Drusillas Park
Latest Reviews
Lots to do and see. My kids loved seeing the animals and there are so many places for them to play. There is a water park so next time we go in the summer we will remember our swim shorts!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Went here on a rainy Bank Holiday Monday in early May 2017. Despite the torrential downpours we still had a brilliant time with the two children, aged 5 and 3. The rides were just right and fun enough for the kids to enjoy without them being too overwhelmed. The sun came out after lunch and it made the animals come out of their habitats. The train ride around the animal park was fun and just about long enough to keep the kids entertained without saying they were bored. Lovely park, clean and varied facilities, children's play areas were fantastic and the food at the cafe was reasonably priced and tasted pretty good. We will definitely be returning in the summer and I would highly recommend a visit.
Source: google.com
Came with my partner, little boy and 8 year old daughter. We spent all day here. There's so much to look at and lot's of activities to do. The littke train ride was great! The keepers were very informative around the park and talked to us about the animals we learnt lots and they were very friendly. There was lots of animals to look at my little boy was amazed. By the end he was tired out (in fact we all were) the price to get in was quite steep but it was worth it! However the food in the explorers cafe wasn't great. Overall a great experiece and glad we came 😁
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Loads for young children to do, easily spent the whole day there, my friends children aged 5 and 10 had a great time, they actually enjoyed all the activities more than the animals. Unfortunately the new rides are not open yet but will be even better when they are. Feeding time at the penguin pool was a highlight and the keeper very knowledgeable. The female keeper who showed us the bats/sloth and rare monkeys today was also excellent, really warm and friendly and could tell she loved her job. Highly recommended for children. We booked online and saved money.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Had visited friends in Eastbourne for the weekend so promised our son a day out at Drusilla's on the way home.
What an excellent day we had. As someone who has studied animal management I was extremely impressed with the enclosures, information provided was aimed at younger children and an animal stamp book was provided.
The enclosures explained what enrichment was and the species-specific enrichment used for each animal.
There were lots of quirky little activities around every corner such as a model giraffe with a periscope so that children can see through a giraffe's perspective.
There were animals that I'd never seen before so for me it was quite exciting.
I especially loved 'Petworld' which provided information on different species of pets, including the ease of care and how expensive/inexpensive the animal would be.
After we'd walked around the zoo we arrived at the play parks where our son just ran into the mass of colour and equipment, he absolutely loved it and we enjoyed the sit down.
There are different parks for different age groups and even a splash park. And a free train ride. And rides in the Hello Kitty garden however our little one didn't want to go in there. Two new rides were being built and were due to open the weekend after we visited.
We brought a picnic I so I can't comment on food prices however the restaurant itself was African themed and I really enjoyed the decor inside.
This park is aimed at younger children and families, we really enjoyed ourselves and will return later in the year.
What an excellent day we had. As someone who has studied animal management I was extremely impressed with the enclosures, information provided was aimed at younger children and an animal stamp book was provided.
The enclosures explained what enrichment was and the species-specific enrichment used for each animal.
There were lots of quirky little activities around every corner such as a model giraffe with a periscope so that children can see through a giraffe's perspective.
There were animals that I'd never seen before so for me it was quite exciting.
I especially loved 'Petworld' which provided information on different species of pets, including the ease of care and how expensive/inexpensive the animal would be.
After we'd walked around the zoo we arrived at the play parks where our son just ran into the mass of colour and equipment, he absolutely loved it and we enjoyed the sit down.
There are different parks for different age groups and even a splash park. And a free train ride. And rides in the Hello Kitty garden however our little one didn't want to go in there. Two new rides were being built and were due to open the weekend after we visited.
We brought a picnic I so I can't comment on food prices however the restaurant itself was African themed and I really enjoyed the decor inside.
This park is aimed at younger children and families, we really enjoyed ourselves and will return later in the year.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
I am from north Kent and travelled down to this park, expecting a smaller chessington. It wasn't far off, just a lot less rides.
It wasn't a bad place, it's just not worth driving over an 90 minutes for. I expect that the local people from Bournemouth and Brighton would make good use of it.
