The wild animal park is like connected to the zoo, so If you have a zoo pass you can get into the wild animal park which is an amazing and one of the greatest deals! It’s up in Escondido so its kind of a far drive but it’s totally worth it. It’s pretty amazing to see the animals there and some of them appear to be a bit freer than their zoo friends. They have more room to roam here it’s almost like seeing them in a setting that’s closer to their natural habitat. I loved seeing the lions, you can get so close to them and really feel their power. The elephants were really cool too.

The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park is a wonderful experience for the whole family. I have been taking my boys since they were very tiny. I would push them in the stroller all over the park, just to get out of the house.

The tram ride is a must. The tram driver gives lots of information about the animals in the African Savanna as you drive through and try to catch glimpses of them. It is a really unique way to see animals in a like habitat to their natural ones.

There are small water play areas for when it gets really hot, and as a warning, it gets VERY hot in the summer.

This is much larger than the San Diego zoo which already takes a full day to see. This park takes more than a full day at my pace. The hot air balloon ride is TOTALLY worth the $20 price tag, but!!!!! do try to take it on a day with NO breezes! Early in the morning! If you've got limited time, stick with the regular zoo in San Diego in Balboa Park. The San Diego Zoo is not better then the san diego wild animal park, i reccomend you to go to the wild animal park instead of the wild animal park, get it your car and go!

The San Diego Wild Animal Park is a very unique experience. Part of the park is organized like a zoo, with animals in their own enclosures. The really unique part of the park is the Savanna. It is a huge open area where all kinds of different animals from the African Savanna live together. Obviously the carnivores are not present, but all of the other animals that you would expect to see are there. The best way to see this area is to take the tram, which makes a 30 – 45 minute round trip through the area.

I have four year old twin boys, and we have had an annual pass to the Wild Animal Park ever since they were born. The family pass is about $100 per year, and allows unlimited access to both the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park. The boys love to go the the zoo and the wild animal park, and we get a lot of use out of the passes. One of our favorite things to do at the Wild Animal Park is to visit the Lions. It is best to do that first thing in the morning, as that is when the lions are the most active.

The San Diego Zoo has a lot to see and discover, but it can be quite overwhelming too. A great alternative is to go to the San Diego Wild Animal Park which is north, in Escondido. I feel like it was nice to see a good amount of animals in their natural habitats and environments. The Zoo and the Wild Animal Park really take the animals into consideration and try to educate people while keeping the animals happy and comfortable. The San Diego Wild Animal Park is a more relaxing way to enjoy wildlife and nature. I remember we also went on a safari ride, an open-door truck/van took several of us throughout the safari where we could see gazelle, antelope, giraffes, hippos, rhinos all interacting with each other within a very wide open enclosure. I learned a lot while walking through the park and reading the signs that talked about the animals. I would recommend this park to everyone =)