Drusillas Park
Latest Reviews
Our animal obsessed 8 year old had an unbelievable experience as 'Keeper for the day'. From preparing meerkat meals, mucking out capybaras' beds to feeding beavers and bats and getting hands on with an armadillo, our son was totally immersed in a keeper's life. Julie, the keeper who guided him through the day, was simply wonderful. Clearly hugely dedicated to her role, she shared her knowledge, skills and love of the animals with great patience, enthusiasm and humor.
The day was perfectly paced but packed with things to do, with lunch included and an hour or to of free time at the end of the day. Our entire family left with an even greater understanding and appreciation of the remarkable job that the Drusillas keepers do in caring for the animals and sharing their love and respect of them with visitors. And guess what our son wants to be when he grows up?
The day was perfectly paced but packed with things to do, with lunch included and an hour or to of free time at the end of the day. Our entire family left with an even greater understanding and appreciation of the remarkable job that the Drusillas keepers do in caring for the animals and sharing their love and respect of them with visitors. And guess what our son wants to be when he grows up?
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Nothing like the usual type of zoo, and mostly only monkeys. Very educational and brilliantly thought-out BUT I was appalled that, in this day and age, at the refreshment places there was nothing to eat except chips, crisps, sweets, sweets, more sweets, ice cream and doughnuts. All around us were fat mothers, pot-bellied fathers and potentially fat children. It was like being in the US !
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This was our first visit as a family for over 20 years - three generations in attendance this time. It is as good as we remember it; it has changed hands but is still family run and has maintained quite a few of the features from 20 years ago, without it feeling dated or rundown. Other parts of the park have definitely been updated, especially in the play park and this provided great entertainment for the grandchildren. Definitely worth the money.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Went to drusillas with four generations. It's was a glorious day not to hot but pleasantly warm. We went in the parks and the pools we went on the rides in hello kitty world but best of all was the animals and lovely little collection. The red pandas were fab but all were really kept nicely. We had a one and two year old who were kept entertained for hours. This is a must if you have small children it wasn't over busy and the online price saves you money. Coffee in Costa was reasonably priced and toilets were spread evenly throughout the park. Really good for kids and wonderful for families to watch Thor little ones having fun. If you want a fun chilled dY this is a great place to go
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This is the second time we have been to the park, it's a great place for the younger children, although my daughter is now 8 she still enjoyed it. There is plenty todo, although make sure you pack some towels and swimming outfits for the kids as there is a wet play area and there is also a paddling pool next to hello kitty's secret garden. The zoo is great with plenty of things to see and do. Hello kitty secret garden added 3 rides for the children, which my little ones loved. Highly recommended. My ownly grip about this place is the ticket price, it's very expensive. It's a comparable price to chessington world of adventures and London zoo. However it is something different and offers something for everyone, but it's not a amazement park with big scary rides! Coffee and cafe prices are fair and are pretty good value considering. Also we went at peak time children's holidays and it still seemed a very good flow around the park and never too busy. This is the last year the Thomas train will be there.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Brilliant park, tons to do:- exotic animals (lemurs, marmosets, monkeys etc), farm animals, large outdoor play park, indoor soft play, new splash zone, Hello kitty small rides zone, lagoon pool, maze a little faded now but still fun. Lots of interactive fun info boards, buttons for kids to press around the site.
Steep price £18.50 adult or child for the day. Much better value for annual membership.
If your child likes the wall climbing and penguin slide then gold membership will save you a fortune.
Brilliant fun, well worth membership. Xx
Also lots to do in light rain, much is undercover.
Steep price £18.50 adult or child for the day. Much better value for annual membership.
If your child likes the wall climbing and penguin slide then gold membership will save you a fortune.
Brilliant fun, well worth membership. Xx
Also lots to do in light rain, much is undercover.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
It is fun - we were there with a 5 year old and a 9 year old, and they had a whale of a time - appropriate animals, lots of information presented in an attractive and enjoyable way. But at the end, the fact that most of the attractions in the funfair had to be paid for as extras came as a bit of a shock, making it a very expensive day out. The food was pretty basic, too.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A really good day for my 6 and 5 year old grandchildren. The zoolympics was a great idea for getting them involved. The zoo route is cleverly laid out to keep little ones interest. The talks at feeding time were a little too long to sustain their interest. Hello kitty park was ideal for their age group. No real queues which would have been off putting. Bring swim gear as the splash areas looked fun. The worse bit was the traffic on return journey. We left just after 4 and it took over 2 and half hours to get to Portsmouth.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Great day, took our 4 year old niece who loved every minute, especially the adventure playground and hello kitty world. Can't recommend enough. Perfect family day out!!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We arrived just after opening, so it wasn't too busy at that point. No real queue for entry (we had pre-booked) which was good.