It wasn't a bad place, it's just not worth driving over an 90 minutes for. I expect that the local people from Bournemouth and Brighton would make good use of it.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Was great to take my little daughter here as I used to visit when I was a kid. Not a lot has changed, in away (which is a good thing), though the play areas and rides are bit more advanced. There's plenty to do and we had a good day. The animals seem well looked after and there's a good variety of play areas.
The entry price is high, compared to similar attractions elsewhere in the UK (e.g. Crealy Park), but I think this would be OK if it wasn't for charging extra for little things like a sandpit. Now I know Drusillas will come back with a comment along the lines of " there is more than enough to do without the need to pay for extras" - but you try telling a two year old she can't go in the sandpit, which is highly visible next to the main picnic/lunch area!
The entry price is high, compared to similar attractions elsewhere in the UK (e.g. Crealy Park), but I think this would be OK if it wasn't for charging extra for little things like a sandpit. Now I know Drusillas will come back with a comment along the lines of " there is more than enough to do without the need to pay for extras" - but you try telling a two year old she can't go in the sandpit, which is highly visible next to the main picnic/lunch area!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Kids just love this place. It has never failed to entertain the families that I taken there. The playground is an unqualified hit with kids. Even when the weather hasn't been great. There is an indoor play space and they are growing their attractions. Well worth a visit.
Source: google.com
Had a wonderful day out at drusillas park on Sunday. Very educational lots to do and see and very reasonably priced. Something for everyone very safe environment.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
We had a lovely time looking at the animals and learning about them, the kids loved the playground etc. Though the older one (12) got a bit bored. Food and drink basic, burgers and chips etc. But great day out for younger kids.
Source: google.com
I have driven past this attraction on many occasions and thought it wad a glorified petting zoo. However todays visit exceeded.my expectations. The zoo had plenty to see and do and there was a good variety of animals and experiences for the young and hmm hmm older kids. Park was clean and well laid out. Lots too see and interactive things to do.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Really great atmosphere, great for kids and adults alike. The staff are all friendly and very helpful. The variety of animals is amazing and there's something to keep everyone interested at every turn.
Source: google.com
Great family day out for those with smaller children. On the door entrance fee seems expensive but the zoo enclosures and parks are great quality. The toilets were really clean, but the café only served machine coffee or tea with UHT milk. Overall great.
Source: google.com
Plenty for the kids to do here, it is educational for the kids aswell, learning about the animals, play areas, a splash zone in the summer, a little train around the park. A great day out for the family.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My wife bought me a Zoo keeper for a day as my birthday present and I have to say I loved every second of the day I got to meet so many different animals and got to hold & greet nearly all of them ( thankfully not the spiders :)
The keeper Jemma was fantastic! She was welcoming,funny & had a wealth of knowledge about all the animals I learn so much.
I was like a kid in a candy shop going from one experience to the next, I loved it and I didn't want the day to end.
If your thinking about being a keeper for the day, DO IT! It's a great day & a great Zoo.
The keeper Jemma was fantastic! She was welcoming,funny & had a wealth of knowledge about all the animals I learn so much.
I was like a kid in a candy shop going from one experience to the next, I loved it and I didn't want the day to end.
If your thinking about being a keeper for the day, DO IT! It's a great day & a great Zoo.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
A really great place for kids. Lots to do. Huge selection of animals. Different rides. A lot of fun.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Tickets were a littler expensive but then as doting grandparents we wanted to treat the bairns and on the whole this was a well laid out and mostly animal friendly space with the added bonus of plenty of child friendly rides and play areas at the end of the zoo route. Staff were well drilled and helpful and the animals seemed well cared for, although I was concerned to see the owls and other birds in such small enclosures. The children were well entertained with stamping stations to maintain their interest. My only gripe was the rather dry and tired looking burger served in the name of a kids meal. In fact even our ever hungry grandson could only eat half of it. Contrast this with the three courser you can get at Pizza Express for children for the same price! Maybe they need to ask Gordon or alternatively offer McDonalds a franchise.Oh one other gripe was the extra charges for the inflatable slide and related activities. Seemed a bit mean given the seventy odd pounds we paid for the two young uns, one senior and one adult. In summary I was pleasantly surprised by the experience and would recommend it for families with young children but as my daughter remarked it's probably best to take a picnic.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
My niece turned 4 recently and we had her for the day so we decided to go to Drucillas. She absolutely loved it!
