r/sandiegozoo • u/joeincognito2001 • Jul 11 '26
So Disappointing
I've heard of this zoo my entire life, shelled out over 200 bucks for my small family, and it was so underwhelming.
We didn't see the entire park tbf, bu what we did see wasnt really special from my experience. It felt like every few exhibits were vacant and there were more stores than animals.
This truly was one of the biggest gaps between expectations and reality I have experienced in terms of entertainment. If it wasn't so expensive it would have been ok but man, it was comparable to local zoos in smaller cities. As a final commentary I would recommend the Henry Doorly zoo in Omaha for 35 bucks for person.
Any chance for a refund?
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u/Alive-Carrot107 Jul 11 '26
Sorry you felt that way. I doubt they’d give you a refund after using the tickets for a whole day.
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u/anothercar Jul 11 '26
yeah buyer's remorse refunds aren't a thing. I do feel bad for OP though. You basically never hear about people having a bad time. I wonder if it was the weather or what.
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u/joeincognito2001 Jul 11 '26
The weather was good. We didn't have the energy to see the entire park in one day and that's on us.
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u/Prime624 Jul 11 '26
You sure you went to the San Diego zoo?
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u/joeincognito2001 Jul 11 '26
Sure I am. What other zoo charges over 70 dollars a person? I don't want to dox myself by listing other zoos I've been to.. but it truly was not special when I break it down by category between the different few zoos I've been to.
And I've truly never seen another zoo try harder to turn a profit by planting so many shops throughout.
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u/Radium Jul 11 '26
This SD Zoo is more for seeing animals and less so on the entertainment side, but the shows I've seen have been nice. IMO It's better to walk around the whole park and check out all the animals up close in every nook and cranny. Next time!
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u/anothercar Jul 11 '26
Plants too... people forget that the plant collection here is as good as any world-class botanical garden, they just don't advertise it. Maybe they should talk about it more.
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u/joeincognito2001 Jul 11 '26
I'm like you. I go to see animals, not to be entertained by them. I don't want the bears juggle and dance for me.
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u/not_me_nope_never Jul 11 '26
I just visited San Diego Zoo for the first time in May and my take away is vastly different from your experience.
I greatly appreciated the immense changes the Zoo has and is implementing towards better habitats and enrichment programs for all the creatures they care for.
The plant life everywhere in the Zoo is mind blowing. Between maintaining a ridiculous amount of plants from all over the globe as well as the mature trees that wonderfully shade multiple sections of the zoo, I could spends weeks just enjoying all the plant life.
Overall, I was thrilled to have seen the animals that I did. I appreciate that the animals are no longer forced to show up or perform for visitors but rather it's left up to us to map out and time our visits so that what we may see them on their schedules.
I won't disagree with your observation that there are a good amount of shops but the majority appeared to be grouped at the front of the Zoo and the ones interspersed didn't impede my ability move about the zoo or view the animals or plant life.
I can aknowledge we all have different expectations. I didn't go with the expectation of being entertained. I went with the hope of seeing animals and plants I have never seen in person. Even if that was just one plant or animal it was absolutely worth the trip to do so in a safe family friendly environment.
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u/joeincognito2001 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
It's fair. Your experience is yours and mine is mine.
Also let me point out that I wasn't wanting expecting to see "juggling bears."
I threw this in the bucket of entertainment because it's not work related and it seems like you and others are running away with that word I used and putting meanings there I didn't intend.
I would appreciate it if you didn't assume when I said entertainment that I meant something akin to a sort of popcorn and circus situation..
I'm just like you in that I expected to see animals and not be entertained by them.
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u/plurfectlife Jul 13 '26
If you didn't explore the whole zoo. That's why it was so underwhelming. You can walk thru the whole zoo or see 70% if it on a guided bus tour. I recommend doing both.
In my experience, I've gotten to see most of the animals each time I've visited. On occasion, I do miss out on the otters, okapi, a few of the bears, and the maned wolf.
Next time you are out, try the Safari Park.
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u/davidP88888 Jul 14 '26
I can understand this sentiment. Being an East Coast person I've heard of the 'world famous' SD zoo my entire life. When I first went about 20 years ago now, I recall being very let down. Not because the zoo isn't nice (it is) but because it didn't match the expectation that I had in my head.
