Wow!!!...SO fun!!! No joke. We had such a great time...that hour (which I thought would be long) went SO fast. We took the whole family (to include my wife's 92 year old grandpa)...he had a blast!! What a blessing. Very nice and professional crew. Safety first!...and every maneuver and location was perfectly picked and executed. We could have been there all night!...we got there just before sun down and it really was priceless. read more

Big Toho Airboat Rides - Tours Near Me - Kissimmee, Florida

If zero stars were an option I would give it a zero. This was the worst business ever. You have to meet at a gas station and follow the guy to where his boat is- He was 20 mins late. We get to. The boat - it won't start for 20 mins he strips wires and hammers on the engine. The whole time he was working on the engine he was telling us what a bit@$ his neighbor is. Then we head out and we turn around and head back because he forgot to put any gas in the boat. We head out again and crash into the reeds dead because we threw a belt. He fixed the belt and we went three feet and died again - this went on for another 45 minutes. Then we went 20 feet and "the alternator twisted". Another 40 mins and 5 startups and stops. We threw another belt. He stood there cussing up a storm and beating on everything with a wrench. He asked everyone if they would be ok coming back tomorrow. Most people said no (because he was crazy and his boat was junk). Then suddenly the boat started up and ran fine. He drove around the lake once pointed out nothing and then had the nerve to ask for tips when he was done. Below are the pictures of his handiwork. This was the boat in "running order". read more

Just finished our airboat! Made an appointment with Tom and our captain Joe gave us a tour around tohopekia(something) lake. It was my BF and I first airboat ride and it was amazing!!! We came from California so seeing things especially alligator not in a cage and in its natural habitat was AWeSOMe!!! View: amazing natural beauty, only bad thing is you see some human trash here and there... :( wish people stop littering !!! We saw alligators big one!!! Like 6 feet long ! Not in a cage... It was amazing and scary at the same time. The weather was perfect. We went at 11 am not too hot or cold. The breeze felt amazing /) Overall I really enjoy it. If this is your first time, I recommend this adventure, you won't forget the memories from what you see. Joe is nice and friendly, it's hard to hear him though since the airboat is on and a lot of sound I don't recommend wearing hat... It might get blow away when on the ride because it goes pretty fast. Make sure to tip your captain :) You get to hold and take a picture with an alligator at the end read more

Big Toho Airboat Rides - Spoiler alert!!! What do you see?!?!?! - Tours Near Me - Kissimmee, Florida

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Folks, we didn't even get on the air boat ride with this company and here's why ..... There was a simple misunderstanding based on Groupon sales. While trying to resolve it in a timely way so as not to delay the boat tour for all registered guests, the captain of the boat became volatile and ask to 'take it outside' all while reaching into his pocket for a knife. Think twice before getting on a boat with this man. Think road rage on the water. How safe would you feel? We opted to walk away and can only hope those who took the ride today, return unharmed. If it were possible to give this a less than zero stars I would. read more

Captain Works For Tips. As others have pointed out, the logistics of meeting Captain Brent is a little weird. You meet at the Chevron gas station, then follow his giant truck, complete with Trump-Pence bumper sticker to the airboat. The property was an airstrip, with old crumbling planes - interesting. A little research yields the info that this was probably an old "fishing camp" at one time, with air access. I did have a Groupon - as others have said - there is no mention of a time restriction on the actual Groupon - you only find that out when you call Captain Brent. The time was OK for us. Captain Brent did ask for a credit card for a "cancellation fee". I attempted to point out to Captain Brent that since the ride was paid in full, and in advance, a "cancellation fee" would be redundant. This logic didn't really resonate with Brent, and I did not give him a credit card number. As we finally boarded the airboat, Brent did point out in no uncertain terms: Captain Works For Tips. As other have mentioned, the airboat itself kept dying, but always started up again. That was part of the excitement! You get to see a LOT of gators, and cool scenery, moss draped trees. Captain Brent looks and acts like a character right out of Disney central casting, complete with giant gator tooth necklace. Isn't that why you go on an airboat ride in Florida? My son and daughter-in-law, from Denver, wanted to experience "the swamp" in Florida, and this fits the bill. read more

