ZSL Reviews 68

Traffic to get Into the car park, even more traffic to exit the car park. Over 30mins to exit. Queues for the toilet, for pre booked tickets. Nightmare experience. Been here a few times, this was the last time I will be visiting.

My friend booked the lookout lodge for her birthday and unfortunately we wish we hadn’t due to a member of staff named John.

We arrived at the lookout and were told where our lodge was. Shortly after a girl came and took our food order and said John will be in shortly to explain the agenda. It was a very cold day as i took a nap with the full intention of waking up when the host came. No one came!
Come 6pm when the tour was due to start and no one arrived. At 6.06 everyone was waiting outside and only then John and another lady came to ask if we were joining. I hate literally just woken up so we said we would like to opt out but join for dinner to which the staff did not seem pleased. John then said he will check if someone could drive us and just get back to us and the next thing we saw was everyone walking away!! At 7.15 someone did knock and say they are ready to drive us.
We then enjoyed dinner and the touch light tour. However we were then embarrassed again! Before allowing everyone back to the lodge the host stopped everyone to let them know the morning agenda. She said everybody to check out by 7.30 and anyone leaving bags to give them to the keeper lodge. However then one of the host in front of everyone called out our lodge and said we need to give our bags by 7.15

There was no need to call us out. Had we been the courtesy of been given the agenda like every our lodge we would have made the first tour

I’m really disappointed to have to write this. As a local who has supported and visited the zoo for the last 11 years, this experience has left a sour taste.

My 11-year-old daughter visited today with her school. While in the shop, she bought some refreshments and paid using her preloaded bank card. The payment went through, but staff told her it hadn’t and asked her to tap again. The second attempt showed insufficient funds, and they refused to let her take the items.

Her teacher contacted me, and I checked with the bank — the first payment had in fact been processed and the money taken from her account.

The teacher then took my daughter back to the shop and showed proof of payment via the bank app, but staff still refused to accept that the payment had gone through.

As a result, my daughter has come away upset, having lost money and not received what she paid for. It’s really disappointing, especially as she had been enjoying her school trip up until that point.

I have now contacted the bank and Mastercard, and they are investigating the matter.

Lovely trip to Whipsnade today. The bus is an absolute Godsend when you have a little one with you ❤️

Zsl London zoo is always a great visit !!! The staff is lovely, the atmosphere great, the options, the animals, the talk. It is a must when it comes to places to visit in london. There is a lot of history and the price of the ticket is not only worth it, it educates but also!! the money goes to conservation projects and research. I have also been to many talks and they are always enlightening. Today I have been to a tour, it is free, talking about the buildings at the zoo but taking us through many of the animal areas at London ZSL zoo. Our Tour guide, Ralph, was amazing, very knowledgeable and funny. It was really a delightful tour. Me and my kids (7 and 11) loved it. It is great for adults too. We came out of there with the feeling of having learned a lot. The one hour went by so fast and we still wanted more. I highly recommend ZSL London Zoo.

I purchased two tickets for the Meet The Monkeys experience at ZSL London Zoo as a gift for my friend, booking was very easy and we were so excited to spend the day at the zoo and to have this experience in the middle of it. Ralf led our Meet the Monkeys experience with the help of Jorge, they were both exceptionally friendly and engaging. The experience was fantastic, we had the chance to hand feed the monkeys while learning interesting facts about the different species and the personalities of all the monkeys there.
Ralf happily answered all of our questions, there were two pairs in the group and we were all treated with care and attentiveness, from us two adults to the parent and young child; it felt like they really wanted us all to have the best possible time and that they were both so passionate about caring for these amazing animals.
There was a strong emphasis on safety and, despite being inside the enclosure with multiple animals, there was never a moment where we felt unsure or worried.
I could not recommend this experience enough, thanks not only to the very adorable monkeys we got to meet, but because of the exceptional service delivered by Ralf and Jorge, so a huge thank you to them both!
Lastly, don't let going in the winter put you off! We attended on a very cold day in January but there is so much to explore and plenty of very very warm enclosures to visit to warm yourselves up in between walks around the zoo; it is very well looked after and a very pretty place to explore.