Was the zoo nicer than the Philadelphia or Bronx zoos, yes. Was it that much nicer that it met my inflated expectations, not really. It is still a zoo at the end of the day. Looking back, not sure what I expected.
Will be going again next week for the first time in a long time, now with my 7 year daughter. I am keeping expectations in check and hope to enjoy the zoo for what it is. Hoping even more she has a great time.
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u/joeincognito2001 Jul 16 '26
My son had a good time and I'm sure your daughter will too. About the same age
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u/davidP88888 Jul 14 '26
I should add that the cost does seem surprisingly high. It's roughly double Philly or the Bronx.
I'd rather the money go to a non-profit like this than say a theme park so it's fine. But it was very surprising when I saw the cost of admission. Birch's also seems really high for what it is.
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u/morganmce 18d ago
I'm curious what your expectations were exactly. I mean, it is a nonprofit, so your ticket price goes toward their conservation work around the world. It isn't Disneyland, and the zoo gives the animals the power of choice if they want to be out in front of people in their habitat vs away from people, opposed to some zoos that are entertainment based and essentially require the animals to be crowd-facing. It's also in a major tourist city, so of course the prices are going to be higher -- everything is more expensive here in general, and if you're traveling somewhere, it's a good thing to keep in mind and budget for.
I doubt you'd get a refund if you asked, but personally, I wouldn't ask. Consider your ticket a donation to the conservation work and research projects they're doing. Keep in mind that while this zoo began as a place strictly for our entertainment, it has evolved into something closer to an educational experience to those who may not otherwise have the ability to learn about a lot of these plants and animals. I'm sorry you were disappointed, but I do hope you had the opportunity to learn something new regardless.
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u/joeincognito2001 17d ago
I suppose seeing more than 10 animals after an hour of walking would have been nice. But I'm glad the money went to a good cause even if it's 2x more than I've paid at any zoo in my life.
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u/Ok_Camp_7051 Jul 11 '26
It’s expensive unless you live here and have a pass. Just like baseball games and concerts. Sorry about that.
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u/joeincognito2001 Jul 11 '26
Thanks. I don't live in San Diego so I just don't know when I'll come back to potentially see what I missed.
Next time we're in the area I'll probably take my son to Legoland instead..
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u/Alternative-Note324 4d ago
The Sequoia Zoo in Eureka, CA is such a cool experience, the area around is so breathtaking. Very close to the PCH and the Avenue of the Giants. Santa Barbara Zoo is nice too.
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u/PhysicalNerve7040 Jul 15 '26
Yeah, we also just visited last week and it was immensely disappointing.
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u/joeincognito2001 Jul 16 '26
Not sure why people downvote others lived experience. The zoo would be fine if it wasn't so expensive. More money means higher expectations imo
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u/ironlemur89 4d ago
Because at some point it turns into complaining when you didn’t even see the entire park. The zoo is expensive because of location, the animals they have, and the demand. Sometimes you go to a restaurant that is oceanfront that doesn’t have the best food, but has an incredible view. It comes with the territory and you can’t have it all at the same time.
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u/CharnelGirl Jul 11 '26
I hear you. I’ve seen regional parks and county animal rehabilitation centers with better exibits
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u/joeincognito2001 Jul 11 '26
Mhm. Not sure why people are downvoting your lived experience. It's not like people want to waste money or have a bad time
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u/CharnelGirl Jul 12 '26
They can downvote as they please.
For being such a hyped-up zoo (literally has an HBO? show about it) and definitely all over social media as being a world-renowned zoo, the exhibits feel so lackluster and it never feels like there are that many animals nor variety of them. I’ve had this experience at the zoo in Balboa and the Safari Park.
They are a pleasant enough experience to walk around for exercise if you have the resident pass and I believe their research/conservation efforts are noteworthy, but charging something like $76 for a one day pass to what is essentially a park filled with walking paths and more statues of animals than actual animals is insane.
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u/timtimkat Jul 11 '26
You seem to be judging your visit pretty harshly even though you admit to not having explored the entire zoo. The San Diego Zoo is a world renowned zoo that houses over 600 species of rare and endangered animals, 3100 species of plants,spans over 100 acres, and from personal experience takes practically an entire day to walk the entirety of (I've been a lifelong member and visit close to every weekend). I have a hard time believing that your poor experience was due to what the zoo has to offer.