My wife and I recently had some friends to stay with us who have a 3 year old and a six year old. We decided to take them to Drusillas as we have had some great days there with various nieces and nephews. The day was another big hit with the adults and the kids, who loved it.

The park is always in immaculate condition. It's so clean and tidy and easy to navigate your way around. The kids loved filling out the "spotter books" and the "zoo Olympics" is great fun too. The zoo itself is really interesting, fun and interactive and the enclosures are very well designed. Again, very clean and well presented and also great for seeing the variety of animals on show. My favourites are the Gibbons and the Red Panda's. The walk through enclosures are also very good too (bats, leemur's and parakeets).

Playland is exceptional. There are so many different things for the kids to play on and it seemed to be very well looked after and safe.

The three year old is a big Thomas fan... So we had multiple rides on Thomas which was a big hit. The new camels that you can see from the Thomas looked great too.

We spent a number of hours in the play area, on Thomas and especially at Hello Kitty's Secret Garden. The six year old absolutely loved the rides. He particularly liked the "hopper ride" where and he also really enjoyed the car ride and the teacups. Multiple rides were had on all.

The food is also worth a mention. There was great variety and it was top quality and very reasonably priced.

Over all another great day at Drusillas. Our friends, who are member of a few zoo's locally to them only disappointment was that they did not have a "Drusillas" closer by. They even said they would travel 2 1/2 from Essex a few times a year as the day was that good.

Highly recommend to anyone with kids. A great family day out where there really is something for everybody!

the staff were all very helpful & friendly and the lad on the pan for gold etc kiosk counter there where my daughter went climbing was telling us how much he enjoyed his job and what a fun place to work it is x

We went to drusillas park today with 3 children aged 18 months,4 & 6 years old. They loved it from the moment we arrived it has a very colourful exterior. We booked on line the night befor after checking the weather and saved £2 a person. So only paid £15.50 each. We saw snakes, spiders, rats, mice and lots of differant monkeys. We saw merecats, you could go in a tunnel under there enclosure and then pop your head up in a glass dome and it was as if you were in with them. There was a giraffe model you could walk up steps between his legs and look through a telescope which was in his head and turn it around to see what was around the park. We fed the lorikeets and walked in the lemurs enclosure it was wicked. There are loads of other animals as well even camels.there is an amazing amount of stuff for kids of all ages to play on including the adult kind.there is Thomas the tank engine train to ride on and the fat controller visits sometimes.you can also go in the magic maze.there are some shows on at the little theatre at differant times of year. A hello kitty land with about 4 Rides in and a beauty parlour. You can even meet her on certain days.there is a paddling pool with squerters and plenty of seating for the adults around the pool and in the surrounding garden.there are about 2-3 food venues and plenty of places selling ice cream,donuts,waffles and coffee.there is a kids gift shop and a more upmarket one on the way out. The children can get a book free at the start and stamp each page when they find the animals. There is also a little quizz book that they can read the questions and write there own individual answer in when they complete the tasks and quizzes in them. I highly recommend this attraction as a good day out for everyone.you won't hear anyone say they are bored that's for sure.

We visited the park with 3 kids, they loved the Hello Kitty Garden and the Playground. But: Is this worth such a high entrence fee? At first they (and we) looked interested at the monkeys and all the other animals but at least they just ran through the zoo and can´t see more and more animals great or small. Of course you can go just right to the playground but when you pay 80 pounds and more you had to see all! What made me quite angry was that there was a huge slide (and of course the main attraction for my youngest) which you have to pay extra with 3 pounds. Not with me, and why???? If all the park has such a great looking like the Hello kitty garden okay, but so it has a great smell of making money with an old zoo and an great playground.

We had a lovely day here. When planning our trip though we were surprised by how much it was going to cost (£72 pounds for a family of 4) but we booked online the day before and saved £8. We brought a picnic with us so that we didn't have to buy expensive food and warned the children there would be no shopping. Knowing how much we were spending we got there just after opening and left at closing time.