An outstanding experience, the richness of nature and all the many difference diverse species a is matched only by the best care and compassion awarded them by the staff and management.

Reading some of these reviews I don't think we were at the same Zoo. We visited Whipsnade on 21st October this year after travelling from Wrexham, North Wales. Booked a nice Guest house in Dunstable for 2 nights and arrived at the zoo around 10.30 am. After buying our tickets ( £59.00 for the two of us ) we entered the grounds and was greeted by a very friendly and helpful Gentleman who told us about the electric buses that would pick you up and drop you off anywhere around the zoo and advised us on the best route to start. Oh I forgot to mention we parked in the external car park which is free and not far from the entrance via an underground passage. We had a lovely day staying right up until it closed at 5 o'clock and got to see lots of animals including penguins, bears, wolverines,lemurs, meerkats,lions, tigers and elephants to name but a few. We caught the bus once because it started raining and the driver, who I think was called Gary started telling us a little about the different animals that we were passing. He even helped me off the bus as I'm vertically challenged and struggle sometimes with steps. Had lunch in the restaurant at base camp. John had sausage and mash and I had a huge plate of pasta with 2 cups of tea cost about 32 pounds. But the highlight of the day has to be the Red Pandas. There was a talk in the afternoon which was outside the enclosure and the man was so knowledgeable about these gorgeous animals. It was very obvious how much he loved them, we definitely learned a lot and the cherry on top of the cake was getting to see not one but two adorable Red Pandas. I was so happy, it was the perfect end to a great day. I don't usually leave reviews for anything but we both felt this warranted one.

I cannot believe all the negative comments which are clearly made by complete morons. Somebody gives the zoo a 1 star rating because their phone was ‘taking’ - how is that the zoo’s fault. The staff are very professional and friendly. I visit both London and Whipsnade several times a year. Sometimes I don’t see particular animals but I am not one of the muppets who walk past an enclosure and if I don’t see something immediately just walk on, I spend some time watching, and if I still don’t see anything I come back later in the day. I have thousands of photos that I’ve taken at the zoo’s which definitely dispel the outright lies being peddled here. ZSL is an amazing organisation which also does important conservation work in the wild. Idiots posting negative reviews should be ashamed of themselves.

We went as a family of 4 today and had a truly memorable day, we were lucky enough to be able to go on world teacher day with my wife being a teacher. All the staff we spoke to were friendly and some had great knowledge. We saw every animal, enjoyed the steam train, had lunch which was very good with the only, very minor, criticism being that the cheese and bacon penne pasta could have been made with more flavoursome cheese.
We arrived at 10am after an hour's drive and left at half 4 and never once felt as though we were going out of our way to fill time or go out of our way to find something to do or see, the bird display was genuinely fantastic and we were also able to see the monkeys and penguins get fed in the afternoon.
There really is some especially fantastic views to be seen when near the white rhino's enclosure. Lots of well kept toilet facilities all around as well which is always a plus with children.

Great space, lovely customer service and the icing on the cake is Ally's customer service at the membership desk!....Ally is an absolute delight, polite, friendly and a proper human being!....one of the best customer services I received today from Ally at the Whipsnade zoo. Thank you Ally, you're an absolute gem and Whipsnade is lucky to have you!! Your smile is so authentic too.

Staff not very engaging most happy to sit down and chat to each other.
I was shocked by how little they had of animals, very poor and expensive.
The restaurant was a rip off, very limited choices and eye watering expensive.
I was just so disappointed as have visited a lot a few years back and it's not as big as it was and it was a hot day but we saw no Tigers, lions and a lot of other animals. Will not be returning.

Absolute crap. Not worth the money, the animals we did manage see are in small dirty enclosures! Don’t go, save your money!