Big Toho Airboat Rides - Captain Works For Tips - Tours Near Me - Kissimmee, Florida

I've been on several airboat rides.. This one was almost unbelievable! The website lead me to think this was a reputable business! Wrong! We took family from out of town who have never been on a airboat. We started wondering when we had to meet the guide at a shell gas station... We then followed for a few miles to a field with old airplanes, going thru a locked gate to a airboat pulled up on the grass. We proceeded on the airboat and had to watch our guide start an argument with another airboat in his 'territory'.. Our guide sped up & stopped fast to not only rock their airboat, but other innocent fishermen. He continued to complain to us the entire ride about other business airboats in his area... This ride on a lake with a swamp in the middle. We seen only 3 alligators! We could not hear him talk when he was trying to tell us about an alligator sighting until he stopped. The other airboats had ear protection with microphones so they could hear and talk to their guide.. Airboats are noisy. Our family did enjoy it but we did not. I would recommend you find a reputable company. read more

Big Toho Airboat Rides - Tours Near Me - Kissimmee, Florida

Called to make a reservation after finding a Groupon deal. We had 4 people and wanted to use 2 groupons for it. Who ever I talked to on the phone was extremely rude and thought we were trying to scam them into using more than 1 groupon. The Groupon price was 69$ for 2 people, The original price was 76$ for 2 people. He basically told us he didn't want our business over a 14$ dispute. read more

I was skeptical about this airboat ride because of how it was planned out. They wait you to meet at a gas station, then follow them to the airboat site the. They said the credit machine didn't work so they only took cash. Anyway I had a ball lol. The airboat ride was over an hour long and had all kind of fun surprises along the way. He even lets you hold a baby gator. I would recommend, just be mindful it's legit just confusing lol in planning. read more

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Great fun!! A bit out the way... but once you're there it's fun. Boat capt a bit cookie but all in good fun... def will go again. read more

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This was so much fun! Captain Bret gave us enough info but not too much. The view of the swamp is breathtaking. My kids loved holding the gator at the end of the ride. We will be back next time we are in Fl. read more

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We paid online, when we called tgey said they were booked up. We made a reservation for the next day, they called and cancled. I called to make a reservation with a different company. What I found out is this company is not even licensed to do business. I would stay away from thus company. read more

Looking for a local activity and decided on Airboat Rides. After making reservations I decided to check reviews (shame on me). Was told to meet at local gas station. This seemed unprofessional, but it was explained that it was easier to follow the operator than trying to locate the place on our own. (Side note: it's advertised this is a local business but it takes about 30 minutes to arrive at actual site) Once on site, the boat had trouble starting. It died a few times once we got started. I had to have them drop my wife and daughter back on shore because it was too scary for them. Once we were up and running, it was a blast. Saw all kinds of alligators and other wildlife. The captain was a nice guy. I'd recommend this company if you're not spooked easy by a slight unprofessional feel. Felt like a good ol' boy taking some friends to see them some gators! read more

The tour was very enjoyable and my hubby and I had a great time. Saw a several baby gators and few big gators but the biggest one was a 14 footer! The guide and his wife were very friendly. The only thing I thought was a little weird was that they had us meet at a gas station instead of a more official place and they were running behind meeting everyone and getting the tour running. But like I said, the tour was great! read more

