Just read the new Google review. Yikes.
For those who enjoy this sort of thing:
"If I could give less than one star I would. We have visited South lakes Zoo for three years (since my daughter was born) twice a year - once in the summer and once at Christmas, however after this Christmas visit I would NEVER step foot in that place again. Firstly, the had admitted so many people that we had to park off sit on a grotty field, not fit for purpose, covered in animal droppings (it looked like rabbit and maybe feral cat, potentially some livestock which had gotten in at some point) and then walk across a fast road and up a steep inkling, where trees had overgrown into the walk area so it was difficult to walk with traffic there, and near impossible with a pram (some zoo goers who were at the park were disables, I have to think how they would have managed in a wheelchair). Then, in the pursuit of the ever loved pound, they had admitted so many people that the quality of what they were offering was ZERO. We were barely able to move anywhere, every building was jam packed (clearly, in my opinion as a former fire-marshal within the hotel trade, against the fire regulations for such buildings, and clearly making exit during an emergency impossible). Thirdly, 'some' of the staff (only some as to say all wouldn't be fair because 1 - some were pleasant, and 2 - we saw so little that it may not have been a valid cross-section) were APPAULING. While crammed into a dangerously overcrowded café, with our eldest daughter upset, and our baby daughter distraught because she was hungry (we needed to get through before we could sit down and feed her) we were told that there was no room and to go somewhere else (in the hail and cold) we mentioned that we had this place and it was full also, at which it was suggested that we would have to feed our three month old outside, in the rain if there was no space - DISGUSTING. In the end I had to stand within a crown of people and feed her stood up and this suggestion was idiotic to say the least. Even though we had a time booked to see Santa, we were made to wait an extra 15 mins, so that additional 'non-planned/booked' journeys could run (which are paid for additionally by zoo goers) again, in the rain. The train driver was rude about this, rude about us boarding the train and generally discourteous to our entire party. When we did see Santa, there was so little room that it was dangerous, we nearly fell onto the tracks/train , he called our daughter by the wrong name, despite being corrected, more than five times, and didn't even giver a gift to our baby daughter - we had to remind him of this. In the end we left, less than an hour after we arrived. The gifts by the wasy were poor quality and, unlike previous years, were generic and just stuffed in cheap carry/swimming bag with the logo on it - neither age specific/apt or wrapped with names on. We drove two hours to get there and paid for the Santa Train experience, and it was a shambles. Add to that the Christmas letters we ordered for our girls which has SPELLING ERRORS and errors regarding NAMES and essentially the total amount we spent for everything (including travel) went beyond £80. A disgusting waste and a prime example of a place ALL ABOUT MONEY and lacking quality and decency. Would have put this on their website too, however it currently doesn't seem to exist!"
presumably in the hope people would forget this had been the case...