When I was young a visit to London Zoo was always looked forward to and delivered excitement and interest. After a gap of 55+ years(!) I was attracted by the summer "Zoo lates". Fair to say no kids (same likely during term-time I would think) but with closure of some facilities as early as 2030hrs, and most by 2100hrs, time to do all justice was tight (impossible, actually) and there was some queuing to ad further pressure. It was also more crowded that I expected overall. The reptiles and amphibians building - one of two open to 2130hrs - was rammed after 2100hrs. So what was missing? There seemed to be far less there than there was before, with Elephants, Leopard, Black Panther, Jaguar, Rhino, kangaroo, camels and any number of species of antelope, mountain goat etc. missing. What was left was often hard-to-see. Tigers were "Missing in (in)action" for example, ditto gorillas. To be fair, the environment for some of the animals is probably better than it was. The old Lion House seemed cramped to me even as a child. The trade-off being that the visitor experience was compromised. The map was hard-to-follow and signage not as good as it could be and information was very much "lowest common denominator" and light on detail in many cases, though the Komodo Dragon facility was well-done. I suspect it may be better to have two versions, "light" for kids and the marginally interested and more detail for the more deeply engaged. The food choices were plentiful but pricey and being charged for water is unappealing. Screens showing the hard-to-see animals in the wild and "in action" might be deployed to a greater extent, otherwise a child could think that all lions do is lie around. (Though actually that is all they do much of the time.... but it is the hunt that is interesting). Would I have enjoyed this has I not greater expectations of it from the past? Probably, but even as it is the map, information and crowding issues seemed resolvable. Higher cost and fewer people would deliver a better experience, in my view. And I suspect that it may be better to go during the day in term time to have a less-pressured experience in terms of time. Still, the evening do is extra revenue for ZSL and what they do is worthwhile.

We didn’t see many animals… went for sons birthday he enjoyed running around but most exhibits we went to had nothing to see… we went back to the enclosures multiple times throughout the day and still saw nothing. We got a couple bits from the gift shop which was expensive. Staff was lovely which was a plus and the park is very entertaining for children but that’s about it… unfortunately unlikely to return.

We enjoyed a magical overnight stay in one of the lodges and can’t rate the experience and the staff highly enough.
The lodges are very comfortable, a two course evening meal and breakfast are included in the price. The food is very good, beautifully cooked and well presented, our waiter was very polite and friendly, so that was a bonus. I wish I had asked his name as I would like to have given him a mention.
The experience gets underway at 6pm when the zoo closes to the public, our two guides for the evening were Laura and Amy and their knowledge was outstanding. We have stayed overnight before and did wonder if they have set animals to talk about, however if any of the animals weren’t visible they were happy to ask us if there were any particular animals that we would like to see, I have always loved the Ostriches and they were knowledgeable about them, and answered my questions without faltering. They were engaging and provided a great mix of facts about the species, the breeding program, where the animals had been born, risk of extinction etc, in addition to interesting anecdotes about them.
There are two evening walks, one before the evening meal and a torch light one afterwards. The torch light walk is the most exciting, in June it’s a sunset walk and we stopped by the lion’s where the five cubs played together and their father looked on roaring from time to time making us very aware of his presence.
Our two guides for the morning walk were equally as good, Jo the warden was joined by Frankie. After breakfast we had another guided walk before the zoo opened to the public, we walked and talked for long after the tour should have ended to discuss the history of the zoo and the challenges it faces as the need for conservation of the most endangered species becomes increasingly apparent.
The lemurs were delightful, they were so close and obviously very interested in the snacks provided by Jo and Frankie. But the grand finale was the bears, they aren’t always easy to see but the two younger ones were out, playing and making a lot of noise until Cinderella the eldest bear came running through the enclosure and silenced them with a look.
I can honestly say it was worth every penny and would recommend the overnight stay to anyone. Early morning and late evening is a great time to see the animals, the staff are a great asset to the zoo and should be congratulated for their knowledge and dedication to the animals.

I have mixed feelings about my visit to Whipsnade today.
GOOD POINTS:
Every single staff member I spoke to was extremely friendly and helpful.
The cafes and restaurants around the zoo were all clean, as were the toilets.
The birds of the World show is absolutely stunning, it actually moves me to tears to see all the beautiful parrots flying freely. BUT this show is exactly the same as it was when I last visited, 8 years ago.
I saw the wolverines close-up for the first time ever, and they did roly-polys for me.