The kids enjoyed the zoo trail, stamping the animals in their books as they went round. All the volunteers that we came across were very nice.
The rides in the Hello Kitty park were perfect for younger children, and as there were no real queues they could jump back on them almost instantly.
The Thomas the Tank Engine ride is a nice touch and we were lucky enough to have the Fat Controller there on the day to welcome us aboard.
The play/adventure areas were a hit, with the kids able to move from one to another, again they didn't seem to busy.
We used the splash park rather than the paddling pool and it was great. They're such a good idea and is a nice change to have something like this at a zoo.
We didn't eat on site so cannot comment on that area.
Some have said that it is expensive, and they might be right, but I did say as we were leaving that it's not very often we can go for a day out with the kids and they were entertained from start to finish ..... at no point did we get an 'I'm bored' etc
Would definitely recommend to others !
The kids enjoyed the zoo trail, stamping the animals in their books as they went round. All the volunteers that we came across were very nice.
The rides in the Hello Kitty park were perfect for younger children, and as there were no real queues they could jump back on them almost instantly.
The Thomas the Tank Engine ride is a nice touch and we were lucky enough to have the Fat Controller there on the day to welcome us aboard.
The play/adventure areas were a hit, with the kids able to move from one to another, again they didn't seem to busy.
We used the splash park rather than the paddling pool and it was great. They're such a good idea and is a nice change to have something like this at a zoo.
We didn't eat on site so cannot comment on that area.
Some have said that it is expensive, and they might be right, but I did say as we were leaving that it's not very often we can go for a day out with the kids and they were entertained from start to finish ..... at no point did we get an 'I'm bored' etc
Would definitely recommend to others !
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I bought my tickets on-line and saved £8. Initially I thought it was expensive, but I have to say I think it was very good value. We took our two grandchildren, (5 and 3) and the way everything is laid out meant that no one was bored at any time. I thought we would probably be round and out within an hour as the 3 yr old has a very short attention span, however we were still there after 4 hrs. Staff were friendly and very helpful and the animals were in a clean environment. The picnic area was constantly being kept clean! You can not possibly do justice to this place with one visit - we'll be back!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited with my sons who are 7 & 10. We loved the zoo, we didn't like some of the rude people visiting at the same time as us (my kids are taught to wait their turn and manners, it seems so many aren't)
The playground was good, though my eldest flew of the end of a slide as it was damp and my boys refused to go into 'hello kitty's garden....as its for girls!!
My only issue was the food in the restaurant, my son wanted fish & chips so I got him an adult meal (as there is no fish option for kids), but the fish was overcooked and very chewy. And the lasagne was ok, but not great.
But in all my boys had a fabulous time, especially at the end of our visit in the wet splash area.
The playground was good, though my eldest flew of the end of a slide as it was damp and my boys refused to go into 'hello kitty's garden....as its for girls!!
My only issue was the food in the restaurant, my son wanted fish & chips so I got him an adult meal (as there is no fish option for kids), but the fish was overcooked and very chewy. And the lasagne was ok, but not great.
But in all my boys had a fabulous time, especially at the end of our visit in the wet splash area.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Excellent venue, especially for young children. Enough animals for the attentions of a 3 & 4 year old. Plentiful play areas, and the water fun was excellent.
Give yourself a full day there as there's plenty to do!
Give yourself a full day there as there's plenty to do!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited here for my sons 2nd birthday in July.
Plenty of parking for disabled drivers.
Park was good value for adults and senior citizens but had to pay nearly £16 for my 2yr old which I think for his age was steep, should be at least 3yr olds and up child prices.
Was accessible for my disabled father who had a mobility scooter. He could see things clearly and go on everything.
The park was well sign posted to where animals were, maybe they could have more signs for toilets though.
Thomas train was really good for my little boy it's a shame that is finishing up here this year at the park.
Lots of animals to see and lots of good fact for children to learn about them throughout the zoo.
Play and picnic area was a good size, plenty of tables and places to eat. Play area was good, they had a few items that u paid extra for, which I don't think was needed.
The rides in hello kitty was good for my sons age, he throughly enjoyed them.
Plenty of parking for disabled drivers.
Park was good value for adults and senior citizens but had to pay nearly £16 for my 2yr old which I think for his age was steep, should be at least 3yr olds and up child prices.
Was accessible for my disabled father who had a mobility scooter. He could see things clearly and go on everything.
The park was well sign posted to where animals were, maybe they could have more signs for toilets though.
Thomas train was really good for my little boy it's a shame that is finishing up here this year at the park.
Lots of animals to see and lots of good fact for children to learn about them throughout the zoo.