We had a relaxing day. There is a single route through the park that takes your thought the animals first and then to the activity park. On arrival you have the opportunity to take two booklets to keep the children focused. I picked up these and the children loved stamping their books as they saw the different animals and zoo lumping challenge was wonderful. We were concerned about the numbers and waiting for goes on things such as the hello kitty park and Thomas ride so we opted to do the short cut to the park first. Most visitors seemed to take the long route so that meant we didn't queue for the rides at all at 10.30am in the morning and got lots or rides fitted in before getting to the adventure playgrounds. We spent a good few hours in the playgrounds and ate our lunch there. We then went the wrong way round the zoo route, watched the Lemur feeding and penguins feeding and got back to the beginning of the route after another couple of hours ( going at a very steady pace but you could do this much quicker). We had ice cream at the end of the day, a paddle in the pool and the a few more rides without any queuing at 5pm in the evening.

The space was compact. There were a number of things that weren't included in our whole day entry which we felt a bit aggrieved about given the price we paid and there was plenty of merchandising for those who like expensive souvenirs. The zoo was wonderful, clean and easily accessible for my two children. We certainly didn't do everything there and will probably go back but I think it was perfect for the ages of children we had and my daughter who is 7 May outgrow it in a couple of years time.

Everyone was friendly.

An absorbing day full of interesting information, wonderful observations and much fun. A lasting memory for all. We have promised to return soon.

We had such a great day at Drusillas and we were entertained from start to finish. There's so many different animals to see and many educational things to learn on the way round which was great for the older children and adults! We decided to take a picnic and used one of the many picnic areas which was great. We went onto the Thomas ride,adventure playground and then hello kitty world where all of the rides were free! Finally we finished up in the splash pool at 5:30pm. The time flew by there's so much to do and we'll definitely be heading back. My 2 year old son loved it as did we. Keep up the good work drusillas!!

druscillas is a fantastic day out, loads to do, a large selection of interesting animals and informative signs. However it is very expensive, 18 pounds for anyone over the age of 2 which is a bit mean as 2 year olds are toddlers really. We had a return for free voucher for one of my sons which was also a bit mean as I had to pay full individual price, not website price or family price to use the voucher... It was only a matter of pounds and just adds to the feeling you re being a bit conned! Several activities then an additional cost when you get in, including an inflatable slide which was 3 pounds per child for 6 slides! The staff are polite and helpful on the whole, it's clean and an enjoyable day, it would just be worth the owners considering if these quite minimal hidden little added ways of trying to get more money out of you are worth the bad feeling it gives their customers. Many other visitors were disappointed on entry that they were paying full adult price for toddlers and many families disappointed by additional costs for things like the slide. All this said, we will probably go again, but definitely wait for tesco vouchers to build up!!

The little zoo side is great although the enclosures were smaller than I had expected to see and the zoo not as big Animals were easy to spot and the two encounter enclosures were great. However we did see the whole zoo side in less than 2 hours and we did stop to read the signs and take photos. Our 10 yr old has grown out of hello kitty and Thomas the tank so I was hoping the adventure playground advertised for up to 12 yr olds would be suitable however it still didn't appeal. So it all became very expensive for just barely 3 hrs. May be our fault I expected too much. We have a fantastic zoo near home ( we were on holiday here) and so it takes a lot to match it ! All I would say is look closely at the website and if you have an older 10 yr old that doesn't enjoy HK then think twice !!

We have been visiting Drusillas regularly for around 5 years now. I find its value for money brilliant it offers a reduced fee when more than one person come to the zoo. compared to other zoos which charge anything from £20-£25 per person. I find the range of animals in such a small zoo extensive. The enclosures may not be as big as some zoos but each enclosure only houses a small number of animals. I find the facility's amazing. The playground is any Childs dream ranging from all ages. The indoor play area is brilliant if the weather isn't good. Over the resent years I've seen a massive improvement. Hello kitty land being one of them my children look forward to these rides the most. I find the restaurant to be reasonably priced. The food is always fresh and the portions are big in there size. We usually visit at least once a week. We hope to keep coming for many years :)

the whole day out was charming...welcoming staff.. healthy looking animals...nice places to see// great maze...nice food/drinks..charming place...my 2nd visit...
not too large and exhausting like other places.. no silly funfair cheeky attractions. CLEAN TOILETS AND GOOD FACILITES....JUST LOVELY PLACE... WE LOVE DRISCILLAS PARK

Great day out, lots to do but it is extremely expensive considering. We only go when we have a voucher of some sort. The cafe food is mediocre and expensive. Animal exhibits all look clean and well maintained.

As a place to take young children, Drusillas is a five star attraction, with a good variety of smaller animals (no elephants, lions or giraffes, but lots of meercats, gibbons and penguins), plus a great play area, graded for different age groups.

