Arrival: The earlier, the better. We arrived around 10am on a Saturday, and it wasn't super crowded. We had options to take the 12pm and other rides after.
Parking: We found parking to be pretty easy. There was street parking as well as some parking lots (one that was even marked as overflow parking).
Tickets: We ordered tickets online. That process was fairly easy. When we got to the entrance, they just asked for your name to pull up your tickets. You would then purchase your safari tickets there as well.
The Tour: It was self-guided. I read plenty of reviews saying it's a lot of walking. Eh....yes and no. You are walking the whole time, but for me, it was no different than walking the zoo. The only difference is that this place wasn't as big and had benches that weren't all occupied. Then, you got a walking break during the safari. What made this experience much better than the zoo was that it wasn't super crowded and you got to interact with the animals. We got to feed and touch animals (emu, kangaroo, cow, bison, koi fish, crocodiles, and more). It was an experience that we'll never forget.
Safari: The Safari ride was AMAZING!!! Our instructors were nice and awesome and kept us laughing and entertained. ***Make sure to bring animal food on the ride. The safari ride does indeed give you (1) complimentary cup, but you have (3) stops to feed and touch animals on the ride. Trust me when I say it's hard not to interact and run out of your first cup on the first stop. If you have wooden tokens, you can trade them in for food on the ride.
Animal Food: The food at the front is $5.00 or throughout the Preserve, and you'll find areas where you can pay 50 cent for a handful. We opted for the 50 cent food.
Food: There was no actual food for us to eat, but we packed sandwiches, snacks, and drinks and ate after the safari ride. They do have sanitizer throughout the venue, but we still brought our own. Wipes are a good investment as well if sanitizer doesn't make your hands feel really clean.
The Smell: I saw plenty of reviews complaining about the smell. For one, I didn't smell anything out of the ordinary. Animals smell, so I was so confused as to why it was even mentioned. Also, there was no repulsive smell throughout our visit. Please ignore those reviews.
Bathrooms: We actually didn't see any actual restrooms, but there were plenty of porta potty's. We had children, so we used them. They were clean. I'm not sure if it's because they are really sticklers about cleaning, or we went earlier enough where there was no room for people to dirty it up. Anywho, it worked out for us.
Overall: We are already planning to go back! This was a great experience.