Richard Glover, CEO, Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens

In an interview with Invest:, Richard Glover, CEO of the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, outlined how the institution is navigating a softer attractions market while investing in guest experience, conservation, and inclusion. “We’re real serious about being the place where everyone can feel safe, valued, and welcome,” Glover assured.

How would you describe the past year for the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens?

Over the past year, we have faced the same headwinds affecting attractions across the country as people grow more cautious with their discretionary spending. One of our audience segments is guests who simply buy their tickets and do not spend much on food, retail or add-on experiences. That more price-sensitive group essentially disappeared in May 2025, so overall attendance dipped even as our per-capita spending rose.

The visitors who are coming today tend to feel more secure in their finances. They are still looking for experiences, and they are spending in the gift shop and on food and beverage when they visit. Our signature events have been especially important in stabilizing performance. The Asian Lantern Festival and our family-friendly Halloween event, Zoo Boo Bash, generate strong attendance and help buoy visitor numbers when daytime visitation is below the prior year.

In the context of the broader Orlando market, we feel relatively fortunate. A big part of that is our positioning as a value attraction. On a peak day, the highest adult ticket price is $26.95. You can bring a family of four here for roughly the cost of sending one person to a major theme park for the day. That price point has helped us retain visitors and likely attracted guests trading down from higher-priced options. 

Looking ahead, we are planning with realistic expectations and assuming attendance will remain somewhat soft, so our focus is on value, a strong events calendar and flexibility.

What upgrades or new programs have had the most meaningful impact on the visitor experience, especially as your audience mix changes?

We are celebrating 50 years on our current site, which means we are operating a mature physical plant that was not designed with today’s technology or expectations in mind. One of the most visible changes we made this past year was the introduction of a virtual reality experience in August 2025. For a zoo that historically has not leaned heavily on technology, that is a significant evolution. The VR component allows guests to immerse themselves in five- to eight-minute films featuring mountain gorillas, sharks and other species, each with a conservation message that aligns directly with our mission while offering a fresh way to engage visitors and create the memorable experiences people are looking for.

We are also working on expanding opportunities for direct interaction with animals. Those programs take time to design appropriately from an animal-welfare perspective, but you will see more of them as we move forward.

Equally important has been investing in our people. We brought in a guest-experience expert who has trained teams at Disney and other major attractions to work with our staff and with the third-party operator that runs our food, beverage, retail and ticketing. We wanted everyone who touches the guest experience to share a common language and standard, whether they are selling a ticket, serving a meal or answering a question. Research shows that what most strongly influences satisfaction at an attraction is the quality of the interaction with staff.

I see that personally when I walk the zoo. If I spot a family at the cheetah habitat, I will often stop and say, “Did you know their names are Cheeto and Frito?” and share a little bit about them. Those small, unscripted moments, multiplied across our team and volunteers, are what make people feel welcome and special. That is why so much of our focus on enhancing the visitor experience is directed toward our people, not just our exhibits.

How are you adapting operations and the guest experience to stay ahead of guest expectations?

A major foundation of our approach is accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. There are thousands of facilities licensed to hold animals in the United States, but only a few hundred have AZA accreditation, and we have maintained that accreditation for nearly 40 consecutive years. It is the gold standard for animal care, welfare and conservation and holds us to a significantly higher bar than basic state or federal requirements.

Practically, that means our habitats meet and exceed Florida and USDA requirements, and our teams provide daily enrichment for the animals. Enrichment can be as simple as moving straw from one exhibit to another so an animal can explore a new scent, spraying a fragrance in a particular area or scattering food to encourage foraging behavior. The goal is to replicate natural behaviors and give animals a stimulating, species-appropriate life in human care.

Modern accredited zoos are also deeply embedded in cooperative breeding programs for species that are endangered or vulnerable. Most of our animals come from other AZA institutions, not from the wild. They are part of carefully managed populations designed to preserve genetic diversity so that, if species disappear in nature, there is a viable group in human care that can support reintroduction. Our Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation in Eustis, about 30 miles from the main zoo, is the only facility in the country dedicated to breeding and raising Eastern indigo snakes for release back into their native habitats in the Southeast.

Education is the other pillar. In Seminole County, we are by far the largest provider of informal education, serving more than 40,000 students of all ages each year through on-site programs and outreach. Many of those students do not thrive in traditional classrooms. When you put them in an environment where they can connect science and math to real animals and real conservation outcomes, it can turn on a light that changes their trajectory and future opportunities.

What steps are you taking to better serve diverse communities?

We see inclusion as central to our mission. As a zoo, we are one of the only places in a community where people from all backgrounds are able to feel welcome and safe. Our Sunset at the Zoo series is a clear expression of that. Each summer, we host evening events that celebrate different communities, with programming and partners tailored to them. Those nights send a message that these communities are not just tolerated but invited, seen and valued.

We are pairing that with a deeper focus on sensory-inclusive and accessible experiences. At this year’s Asian Lantern Festival, for example, we scheduled two sensory-friendly nights. On those evenings there is no music, lights that normally flash are static, and we have made adjustments based on walkthroughs we conducted with partner organizations that specialize in sensory needs. There are very few holiday events that truly accommodate sensory-sensitive guests, so creating that space matters.

Physical accessibility is another focus area. Much of our campus is built on elevated boardwalks because we are in wetlands. Historically, those walkways were wood and needed frequent replacement. We are systematically converting them to composite materials that are more durable, provide better traction for wheelchairs and mobility devices and are less slippery when wet. Word travels quickly within the disability community, and we now have guests choosing us because they have heard it is a place where their equipment will work and their experience will not be compromised.

What makes all of this powerful is the way the community responds. At one of our Pride-themed Sunset at the Zoo events, for example, a couple chose to spend their wedding night here, and we had families drive in from out of state after seeing the event online. For our team members, including those from the communities we celebrate, it was an emotional moment to see that level of support and belonging. We’re real serious about being the place where everyone can feel safe and valued and welcome, and our inclusion work is one of the clearest ways we live that out.