Probably the worst vacation experience I have ever dealt with. Purchased 3, 1 hour tour boat rides via Groupon several weeks before leaving for vacation. Tried to confirm and set reservation multiple times before leaving for vacation. Left several voice mails. No one ever picked up the phone, nor called back to set my reservation. Starting the first day of vacation, I called 3 times, left 3 voice mails, NEVER got a call back. Got an email from Captain Brent with a message to call the same number for reservation. Waited a few days to call back again. Had other vacation events going so really had no time to call back. Finally called back on our 4 day in town. Again, no one picked up the phone and left 2 more voice mails. No one called back. SURPRISE SURPRISE! So, I responded to the email. Finally, at approximately 2:30pm "Ally" called me back. But only one reservation was available at 3pm the next day. Took the reservation time slot. Needed my credit card number to reserve time slot, which I was not real happy with, but she said I couldn't reserve the time slot without the credit card. She said it was to ensure we did not cancel. 24 hour cancellation policy with a $25/guest no show fee. So basically, I had 30 minutes to cancel or get charges $25/guest. BS!! Also, we were required to be at pick up location at 2:30pm. At 1:34pm the day of the your boat ride, someone from the office called. However, no voicemail was left. I called back about 15 minutes later. NO ANSWER AGAIN! Left another voicemail to confirm my reservation. Drove to the location, arrived 20 minutes early. Called AGAIN! No answer AGAIN! Left another voicemail confirming my party was at the pick up location... and waited...... At 2:30pm, I began calling back to see what the story was for our boat ride. 5 calls by me and 4 by my other guest.. Still NO ANSWER!! Finally, at 2:40 "Captain Brent" picked up the phone. Said he is the owner and apologized. He said the boat was non-operable. He apologized but said someone from the office was supposed to call me. I explained that I did get a call but no voicemail. He again apologized. But unfortunately there was nothing he could do for our reservation today. Guess we are SOL. I cannot imagine how any business could survive let alone thrive with this type of customer service. Only got the 1 star because of Captain Brent's apology. How does anyone run a business from a voicemail box?? read more

This was the most horrendous experience we have ever had! 5 minutes after boarding the airboat the captain began a safety speech and mainly insulted the town of Kissimmee for trying to keep him from running his business. He then ended with the fact that we should TIP him because he likes to drink. Once we began to move we broke down 10 min into the tour!!!! We sat there for 1 and a half hours before he was able to start the boat again! We baked in the hot sun for the entire time then he gave us a 15 minute ride into the marsh and he took us BACK! He never even offered us at least 1/2 the money back nothing !!! Nothing at all not even a bottle of water to quench our thirst!!! Don't give this man your money! Go somewhere else! Save yourselves!!! I have been on airboat rides with other companies before and never ever experienced this horror!!! Stay away!!!!! read more

After this company ruined 2 days of our vacation, we cancelled. They called the evening before our first appointment to notify me that they had to cancel the appointment that I could reschedule for later in the week. So I called back and rescheduled. The morning of the second appointment they called to push back my appointment an hour. On the way to the second appointment, they called again to push it back 4 more hours. We had activities planned each day causing a little chaos rescheduling everything. Especially when other companies charge for rescheduling. Don't bother with this company, they are a waste of precious time. read more

We loved it and will be back again. Nothing fancy but we seen some gators, birds and bald eagle. Very cool. Our captain was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions.... and I had a lot of them. At first I thought odd to meet at gas station and follow him, but once we got there I'm like oh now I get it.... fenced area that needed to be unlocked as you pull up to lake area was so great, we were greeted by a couple goats and a horse!! My husband is somewhat handicapped and he was able to get on boat easy enough. We live in the area and will be going again when guests come to visit. Thanks for the great adventure!!! read more

My family and I had a very negative experience with this company. If you want a good airboat experience I would suggest doing more research and paying a bit more for better service. read more

We decided to go Airboating when we were in Orlando on April 25th. I was a little off b/c we had to meet at a Chevron Gas Station and then drive a couple of miles out to the lake. Being from Chicago, I knew what to expect but nothing like this. The road to the field was marked as a Dead End road and the field was an old airport of some sort with old airplanes in the field. Makes you feel like your living a horror movie in real life. After getting over the shock of the start of this journey, the rest of the journey turned out not so bad. Captain Bret and his wife took us out on the lake where he was very knowledgeable. He told us everything about 'gators' and the area they live in. We saw a bunch of baby gators and their mama and also got a glimpse of a 8 foot gator in the middle of the lake. Before this, I never was on a Airboat so this experience was great for me. Captain Bret even extended our tour by 15min which was a treat. Got some great videos and photos from it. Definitely would recommend but just get use to they way they handle business...not big city way but country way! read more

