Which one and why???

[LOVEDISNEYLAND]

I am planning a trip to DL Dec 2007 and we want to take a break from DL for one day when the crowds are heavy and I need some opinion's. San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park, which one would you choose and why??? What is the difference between the two?

 

[kelmac284]

FYI San Diego is a WAYS from Disneyland like 1 and half hours with NO traffic so if you plan to do San Diego I would go at the beginning or end cuz it is a long drive to do in the middle of a trip. But if I HAD to choose I would do the zoo. There is much more to see there. They have a cool double decker bus tour and a sky tram and it has lots to see and do. The Wild Animal Park is neat too but if I had to choose 1 I would go with the zoo.

We are doing that exact trip this summer but driving straight to SD and going to the zoo the WAP and Seaworld the first 3 days and then driving back up through Anaheim (we live in northern CA) and doing a day at DL, DCA and Knotts.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

I do know you can get adults for kids price tickets on getaway today and I saw too a san diego card that gets you a bunch of attractions but it seemed a bit complicated to me cuz you have to exchange a voucher at the chamber of commerce or something. But anyway hope that helps.

 

[Leofoenget]

I am planning a trip to DL Dec 2007 and we want to take a break from DL for one day when the crowds are heavy and I need some opinion's. San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park, which one would you choose and why??? What is the difference between the two?

How about Legoland? They also decorate for Christmas.

 

[LOVEDISNEYLAND]

FYI San Diego is a WAYS from Disneyland like 1 and half hours with NO traffic so if you plan to do San Diego I would go at the beginning or end cuz it is a long drive to do in the middle of a trip. But if I HAD to choose I would do the zoo. There is much more to see there. They have a cool double decker bus tour and a sky tram and it has lots to see and do. The Wild Animal Park is neat too but if I had to choose 1 I would go with the zoo.

We are doing that exact trip this summer but driving straight to SD and going to the zoo the WAP and Seaworld the first 3 days and then driving back up through Anaheim (we live in northern CA) and doing a day at DL, DCA and Knotts.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

I do know you can get adults for kids price tickets on getaway today and I saw too a san diego card that gets you a bunch of attractions but it seemed a bit complicated to me cuz you have to exchange a voucher at the chamber of commerce or something. But anyway hope that helps.

I live in Seattle so we will be flying and then renting a car and in the past we have made that drive to SeaWorld once before, usually on a Saturday when the parks are the busiest. Yea, the drive is long but we don't really mind all that much. We also thought about just staying one night in San Diego so that we won't have to make the long and so we'll have more time to see the zoo and Wild animal park but I'm soooo confused: and don't really know what to do I also thought about doing what you had said about making the trip to San Diego in the beginning or the end but I'm kindda stressed about making such a long drive after the flight. AHHHHH!!!! I DON'T have a clue what I want or what I'm doing?????? Thanks for you suggestion and if you have anymore let me know. Thanks

 

[LOVEDISNEYLAND]

How about Legoland? They also decorate for Christmas.

Isn't that more for little kids? That's just what I've heard from other people.

 

[MATTERHORN]

Legoland is for littler kids, I wouldn't go there if it's just adults going!

If I had to pick between the two, I would definitely pick the Zoo instead of the Wild Animal Park! I just like it better.

I also would put the San Diego portion at the beginning of your trip and spend one night there. I think it would just work out easier that way.

Andrea

 

[abby]

The answer in part depends on who is in your party and what you have seen before. While we love the zoo, if I, or more importantly, my dd had to choose it would be sea world, which she loves. We have a great zoo in Portland, so Sea World is better for us. Legoland is an idea, but only if you have small ones who like lego's...

 

[MATTERHORN]

Forgot to add, the difference is that the Zoo is just like a regular zoo with animals right within close viewing range mostly! The Wild Animal Park lets them roam around the wild and if they aren't in sight, you're out of luck!!


Andrea

 

["Got Disney"]

I live in SanDiego and also say the zoo....definatly not lego land. The Wild Animal park is also nice but I have been to both many times and the zoo has more to offer. But be prepared to walk up and down the hills to see the animals. They do have a tram/bus that you can take but better to walk you will see more.

