san diego zoo vs s.d. zoo safari park??

[sitkamom]

We only have one day to do san diego and will likely do it via a bus tour. Which do people tend to enjoy more--the zoo or the safari park? Will be one adult and one ten yr old girl. Can anyone share their experiences or input?

Thanks!

 

[llump41]

Zoo!!!! It's the original and you won't be disappointed. Pandas, new baby hippo, up close with elephants....... Safari Park is good and if you had a couple of days i would recommend it. But with only 1 day do the Zoo.

 

[Jedana]

We did both back in 2007.
The zoo is huge, but it's a typical zoo. Just big and lots of variety.
The animal park is big, more natural. Lots of hills--bad for my knees.

Both were fun, Dh and DS preferred the park, I preferred the zoo (some hills, but they were easier to navigate).

 

[katesorad]

The Safari Park would be my choice. The zoo is cool, but it's just a zoo. At the Safari Park, you'll be able to see animals in more of a natural habitat than at the zoo. It's very cool. There is also a lot of further paid options. You can zipline (they have the longest zipline in the continental United States) for $70 per person.. and my absolute favorite is the Photo Caravan Safari. VERY amazing. You get the chance to feed rhinos and giraffes! It's very cool.

Here's a photo of me from feeding a rhino just last weekend at the Safari Park! It was very cool.

 

[sonnyjane]

Hi ya! I work at the zoo, but I'm not entirely biased because I love the Safari Park also, they are just totally different feels. Here are some facts:

-Both are VERY large and require tons of walking.

- Parking at the zoo is free, parking at the Safari Park is $10.

-The Safari Park has a tram that takes you through some of the exhibits, making you feel like you're on a safari (duh), while the zoo has a bus tour that covers about 70% of the animals. Both are included with regular admission.

-The park focuses more on African animals, whereas the zoo has tons of other animals too (for example polar bears, koalas, camels, kangaroos, pandas, and other types of bears are only found at the zoo). Basically the zoo has many more types of animals whereas the park just has large numbers of the same animals living as herds in the "open".

- The park has some baby cheetahs I believe, and the zoo right now has a baby hippo, baby giraffe (less than 4 weeks old!), baby capybara, baby takin, and a few other random babies around.

Either place is great and takes a full day to explore, so just to commit to one and enjoy!

 

[sitkamom]

It's why I love this board--thanks for everyone's input!