I visited Chester Zoo yesterday and thought I'd share some experiences for those thinking about pre-booking a ticket.
Arriving at 09:35, I found that the zoo plaza was full of people and there was a long queue of cars still waiting to come in. This area is a clear bottleneck, and there were many failing to observe any social distancing. Entry is easy; self-scan your pre-booked ticket and membership card (if applicable) at one of the usual stations. The zoo was already open, so I can only assume they'd opened early to alleviate the congregation of people. Perhaps an easy solution would be staggered entry times, akin to the system being used by the National Trust.
In terms of numbers and opening times, there's widespread confusion amongst the staff, even those on the gates. The zoo is supposed to be open 10am to 5pm (information now buried on the booking page) but many thought they were open later "something about evening visits", and as to numbers, the general consensus was that there were approximately 3,000 - 3,500 visitors, with an unknown percentage of members.
This feels like a lot of people, and at times it felt like too many people, especially in certain areas; Jaguar Coffee House, around the Aquarium, by the elephants and chimpanzees, in front of the penguins... The reason being is that everyone is on a lawn or path, there are no houses, play areas or indoor cafes open, and certain narrow paths are also closed.
I felt the zoo had worked hard to keep visitors apart. There are stickers on glass windows telling people not to touch them and others asking people to stand behind a line on the floor. One of the stickers has a crocodile on it, so I heard lots of people say "Ooo, crocodiles". Around exhibits such as the chimpanzees there are marks on the paths indicating a two metre distance, likewise in toilet and kiosk queues, and there are hand sanitising stations dotted around in obvious locations. There are also some new, makeshift shelters should it rain, but with social distancing observed they'll probably hold 35 visitors in total, not 3,500.
However, whether or not people choose to observe these guidelines is another matter. Two metres is more than you'd think, especially in a busy zoo. It equates to one person per window (there are five in total) in the sun bear exhibit, and that's never going to happen.
In an attempt to remind people, there are staff stationed at some of the busy points. A cheerful lady who told me she doesn't usually work outside the office was trying to look busy but was largely ineffectual by the chimpanzees, while a young lady standing by the spectacled bears politely asked children not to climb on the small bear cub statue, but only after each group had already done so. Very few contact points had been overlooked - the green chair in the location of the old floral clock had a stream of children and adults climbing all over it - but I did report them to a few members of staff (the locations, not the people).
It's noticeable that the "old zoo", with its wide paths and varied viewing opportunities is much better suited than the new exhibits when it comes to maintaining a distance. Later in the day Islands is just about manageable (and strictly one-way) but I didn't fancy the new lion exhibit at all and gave it a wide berth.
If I was asked for my advice, based on my experience yesterday, I'd suggest that if you're at risk or have been strictly social distancing, the zoo is not the place to be during most of the day. It "feels" really busy, and while the zoo teams have done a huge amount of work to ensure people stay safe, that doesn't mean all visitors are going to observe social distancing - which let's face it, has also been the case everywhere else.
However if you're a member or don't mind only having three hours inside the zoo, I would suggest an afternoon visit. Most people seemed to arrive around 10am, and without any play areas or indoor exhibits had seen enough by 3pm, when the zoo suddenly emptied. From that point onward, it was a far more enjoyable visit.
Arriving at 09:35, I found that the zoo plaza was full of people and there was a long queue of cars still waiting to come in. This area is a clear bottleneck, and there were many failing to observe any social distancing. Entry is easy; self-scan your pre-booked ticket and membership card (if applicable) at one of the usual stations. The zoo was already open, so I can only assume they'd opened early to alleviate the congregation of people. Perhaps an easy solution would be staggered entry times, akin to the system being used by the National Trust.
In terms of numbers and opening times, there's widespread confusion amongst the staff, even those on the gates. The zoo is supposed to be open 10am to 5pm (information now buried on the booking page) but many thought they were open later "something about evening visits", and as to numbers, the general consensus was that there were approximately 3,000 - 3,500 visitors, with an unknown percentage of members.
This feels like a lot of people, and at times it felt like too many people, especially in certain areas; Jaguar Coffee House, around the Aquarium, by the elephants and chimpanzees, in front of the penguins... The reason being is that everyone is on a lawn or path, there are no houses, play areas or indoor cafes open, and certain narrow paths are also closed.
I felt the zoo had worked hard to keep visitors apart. There are stickers on glass windows telling people not to touch them and others asking people to stand behind a line on the floor. One of the stickers has a crocodile on it, so I heard lots of people say "Ooo, crocodiles". Around exhibits such as the chimpanzees there are marks on the paths indicating a two metre distance, likewise in toilet and kiosk queues, and there are hand sanitising stations dotted around in obvious locations. There are also some new, makeshift shelters should it rain, but with social distancing observed they'll probably hold 35 visitors in total, not 3,500.
However, whether or not people choose to observe these guidelines is another matter. Two metres is more than you'd think, especially in a busy zoo. It equates to one person per window (there are five in total) in the sun bear exhibit, and that's never going to happen.
In an attempt to remind people, there are staff stationed at some of the busy points. A cheerful lady who told me she doesn't usually work outside the office was trying to look busy but was largely ineffectual by the chimpanzees, while a young lady standing by the spectacled bears politely asked children not to climb on the small bear cub statue, but only after each group had already done so. Very few contact points had been overlooked - the green chair in the location of the old floral clock had a stream of children and adults climbing all over it - but I did report them to a few members of staff (the locations, not the people).
It's noticeable that the "old zoo", with its wide paths and varied viewing opportunities is much better suited than the new exhibits when it comes to maintaining a distance. Later in the day Islands is just about manageable (and strictly one-way) but I didn't fancy the new lion exhibit at all and gave it a wide berth.
If I was asked for my advice, based on my experience yesterday, I'd suggest that if you're at risk or have been strictly social distancing, the zoo is not the place to be during most of the day. It "feels" really busy, and while the zoo teams have done a huge amount of work to ensure people stay safe, that doesn't mean all visitors are going to observe social distancing - which let's face it, has also been the case everywhere else.
However if you're a member or don't mind only having three hours inside the zoo, I would suggest an afternoon visit. Most people seemed to arrive around 10am, and without any play areas or indoor exhibits had seen enough by 3pm, when the zoo suddenly emptied. From that point onward, it was a far more enjoyable visit.
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