I am expecting Drusilla's to be defensive to this review - they tend to do this if you give them anything but glowing but the customer I believe "is always right" so before getting defensive, perhaps they should look and read the many many reviews, even those that give you 4 or 5 stars, that the outing is just way too expensive! We don't all have money and can afford the ridiculously high price that you charge, even with the patronising "go on line to save £5"..big deal - for a family of four, £67 essentially for just a zoo and an average adventure play park. Yes the zoo is lovely, the animals are great but would I ever venture back at the price, no!, The food is expensive, the price of a kids meal is shocking!...save your pennies and bring your own food. I found that there was no staff walking around...security. I heard throughout my time there 2 kids lost. I didn't notice any staff to approach apart from the people in the shops and don't get me started on the prices of the products in the shops! I presume when they complete the Hello Kitty bit the price for entry may rise even further?! To spend basically 3 hours there including sitting for lunch, I don't think its worth it. I came back and said to people yeah the zoo is lovely I won't deny but I wouldn't necessarily pay out unless got buy one get one free. The amount of money we spent on just one day trip including food and little extras like an ice cream was just way too much. If more attractions were there...that also don't need a charge (plus not charging for these little extra bits already...plus cutting the entry fee then maybe. £28 for two (£14 each I think would be better...not everybody has the internet to book on line to get the £5..how about on the receipt having a printed voucher where it allows you £5 off for your next visit automatically? It was a warm day and I can honestly say my kids and their mates had just as much fun away from Drusillas afterwards..why aren't very young kids free anyway (under 3's?).

My husband, daughter and I have all been members for a couple of years and visit 3-5 times a month. We always have a great time and often have lunch in the explorer cafe which offers really tasty food.
The only problem we encounter is children aged 6+ using the trampoline in the outdoor under 6 area and older children in the indoor toddler area, which makes playing dangerous for our 2 year old.

We have visited the park a few times now, and I have finally got round to writing a review. The park itself is well organised, the parking system is great and free. Entrance to the park is not free, but is well priced (we buy a family of 5 + 1 extra ticket ) and you can exit and re-enter if you stamp your hand. The items in the gift shops are a bit samey (and some are overpriced, but then you don't HAVE to buy), there is the option to adopt an animal too (which one of my sons considered doing with his birthday money, but decided not to as the price was all his money). The playparks are great for all ages too, and mostly free. We just avoided the pay for items like the penguin slide as £3 per person was a bit much for us. The animals are well looked after and the boys enjoyed "spotting" everything. Thomas is a regular attraction and we all enjoyed that too.

My wife and I visited the park with our our son and daughter and their partners and our grandchildren an all much enjoyed the day. The parking is well organised as is the entry process. The entry cost is reasonable - particularly if booked on-line in advance. Our son has an annual membership for his family and this too seems good value.

The staff are helpful, polite and clearly all have undergone, and understood, the meaning of customer service.

The park is well-organised and seems to have the ability to soak up high levels of attendance without feeling too crowded. The amusements are great fun and have been designed with some thought.

The only negative was the food which was rather bland and tasteless. The lunch-packs for kids were disgraceful - containing everything that is bad for children. The review would have been a 5 had it not been for this.

We all had great fun in a nice environment and I accidentally discovered new ways of hanging upside down in climbing towers!

Have just returned from a great day out with the grandchildren aged 4 and 6. The layout of the park is excellent as you get to see all the animals. All the animals are obviously very well cared for and look happy and healthy. The fun park is one if the best ones we've visited with a great variety of things to do for young ones. We took a picnic but looked at the prices if the kids meals from the various eateries and these were very reasonable. I notice the toilets were very clean and tidy as was the rest of the park. All in all an excellent day out and would highly recommend it - the kids were definitely kept entertained for hours. Thank you to all at drusillas.

it is very expensive and I was disappointed to be 'nickel and dimed' inside. I had to pay extra for the big slide, climbing wall and just about everything else really that should have been free at the prices being charged. Add this to a very mediocre meal of 2 dried-up baked potatoes with beans, a child's hotdog, an adults hotdog with beans and four drinks for £27+ then I think you get the idea. Come on Drusillas! There's making a profit and profiteering.

Top marks to Drusillas!!! Just had the most fantastic day with my 5yr old son at the zoo and congratulations to everyone involved with the running, maintenance, concessions etc, you should be really proud... Every button worked, so much to look at, interactive with, clean, great staff. I can't praise it highly enough!

This is an amazing park and zoo, the children were kept interested and busy from start to finish and are now suitably exciting to return for the much anticipated hello kitty area too.
The children got busy stamping their books seeing how long there could suspend on the monkey bars, and how loud they could be in the decibel phone box. The Easter crowds were managed brilliantly as we went from feed time to feed time. the health and happy animals are the sign of a great zoo I feel. Lunch in the restaurant was great and staff were really helpful.
Highly recommended even at a busy time of year. The lagoon on a hot day was a welcome break so take the kids swimsuits.

