San Diego Zoo Pandas

[cgh]

We are heading to the San Diego Zoo on Monday (my 2 1/2 year old and I) and seeing the Pandas is our highest priority. What's the quickest/best way to get there? Is there a time of day which is better then others? The last time I went to the zoo, we had to walk quickly through seeing them-is there a time where we might be able to linger more?

I was thinking we would head there first thing.

Also, for the bus tour, can you only start it at the front of the zoo?

Finally, I haven't found this on the website, but are there any cows or pigs? I'm assuming not, but thought I'd ask. His favorite part of visiting our local zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo) is visiting the cows and pigs.

Thanks!

 

[sonnyjane]

We are heading to the San Diego Zoo on Monday (my 2 1/2 year old and I) and seeing the Pandas is our highest priority. What's the quickest/best way to get there? Is there a time of day which is better then others? The last time I went to the zoo, we had to walk quickly through seeing them-is there a time where we might be able to linger more?

I was thinking we would head there first thing.

The line for the pandas builds throughout the day, so if you can head there first, it's really to your benefit. I've seen the wait be more than an hour around 2:00 PM, so if you can make it around 10, you'll have very little wait. They are sometimes not open right at 9:00. The fastest route would be to take Center St. (the street where all the other bears are) down to the bottom of the hill and it will spit you out right at pandas. You are still encouraged to "keep moving" throughout the exhibit. If it is earlier and there is not a line, you can take a little more time. Usually the narrator will say that if you'd like to take additional pictures, you can use the back row as long as you allow people to still move behind you, just leave the front row open at all times.

Also, for the bus tour, can you only start it at the front of the zoo?
Yes, the bus tour only begins at the front of the zoo. Your ticket will also include use of the Express Bus, which has five stops throughout the zoo, but that is just a mode of transportation and is not the narrated, slow-moving tour.

Finally, I haven't found this on the website, but are there any cows or pigs? I'm assuming not, but thought I'd ask. His favorite part of visiting our local zoo (Lincoln Park Zoo) is visiting the cows and pigs. We don't have any domestic cows, but we do have a few pot-bellied pigs in the Children's Zoo Petting Zoo area, although you cannot pet them, they are just off to the side.

 

[PHXscuba]

ITA with Sonnyjane about seeing the pandas first. It's a little confusing to find (and the zoo maps are less-than-perfect) but well worth it. When we went in October there were only about 15 other people there and we could stop and take as long as we wanted. We went back in the early afternoon and the line just to get in looked like something from Disneyland!

Your question about cows and pigs reminded me of an exchange with DS (then 3 years old) while we were waiting for the zoo to open. My older kids each wanted to see the hippos, the tigers, the flamingos, etc. DS3 said he wanted to see a horse. I had to give him the bad news that the zoo didn't have any horses. ... Fast forward an hour ... we turned a corner and there was a zookeeper, leading a miniature horse, just my son's size!! We got some cute pictures of him petting the horse and talking with the keeper. I have never been so glad to be proven wrong!

PHXscuba

 

[skiingfast]

Are the Panda's the number one attraction at the SDzoo?

 

[cgh]

Thanks! So for Center, that's hanging right onto Front at the entrance then heading left onto Center?

I was wondering if I should bother with the aerial transportation to get there, or just walk it.

As for the horse thing, when we went to the zoo a couple weeks ago DS said basically the same thing. I asked what he wanted to see, showed him pictures etc and he said cows, pigs and ponies. I was happy to remember that the zoo had a 'farm' section with all that. (lincoln park zoo) I think maybe it has something to do with teaching kids "what do cows say, what do horses say? what do pigs say?" We never go over hippos! He loves pandas though, so is excited to see them.

 

[llump41]

Hit the Pandas first and walking is probably the quickest way. I usually will go Easy St then thru the Owens Aviary-but there is a stairway that would be quicker. There are now 2 different bus 'rides'. One is the guided bus tour which is about a 40 minute narrated ride around the park and then what they used to call the 'Kangaroo Bus' which you can jump on and off at I think 7 different stops.

 

[sonnyjane]

Are the Panda's the number one attraction at the SDzoo?

It's definitely up there. There are only four zoos in the United States that have panda bears, so they are a big sell for sure. Because of the way their exhibit is set up, they easily get lines of more than an hour in the summer. That's longer than Toy Story, and you don't even get a fun 3D ride!

 

[sonnyjane]

Thanks! So for Center, that's hanging right onto Front at the entrance then heading left onto Center?
Correct
I was wondering if I should bother with the aerial transportation to get there, or just walk it.
The Skyfari doesn't start running until 10:00 AM, and even then, it drops you off at the polar bear exhibit on the other side of the park - just as far of a walk to pandas if not farther than if you just walk from the front.

 

[skiingfast]

It's definitely up there. There are only four zoos in the United States that have panda bears, so they are a big sell for sure. Because of the way their exhibit is set up, they easily get lines of more than an hour in the summer. That's longer than Toy Story, and you don't even get a fun 3D ride!

How long is the line for the raptor show?

