Sea World or SD Zoo

[fire616]

If you could only chose one which place would you visit.

Looking at Sea World our little ones wouldn't be able to ride most of the rides and our DS (17) isn't interested in the rides.

DS would like to go to the zoo. Is the zoo alot of walking or riding the tram??

Thanks

 

[mitymott]

I'd like to know too. We're going in the end of april and are leaning toward the zoo and wild animal pk. From what I've read, the att. at sw looked almost the same as those in sw(or). That being said, I love sw(or) even if you didn't go on the rides there are great att and shows. Hope you have a great time .

 

[abby]

We have been to S. D. last two years. This year DL. My DD who is almost 5 loves both sea world and the zoo. wild Animal park was ok, but most of the animals were too far away for her to see well. I would skip that if on limited time. Zoo vs. Sea World is tough. Zoo is very big and on a hill, so if you go get the admission that allows for bus ride. bus stops at five places. Ride the bus to the top of the hill, polar bears then walk down. My DD loved sea world and when I just asked her she said she wuold choose sea world. (and she was too little to do any rides.) Have a great time.

 

[lap3]

Hands down, my DS6 and DD3 love Sea World more than the SD Zoo. The Zoo is nice but it doesn't strike me as anything different from our nearby LA Zoo. As someone mentioned earlier, it is hilly to walk and can be done. They do have a tram if you prefer to do so.

However, my kids dig Sea World. The love the shows, exhibits and feeding the dolphins. As far as I remember, there's only 1 ride there and it's a water ride. Not scary but you will get extremely wet!

 

[mrswortham]

SeaWorld hands down. We loved that place so much more than I thought we ever would (me, dh, ds 7, ds 3). We wanted to go back another day, but didn't have the time. We didn't ride on anything....from what I remember, it was mostly shows. The dolphin show was our fave.

 

[KatelynnsAuntie]

I really loved the zoo, but it was a LOT of walking. That place is HUGE!!

 

[PattiPB]

I don't know how little your "little ones" are, but the kids play area at Sea World is an entire day trip in itself! There are rope ladders up to hanging bridges over to tire swings 30 feet above the ground! There are ball pits and bouncers and a pirate ship shooting water.

We love SDZoo and WAP, but it is a completely different experience. You will be doing a lot of walking, but possibly no payoff. The walk to the African savannah where you feed the giraffes at the WAP is long, and one time we got all the way out there and they had stopped the hand feeding already!

I'd say best case scenario do it all! If you had to choose, and where you live has a decent zoo, I'd go with Sea World. BTW---both offer AWESOME annual pass options, so if you think you might go back, consider them. JMO, of course!

 

[geffric]

we love SeaWorld but if you have been to the one in Orlando , IMHO the Sea World in SD is similar..

I haven't been to the SD zoo or the WAP yet but the ZOO has Pandas. Since I don't live anywher near a real panda, i want to go to the zoo to see them..

 

[LucyKate]

We have a 9 and a 5 year old and did both last December and loved both.

The Zoo has a great collection of animals you are unlikely to see anywhere else - pandas, koalas etc, and a great exhibits like being able to see hippos swim underwater.

But it is a lot of walking even with the shuttle, and at the end of the day, I think for kids a zoo is a zoo.

The rides at Seaworld weren't that great (especially not compared to Disneyland) but the shows with the whales, dolphins and seal, and being able to feed and pat dolphins and ray and see polar bears, penguins and a walrus up close made it worthwhile. As mentioned above the climbing ropes play area near the entrance would have kept out kids entertained all day if we'd let them - they loved it.