I have just returned from a fantastic family day out at Drusilla's Park. I took my 3 children aged 7, 11 and 13 (not the easiest children to please). Well they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The animals were all visible and plenty of them. The play areas are huge and enough for all ages and the staff were all helpful, polite and smiling. We ate at the café which I thought was reasonably priced and clean. There are ample places to sit and take a break and plenty of toilet facilities.

I would recommend Drusilla's for a family day out and if like us you use Tesco vouchers its a real bargain.

We visited Drusillas with our friend's little girl. She was very excited to go to the zoo! We found parking and entrance really easy and as soon as we got in we got to see little monkeys. There was a great variety of animals. At the start we picked up a stamp book so we could tick all the animals we saw along the way - this was a great idea, helped us ensure that we saw every animal, and gave Annie a nice little keepsake to take home. We caught the feeding of some monkeys which was great. At the same time there was a really interesting talk about the animals, which my boyfriend especially enjoyed! Annie loved seeing the farm animals and playing on the interactive games around the zoo. She even fell in love with the animal shaped bins! We had a nice lunch at the café and then moved on to the play park. There was so much to do in the park, and we had a great time. We, of course, visited the gift shop at the end, and
prices were really reasonable. I really couldn't recommend Drusilla's enough. We had such a lovely day, and the second Annie's head hit the car seat, she was asleep! Thank you for a brilliant day.

We went here today and had a great day. The Zoo is excellent and you can see all the animals close up unlike other zoo's where the animals hide. The kids park is excellent with swings and slides for all ages.

We went to Lego last week and we found this ten times better.

The only negative is the price £17 pound for a 2 year old is a lot and this Is the reason we will not return for at least a year.

Visited Drusillas last Thursday, and again it never disappoints!
Took my 3 children and what a wonderful day it was. My children loved the zoo as always, and then on to the playground, which I had to pull them away after 4 hours of playing as nearly closing time, they love the playground, hours of fun to be had.
The indoor play was great as well, as we could order lunch and relax whilst they all played.
I always find the facilities very clean and very well looked after and the staff very polite and helpful, which makes a change these days, you can see they enjoy their work!
Went on Thomas the train to finish the day off, a great day out for my whole family, would highly recommend to anyone.
Great value for money, a wonderful day out for the whole family, with something for everyone!!

I’ve been waiting 6 years to accompany my daughter as Keeper for the Day – what a truly excellent 6th birthday present and Mummy’s Day out!
It was an amazing introduction to behind the scenes at the zoo – and in front of the scenes, centre stage with all the gorgeous animals. Julie, our Keeper Guide was so friendly, so knowledgeable and keen, she really made the day. Oh and Woody the Raccoon, Slasher the Penguin, Porker the Pig and of course the wonderful Fat-Tailed Gerbils (beyond cute).
It certainly made us appreciate the hard-work that goes into keeping all the animals with their complex diets and requirements in peak condition, day in, day out.
And the bonus of accompanying your 6 year old is that only they have to poop-a-scoop! Mummy just gets to take photos... And the Keeper for a Day sweatshirt and name badge are prized possessions for my daughter.

I have 2 children aged 3 and 5 and we have been coming to Drusilla's since my oldest was 6 months old. For the last 2 years we have also had yearly memberships which offer outstanding value for money, as we are local we tend to visit at least once a month but can visit twice a week in the holidays and we never get bored.

There is so much to do starting with the zoo which has a huge diversity of species which are all looked after and cared for to the highest standard. There are lots of activities for the children as they go round, mine never get bored of stamping the spotter books and doing the zoo Olympics with going into a telephone booth and seeing how loud you can shout compared to certain animals being the kids favourite . Also one for the adult is trying to name the capital cities to the countries which is a lot harder than you think!
They have a number of talks on the animals during the day, I especially like when it gets near to feeding time for the otters as they get very excited and playful and are wonderful to watch.

After the zoo you come to the play areas. The outdoor one is huge with a specific area for the under 8`s and if its raining you have a indoor soft play. My two could happily spend all day in the play areas as there are so many climbing frames, slides and swings it is hard to get bored.
There is also a Thomas train which my little boy loves to ride and wave at everyone as he goes round.
The park also does character days through out the year were you can meet your favourite characters. Scooby doo is the one we are looking forward to but there is also peppa pig, the fat controller and this year hello kitty.
The park is always improving every year and we can`t wait for the hello kitty area to open in May. All the rides are included in the entrance price and from what we can see being built they look fab.
On the way out of the park there is a lovely paddling pool which on hot days is a great way for the little ones to cool off . It is not too deep and has a green area for the adults to relax.

The food in the restaurant is yummy and always fresh, this is also on the way out and we prefer to eat here. You can of course bring a picnic and can always pop back to the car to get it as you can re-enter the park once you have stamped your hand.

