Another name change for San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park?
Thoughts?
EXCLUSIVE: Wild Animal Park considering name change
Thoughts?
EXCLUSIVE: Wild Animal Park considering name change
San Diego Zoo's Safari Park?
- Thread starter snowleopard
- Start date
The original name was too long at 5 words, and then they added "Zoo's" to make it 6 words, which was even worse. This new change would take it back to 5, but that is still too long. No zoological park should have more than two words in its name, unless the city itself is a two word name (such as San Diego or Los Angeles), in which case it can be a three word name. Anything longer is too awkward to say in normal conversation.
Case in point: I live near the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (4 words), but everyone around here calls it the Desert Museum because the official name is just too long. If San Diego is going to change the name of their park, they should think long and hard about a catchy short title.
Case in point: I live near the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (4 words), but everyone around here calls it the Desert Museum because the official name is just too long. If San Diego is going to change the name of their park, they should think long and hard about a catchy short title.
They should think long and hard about how much they'd win and how much they'd loose if they would go forward with the name change. I for one am a bit uncomfortable about this name change.
We'll see how Miami's name change will turn out. 'Miami Metrozoo' was probably as 'hip and cool' as any zoo's name can be, while their future name (to come into effect on the 30th anniversary in 2011) is probably as long as any zoo's name can be.
Remember the 'International Wildlife Conservation Park' in New York City? It was a failed attempt to give the Bronx Zoo a new name to reflect its important work in worldwide conservation, which they had nevertheless been doing for decades. But that name was just way too long for use in almost any situation (including advertisment) and to expect that people would forget about the good old 100 year old Bronx Zoo and start to use the new name was just not realistic. Even if the general public can read it, they may not know what it means. But most people understand the word 'Zoo'. They changed the name back as soon as Conway had retired, yet continued proudly with the conservation work.
We'll see how Miami's name change will turn out. 'Miami Metrozoo' was probably as 'hip and cool' as any zoo's name can be, while their future name (to come into effect on the 30th anniversary in 2011) is probably as long as any zoo's name can be.
Remember the 'International Wildlife Conservation Park' in New York City? It was a failed attempt to give the Bronx Zoo a new name to reflect its important work in worldwide conservation, which they had nevertheless been doing for decades. But that name was just way too long for use in almost any situation (including advertisment) and to expect that people would forget about the good old 100 year old Bronx Zoo and start to use the new name was just not realistic. Even if the general public can read it, they may not know what it means. But most people understand the word 'Zoo'. They changed the name back as soon as Conway had retired, yet continued proudly with the conservation work.
Zoo Miami was declared the official new name of Miami Metrozoo last week, and the new logo can be seen on this link:
Visit The Zoo
Visit The Zoo
All right, so they're going to use that instead of 'Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens'? Short and sweet, although 'Miami Metrozoo' always sounded really good to me!
Well, zoo officials have announced the name change is official - San Diego Zoo Safari Park it is. Look for a new sign out front soon, I assume new maps, followed by new marketing materials.
Animal Park out; Zoo Safari Park in - SignOnSanDiego.com
Animal Park out; Zoo Safari Park in - SignOnSanDiego.com
polar bear
Well-Known Member
"The name change will take effect next spring with new signs in front of the 1,800-acre enclosure off state Route 78 in the San Pasqual Valley."
They just spent a lot of money to replace the old sign (which was dignified and low key) with a new ostentatious sign because visitors had a hard time finding the entrance to the Park. I'll bet they just replace the name of the Park on the entrance sign and leave the gigantic rhino as is.
Like the new names of the streets at the Zoo, it will always be the WAP or simply the "Park" to us old timers.
It also occurs to me that "safari" parks in the U.S. are generally drive through parks, e.g. Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon; Simmons Wildlife Safari (the sister facility of the Henry Dorley Zoo in Nebraska); and African Safari Wildlife Park in Ohio. I think the new name is more confusing to died in the wool zoo goers.
They just spent a lot of money to replace the old sign (which was dignified and low key) with a new ostentatious sign because visitors had a hard time finding the entrance to the Park. I'll bet they just replace the name of the Park on the entrance sign and leave the gigantic rhino as is.
Like the new names of the streets at the Zoo, it will always be the WAP or simply the "Park" to us old timers.
It also occurs to me that "safari" parks in the U.S. are generally drive through parks, e.g. Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon; Simmons Wildlife Safari (the sister facility of the Henry Dorley Zoo in Nebraska); and African Safari Wildlife Park in Ohio. I think the new name is more confusing to died in the wool zoo goers.
This is very disappointing to me. While I agree that "Wild Animal Park" was too long, I would it rather be called that than "Safari Park". For one, that name can easily be misunderstood and many visitors may think it's just a drive through safari park. Also, I don't know of any other places called "Wild Animal Park". So while it was too long it was at least original...
Old wine on new bottles! This is a marketing move to commercialise the park even further; the word 'Safari' gets Joe Everyday to picture in his mind lions and giraffes on the Serengeti. And while the word 'Zoo' is short and simple enough for most people to understand and know what it means, not everyone may know what 'Wild Animal Park' stands for, even if it too is simple, at least for native speakers of English.
Probably will always be the Wild Animal Park to me too. I honestly hate any commercial change at all from my local zoo designed to help the tourists but leaves the local in confusion. Though it may not be true, it feels like both the Zoo and the "Park" (still applys even with the change) have been neglecting local members like me with their new tourist attractions.