ZSL London Zoo Am I understanding this correctly?

S

Shorts

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
The Terms Of Entry portion of the visitor section on London Zoo's website states, "We do not allow re-entry to zoo".

My seemingly obvious interpretation is that once you're in you can't leave and come back in. If this is correct it's appalling, arguably worse than Longleats "once circuit only" rule -what happens if you left something in the car? More fundamentally why does London have a problem with this? Surely it's not a lot to ask to buy a ticket and have access to enter and leave (for whatever reason) throughout the day as you wish?

Strangely Whipesnade does not seem to have a similar cause.
 
I'm not really familiar with UK zoos, but in America, this is the norm (or at least from what I've seen). A few zoos you can get your hand stmped and get back in, but most zoos, if you're out the gates, your out for good.
 
Usually it's to prevent people from giving their ticket through the mesh or throwing it over the wall and allowing someone else to enter on the same ticket. Or you leave the zoo, and sell your ticket to someone else. Not that weird imo, I think every zoo "officially" will have the same statement.

In the end, if you ask the people at the entrance if you can come back in later, noone in Holland would reject. Doubt any other zoo would, it's just so they can reject an unfamiliar face with a spend ticket...
 
jwer said:
Usually it's to prevent people from giving their ticket through the mesh or throwing it over the wall and allowing someone else to enter on the same ticket. Or you leave the zoo, and sell your ticket to someone else. Not that weird imo, I think every zoo "officially" will have the same statement.

In the end, if you ask the people at the entrance if you can come back in later, noone in Holland would reject. Doubt any other zoo would, it's just so they can reject an unfamiliar face with a spend ticket...
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Spot on, jwer.
 
KCZooFan said:
I'm not really familiar with UK zoos, but in America, this is the norm (or at least from what I've seen). A few zoos you can get your hand stmped and get back in, but most zoos, if you're out the gates, your out for good.
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Really? Every American zoo I know of has a hand-stamp or similar for re-entry. (Of course I almost always stay at a zoo from open until close, so I haven't given it much thought).
 
Arizona Docent said:
Really? Every American zoo I know of has a hand-stamp or similar for re-entry. (Of course I almost always stay at a zoo from open until close, so I haven't given it much thought).
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Well, I've only been to 8 (large) zoos, and the only one I can remember doing this was Omaha, but National Zoo and St Louis were both free.
 
jwer said:
Usually it's to prevent people from giving their ticket through the mesh or throwing it over the wall and allowing someone else to enter on the same ticket. Or you leave the zoo, and sell your ticket to someone else.
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Surely it's not difficult to solve this potential problem via hand-stamps or wrist-bands?

jwer said:
Not that weird imo, I think every zoo "officially" will have the same statement.

In the end, if you ask the people at the entrance if you can come back in later, noone in Holland would reject. Doubt any other zoo would, it's just so they can reject an unfamiliar face with a spend ticket...
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I hope so, I'm going to London in a few weeks and need to leave for a couple of hours half way through my visit.

If they're flexible on the issue in any case why bother stating "no re-entry" in the first place? The cynical part of me does wonder if they want to make people wary of leaving and spending a little time (and maybe their lunch money) elswhere.
 
Chester use a hand stamp, Twycross a wrist band. I've had no experience of re-entry to any other zoo.
 
Why not give London a phone call before you go down, and explain your situation? They may be able to offer you a solution. At least then you know beforehand, rather than just turning up on the day and asking ?
 
On my last visit I simply asked the guy at the entrance kiosk if it would be alright if I went out and came back in a few minutes, he looked confused at first but shrugged and said ok. On re-entry I showed my ticket to the girl at the next kiosk and said I'd nipped out for something. Again a shrug and ok.

I don't know if any of this was 'official' policy or just some common sense, but my experience was of no problem. Maybe as I'd spoken to someone.

Even if I'd wanted to I couldn't give my ticket to someone else for entry as they took a photo of every single person entering (to try to sell you the picture on exit! I got another look of confusion when I said thanks but no thanks to the picture. My guess was most people feel obliged to pay as the picture was taken and printed off already.) ;)
 
Secret Squirrel said:
I got another look of confusion when I said thanks but no thanks to the picture. My guess was most people feel obliged to pay as the picture was taken and printed off already.) ;)
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I've mentioned before I'm surprised they are allowing this photo-taking to operate. As its been happening at Whipsnade too, perhaps it is connected to the zoo-if the Zoo didn't like it they'd soon get rid of the photographers.

I feel being photo'd in a queue situation is an invasion of your privacy and the 'pressurised sell' of photos is a rather uncomfortable way of making extra money, more typical of holiday resorts abroad, not at a UK zoo.
 
They only take a photo if you want to pose for it and they ask you on your way out if you had it taken and want to buy it.

It's a bit tacky and as a regular visitor I always find it annoying when they ask you on the way out but I don't think it's overly intrusive or pressurised and I think we need to be realistic about the need of the zoo to make money - without taking it too far of course.
 
Shirokuma said:
They only take a photo if you want to pose for it and they ask you on your way out if you had it taken and want to buy it.

It's a bit tacky and as a regular visitor I always find it annoying when they ask you on the way out but I don't think it's overly intrusive or pressurised and I think we need to be realistic about the need of the zoo to make money - without taking it too far of course.
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No I tried to refuse but the guy insisted. I had tried to walk past and up to the ticket booth but the guy with the camera said I had to have a picture taken and stood me against a background scenery board. I felt somewhat irked and that this was an intrusion. I of all people understand the need for money for zoos but this encounter was on my mind when I should have been enjoying my zoo experience. There are ways of making money and then there is being pushy.

I had less trouble with the original topic of this thread - leaving and re-entering the zoo - from the ticket booth staff. Without the picture nonsense, getting in - out - and in again was a breeze.
 
It might depend on who is doing it as I have been to the zoo alone - when it's easier to just ignore them and walk past - and with friends when we were asked if we wanted to have our photo taken.

We just said no and carried on walking into the zoo and didn't have any pressure at all. I agree that your experience was intrusive and inappropriate.
 
As Shirokuma said, Photographers like this are usually selective about who they approach or think likely to want a 'souvenir' of their visit and ignore the others. (I suspect I am just the sort they would automatically NOT approach :D) But it does sound like some people are being hassled and I haven't heard about this at any other zoos' entry areas.

(I appreciate this is deviating from the original thread subject a little but is still about ZSL entry.)
 
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As a middle-aged and moderately ugly man, I get no trouble from these photographers (sic). The fact that I am also tooled up with some heavy duty photo gear gives me extra deterrence ;)

Alan
 
gentle lemur said:
As a middle-aged and moderately ugly man, I get no trouble from these photographers (sic). The fact that I am also tooled up with some heavy duty photo gear gives me extra deterrence ;)
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I don't have the photo gear but a frown is often enough in these cases!
 
gentle lemur said:
As a middle-aged and moderately ugly man, I get no trouble from these photographers (sic). The fact that I am also tooled up with some heavy duty photo gear gives me extra deterrence ;)

Alan
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Don't be like that about your appreance Alan nobody's ugly really.:)
 
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