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Submission
Experience one of the last untouched pieces of Florida wilderness at Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo – an authentic Florida dude ranch that lies just one hour South of Orlando in Polk County, FL – where guests can return to the days of "Old Florida" when the state was home to cowboys and cattle ranchers. The Ranch, which lies on 1,700 acres overlooking the scenic Kissimmee River, completed a multi-million dollar renovation in October 2013 and features horseback riding, an award-winning Saturday night rodeo and much more. It's the ideal destination for an unforgettable family vacation getaway!
From jct US 27 & Hwy 60: Go 27 mi E on Hwy 60, then 3 mi S on River Ranch Blvd.
This could have been an easy 5-star review. The farm/location is great, offering many activities for kids. However, the staff was terrible, constantly instructing us not to sit on the grass or in common areas, creating a hostile atmosphere. Our group of four families with approximately ten kids felt unwelcome. We were sold expensive firewood for $120, only to be told fires were restricted to a distant marina area, a 4-minute drive from our rooms, and we couldn't return the wood. Despite being informed of a BBQ area near the rooms, we discovered it's only available in specific rooms or in a less desirable location by the marina parking lot, surrounded by trash.
Additionally, the resort fees didn't cover much, as almost every activity incurred extra costs, including access to the basic farm area, which was $25 per adult and $20 per child. For a family of four, this meant $100 just to use the playground, inclusive of taxes.
The rooms, priced at $200 per night after fees and taxes, were satisfactory but lacked amenities like a BBQ area or fire pit. We were relegated to sitting on the grass near the parking lot. Given these restrictions, one might consider staying elsewhere unless willing to pay $700 per night for a "luxury" tent to fully enjoy the natural setting.
The petting farm was a highlight, yet it was understaffed, and feeding the animals wasn't an option.
I won't be returning and find this experience to be of extremely low value for money. I do not recommend this farm to families seeking a camping experience in nature.
We had a great time at Westgate River Ranch! The staff is super friendly and helpful. We did airboat, swamp buggy, horse riding, petting zoo, skeet shooting and the Saturday night Rodeo and would recommend to everyone. Great escape from the city! We've gone for years and this year the food was the best it has ever been. They have raised the bar as everything we ate was delicious.
Immaculately kept. Beautiful country surroundings with a dude ranch atmosphere. Huge pool that is heated in winter! The staff couldn’t be nicer. Great place to ride bikes. We took a 17 mile ride along the river without ever having to ride on public street. Of course being a dude ranch there’s a rodeo every Saturday, beautiful horses everywhere you look, cattle, a petting zoo, multiple restaurants, lots for children to do and even a stocked fishing pond. We stayed a month and will come back next winter!
We went for Thanksgiving break. The grounds have a lot of fun things for kids. My son enjoyed being able to bike, fish, see the animals, and play in the adventure park (especially the climbing wall). The pool was heated and had a hot tub we enjoyed. It was nice to have the general store and little shops. We had a little trouble with getting lunch due to limited staff and it happened to be the only place open that day. We were able to get stuff to make lunch from the general store. I spoke with the food and service manager named Cabot and he more than made up for the inconvenience at dinner. It was very refreshing to have someone care about customer satisfaction and service. We had an excellent server named Debbie who was very attentive and sweet. Overall, we had a wonderful time and next time would just come with snacks in case of any snags in plans. We understand staffing has been problems on many of our recent trips all over the place. It was decorated very nicely for the holidays as well :)
Gorgeous farm! Accommodation and open-air eating was pet friendly. Horseback riding and air boat rides were fantastic. It felt like if a theme park had a countryside and cowboy show! Outstanding customer service across the entirety.
