Any tips for the San Diego Zoo?
 

Any tips for getting the most out of a visit to the San Diego Zoo? We will be going on a Monday and plan to be there at opening.

Thank You!!

Be prepared for hills. I went last year and didn't realize just how much up and down there was. At the beginning, get the map, sit down and plan out your day. That way you can reduce the number of times you have to go up and down.

How old are the kids (I'm assuming you are taking kids)? If they are young, make sure you have a stroller or such. They will get worn out. Even if they are a bit older, they'll tire - make sure you schedule rest times throughout the day.

Don't make a busy night afterwards. A quiet dinner and some relaxing time will help recoup.

It was really nice. The pandas were out and being adorable. The meerkats were charming. I wasn't that impressed with the cat habitats - just seemed off to me. The primates were having great fun with some little kids - when you go to see them, get your kids a snack, the primates seemed to be very interested in kids with food.

good work going when it opens. thats what i was gonna tell you. If you plan on taking the lil bus tour thing, do that first cuz the line gets crazy within the hour. If you have those best value tickets, then that ride is free and you should take it. Also i would take the skyfari thing, that was interesting/fun/a lil scary! Have fun, its a great zoo.

I would take the bus tour first thing.I think its about 40 minutes long. It gives you a great overview of the park, and you pass alot of things you won't go back to, due to the sheer size of the park. Last time we were there, they had just opened a new "monkey/ape/orangutan" exhibit, that was very impressive.
It can be an exhauting day, and I think toedtoes tip about a quiet evening is a good one.
Also, lots of water and sunscreen.

If you're going to be in San Diego for a few days, Balboa Park has some nice museums, especially the Science museum, and the Old Globe will have an outdoors Shakespeare play , depending on the ages of your family.

Find out when the staff is doing 'enrichment'. This is when the staff will do things like hiding the meat in the trees so the big cat will have to find the meat, or the apes given food in an unusual way.

The bus tour is good to get an overview.

If you are a AAA member, then take advantage of the discount.

Wow! What great tips. Thank you so much!

I had been wondering about the bus tour. Good to know to take it first. We will start with that.

Does the Skayfari get busy, or would that be good to save for when we get tired?

Any animals or shows not miss?

Thanks again!!

Get an early start, take your time, and enjoy your stay. I'm from the Southeast and have been there twice.

We are planning to go to the zoo on an upcoming trip to SD as well, so this thread is great.

I would do the bus tour first. While you are on the tour, take notes about what exihibits you want to go back to. Chances are you won't make it to everything!

As soon as you get off the bus tour, I would head over to the pandas. It gets mobbed later in the day! Don't miss the primate exihibits or the koalas. I can't remember seeing koalas in a zoo. They look sooo cute but I think they are mean!

Don't miss the gorillas. I went there a few years ago and they were awesome.

buy the ticket with the bus option
take the tour first - as already suggested --- then you can plan what to see and whats not so important to you and plan your day accordingly
the bus will also pick/drop at designated stops but in summertime it pretty busy and they will not stop if too full -- so u may end up waiting
TRY TO GO ON A CLOUDY DAY IF POSSIBLE

I would do the Pandas first since it gets so mobbed..then the bus tour and then you can map out where you want to go from there..
The zoo is a work-out..bigtime!
Wear comfy shoes and cushy socks.
Skyfari after lunch and head out around 3-4pm.
Have some tapas and a glass of wine at the Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park..
Have a great time..its one of the best zoo's in the world!