KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Reptile lovers are getting the chance to get up close and personal to their favorite animals at Repticon in Kissimmee this weekend with some changes underway to keep everyone safe during the coronavirus pandemic.


What You Need To Know

  • Repticon event continues this weekend in Kissimmee

  • Event organizers taking steps to keep visitors safe

  • More Coronavirus headlines

Organizers said visitors can buy tickets for a two-hour window to allow for social distancing, just one of the steps they're taking to keep everyone safe.​

"Wider aisles, safer distances, these blocks of time give us the vendors a chance to disinfect our areas, clean everywhere we need to so we're trying to make. a really good, safe environment," Scott Wisneski with Family Reptiles of Lakeland, a Repticon sponsor, said.

Customers can also talk to breeders, but everyone has to have a mask on when in the venue.

"Lots of cool stuff for the experienced people and for the newbies, we have a little bit of everything," Wisneski said.

Reptile lovers we met said they felt safe while trying to find new critters for their home.

"I think everyone did a good job of respecting each other and keeping a good distance," they said.

While you can normally explore for the whole day at Repticon, organizers said safety changes were necessary.

"Learning something new, holding a new animal for the first time, this is what it's all about," Wisneski said.

The Repticon event continues Sunday at the Osceola Heritage Park Events Center in Kissimmee from 9 to 4 p.m.​

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