 

[sonnyjane]

How long is the line for the raptor show?

Lol, standing room only, as in, if you happen to be walking by, you can stand and watch

 

[Astro Orbiter]

Don't miss the hidden part of the panda exhibit! Join the line and you'll see whomever's out right now - but if you go down the bamboo path that's right there where the line is - right by the panda store - there's another enclosure there where we saw the adult female there two weeks ago and no one else was there.

 

[JH87]

I was just at the SD zoo this past Thursday! One of the first animals we visited within the first 30mins were the pandas! Both the older male and the young male were out eating, and facing the guests. The lady who was talking about the pandas said it's hard to catch them with such a great view like that. Not sure if it was the time of day, or luck. But they are amazing to look at. Also, at that time there were hardly any people at the panda exhibit. Maybe 7 including myself. I didn't notice any real lines or crowds until around 11 or 12. So i would recommend hitting most of the popular exhibits early.
Have fun! That zoo is great.

 

[jonathonkgutierrez]

Thanks for the hidden area info

 

[cgh]

Just to update- we went to the zoo today and saw the pandas to our hearts content, with no lines whatsoever at 9:20. There are a lot of camps that start I guess at 9 am? So when we drove up at 8:55 the parking lot looked pretty full, we went to the front and got a fairly good parking spot.

WE then went straight to the pandas, up to the aerial ride, down to the front of the zoo to the bus tour (would not recommend that for a 2 1/2 old as after 15 minutes, he wanted off). Then over to the children's zoo then back to the hotel. We may head back there after nap-we'll see what DS wants to do.

As we were leaving the bus depot at 10:30, we drove right by your bird presentation sonnyjane. Thanks for the help!

I wish DS didn't need to nap as we just scratched the surface, but I think we maximized our visit for the time we had.

 

[sonnyjane]

Just to update- we went to the zoo today and saw the pandas to our hearts content, with no lines whatsoever at 9:20. There are a lot of camps that start I guess at 9 am? So when we drove up at 8:55 the parking lot looked pretty full, we went to the front and got a fairly good parking spot.

WE then went straight to the pandas, up to the aerial ride, down to the front of the zoo to the bus tour (would not recommend that for a 2 1/2 old as after 15 minutes, he wanted off). Then over to the children's zoo then back to the hotel. We may head back there after nap-we'll see what DS wants to do.

As we were leaving the bus depot at 10:30, we drove right by your bird presentation sonnyjane. Thanks for the help!

I wish DS didn't need to nap as we just scratched the surface, but I think we maximized our visit for the time we had.

Yay I'm glad you got your fill of pandas without a wait! We were noting today that even though it was a Monday and that it was kind of cloudy this morning, the zoo still seemed rather busy, so I'm glad you got down to pandas in the morning. I hope you liked the rest of the zoo (at least what you saw pre-nap hehe). My co-worker and I were just talking today about how often we hear guests grumbling about how big the zoo is when we actually think a huge zoo is a good thing! Bigger zoo = bigger enclosures for animals and more variety. I have worked there for two years and I still haven't seen every exhibit so don't feel bad if you couldn't conquer it all

 

[tzeitel]

Awww, that reminds me of our first trip to California...27 years ago! My mom gave me the choice of what park other than DLR to go to and I chose the zoo to see the pandas. I was crazy about them! When we got there the pandas where not being shown - they told us to go see the "red" pandas....which I did not find very panda-like

 

[sonnyjane]

Awww, that reminds me of our first trip to California...27 years ago! My mom gave me the choice of what park other than DLR to go to and I chose the zoo to see the pandas. I was crazy about them! When we got there the pandas where not being shown - they told us to go see the "red" pandas....which I did not find very panda-like

Little nerd fact for you: the word "panda" means "bamboo-eater". The red pandas were actually discovered (and named) first, then the traditional black and white pandas were discovered afterward, but red pandas are actually the original!

 

[skiingfast]

Little nerd fact for you: the word "panda" means "bamboo-eater". The red pandas were actually discovered (and named) first, then the traditional black and white pandas were discovered afterward, but red pandas are actually the original!

Thanks Sonnyjane, I will remember this when I'm on Jeopardy. Interesting fact.

 

[tzeitel]

Little nerd fact for you: the word "panda" means "bamboo-eater". The red pandas were actually discovered (and named) first, then the traditional black and white pandas were discovered afterward, but red pandas are actually the original!

Tell that to the 10 year-old in me who still feels cheated out of a panda

 

[sonnyjane]

Awww, that reminds me of our first trip to California...27 years ago! My mom gave me the choice of what park other than DLR to go to and I chose the zoo to see the pandas. I was crazy about them! When we got there the pandas where not being shown - they told us to go see the "red" pandas....which I did not find very panda-like

Also, the SD zoo has only had pandas since 1987 (24 years ago), so either your trip dates are fuzzy, or it's no wonder you didn't see pandas on your visit, because they were still in China

ETA: I only know this stuff because the building I work in is near the panda building, so I hear the narrators give this talk every day. If I had a nickel for every time I heard the word "panda"...