Play and picnic area was a good size, plenty of tables and places to eat. Play area was good, they had a few items that u paid extra for, which I don't think was needed.
The rides in hello kitty was good for my sons age, he throughly enjoyed them.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We visited as a family of 6 (3 adults, 3 children) and spent the whole day there. The animals were great, but there was plenty of other entertainment to keep the children going all day. Aged 5, 8 and 12 that's quite an achievement. Price felt expensive to get in but it turned out to be really good value for money, as we stayed all day, and snacks and ice creams on site are all at sensible prices, no fleecing a captive audience here...
The Hello Kitty rides were fine for the youngest child, but also enjoyed by the eldest.
Plenty of picnic space, including in the shade for those rare sunny days.
The Hello Kitty rides were fine for the youngest child, but also enjoyed by the eldest.
Plenty of picnic space, including in the shade for those rare sunny days.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My husband and I visited with our 2 year old on the first Monday of the school summer holidays which was also a sunny day. We expected it to be packed out with lots of queues and although it was busy we never had to wait long for any of the attractions such as the hello kitty cars or Thomas the tank engine and it didn't feel too crowded.
The choice of food was really good with lots of healthy choices as well as the usual treats; my husband enjoyed a burger and chips - all surprisingly good value too. Or you could just bring a pic nic to enjoy in the very well kept grounds.
The lagoon swimming pool and water fountain areas were great on a hot day.
We had a really fun day and my daughter was so excited to see Thomas the tank engine pulling in at the station that she burst into tears. She loved all the animals too!
Would definitely recommend it for a fun family day out and we will be going again soon....the only thing I did find tricky was working out the map! Nice fun design but not the best for navigating your way round the park in my view.
The choice of food was really good with lots of healthy choices as well as the usual treats; my husband enjoyed a burger and chips - all surprisingly good value too. Or you could just bring a pic nic to enjoy in the very well kept grounds.
The lagoon swimming pool and water fountain areas were great on a hot day.
We had a really fun day and my daughter was so excited to see Thomas the tank engine pulling in at the station that she burst into tears. She loved all the animals too!
Would definitely recommend it for a fun family day out and we will be going again soon....the only thing I did find tricky was working out the map! Nice fun design but not the best for navigating your way round the park in my view.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Seemed very expensive but you could easily spend all day there with the kids there is so many things to do in the adventure play grounds.. If you are in the area with kids it's a good day out,
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We have visited Drusilla's on many occasions, not cheap but enough to fill a whole day with a huge variety of activities. It's my grandkids favourite day out. Just a couple of concerns though, in the face painting section the black paint seems to be almost indelible and I think must be stage makeup not kids' face paint. In the Farm area there's an interactive game about feeding animals, my 4 year old got his finger badly hurt in it where the lever slammed down trapping his finger. These things happen but I thought I'd better go to the first aid point but this was impossible to find. There aren't any staff around monitoring anything so difficult to get directions. From a health and safety point of view it seems surprising that there are no staff to ask - I had to go all the way back to the entrance to ask at the ticket office.
I emailed about the black greasepaint as it really was a job washing it off but didn't get a reply.
So now I think when all goes well Drusilla's is great but if things go pear shaped somewhat lacksadaisical.
I emailed about the black greasepaint as it really was a job washing it off but didn't get a reply.
So now I think when all goes well Drusilla's is great but if things go pear shaped somewhat lacksadaisical.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Drusillas is a fantastic park and excellent park for an entire day out.
There is a vast array of animals to see and a mini farm to interact with animals at too.
We loved feeding nectar to the birds and the close up experience is one to remember forever.
Being able to take a break midway by taking a shortcut and then coming back is ideal. Especially if breaking for a meal as you can come back all refuelled and full of energy and do a lot more this way.
After a long time with the animals we spent a good couple hours in the play area. It's great and full of adventurous and exciting fun for the kids. So much to do once again and it's big.
Explorers cafe offers a sensible range of food but I think it is VERY overpriced. It is the one thing I believe should be looked into as it seems prohibitive after spending so much at the main gates with entry tickets.
Staff are very knowledgable about whatever we threw at them. My son gave one of the guys a real tough time asking him so much about all the prohibited items donated by HRM Customs and people in the community. I take my hat off for how well he did and how much he knew.
The chaps doing the face painting are very patient and handle kids very well. They paint great and know how to get it done quickly yet looking great.
Everyone was so friendly everywhere and go out and beyond in making sure they help and do whatever possible to ensure your day is as great as possible. Well done to you all.
The cherry on the cake for us was the sign in the car park saying that the new expansion to the park is coming!! I'm sure that once this is all done and ready, Drusillas will finally give all the bigger places a good run for their money.
Advice - don't be a grinch and forget your kid's costumes and towels!!!
