Southern California San Diego Zoo or Safari for 5 & 7 yo?

[tdk316]

Which one would be best for a one day visit? Sons will be 5 & 7 yo and love animals. Thanks! We'll be using Anaheim as a base and going to SD one day and Legoland another.

 

[ImDMous]

When are you visting? The Safari Park is straight east from Legoland about 30 minutes, the valley gets very hot during the summer. The Zoo is about the same distance but south from Legoland and cooler since it's closer to the coast and has a lot more shade. I really love both but for young kids, I would probably do the zoo. There are a lot of hills to walk so we usually do the Express Bus to hop on and off anywhere we want to stop. The guided bus tour is also a must.

 

[Purrkins]

Zoo. Animals are easier to see at the zoo and it is much more dense. Safari Park is pretty spread out and often times animals are at the far back of their enclosures and nearly impossible to see.

In the summer - early morning and late afternoons are best times to see animal activity and the zoo is open quite late in the summer.

 

[tdk316]

Thanks for the replies - we're going next July.

 

[Plaid Princess]

I've always preferred the Safari park, and I have since I was a kid.