well we are back from our adventure and overall we had a great time! My biggest disappointment was not being able to spend the kind of time i would have liked enjoying the exhibits. Having two toddlers really changes how you experience things! If one was behaving the other wasn't, lol. I'll post a few quick comments about each place....
Dallas Zoo:
The whole Wilds of Africa area is very well done and i really enjoyed it. We got to the zoo right when it opened and went straight to WoA. We walked the Nature Trail at the request of my daughter and first encountered the Gorillas. We spent a lot of time here and my wife and I loved the air-conditioned viewing building as we sat on the couches and let the kids run around and explore the inside. There weren't any great views of an actual gorilla here but it was a great experience anyway. I really liked the series of small exhibits amongst the themed Kopje's including Hyrax, Kilspringer, an aviary, and meerkat among others. The massive yard for the chimps was also impressive. One highlight of my trip was being able to meet Bret (aka "jbnbsn99"), who narrated a very enjoyable and informative journey through africa on the monorail. After Lunch we met up with Bret who kindly guided us through Giants of the Savanna on his lunch break. What can I say about this set of exhibits other than it was the highlight of my trip seeing such a high caliber of exhibitry, animal husbandry and visitor experience all rolled into a stunning savanna landscape....great job Rob! My only real complaint about GotS was the lion exhibit and the fact that the best view of the lions (and where all the lions were hanging out) was within the grill which was so crowded we hardly stepped foot in there and essentially missed one of my favorite animals. The rest of the Zoo was mediocre with good exhibits for tigers, small clawed otters, and herps. I was slightly disappointed with the viewing opportunities of the tigers but the architectural elements within were very nice. If dallas continues to update the older end of the zoo it could be a strong contender for a top 10 zoo.
Dallas World Aquarium:
We arrived first thing in the morning to beat the crowds and we were really glad we did. This gave the kids plenty of time to walk around and really enjoy seeing the multitude of rarely seen mammals, birds, herps, and fish. In fact the DWA is a better zoo than it is an aquarium. Some complaints would be the price (we were only there for 1.5 hours and paid about $45 for two adults), the exhibit size of some of the enclosures, and the lack of focus on actual aquaria. Overall we all enjoyed it very much and being able to get inches away from a sloth being held and fed by a keeper was one of my wife's highlights of the trip.
Fort Worth Zoo:
First, let me say that i think my experience here would have been much better if it wasn't for the crowds. We had to park clear at the back of the overflow lot (a field) and walk for what seemed like 20 min. to the entry. Although I don't think so, I can see how to the regular zoo visitor who is there t pass the time might enjoy FWZ more than Dallas. It had a lot of shade and multitude of average exhibits, including the just-above average Texas Wild! I agree with many of the comments of the forum about the exhibit size and the themed town was slightly too Frontier City for me. I really enjoyed the replicated mine shaft area, Gulf Coast Aviary, and large shaded viewing at the otter, bear and Alligator exhibits. After experiencing MOLA i have mixed feelings about it. On one hand the collection was incredible, i really enjoyed the many large glassed Terrariums, and the finishes within the building were high-end. On the other I was expecting much more for $19 million, the signage was lacking, and the crowds made enjoying the exhibits almost impossible. It seems as though the emphasis was a little too much on the architecture and finishes than it should have been.
Overall we had a great time but i didn't get anywhere near the pictures i wanted. I look forward to going back when the kids are older and are actually interested when i am reading the educational signage to them. Thanks you all again for your recommendations and a special thanks again to Bret for his hospitality.
), the two sided tiger exhibit (with a lush open waterfall separating malayan from white) is the most original design I have seen, the indian rhino exhibits are better than most, the cheetahs have a boardwalk into the exhibit with open viewing (as opposed to the glass only views at Dallas Zoo), etc.
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Got some comments; Anyhuis, Snowleopard and several others have also been kind enough to give me hints and comments. Right now it's less than 24 hours and my stomach is boiling with tension and excitement for this is bound to be the trip of a lifetime. 20-26 zoos in 30 days in 9 US states; like the stunt actors say: "Kids, don't try this at home!" 
