San Diego ZOO??
 

Will be tagging along on husband's business trip next week with our two teen daughters . Everyone raves about the SD Zoo but the girls and I don't know if we want to spend ~$40/person to deal with smelly animals in the summer heat all day! Is it that wonderful? Read someone else's message warning about the walking! Will we hate ourselves for skipping it and doing something else, like shopping with that money?

The San Diego Zoo iss great. It is very hilly, but there are moving walkways and escalators, and you can hop on/hop off the bus. However, if you don't like zoos in general, don't go. You can shop anywhere in the world, but you can only see this zoo in San Diego.

During the past two years my husband and I have done Sea World, the Wild Animal Park and the Zoo (in that order). We're 30, not really into "amusement parks" and loved Sea World. We agreed that the other two were OK but once done we wouldn't go back. There are cool rides and lots of water - definitely cooler and less smelly than the Zoo!

I like zoos, but, like gelato-lover, I would go back to Seaworld but not the over-hyped zoo because there are a lot of really good zoos including the Woodland Park Zoo here in Seattle.

i think you sound like you already know you don't want to spend the money so don't go.
i too love sea world but i think it's even more expensive then the zoo.
plenty of great things to do in san diego without spending a fortune.

where did you get the price of $40pp? General Admission is only $21 pp and admission plus bus trip and ride in the sky buckets is $32 pp. It does sound like you really don't want to go anyway so why? How about visiting La Jolla or Coronado and spend way beyond $40pp in the boutiques and for lunch. Better yet, go to Horton Plaza and shop to your hearts content!

I've got to recommend the Wild Animal Park. We were in SD this spring with our family and did Legoland (your daughters are probably too old) and the Wild Animal Park. The main attraction is a 50 minute tram ride (no walking!) which is expertly guided and very informative...there are other sites as well which you can visit after the tram too. A very worthwhile visit. AND...if you check out www.sandiego.org (the SD visitors and convention bureau) you can print off a coupon that I believe is good for $5 off each person up to 6 people!

I love the Wild Animal Park too, but this time of year it gets REALLY hot out there.

Went with husband and 2 teenagers to zoo this August - it was an unusually hot day, a lot of walking, but we enjoyed it.

Have you any interest in animals, nature study? If not, why even consider the zoo? Just do what you really prefer!

(Fpr persepctive, SD is an exfellent zoo with some rare finds - pandas, etc. I go to the zoo every tine I get to SD - but I'm a member of the Widllife Conservation Society, attend a lot of the programs at the zoos here in NY, and this is one of my favorite things.)

IF you want to do something with animals, we enjoyed the Wild Animal Park more than the zoo. Don't get me wrong , the zoo is excellent, but the Animal Park is more unique and the tram ride is just great. We were there in August - yes it was hot, but not humid so in the shade it was quite pleasant.

Would suggest the hop-on hop-off trolley tour in San Diego, too. Very entertaining and a good way to get a perspective of the whole city.
Jan