Sea World or San Diego Zoo?

Disneyland1084

OH PLEASE SOMEBODY TELL ME!
Joined
Apr 29, 2005
If you could only pick one, which one would it be and why? I'm just some planning for a future trip. Thanks! :thumbsup2
 
We were underwhelmed by SeaWorld but other members of our family and friends raved about the San Diego Zoo.
 
I'd pick the zoo. We were there last year and really enjoyed it. Be aware that there is a lot of walking and the zoo terrain is basically the side of a hill. Look over the park map carefully and plan your viewing so that you are mostly walking downhill. There is a tram system that will bring you back to the top. Also, there is a bus tour of the zoo which can be nice to get your bearings. Try to grab a seat on top for the best view.
 
We went to Disneyland last summer for the first time. We included a day for the San Diego Zoo based on people's recommendations of what a great zoo it is. We were extremely UNIMPRESSED with the San Diego Zoo. It doesn't mean it's a bad zoo. We are from NY & have been to The Bronx Zoo several times, which is an excellent zoo. For us, after visiting the San Diego Zoo, we determined that if you have a high quality zoo in the area you live in, don't bother with the San Diego one. Waste of a vacation day for us.

Also, when people you know recommend & rave about the San Diego Zoo, ask them what other zoos they have been to.
 


We did Sea World last trip. It's not something we need to do again. We are planning to visit the zoo this trip.
 
We like both for very different reasons...
SeaWorld. the shows are wonderful.. funny and its wonderful to sit and watch those animals do the tricks that they do.. even if I feel sad that they are there for my entertainment. They have a rock pool that you can touch the animals.. there are a couple of rides.. You could swim with the dolphins.. but I read they were stopping the feeding program due to someone getting bit.. so I don't know if that will impact the swimming.
There is an interactive artic area, and a penguin walk through.
It is a much smaller and quiet park than the others,, which I like after being on the go at Disney .. you can take your own food in and have a picnic lunch.

The Zoo, is BIG. lol very big.. luckily they have a number of ways of getting around the Zoo.. we start with the double decker bus to do the tour, and let the kids figure out what they want to see first.. then we walk down and then get the bus up.. then go down the other side and get bus back.. they have some awesome animals there.

We have been lucky enough to do both parks, it comes down to what the group would like to see..
 
We went to both on our visit in February just gone, I would do the zoo again but not sea world. We had heard lots about sea world, biggest in the world, best in the world, but we were quite disappointed with it. We have Sea World on the Gold Coast here in Australia, we expected the one in San Diego to be amazingly better than ours, it had whales that excited us but that was it. We expected it be be huge and with loads of aquatic animals, it just wasn't
 


San Diego Zoo is known for its conservation efforts, with tons of research and programs behind the scenes. While Sea World enjoys a less stellar reputation *cough, blackfish, cough*
 
Used to have season passes to the zoo and it is a great zoo. But it is a zoo. There are lots of zoos around.

There are just a few SWs around and the one in SD is beautiful right there on Mission Bay.

I would choose SW in a heartbeat.

:wizard:
 
Just went to both in Jan with a friend for a birthday celebration.
Done with Sea World in less than a day. Spent 1 whole and 2 half days at the zoo.
Love it. I could skip Sea World.....although parts were nice. I would go to the zoo anytime I am in the area.
 
Having done both many times I would always choose SeaWorld. We have a great zoo here in Calgary but to see the sea life is not something we can do. We have had season passes for more than a dozen years and have spent most of our holidays in San Diego with 7- 10 full and partial days at SW. SeaWorld also has great conservation rules and you can read many signs around the park stating what they are doing to save/help various critters. Don't believe everything some documentaries claim.
I agree with PP that it comes down to what your group wants to see. Admission is less for the zoo. Yes it is hilly and huge and there are long lines to see the pandas. For me I think the zoo is a 6-8 hour day whereas SW is open to close.
I would also choose the Wildlife park over the zoo, to see the bigger animals being in huge open areas is amazing. It comes down to what you have locally and what you can or can't see in many places.
 
I enjoy them both very much. If I could pick one, I would probably pick the zoo, because they have so many amazing animals, and it's huge. You can easily spend an entire day there. Sea World has great shows and some fun rides, but I never feel like it is enough for a full day. That may be because it is so close by that I feel like I can just go back, not sure. Both are great. Do you want to see animals or aquatic animals? That should be a big factor.
 
Another vote for Sea World! We got a fun card last year and planned to go for two days. We ended up going back three more times over the course of the year. It's a great park.
 
Another vote for Sea World! We got a fun card last year and planned to go for two days. We ended up going back three more times over the course of the year. It's a great park.
 
I like Sea World and the zoo... I have a membership for both... Go to the Safari Park!
Sorry for the "those are two great places but go somewhere else" response, but I like the Safari Park better than both of those options. The Sandiego Zoo is a nice zoo, but it is just a zoo. Sea World is great for the shows and I like the exhibits, but if you want to see all the shows you end up sitting looking at an empty tank for most of the day waiting for the show to start.
The Safari Park seems to flow better. You get to see the animals in habitats just like the zoo, but the way they are themed is quite nice. It is hard to explain, but let me just say that my family goes to Disneyland weekly... When we don't go to Disneyland, it is usually because we went to the Safari Park instead.
 
We were just there and all agreed with one to pick it would be the zoo. We all just loved it. The animals, the landscaping, the hills. We were glad we took the bus tour first and then walked around. We spent a whole day and could have done more. We found sea world to be ok, but thought we liked the Florida one better.
 
Another vote for the ZOO from a family that's been to both, and while we enjoyed SW, we LOVED the Zoo.
 
I would pick the Zoo, which we loved. However, I grew up going to Sea World in Orlando so my opinion may be skewed because the Zoo was something different than what I am used to (the Phoenix Zoo is nice but not close to the size of San Diego).
I like Sea World and the zoo... I have a membership for both... Go to the Safari Park!
Sorry for the "those are two great places but go somewhere else" response, but I like the Safari Park better than both of those options. The Sandiego Zoo is a nice zoo, but it is just a zoo. Sea World is great for the shows and I like the exhibits, but if you want to see all the shows you end up sitting looking at an empty tank for most of the day waiting for the show to start.
The Safari Park seems to flow better. You get to see the animals in habitats just like the zoo, but the way they are themed is quite nice. It is hard to explain, but let me just say that my family goes to Disneyland weekly... When we don't go to Disneyland, it is usually because we went to the Safari Park instead.
I really want to try this one some time. I have heard great things about it but have just never had the chance to go.
 
Zoo is world-famous. Sea World is kinda depressing for me. That's a bit hypocritical I guess, but just my impression.
 

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