A New Animal Experience Is Coming To Orlando

If you love animals, we would bet you’ve visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as other experiences in and around Orlando like Gatorland. But a new animal-themed attraction will be headed to the city soon.

Sloth World will soon make its debut in Orlando to give you an up close and personal look at what could be one of the slowest (albeit cutest) animals in existence. However, some have concerns about the new location.

Sloth World will open its doors in February 2026 and will be the first slotharium in the world. Sloth World will have over 40 sloths and give visitors a chance to observe sloths in their tropical world. The exhibit is conservation-oriented and educational, so you won’t just see these adorably slow creatures, but you will also learn more about them.

You’ll be able to see sloths in their natural environment while a specialized guide walks you through their home and tells you more about them. “We want guests to feel like they’ve stepped into the sloths’ world—not the other way around,” Pete Bandre, vice president of Sloth World, said to Click Orlando. “There are no cages or barriers—you step right into their environment. It’s peaceful, natural, and unlike anything else. We want every visitor to walk out with a deeper understanding of how extraordinary these animals are, why their protection matters, and how simple actions can help support sloth populations around the world.”

Each tour of Sloth World requires a ticket and will occur in small groups. Pre-Sale VIP tickets are available now on the Sloth World website for $49 per person and include priority first access booking and a guided tour by a sloth expert. While it does sound like an exciting new entertainment option, there are a few reasons to pause before buying your tickets. 

According to The Sloth Conservation Foundation, they have spoken with Sloth World’s management over concerns regarding where the animals came from and how they are being treated at the new location. The foundation evaluated the project “through the lens of 17 years of scientific and field experience working with wild sloths,” and they detailed concerning finds.

The new location is a 7,500-square-foot indoor exhibit, and Sloth World mentions 40 different animals coming to the facility, but then other sections of the website mention that the exhibit can house up to 65 animals. It is still a no-touch facility, so the conservation foundation states that “these elements align with growing public awareness that direct handling and close contact, common in many sloth encounter experiences where people can hold or hug sloths, can be stressful for wild animals.” Another concern is the number of animals at the facility.

The conservation foundation also details that the most concerning part of the facility is that wild-caught sloths can be a problem. They detail that sloths rely on ultra-specific diets, microclimates, and canopy structures that can help them regulate temperature and stress. The mortality rates for sloths in captivity have been historically high, especially for 3-fingered sloths. Sloth World has detailed that they have pale-throated sloths acquired from Guyana, which have 3 fingers. There is also no reported success for the breeding of 3 fingered sloths in U.S. facilities, according to the foundation.

The conservation foundation also points out that, despite working with conservation organizations, it is important to remember that the sloths were taken out of the wild for commercial display. Dr. Rebecca Cliffe, The Sloth Conservation Foundation, said, “Supporting rescue centers does not change the fact that sloths were taken from the wild for exhibition. There is no conservation justification in 2026 for removing wild sloths from tropical forests to populate a commercial attraction.”

She continues to say, “Ultimately, the question we all have to ask is whether these actions truly benefit the animals themselves, or whether they primarily benefit people. For sloths, especially wild-caught three-fingered sloths, it is difficult to argue that captivity serves their interests.”  We will be sure to keep an eye on the new location and see if the facility responds to the concerns from the foundation.  Check back with AllEars again soon for more.

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What do you think? Do you want to visit Sloth World? Let us know in the comments!

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