San Diego - Zoo & Sea World
Apr 7th, 2004, 03:04 PM
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San Diego - Zoo & Sea World
Hi,
My bf & I (both mid 20's) are going to San Diego in a few weeks. We will be there from Thur April 29th to Mon. May 3rd. We have hotel reservations in Mission Valley, and plan on seeing the Zoo, Wild Animal Park & Sea World.
Just wondering if anybody could share any tips, thoughts on the parks, or good ideas for decent restaurants.
Thanks a bunch!
Amy
My bf & I (both mid 20's) are going to San Diego in a few weeks. We will be there from Thur April 29th to Mon. May 3rd. We have hotel reservations in Mission Valley, and plan on seeing the Zoo, Wild Animal Park & Sea World.
Just wondering if anybody could share any tips, thoughts on the parks, or good ideas for decent restaurants.
Thanks a bunch!
Amy
Apr 7th, 2004, 08:23 PM
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If possible, I would definitly try to hit either of those on a weekday rather than Saturday or Sunday for less crowds. Sea World is fun, won't kill your feet too much. Be prepared for the Zoo though, it's huge and very hilly. I've been there twice and haven't seen everything. Might want to consider the bus to take first and then walk around afterwards. Both give AAA discounts if you have one. You can also buy (at all 3 park ticket locations) a ticket to get into all 3 of the parks with a small discount.
Balboa Park/Museums is excellent. There is bound to be something you'd be interested in seeing there and it's right next to the zoo. Good Mexican food in Old Town, seafood and nice walk along Seaport Village all the way down to the Cruise terminal.
Balboa Park/Museums is excellent. There is bound to be something you'd be interested in seeing there and it's right next to the zoo. Good Mexican food in Old Town, seafood and nice walk along Seaport Village all the way down to the Cruise terminal.
Apr 8th, 2004, 04:27 AM
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Sea World has a water rapids ride. Do not go on this ride until you are ready to exit the park. You will be soaked over every inch of your body. There are some lockers at the entrance to the ride -- be sure to lock up purses, wallets, cameras, and anything that you don't want to get soaked. If it is in the evening after the sun goes down, it will be cold. 
Apr 8th, 2004, 05:11 AM
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I would second taking the zoo tram around first for an overview and to help plan your visit -- there is an immense amount of walking -- and to be honest for not all that much animal viewing. I understand the environmental / moral animal treatment issues, but it was a bit disappointing.
Apr 8th, 2004, 08:46 AM
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at seaworld go see the morning shamu show and then you can go back in the afternoon. it's worth two visits. i got a little wet on the rapids ride but on a hot day, it's rather nice. make sure to go see the manatees. if it is open at night, i'd take a break late afternoon and head down to mission beach for some sand time and a bit to eat (food at sea world is very expensive). it's only a 5 minute drive away.
if it's hot, go to the wild animal park first thing in the morning. i usually find that about 3 hours is enough for that place. there are some wineries on the way if you are into wine tasting.
best parts of the zoo are the polar bears and the hippos. as mentioned, take the bus trip first as you might see areas that you could skip. the restaurant in the zoo is usually really good food (can't remember the name but its the only formal sit down one there.)
if it's hot, go to the wild animal park first thing in the morning. i usually find that about 3 hours is enough for that place. there are some wineries on the way if you are into wine tasting.
best parts of the zoo are the polar bears and the hippos. as mentioned, take the bus trip first as you might see areas that you could skip. the restaurant in the zoo is usually really good food (can't remember the name but its the only formal sit down one there.)
Apr 8th, 2004, 10:03 AM
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Wow, thanks for the great advice, keep it coming. We plan on buying the San Diego 3 for 1 pass, since the 3 attractions are the ones we want to see, and we can break up the days without breaking the bank! 
We might do a morning at one place, then to a beach, etc. Love the food tips too!
We might do a morning at one place, then to a beach, etc. Love the food tips too!