There is also a Sky line to take that is fun but you see the park from above . It takes you from one side of the par to the other, you have to get off and get back into line to return.

There is also many many museums right there at Balboa Park where the zoo is ...train museum, Natural history Museum, science museu,artmuseum and so on ...so if you are there longer you can go there and some are free on tuesdays.

Sea World is great if you have not been there before. I would say for sure do that if you have never.

I have season passes to all three so we wisit them often.

Have fun with what ever you choose. However...rush hr traffic is terrible,terrible,terrible so be prepared for a longer than 3 hr ride... I would say come on a weekend to avoid the traffic and also Sea World and the zoo are crowded on the weekends but are nothing like DL on the weekends so that would be okay. We don't hesitate to go to either on a weekend.

Better yet come the night before and stay at a hotel....

 

[JasonShannon76]

I live in San Diego. The zoo is MUCH better. The zoo had way more animals..........way more! Pandas, Polar Bears, etc.....

It's also very Rainforesty feeling in there. The largest and most famous zoo in the world!

 

[kelmac284]

We are driving as I said and staying in SD the first three days then driving up to Anaheim and then home but if I were flying I would do what we did in 04. Fly directly into SD and go to the SD areas and then drive up to Anaheim. Then you can fly out of OC or LAX. That way you aren't missing out on the parks by spending half your time driving.

When we go we are going straight to SD on a Saturday going to the zoo on Sunday, Seaworld on Monday and the WAP on Tuesday since it closes early and we will probably be completely done seeing it anyway within 3 or 4 hours max. That way we have the rest of Tuesday to drive up to Anaheim with no other plans. Does that make sense? I would not try to drive down to SD and THEN go to a park the same day as you are going to lose a LOT of time.

Hope that makes sense and have fun whatever you decide!!

Oh and yes legoland is for the little ones. I took mine when they were 3 and 4 but now they are 6 and 7 and I think they would be bored.

 

[judah123]

Wild animal park. Oh my that was so awesome. I've been to both and you really need to visit both cause they each have their own uniquness. But the ride outdoors at the wild animal park was toooo cool!

 

[woody73]

San Diego Zoo.

Woody

 

[gregdan]

Just came back from Legoland. Yes, lots of it is for kids under8-10, but as an adult who doesn't do Lego in her spare time, it was fascinating to see HUGE villages, streets and anything you can imagine built out of Legos. I wish that I had more time to look at them. NY, Wash, D.C., London, went on forever (not just a little train garden kind of thing). It went on and on. very cool. There was so much to do there, we probably only saw 65% and we were there all day. Driving school very cute!

 

[Zoemakes5]

Boy, it's a tough one. I honestly do like all of them (though never been to Legoland). If I had to pick one place in San Diego that I'd want to go, I'd pick Sea World, hands down. It's the most unique, captures a wider age range of interests, and is more "fun". While I like the San Diego Zoo, it is, in essence, just another zoo (an amazing specimen of a zoo, but a zoo nonetheless). And frankly, the walking the last time we were there was just too much! YIKES! We didn't do the tram/bus, though, so that would make things different, though there are stroller issues in some of the areas.
I really enjoy the wild animal park alot. I liked seeing the animals in a more natural habitat and seeing them interact. I also like the other attractions/shows at the WAP. However, as pp said, it's hit or miss as to whether the animals will be out and active. If I had older people in my party, or older kids, I'd probably do WAP over the zoo. If I had younger kids, I'd do the zoo with the tram (once again, that being my second choice over Sea World.)
I wouldn't see any problems taking a day trip in the middle of your trip for any of the parks down in San Diego. For most days, I think it would take about 1.5 hours. I'd try to go early and avoid rush hour, or wait until about 9 and miss rush hour. You'd go straight down Interstate 5. I'd go to whatever park I wanted to go to, then afterwards eat at a restaurant nearby.
I wouldn't take the time to stay in San Diego at a hotel unless you wanted/were planning on visiting more than one park down there.