BAD POINTS:
The elephants had been moved to a tiny enclosure. It took me two circuits of the zoo to find them, as there are no signs to say they were moved.
The rhinos are blocked off completely, so you can't see them.
I couldn't see the cheetahs.
I didn't see any lions, even after two circuits.
I didn't see the meerkats, there were none in their enclosure.
I didn't see the red river hog, there is no sign up to say where they are.
The aardvark enclosure is shut off with nothing inside.
My favourite animal, the Gaur, appears to not even reside at Whipsnade any more.
I didn't see any bears or zebra either....you get the general idea!

My uncle worked at Whipsnade for over 20 years, so the whole family used to go to the zoo a lot, back at a time when they had rhino and camel rides. I continued buying season tickets when my kids were small, and we would go a few days a week.
The zoo used to be a real pleasure, and we would stay all day until closing time.
Today, after 6 hours of searching for animals, I came home.
The zoo drums it into people that they are saving species from extinction, which of course is admirable. But these animals should be plentiful in a park this size, and they should be visible to all. I don't care if they make tunnels under, walkways over, or pathways through, in this day and age they have the means to allow us to see everything that we paid to see.
Will I be back? Probably at some point, but not excited as I used to be.
I would not recommend as a family day out, it's a pretty large outlay for not much in return.

I visited London zoo 2 June no Elephants, lions tigers rhino's absolutely awful rusty dirty unkempt old boring disgrace

Don’t bother with the ticket insurance. Total waste of money. We bought tickets on the morning of our intended visit. I’m disabled and have various health problems. I had a migraine on the way to the Zoo and had to turn round and go home as I was feeling really ill. I’ve looked at the forms on the ticket cover and I can’t fill in any of them to ask for a refund. I approached Whipsnade and they told me to contact Ticketplan. Disgraceful and a total rip off. Due to my poor health , I have absolutely no idea if or when we would be able to go again but it’s left a bad taste in my mouth so won’t be visiting in the future.

Don’t waste your hard earned money , it’s so dissapointing, animals not seen I’m serious we hardly saw anything , the cheetahs were far away laying down not moving and so were the lions and the hyenas or hunting dogs were only TWO of them and we couldn’t see them only briefly through the trees and the maps hard to follow the areas massive and you keep repeating steps , the aquarium was rubbish full of guppy’s and not much else. Highlight was two hippos in water then getting out ! The restaurant was awful the food was cold my son had sausage and mash £13.50 totally cold and just overpriced thank goodness I opted for just chips , watered down coke a glass £3 .. £5 each adult thee was four of us on the train that took ten mins and went past animals that couldn’t be seen ! Or the accompanied recording telling us what they were was too late as we’d gone past it, the monkey forest was misnamed as there wasn’t a monkey to be seen ! Walked 1/4 mile down a dust road to be met with two big enclosures with NOTHING IN IT . I told everyone coming past don’t bother save your shoe leather .. honestly Whipsnade you should be ashamed of the way this is run and the lack of staff to chat with and ask directions was frustrating.. the sign posts need to be bigger and more explanatory as the map they provide is as small as a pin head and makes no sense.. we walked all round Europe the start of it was the lemurs and they were closed ! Ended up at the restaurant as we needed the toilets and guess what closed for renovations , why didn’t you renovate them in the winter while the zoo was closed instead of the first lovely sunny weekend in weeks ! We had to walk a long long way to find more round by the aquarium as the sign posts didn’t tell us there were toilets inside the restaurant ! Which we finally actually used later on after eating the abysmal food they brought to us , I took my granddaughter to the toilet she’s four and there were fifteen in the Que couldn’t believe it , two cubicles in a great big restaurant I can imagine in the school holidays the Que goes back to the car park ! All in all I can’t recommend this at all and will never re visit whipsnade zoo , London maybe further but far far better and easier to negotiate go for that option instead . Sad as this is on our doorstep and we wish we’d opted for Woburn safari instead this was a Mother’s Day treat from my son and daughter in law as I wanted to go .. the shop overpriced and after spending £55 on one sausage and mash , two chips , a kids meat balls and three drinks of coke ! Plus entry we were done yup that’s it we felt done .. this could be run so so much better come on sort it out ZSL 17,000 steps and we saw nothing that justified the prices .. please paint on the floor the arrows directing you to certain areas and make the signage clear large and visible and print the map better but for those who have reading problems the maps useless anyway someone asked me to help them as they couldn’t read !