However, I can only give it three stars because the entry prices are far too expensive and I have stopped going there as a result. I think one adult and one child should be able to visit for £30 maximum. They should introduce more deals for people on a low income so that every child can enjoy what's on offer.

I found the staff at Drusillas to be very polite and helpful.
There is plenty of activities on offer to amuse all ages i have two children one aged 8 and one 3 years old they both had a brilliant day.

This page is amazing. There's so many animals to see.. The bats stink though lol. The food is a little expensive but very good. Portions and very yummy..

We visited yesterday with our two children (5 & 1) they absolutely loved it. The hello kitty attraction was perfect for our little girl.

Stopped for lunch in the Explorer cafe and it was very nice and reasonably priced.

Would we go back? That's a tough one, it's quite expensive to get in but overall the experience was good so yes we would happily take the kids again.

Where do I start a fantastic day out for all the family. Lots to see and do and educational in a fun way. Very easy parking and well signposted so you do not miss anything. All the animals on display are very well looked after and very healthy looking. Obviously the keepers work very hard to look after them and were very knowledgeable about the animals in their care.

There are lots to do not just the play parks but they have a Thomas train, also a Hello Kitty area with rides in her secret garden and on special dates she even visits. Very special for the children.

I was very impressed with the range of food available and the salad bar is second to none. Not too pricey either. The macaroni cheese was delicious and well worth buying.

If you are looking for a good and interesting day out look no further and make a beeline to Drusillas you won't be disappointed.

I visited the park with my daughter and grand-daughter (aged two and a half) on a lovely sunny Sunday. As it was a spur of the moment decision we didn't pre-book, which is a shame because we would have saved some money, albeit a small amount!

The Park is very easy to find with plenty of directional signs along all routes. Parking is free and there's plenty of space for parking.

Entrance fees: there's a three tier pricing strategy - they have Discount Days, Off Peak and Peak. Everyone over the age of two pays the same price at Drusillas with those over 60 years of age getting a £1 discount. So, during Peak times (mostly the days you'd be able to visit with kids - school holidays, Easter etc), if you rock up on the day the individual price per person is £18. They do offer "family" discounts for groups of 2, 3, 4 and 5, which work out at £17.50 per person. By booking online you can save a little money - individuals will pay £16 and in the family groups it works out at £15.50 per person.

I did feel that the entry price was quite steep for what you get and the pricing structure being the same for everyone over the age of two quite unfair. Most attractions will allow under fives in for free and then there's a price for 5 years and up, generally to about 16 and then an adult price. I think Drusillas is an expensive day out for families for what you get. All that said, it is quite a child oriented attraction and children are very well catered for.

The zoo contains mostly small animals - there's a variety of monkeys, penguins, beavers, lemurs, meerkats etc There are some camels, donkeys and small ponies. There are also a number of our feathered friends too such as owls, kookaburra, rainbow lorikeet, as well as the snakes and spiders. All the enclosures are very well designed with small people in mind - mostly windows, which come right down to toddler height, so little people can see in and even those in pushchairs would get a good view. There are some areas where you can pet the more domesticated animals and plenty of places to wash your hands around the site.

I last visited around five years ago and felt that since my last visit, the attraction had become quite commercialised and moved away from the main attraction of the animals into more of a "fun fair" attraction. There has always been a little train that you can ride, free of charge, around the park - this is now named Thomas the Tank Engine. There's Hello Kitty's Secret Garden with pink toddler type rides (including tea cups and a little car following a track), a Hello Kitty House which is open twice a day (good luck if you actually have Hello Kitty visit!) and a Hello Kitty face paint shop (extra price). There's Panning for Gold (extra price) and a bouncy slide (extra price). There are also play areas catering for different ages, a maze "Amazon Adventure" and a small paddling pool garden - it was absolutely packed on the day we went!

The ice-creams were reasonably priced and the shops on site have lots of "pocket money" things for the kids to buy. There's also a Starbucks for the adults!

There are plenty of toilets around the site and these (certainly the ladies) are all fitted with an additional child sized seat that can be put down on top of the normal toilet seat - perfect for little bottoms! Each set of toilets is also equipped with low hand wash basins and there's a completely separate baby change cubicle set between the Ladies and the Gents.

There is very little to no phone signal at the Park, so if you get split up trying to call each other on the phone is not going to happen! We did discover - at the end of our visit - that there is free wifi and there are some "Wifi Hotspot" signs (first spotted in the playground area). It would be nice for the Park to advise this when purchasing tickets -we were waiting for a phone call from my son-in-law who was elsewhere with my10-year-old grandson for the day!