Apr 8th, 2004, 12:04 PM
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You can easily hit Sea World in the morning and afternoon and then take a very short drive over to Mission Beach and watch the sunset, eat dinner, etc...
If you don't like walking around in soaked clothes, don't ride the water ride, it really gets you soaked but it's fun. Another tip for Sea World, get there when it opens and head straight for the Dolphins (to the left when you enter the park). You can lean over and touch tham and feed them fish and it's by far my favorite part of Sea World. You can also feed the Sea Lions. Get to the Dolphins first though for less of a crowd.
If you are interested, I have a bunch of photos from San Diego, Sea World and the Zoo at the link below.
http://community.webshots.com/user/lenleigh
If you don't like walking around in soaked clothes, don't ride the water ride, it really gets you soaked but it's fun. Another tip for Sea World, get there when it opens and head straight for the Dolphins (to the left when you enter the park). You can lean over and touch tham and feed them fish and it's by far my favorite part of Sea World. You can also feed the Sea Lions. Get to the Dolphins first though for less of a crowd.
If you are interested, I have a bunch of photos from San Diego, Sea World and the Zoo at the link below.
http://community.webshots.com/user/lenleigh
Apr 8th, 2004, 04:31 PM
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I work at the San Diego Zoo and would suggest the best time to arrive at the Zoo is at 9 AM when we open. When the weather is cooler the animals are more active. Even before you take the bus tour, I would head straight for the panda exhibit. It is our most popular exhibit right now. We had a baby born Aug 19. He is getting more independent and doing more exploring. We have long lines to see the baby right now.
A shortcut to the panda exhibit is to cross the front plaza, head down Fern Canyon, at the bottom turn left and walk down the hill to the Canyon Cafe - they are right next to the Cafe and Gift Shop.
We do have a lot of hills but you can avoid walking up a single hill by taking the Guided Bus tour, then you can ride the Express Bus which stops at several points around the Zoo.
We do have construction going on, but as you see from several of our exhibits that they are more naturalistic such as Polar Bear Plunge, Gorilla Tropics, Sun Bear Forest and Absolutely Apes. You can see the animals up close. We still have some old exhibits dating back to the 1920's, but eventually they will be replaced.
We do have several places to eat, besides the aforementioned Albert's (named after our gorilla who lived at the Zoo from 1949-1978). The Canyon Cafe has a Mexican menu, the Flamingo Cafe provides deli sandwiches, plus food stands for the basic hamburger,hot dogs, etc.
The Skyfari ride provides an aerial view of the Zoo, and views of Balboa Park and Downtown SD. The Children's Zoo has a petting area and nursery. We have babies born through the year. You never know what you might see.
Enjoy your visit to the Zoo!
A shortcut to the panda exhibit is to cross the front plaza, head down Fern Canyon, at the bottom turn left and walk down the hill to the Canyon Cafe - they are right next to the Cafe and Gift Shop.
We do have a lot of hills but you can avoid walking up a single hill by taking the Guided Bus tour, then you can ride the Express Bus which stops at several points around the Zoo.
We do have construction going on, but as you see from several of our exhibits that they are more naturalistic such as Polar Bear Plunge, Gorilla Tropics, Sun Bear Forest and Absolutely Apes. You can see the animals up close. We still have some old exhibits dating back to the 1920's, but eventually they will be replaced.
We do have several places to eat, besides the aforementioned Albert's (named after our gorilla who lived at the Zoo from 1949-1978). The Canyon Cafe has a Mexican menu, the Flamingo Cafe provides deli sandwiches, plus food stands for the basic hamburger,hot dogs, etc.
The Skyfari ride provides an aerial view of the Zoo, and views of Balboa Park and Downtown SD. The Children's Zoo has a petting area and nursery. We have babies born through the year. You never know what you might see.
Enjoy your visit to the Zoo!
