You have to realize how the Zoo is laid out...basically you enter at the top of the canyon, then you go down into the canyon, and then there's more animals up the hill on the other side of the canyon. So while yes, you can take the Skyfari across the canyon and then go downhill to see the pandas, you still have to go back uphill to get back to the entrance.
Now, there are escalators from the bottom of the canyon that go up the hills on either side, but if you don't actually walk up/down some of the side roads, you miss some of the animals (this is more true on the entrance side).
Here's my recommendation:
From the Zoo entrance, go through Monkey Tails and Forest Trails and walk down the canyon to Tiger River, which also takes you through the Hippo Beach area, and then you'll be at the bottom of the canyon. Take a right and walk 100 yards or so, and that's where the panda exhibit is. As I recall the pandas don't go on exhibit right when the Zoo opens - it's 30 minutes afterwards. If the pandas aren't out yet, then either go into the Sun Bear Forest area, or take the "high road" (a walkway to your right near the entrance to Sun Bear Forest) and see the big cats - first thing in the morning they are usually out and prowling around instead of sleeping. There's a mountain lion, jaguar, and a couple of types of leopards. Over on the other side are the small carnivores, like foxes, lynxes, fossas, coatimundis, etc.
After seeing the pandas, take the escalator up to Hoof and Horn Mesa. I find most of the hoofed animals pretty boring, so we go left at the top and head towards Polar Bear Plunge (the Skyfari Terminal is also that direction), but if you want to see the giraffes you have to go right. From Polar Bear Plunge we go downhill back into the canyon, which takes us past the raptor cages, and then we walk uphill up Bear Canyon, though you could also take the escalator that will bring you back to the top near Gorilla Tropics. But from the polar bears you could also go back the direction you came, and see the rest of Hoof and Horn Mesa, and if you do that you stay on level ground that will bring you back to the entrance of the Zoo eventually, without having to go back down into the canyon. It also takes you past the camels, koalas, and kangaroos. Elephant Mesa is up there, too, but I believe it's closed right now because they are redoing that whole area.
Also up on the "main level" of the Zoo are the Reptile House, the outdoor reptile exhibits (like the Galapagos Tortoises), the Sea Lion Show, and the Children's Zoo. There are some fun exhibits in the Children's Zoo - I especially like the Nursery, which is where they have any orphaned/abandoned babies that they are caring for, and sometimes the animals in there are a lot of fun to watch.
Things I recommend seeing: the pandas, Tiger River, Polar Bear Plunge, Gorilla Tropics, the orangutans (I can't remember what they call that area), Monkey Tails and Forest Trails, the big cats and small carnivores (if you do it early, otherwise they are asleep and not interesting), the Wild Ones show, and the Children's Zoo. There's usually lots of koalas on exhibit, if your group might enjoy those, I don't know if they would be a novelty to you or not.
And they are so hard to get to at the zoo!
Any suggestions?
), primates, polar bears and the nursery. I printed your plan out and will definately be following it when we visit next month! 