All in all my little grand daughter had a lovely day but grandma was quite a few £££'s lighter!

Drusillas is an easy place to get to and to park it. It's not cheap (we paid £62 on line for a family of four) but well worth if for the interesting zoo exhibits and the amazing play areas which keep the kids amused for hours. There is also a (free) Thomas the Tank Engine train ride and three (free) Hello Kitty rides, plus face painting and a maze. Catering is a bit basic, so if you want healthy food it's best to take your own. You need a dry day as the play areas are outdoors.

What a wonderful day we had - so much to so and see and so educational too for the kiddies- all the wonderful little touches makes it stand out from other similar parks- I have a 4 and 6 year old and they had a brilliant time from looking at and finding all the animals to playing at the adventure park and the hello kitty rides- totally recommend- you won't be disappointed!

We'll sign posted, plenty of parking. Several ticket kiosks open to keep queues down. Everyone over the age of two has to pay full price, which is very unusual, not to have a bit of a discount rate on kids tickets. You can book an experience with an animal, which isn't cheap, but apparently if you book one you get the cost of the entrance fee back, lots of interesting facts about different animals displayed around the park. They also have interactive gadgets. Various animals, most if which are in glass fronted cages. Large play area. A part themed on Hello Kitty. A small paddling pool area. Food courts in several places. Lots to keep younger children entertained. Not the place to be in the rain. I would have thought they would have used the Events Stage during the summer holidays.

We've been to Drusillas twice with our grandson and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. As he was a year older the second time he appreciated different aspects which I think is one the appeals of the place. No matter how old the children, there is plenty for them to enjoy which means the parents/grandparents enjoy the day too.

One improvement they could make is the location of the food outlets with one as you arrive and the others near the end.They need to be better spread out.

Top class, prime quality attraction. We visited today and arrived on a very sunny day at 10.45am having bought our tickets online. Our two girls, five and three, wanted to visit the Hello Kitty bit first and the rides open at 11 so that was fine. There was basically no queuing, they went in the electric cars, the cups and saucers and the lift as often as they wanted to. The guide on the lift, a charming lady called Sam, took a photo of the family and could not have been more helpful. All staff members were very cheerful. The restaurant was fine, lovely fish and chips and unlimited ice cream for £1.99! The zoo bit was of less interest to our youngsters but we eventually got there and were very impressed, a wide range of animals who all seemed to be well looked after in good enclosures with caring attendants.

This is a lovely attraction and gets top marks for us. Everything is easy. Parking, eating, getting around and it is aimed at ensuring families have a nice time. Great playgrounds too. We bought an annual ticket, three more visits this year and it'll pay for itself.

What a magical place for an inquisitive 3 year old to visit this was. It represented great value for money especially when pre purchasing tickets from the website. We had chicken breast burger meals which were delicious and represented great value for money. My grandson had a kids meal which came in a little bag with a mask, drink, cake, sandwich, crisps and an apple. All of the exhibits were interactive and accessible to his height and age. The outdoor play area was fabulous although there was an extra charge for a large slide. There was a small paddling lagoon which was a delight in hot weather where little ones can cool down. I would consider getting an annual pass for here.

We arrived just before opening at 10am and there was already a queue. But it didn't take long to get in. I had been given Tesco voucher tickets to use so I don't know how much entrance would have been.
I had been before with my 6 year old nephew and he loves it there. As you enter you go straight into the zoo section which took us at least 2 hours to walk through. Our favourite was the meerkats and the Penguins. The adventure play area kept him entertained for quite sometime.
We had lunch in the restaurant which had a good selection even for a fussy 6 year old. We had to buy tickets to go panning for gold , the inflatable slide, and digging for dinosaurs, I did think that maybe a coupon should be issued on entry so that everyone gets one free go with the cost of the entry fee. I really don't agree with having to pay again once inside an attraction.
We queued quite a while for the Thomas the tank engine train ride which was over very quickly . But it was free so nothing to complain about. I was pleasantly surprised to find that each of the attractions in the Hello Kitty world were free too and the queues not too long.
We had decided in advance not to use the paddling pool area, but it is obviously a very popular attraction as the area was very busy.
There was enough to keep us entertained all day as we didn't leave until 4 pm. By which time we were totally exhausted having had such a fun day .