Apr 8th, 2004, 05:27 PM
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Budman, thank you for the nice comments. One of the great parts of my job is being able to meet people from all over the world. We are excited about the changes that are taking place at both the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park. They are putting the finishing touches on a new lion exhibit at the Park in which you will be able to see the lions up close and personal.
The best time to visit the Wild Animal Park is in the spring or the fall. It gets extremely hot in the summer. October is Free Kids month at the Zoo so there will be a lot of kids. Also, the first Monday in October is Founder's Day at the Zoo and admission is FREE. Of course, we are crowded that day so get there early!
The best time to visit the Wild Animal Park is in the spring or the fall. It gets extremely hot in the summer. October is Free Kids month at the Zoo so there will be a lot of kids. Also, the first Monday in October is Founder's Day at the Zoo and admission is FREE. Of course, we are crowded that day so get there early!
Apr 8th, 2004, 08:21 PM
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As far as Seaworld goes, throw in a pair of shorts and a tshirt for the water rides and if you want to sit in the 'soak zone' for the Shamu and dolphin shows. We were at Seaworld in March and that's what my daughter and her friend did. After they were done they jumped back into their regular clothes. Don't miss the R.L. Stine 4-D movie at Seaworld--lots of fun.
Apr 12th, 2004, 08:53 PM
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Thanks so much for the info that you all shared. I appreciate the tips and pointers for the zoo & Sea world. It sure will help to give us a little edge. Thanks for the tip on the Pandas RJ007. In 1988, my family drove from WI to DC for one of my parent's veterans conventions. I remember I wanted to see the pandas really bad at the zoo. My parents took us to the zoo - it was over 100 degrees that day! It was hot the whole time we were there - I remember a Big Boy near the hotel gave free dessert every day it went over 90, and we got free dessert every day! Anyways, the pandas were mating, and they weren't out in the exhibit, you could only see them on video. On our way back, my parents took a detour to the Toledo zoo just so I could see the pandas. We just went in to see the pandas! I have always loved pandas, even decorated my room with them as a child.
Anyways, thanks again everyone!
Anyways, thanks again everyone!
Apr 13th, 2004, 07:44 AM
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Amy,
Your welcome. When you come to the Zoo at the end of April it definitely will not be 100 degrees. Besides the pandas, be sure to see Absolutely Apes where we have siamings and orangutans living together. I have seen some interesting behaviors there.
You won't have time on your visit, but in the future, keep in mind the Photo Caravan at the Wild Animal Park. They put you in the back of a keeper's truck and you drive into the animal enclosures right up to the animals. You get to feed giraffes, rhinos and buffalo. Plus, of course, some incredible photo opportunites. They have a 1 hr 45 min tour and 3 hr 45 min tour. Take the longer one. I have done 4 of them and they are worth every penny.
Your welcome. When you come to the Zoo at the end of April it definitely will not be 100 degrees. Besides the pandas, be sure to see Absolutely Apes where we have siamings and orangutans living together. I have seen some interesting behaviors there.
You won't have time on your visit, but in the future, keep in mind the Photo Caravan at the Wild Animal Park. They put you in the back of a keeper's truck and you drive into the animal enclosures right up to the animals. You get to feed giraffes, rhinos and buffalo. Plus, of course, some incredible photo opportunites. They have a 1 hr 45 min tour and 3 hr 45 min tour. Take the longer one. I have done 4 of them and they are worth every penny.
Dec 13th, 2004, 05:23 PM
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My family of five are going to San Diego over the New Year's holiday. I have kids, ages 13, 11, and 9 and am wondering which of the following they would like: Sea World, San Diego Zoo, or the Wild Animal Park. We have heard that the Wild Animal Park is not worth the drive.
Dec 14th, 2004, 04:58 AM
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My kids were 9 & 7 when we visited San Diego this past June. We did the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park and they are both very different. The zoo allows you to see many, many animals in a short period of time. It is a great zoo!