We've never been either and we loved it!
There are so many different animals to see and the kids can stamp a little book when they see an animal
We went on a Monday which I would recommend as I think it would be really busy on a weekend or school holidays.
Lovely picnic area and great climbing frames/slides for the children to play on
We've never been either and we loved it!
There are so many different animals to see and the kids can stamp a little book when they see an animal
We went on a Monday which I would recommend as I think it would be really busy on a weekend or school holidays.
Lovely picnic area and great climbing frames/slides for the children to play on
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Yesterday I visited Drusilla's with my parents, sister and nieces/nephew for one of my nieces 6th birthday celebrations. What a difference 25 years make! I can remember going as a child and it was just a small zoo then - now it's got a train ride, a huge playground area for the kids, restaurants, cafe's...the works!
I've read a couple of comments about 'how expensive it is'. Well yeah, a day out in a place like this isn't going to be cheap. However, we took full advantage of Tesco Clubcard boost days out vouchers and got in for nothing!
If you were to book online as a family of 4 for example, during peak times it would work out at £16 each - I don't think that's bad at all considering the wide variety of attractions on offer, the fact the zoo has to care for all the animals, pay their staff, maintain the exhibits etc.
Food/drink inside the zoo (like any place such as this) is always going to be more expensive than if you brought the equivalent on the high street. However, given what they could have charged for some things, again I personally don't believe it was eye-watering expensive.
In all, this is a great day out. Definitely something to do on a nice weather day like we had yesterday! The staff are friendly, there's plenty to do for the kids, more than enough to fill a 7 hour day out!
Highly recommended
I've read a couple of comments about 'how expensive it is'. Well yeah, a day out in a place like this isn't going to be cheap. However, we took full advantage of Tesco Clubcard boost days out vouchers and got in for nothing!
If you were to book online as a family of 4 for example, during peak times it would work out at £16 each - I don't think that's bad at all considering the wide variety of attractions on offer, the fact the zoo has to care for all the animals, pay their staff, maintain the exhibits etc.
Food/drink inside the zoo (like any place such as this) is always going to be more expensive than if you brought the equivalent on the high street. However, given what they could have charged for some things, again I personally don't believe it was eye-watering expensive.
In all, this is a great day out. Definitely something to do on a nice weather day like we had yesterday! The staff are friendly, there's plenty to do for the kids, more than enough to fill a 7 hour day out!
Highly recommended
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Truly one of the best days out with the children, but it is expensive! We loved the tea cup ride, the layout, the great staff. Really lovely day out.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Visited during term time with a 9 month and 3.5 year old (plus two mums and one granny), everyone had a great day out. Lots and lots to see and do, we were there just over four hours (though if it had been sunnier/warmer we probably would have stayed a couple more hours enjoying the play areas).
Lucky as park was empty that meant hardly any queues or crowds (may have had a different experience at weekend/school holidays). The lemurs in particular were a highlight.
We ate in one of the cafes which was reasonable (price and quality) but would probably take our own picnic next time.
Lucky as park was empty that meant hardly any queues or crowds (may have had a different experience at weekend/school holidays). The lemurs in particular were a highlight.
We ate in one of the cafes which was reasonable (price and quality) but would probably take our own picnic next time.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
Top destination for young families. Superb zoo featuring a large range of mid to small sized animals plus fairground rides. A few of the attractions have additional costs which are bit higher than I think appropriate. Decent food options. Staff very welcoming.
Source: google.com
Got a pass so can go when ever I like.
Source: google.com
Lovely zoo and play area, my 2 year old loved every second.<br>However food is a bit pricy, would reccomend bringing own picnic as has an area for own food
Source: google.com
Lovely, fun place, kids really enjoyed. Only negative bit was the food , next time we will be taking picnic with us as the food wasn't that great.
Source: google.com