There is a vast array of animals to see and a mini farm to interact with animals at too.
We loved feeding nectar to the birds and the close up experience is one to remember forever.
Being able to take a break midway by taking a shortcut and then coming back is ideal. Especially if breaking for a meal as you can come back all refuelled and full of energy and do a lot more this way.
After a long time with the animals we spent a good couple hours in the play area. It's great and full of adventurous and exciting fun for the kids. So much to do once again and it's big.
Explorers cafe offers a sensible range of food but I think it is VERY overpriced. It is the one thing I believe should be looked into as it seems prohibitive after spending so much at the main gates with entry tickets.
Staff are very knowledgable about whatever we threw at them. My son gave one of the guys a real tough time asking him so much about all the prohibited items donated by HRM Customs and people in the community. I take my hat off for how well he did and how much he knew.
The chaps doing the face painting are very patient and handle kids very well. They paint great and know how to get it done quickly yet looking great.
Everyone was so friendly everywhere and go out and beyond in making sure they help and do whatever possible to ensure your day is as great as possible. Well done to you all.
The cherry on the cake for us was the sign in the car park saying that the new expansion to the park is coming!! I'm sure that once this is all done and ready, Drusillas will finally give all the bigger places a good run for their money.
Advice - don't be a grinch and forget your kid's costumes and towels!!!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Wasn't actually looking forward to this day out but it was a real treat for us all. The weather certainly helped but the size of the site meant that although it was a school holiday date the rides weren't oversubscribed. The zoo is well tended with lovely animals. A real surprise was the quality of the food at the Explorers Café. It's difficult to cater for the masses but the picnic bags were great for our grandchildren - organic juices rather than high sugar concentrates and a pretty good salad bar. Also jacket potatoes with good fillings.
The free rides were enjoyable for adults and children.
A really good gentle day out.
The free rides were enjoyable for adults and children.
A really good gentle day out.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
This is a really fun place to go, with animals, and plenty of attractions for kids to enjoy themselves. The food is good and very reasonable in price.
Entry is pretty pricely but you can be in there all day, without getting bored.
Entry is pretty pricely but you can be in there all day, without getting bored.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Came here on day 1 of the school holidays and as expected it was packed but Drusilla's managed the crowds very well indeed. Of course we paid top rate for the peak time and then of course all of the food etc are quite pricey. The zoo had many new animals and that side was excellent. There was a new water fountain feature which on a hot day was well used. My lot thoroughly enjoyed their day here and all were asleep in the car before we left the car park so I had a peaceful run home! Niggles? Price of food/ drink was expensive so bring your own. The Mr Whippy soft ice cream was awful and most of ours finished in the bin. Avoid at all costs. Staff were fine and very helpful.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My 9 year old son received a penguin feeding experience for his birthday and it was fantastic. The gift comes with 2 free tickets and we spent the day at Drusillas as a family before he did the feeding. The friendly zoo keeper Sian showed us around the kitchens where all the animal food is kept and was very knowledgable and answered all our penguin questions! He also met Chuff Chuff the Humboldt penguin which had been adopted for him also for his birthday and was delighted that this was Sian's favourite penguin too! I was really surprised and delighted that my son was the only one feeding at this time, I had assumed there would be a group so this was a big plus.
We spent a lot of time at the zoo when my children were smaller, the huge play area and 2 water areas are fantastic for younger children, the animals are really interesting and it's worth going round again later in the day as a few of the animals are more active in the afternoon.
Great family day out, facilities and staff are really good.
We spent a lot of time at the zoo when my children were smaller, the huge play area and 2 water areas are fantastic for younger children, the animals are really interesting and it's worth going round again later in the day as a few of the animals are more active in the afternoon.
Great family day out, facilities and staff are really good.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
First day of summer holidays so not as busy as i had feared. Went with young children. Still plenty to do there for all ages. Clean. Good balance of rides and the zoo. Its a hybrid of the two.
Restaurants fine. Pricey. Not enough healthy options for kids.
The water based attractions could do with some changing facilities.
Restaurants fine. Pricey. Not enough healthy options for kids.
The water based attractions could do with some changing facilities.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We had a great day out
The park was great with wonderful animals.
Nice and clean facilities.
Expensive entrance but it's worth it especially if you have small children as a full and brill day out.
Advice- pre book tickets it's cheaper.
The young girl who was in the bat enclosure on the 22nd of July thank you for being so kind and answering all my questions you were great.
The park was great with wonderful animals.
Nice and clean facilities.
Expensive entrance but it's worth it especially if you have small children as a full and brill day out.
Advice- pre book tickets it's cheaper.
The young girl who was in the bat enclosure on the 22nd of July thank you for being so kind and answering all my questions you were great.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