The next day we drove to the Wild Animal Park. We enjoyed this park as well. It is a huge park and the animals are more spread out. You will see the animals in a more realistic habitat. On the way back to San Diego, we stopped and picked oranges from a roadside orchard and stopped at Orfila Winery for a quick tour. The grounds of the winery were nice and the kids weren't too miserable.
If you are only going to visit one park though, you should go to the zoo!
The next day we drove to the Wild Animal Park. We enjoyed this park as well. It is a huge park and the animals are more spread out. You will see the animals in a more realistic habitat. On the way back to San Diego, we stopped and picked oranges from a roadside orchard and stopped at Orfila Winery for a quick tour. The grounds of the winery were nice and the kids weren't too miserable.
If you are only going to visit one park though, you should go to the zoo!
Dec 14th, 2004, 05:44 AM
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We enjoyed all three, and would not want to have missed the Animal Park for anything, as that was our favorite.
No one has mentioned the great Bird show. We walked all those hills back for it and it deserved the extra walk. Wonderful bird species at the Zoo and you get to meet them during/after the show. It was best attraction at the Zoo for us.
We walk at our Zoo (Brookfield) near Chicago extensively. But it is flat and the walking at the San Diego Zoo just about knocked us out for a few days. It was harder than cobblestones/hill country in Europe. So make sure you have on the serious walking shoes.
No one has mentioned the great Bird show. We walked all those hills back for it and it deserved the extra walk. Wonderful bird species at the Zoo and you get to meet them during/after the show. It was best attraction at the Zoo for us.
We walk at our Zoo (Brookfield) near Chicago extensively. But it is flat and the walking at the San Diego Zoo just about knocked us out for a few days. It was harder than cobblestones/hill country in Europe. So make sure you have on the serious walking shoes.
Dec 14th, 2004, 05:41 PM
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The Bird Show is at the Wild Animal Park not the Zoo. I agree it is a great show and a chance to meet the birds up close is fun.
The Wild Animal park is definitely worth the drive. It's not that long of a drive -only a half hour from San Diego. We have a new lion exhibit where you will be able to see the lions from literally just a few feet away. The Park is set up where you will see large herds of different species as you would see in the wild. There is also a nice hiking trail. It isn't as crowded as the Zoo is.
As mentioned in an earlier post I work at the Zoo and the Park is a great getaway especially in the off season. I would also again suggest taking the Photo Caravan at the Park. It isn't cheap, but will give you a little bit of a safari experience (plus much cheaper than going to Africa). Some great photo opportunities.
At the Park, you take a monorail around the Park to see the animals. Plans are in the works to replace it with a vehicle that will make several stops to allow you to spend more time in an area. It won't happen soon, but please keep that in mind for the future.
The Wild Animal park is definitely worth the drive. It's not that long of a drive -only a half hour from San Diego. We have a new lion exhibit where you will be able to see the lions from literally just a few feet away. The Park is set up where you will see large herds of different species as you would see in the wild. There is also a nice hiking trail. It isn't as crowded as the Zoo is.
As mentioned in an earlier post I work at the Zoo and the Park is a great getaway especially in the off season. I would also again suggest taking the Photo Caravan at the Park. It isn't cheap, but will give you a little bit of a safari experience (plus much cheaper than going to Africa). Some great photo opportunities.
At the Park, you take a monorail around the Park to see the animals. Plans are in the works to replace it with a vehicle that will make several stops to allow you to spend more time in an area. It won't happen soon, but please keep that in mind for the future.
Dec 28th, 2004, 04:55 AM
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We're flying to San Diego the 3rd week in February, and plan to visit the zoo and maybe the wild animal park. Can anyone suggest a nice hotel/resort to stay with a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old--it's our first plane trip as a family (from Michigan) and we want to stay where the kids can have fun....We are planning a stay at Disneyland also..I am researching Grand Californian and Paradise Pier..any other suggestions??
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