Ride:
Adults (13+): $49.77 plus tax
Children (2-12): $42.25 plus tax
Children (1yr old and under): FREE
Private Boat Tours (1 Hour):
Groups of up to 6 people is $375 plus tax
Groups of 7 or more: $62.50 per person plus tax
They also offer further discounts for groups of 15 or more.
It is highly recommended that guests make reservations. We waited until the morning of and had to go later in the day than we wanted because that was the only availability left.
The Airboats
The Airboats at Midway are custom built and U.S. Coast Guard Inspected and Certified. They seat up to 10 passengers plus the captain arranged in a stadium seating setup meaning the front seats are lower and each row sits higher than the one in front of it. There are no seatbelts but I sat on the end and never felt like I was sliding in the seat or that I was going to fall overboard.
The airboat captains are U.S. Coast Guard Master Captains and are very knowledgeable about the local area, wildlife, and even some history.
The motors on the boats are quite powerful and loud so each passenger is given a one-way headset meaning you can hear the captain but guests don’t have a microphone boom to talk back. We stopped a few times during the tour to view the wildlife and ask questions. Guests can control the volume on their headset using a small knob on the side.
Two of the Midway Airboats
The Headset we wore to hear the guide.
Our ride for the tour.
Our Experience
While waiting for our tour to begin on the deck overlooking the docks, they came by and gave everyone a five minute notice so folks could hit the restroom before we headed out. The staff then called each party down to the dock and showed them where they would be sitting on the boat. After a quick safety briefing by the captain, we were on our way.
Quick tip, they asked everyone to remove their hats as they could fly off. I highly recommend sunglasses because not only was the sun bright, but the glare from the water just added to it. I wore mine the entire ride and never felt like they were going to fly off.
During our roughly one hour boat ride, we saw plenty of alligators of various sizes, some of which were massive, including one that circled the boat a few times and came with a few feet of the hull. A vast majority of them were sitting on the banks of the river. For these, the captain was able to get within 10 feet or so and spin the boat slowly so passengers on both sides could get a close up view. We were also lucky enough to see two bald eagles
There were a few times during our trip when the captain really opened it up and we did some cruising along the river and around some tight turns. During one of our stops, the captain mentioned our fully loaded boat could go close to 40 mph and empty it could reach 60 mph.
The captain also stopped next to Paw Paw Indian Mound which is a raised piece of ground that was used by American Indians. To this day, people still find arrowheads, shards of pottery, and other fossils at the site. It is one of the highest points on the river in the area with parts of it staying above water even during Hurricane Ian in the fall of 2022.
Once the boat tour is done, guests were given a chance to hold an alligator. They feel very different than I imagined.
Paw Paw Island
You can hold an Alligator after the tour.
Porkchop just roams the area.
Our Thoughts
There are plenty of alligators throughout Florida and in just about every body of water, even in neighborhoods. I have also seen plenty of larger gators on golf courses. However, they were not as big as the ones we saw on the airboat tour and if you really want to experience Florida wildlife in their natural habitat, there aren’t many better ways than an airboat ride. For those in the Central Florida area, Midway Airboat Rides is a great way to experience this. They were professional, safe, very knowledgeable, and we would highly recommend them.