I would also recommend going around the zoo again after 2 o'clock. It is lovely and quite and the animals are completely different, some are awake which would have been asleep in the morning and the monkeys seem more willing to interact with you once the crowds have passed.

There are not many places my children would love to spend everyday at but Drusilla's is one of those special places were the kids never get bored as there is so much to see and do.

So if your in the area with young children then Drusilla's is a must visit.

The entrance to the park is quite expensive but once inside you could easily spend the day there. It is very suitable for children up to 10 years old with lots of hands on activities, loads of information and a good range of animals.
Our 3 year old couldnt understand why the Hello Kitty Garden was shown on the map but wasn't open (Open in the summer I think).Plenty of outlets for food and drink and picnic areas.,

My children love Drusilla's so we make regular use of our annual pass. There is lots to do there, so you can easily spend a whole day visiting the animals & playing in the fab play areas. If the weather isn't great there are sections undercover & indoor soft play too. My little one loves riding on Thomas & my older boy loves the play areas & penguin plunge. Both love seeing the good range of animals. We think it is well maintained, clean & good value for money.

It's been a few years since we last went to Drusillas. I was a little bit wary as the management response to the handful of one and two star reviews seemed overly defensive.

No need to worry though, we had an excellent day and all our children (4/7/10/12) had a great time. The animals are engaging and always interesting, there are also lots of well thought out activities and information mediums. The Explorers Cafe had a good selection of hot food, reasonably priced and tasty and gift shops were well-stocked. Staff were all friendly and helpful without exception (from car parks through to campus) and we were lucky with a gloriously warm pre-Spring day.

The play areas are a feature of Drusillas as much as the zoo aspect and they are very impressive, the kids could have played for hours. Thomas train is a nice distraction for the younger ones and there were lots of things to do, the small maze, the slide etc.

Small criticisms, perhaps some discretion on keeping the doughnut shed open another 30 minutes on such a crowded day (!), and maybe give children a few rides free on the penguin slide (give 2/3 bands on entry); paying a sizeable amount for entrance and then having to pay extra for other small attractions is a little bit cheeky! That said, book on-line and save a welcome £15 on entrance and get in quickly.

We had a great day!

Drusillas is a cheap, fun, whole day out! Lots of animals to see who are all happy and in a very clean environment. Lots of activities for the children to do and the play park is amazing! Even me and my partner go in and play. So much to do for a good price. Will be going every year.

We recently had our daughters 8th birthday party at Drusillas Park and she chose to feed the penguins as part of the experience, I have to say all the staff were so polite and helpful and happy to chat to the girls and answer any and all questions!

We arrived at the restaurant earlier than expected but this was not an issue as the staff got our table ready quickly and we were soon seated and eating birthday tea. They even stored our cake in their kitchen until we were ready to save us lugging it around the park.

Would certainly recommend it to anyone other penguin fans.

Excellent out of season, lovely volunteers, great education, very well priced, great entertainment, staff are helpful, my 3 year old had a wonderful time and so did we :) facilities were also wxcellent very happy customers

We visited the park simply because our daughter is mad keen about Thomas the tank engine, and loves animals and we were in the area from the midlands. It's a great little zoo with lots of varieties of small animals and interactive learning for the children.

The Thomas ride was the main reason for a visit, the ride has a good size engine etc, but the ride is short, maybe there should have two types of entrance ticket. The thomas shop was good with a wide range of items.

All the staff are very keen and helpful, and that's a plus point, but the gate price is high, we only had a family of 3 and it made me question the £47.50 cost compared to somewhere like zsl whipsnade.

I've felt compelled to write this as we have recently come back from a near month long trip around Malaysia. We took our 2yr old son to see Crocodiles, Orang-utans, exotic birds, jungle walks etc and all he could say to us was "I want to go to Drusillas!" I think that is the best testimonial anyone could want, he absolutely loves it there and we are on our second annual membership.

It can be pricey to bring friends along who don't have membership but we recently received a "kids go free" voucher which will help a lot. More of those please Drusillas.

Entrance price very expensive two adults and a 3 year old cost £50!!! You can spend the whole day here but would suggest taking your own food, as food is also very expensive. Plenty of animals but my son was not really that intrested more intrested in the play area and the Thomas train.

Even though I'm 21, me and my friends try and have at least one trip to Drusilla's a year when we're back from uni. Being short sighted, being close to the animals is brilliant as this is what makes it harder for me at bigger zoos. The variety of animals and the information provided is simply outstanding.
We always like a good challenge on the Zoolynpics too!
Although we are sadly too big for the amazing play area now we certainly got hours out of it when we were little.
The train ride is always a must as is the maze and a cup of tea and a burger in the cafe. Top place! Best to go on weekdays. Good queuing system.

We live locally to here but never go much as it is very expensive.
The children often visit with the school so I go with them.
The animals are well looked after and the indoor play area is lovely!
Food quite expensive but you can take your own picnic which is great.
Nice day out for younger children, my older kids find it less interesting.