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Never again would I take a trip with this company. Take your business elsewhere. The captain/owner was one of the rudest individuals I ever met. I had to ask for him to apologize for screaming at me and my friend. We called when we knew we would be late due to traffic. Apparently, you are supposed to meet at a gas station for the tour, but we did not know this. We circled around a couple of times since their sign was not visible. I also find it highly disturbing that a child approximately 5 years old was not put into a life vest I do not feel that this is a safe company to do business with. We apologized to the group for being late, and other people in the group had the same problem finding the location to meet up. Once at the boating area, again, the captain began berating us in front of everyone. We had an expired Groupon voucher, but it still holds value. I did call the office wanting to pay the minor difference in cost. I was not asked to do so. All I wanted was an apology from the captain for his behavior, while I got an apology, it was filled with excuses about his day. I accepted his apology, but I feel it is best to use another reputable company. Also, the captain said he should be tipped so he could have beer money. I found the trip to be a huge disappointment. Other passengers came to see if we were okay after being treated so poorly by the captain. We were the last trip of the day. The way the captain stated to me that we were holding up future rides for the day can't be true if we were the last trip. It was 100° outside and they pulled a baby gator out of a bag for pictures. I felt sorry for the animal to be locked up in such high heat. Just choose another company and you will have a better experience than we did. Any grown man who will belittle and berate his clientele is not someone to do business with. His office staff was apologetic for his behavior and asked how they could make it right. All I wanted was an apology. Little did I know that his apology really had no meaning behind it. read more

I've lived in Orlando for a few years and had yet to go on an airboat ride so I did with my family and girlfriend. There were a lot of Airboat options in the Orlando area with most being in the Kissimmee area or Oviedo. I went with Big Toho simply because it was the cheapest available option. First, the GroupOn only applies to certain times during the day, which is not explicitly stated on GroupOn. Second, I made a reservation over the phone and they asked me to move it an hour later in the day, which was okay but when I arrived at the location, which is a Chevron gas station by the way, they told me the airboat wouldn't be ready for another 40minutes. The airboat ride itself was really nice and the captain did a great job of spotting all the gators. You also got to hold a baby gator as well. Meeting at the gas station and waiting for the call was a bit of a hassle. It makes sense to direct people to the airboat location on the lake but supposedly they've had problems with people finding it. Airboat experience was great but the logistics surrounding it were a bit of a hassle to deal with. read more

Just tried to make reservations after purchasing a Groupon for an airboat ride. EXTREMELY RUDE! Had purchased a Groupon for a friend as well as ours. Was making reservations for my husband and I and basically was told if the other person comes and tries to use her Groupon that they would get in trouble from Groupon! Total BS! read more

Do not use this company. They showed up 45 minutes late. Instead of apologizing and getting us going on our trip the gentleman was in slow motion and cranky. Do yourself a favor and use a different company. read more

This is a complete scam of a company. Our first trip we found out was cancelled by me calling the day before to verify- and that was due to a voicemail on their machine. Second time we tried going they called as we were in route and cancelled due to mechanical issues. Third time we drove the 45 minutes to meet at a gas station. Jamie does show up but tells us and two other groups that they are having mechanical issues again. After telling me to email her for a refund, no surprise after 2 emails I've heard nothing back. Don't waste your money. read more

The word shady doesn't even begin to explain this so called "business" First me and my wife purchased a groupon for them. Only after in the fine print did we see one per party. We intended to just see if they would let us pay the difference on top of the Groupon amount we had already paid but asking them for such a thing was the ultimate blasphemy to them. The day before i called to find out what the rate would be for everyone and book a reservation for us as and some other extended family and were quoted $37 for adult and $32 for kids. We arrived the next morning at an old gas station where he meets everyone and collects payment from a mobile device. I said 2 adults 1 kid and he said it didn't matter if you were an adult or kid same rate (no pricing consistency). By the way there is no logos or anything official in this old gas station he has us meet him at, or on the captain or at the site that indicates they are legally running a business from it. They must pay the gas station owner under the table to pretend they have a business location. We came in 2 separate parties. 2 different families. The "captain" told us no way he would take more then 1 groupon and became extremely irritated at the prospect of us using more then 1 groupon and wouldn't even give us a coherent answer to any questions we had he just said he is already giving us"half off" on our rate to which I said how are you giving us half off our rate. That same rate is posted online on the website as a standard rate. He was visibly very angry with us and had nothing to say for that question. 0 empathy that we had already shelled out $50 bucks on groupon nor flexibility and just threw his hands up in the air and said call groupon. We were shocked at the complete lack of empathy and rudeness he was presenting and made us feel like we were completely putting him out even talking to us. But, even after this we agreed to just use the "1" groupon from the other party out of 10 people present and call it a loss and try to enjoy our morning. After this (trying to move on) we are driving to the lake location and this "captain" calls the owner Brent on the way and potty mouthed us for trying to use more then 1 groupon. Then Brent the owner proceeds to call me and right off the bat is screaming at me calling me a crook and said you never said you were going to use a groupon to which I said the Groupon only said we needed to call and schedule a reservation ahead of time to which we did. He had nothing to say to that receipt He said we don't even allow use of a groupon at the 9 am time we reserved which I said it doesn't say that anywhere on the Groupon and we had no idea of all their made up groupon rules and your captain never said that when he collected payment. When I called out the capt out on that he just said ugh ugh I was half asleep at the wheel. Then Brent eventually hangs up on me after I told him how unprofessional he is being and that I've never witnessed such shoddy rude unprofessionalism in my life. Then as we are following the captain to the lake he stops at the gate where they let us into this plane graveyard where the boat is and he is just sitting in his car not opening the gate so we can drive in. After Brent hung up on me I got out of my car and said are we doing this and the capt just sat in his car and started talking about getting MORE money out of us. Trying to shake us down. Could not believe it! After we saw the operation, trying to extort more money out of us at the gate, the way their captain treated us, their owner calling to accuse me of being a crook and hanging up on me, we decided it was no longer safe to bring our children onto their boat and left. I called the owner back and his wife answered. She was unwilling to let me talk to Brent (but I could hear him cussing me out in the background on speaker phone while I talked to her) she was not willing to refund us and even said I'm not intelligent enough to use groupon. she eventually hung up on me too. All of this because a $10 difference on groupon for 1 ticket! Most good reviews they get must be from their friends or family as most reviews are local kissime fb accounts. We even saw a review the owners wife made from her daughter's fb acct. The daughter clarified later on that her mother posted that in her behalf. I do not understand how anyone could have a good experience with these con artist scammers. STAY AWAY AT ALL COST!! read more

My wife and I called to book reservations for their 1 hour excursion. We were instructed to meet at a gas station nearby the place. We called the company 10 min past the time we were supposed to meet a guide and a 40 min drive, only to be told the boat was broken. It is understandable that things happen however it is unprofessional to not reach out to your guests. read more

It did seem a little odd to meet at a gas station but I promise it was worth it! Captain Bret did a great job! He was extremely knowledgeable of the area and the habitat. The experience was great for not only our kids but the adults too! We good our 8 year old and our 3 year old and they loved it! Especially getting to hold a gator at the end. Bret was great with the kids and even got them a 'sea shell' (snail shell) at the end. Thanks for everything... truly a wonderful experience. read more

Very accommodating to our large group of 12. It was an extremely hot afternoon but airboat was refreshing and we were all comfortable. Guide was knowledgable and friendly. We didn't see any large gators but plenty of small ones along with beautiful birds, turtles, and amazing cypress trees. Would definitely come back and use them again. read more