ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnade, THE RIP OFF.

adrian1963 said:
the free return ticket is to get you spending on the rides and cafes again
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Well with us that is almighty FAIL then :p :p but good on them for showing some business acumen.



We will probably go back in August and take advantage of an evening safari drive. I have often thought Zoos and Safari Parks should offer later opening times than they currenty do in the summer for some periods, but that I suppose is another question to be raised...
 
Pootle said:
Can anyone get on their mailing list? - If so how do I go about it, just had a quick look on the website and didn't see anything.

It is an impressive offer they have where you pay once and get to visit twice.
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I think so - I reckon I ended up on the mailing list by filling out my details on the 'return ticket' form which enters you into a prize draw apparently.

agree that they must make most of their cash from the rides and the cafe but as has already been said here - for us animal lovers it's a free entry for the safari that we're interested in.
It's just a shame that the Hippos are ensconsed in the river all the way down the opposite end of the park past all of the rides etc - otherwise I could avoid the ride area completly :D
 
adrian1963 said:
Here we are moaning about a bloke taking unwanted photographs of us at the gate.
What about the animals inside the zoo, surely they get brassed off with having camera's shoved in thier faces 364 days of the year especially the ones with flashes you cannot turn off, just a thought
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Hey we don't charge them for it :D
 
Everyone seems to simply forgetting the fact that things in the South cost more than up North. Also that Northern's are as tighter as a ducks ****!!!
 
Does no one use Tesco Club card vouchers for zoo visits?

Currently you can get tokens, by cashing in your clubcard points, for entry to about 48 wildlife/animal attractions around the country including collections such as:
Africa Alive
Banham
Colchester
Edinburgh
Blackpool
Exmoor
Longleat
West Mids Safari
Woburn
London

And most importantly on this thread - Whipsnade
 
First of all, while I agree that Whipsnade can be expensive if you don't plan your trip in advance, the sight of seeing the elephants walk within touching distance from you through the Zoo and onto the Downs is worth the price of admission alone. The rest of the collection and the sheer space comes as a bonus.

Tips: If you're planning to go to Whipsnade, London or almost any zoo in the UK, book online and print your tickets out. You will avoid the queues and usually avoid the run of the photo seller too. You also have the option of NOT paying the donation online too, so if you find that embarrassing to opt out of at the booth.

If you're planning to visit Whipsnade and London more than once in a year, become a Fellow of the ZSL. £99 gets you AND a guest in to both Zoos as many times as you like. You also get to take your car into the Zoo for free. You can also park in the London Zoo car park for free on certain days, use the stunning ZSL library and get 20% off everything in the shops. An absolute bargain. Most zoos offer similar membership schemes, so take them up of the deal.

While I don't want to defend ZSL's cynical and often gratuitous attempts to get every penny they can out of you, lets not forget that they are a charity, they are doing their best to improve both sites and the money has to come from somewhere.

No visitor is forced to buy food, toys, drinks or any of the junk that goes with visiting any 'attraction'. Plan your day well and you can avoid having to spend anymore than you need to.

For those hoping that London or Whipsnade Zoo don't do more of this tacky souvenir rubbish, don't forget where the Director General of ZSL came from; Alton Towers. It tells you everything you need to know. :)
 
Londonboy said:
If you're planning to visit Whipsnade and London more than once in a year, become a Fellow of the ZSL. £99 gets you AND a guest in to both Zoos as many times as you like. You also get to take your car into the Zoo for free. You can also park in the London Zoo car park for free on certain days, use the stunning ZSL library and get 20% off everything in the shops. An absolute bargain. Most zoos offer similar membership schemes, so take them up of the deal.

While I don't want to defend ZSL's cynical and often gratuitous attempts to get every penny they can out of you, lets not forget that they are a charity, they are doing their best to improve both sites and the money has to come from somewhere.
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Its not just the case of paying £99 there is other criteria

Quote from ZSL website

To become a Fellow you must meet one of the following criteria:

Have been a ZSL Friend for more than three years consecutively
Be currently studying conservation, zoology or a related subject
Active interest or involvement in the fields of zoology, biology or a related area
You must also be over 18 to be eligible for Fellowship.

Please note that all applications are subject to receipt of supporting documentation and final approval by the ZSL Council.
 
Also you dont have to be a fellow to use the ZSL libary,anyone can use it as long as you have proof of identity on entering the Libary!
 
zoogiraffe said:
Also you dont have to be a fellow to use the ZSL libary,anyone can use it as long as you have proof of identity on entering the Libary!
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You don’t need to be a Fellow of the Zoological Society to use the ZSL library for reference purposes, but you do need to be a Fellow to borrow books.
 
I didn't say it was 'just the case'. However, most people visiting this site should be able to provide information under the 'active interest' section.

As for the library, 'anyone' can visit the library, however only Fellows can borrow books from it. Again, if you're actively interested in zoos, zoo history or conservation the fee for being a Fellow is very good value indeed.
 
Londonboy said:
If you're planning to visit Whipsnade and London more than once in a year, become a Fellow of the ZSL. £99 gets you AND a guest in to both Zoos as many times as you like. You also get to take your car into the Zoo for free. You can also park in the London Zoo car park for free on certain days, use the stunning ZSL library and get 20% off everything in the shops. An absolute bargain. Most zoos offer similar membership schemes, so take them up of the deal.
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Indeed that's a great deal if you live close to one or both places but it doesn't really help those who travel from afar once a year or less often.
 
Zoo charities get no government money?

Shirokuma said:
I don't think it's so unreasonable to charge for parking and £4.00 isn't that bad. I think it is important to remember that ZSL is a charity and gets no government money.
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Hi Shirokuma,

a little unfair to go back to the original arguments but you miss the point. It is a charity and does get help from the government (unlike private zoo's) as it does not pay back 20% VAT on admission and gets to have the possibilty of "Gift Aid". This is a substantial saving compared to some other zoo's and can mean significant differences in resource distribution! Potentially 100,000 visitors at £10.00 each would give a charitable zoo an extra £200,000 to work with compared to a private zoo? Then add the gift aid - see what I mean!
 
I agree with Londonboy. I don't think you can equate the benefits all charities enjoy with receiving government funding; there is an important distinction between the two in my view.
 
Londonboy said:
Private zoos in the UK can be charities as well and therefore VAT is not paid there either.
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No, a private zoo is one owned by an individual or a private company. Many zoos are charities, but they are owned by charitable trusts and registered with the Charities Commission.

Alan
 
You can become a member/friend cheaper, which includes some of the same benifits (and a couple of unadvertised money off entry tokens came with mine by the way)

When do the Elephants usually go on their walk? I'm in London, but hoping to find my way out there...
 
crococheetah said:
Hi Shirokuma,

a little unfair to go back to the original arguments but you miss the point. It is a charity and does get help from the government (unlike private zoo's) as it does not pay back 20% VAT on admission and gets to have the possibilty of "Gift Aid". This is a substantial saving compared to some other zoo's and can mean significant differences in resource distribution! Potentially 100,000 visitors at £10.00 each would give a charitable zoo an extra £200,000 to work with compared to a private zoo? Then add the gift aid - see what I mean!
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Comparing pears to apples? ;)

That may go for Paignton where most visitor come by car, yet ZSL is well served by all public transport. You calculate also on assumptions rather than actual data (on those using the ZSL car park). If it where that easy for ZSL it would have long ago made something out of it. Besides, the car park is rather meagre and small in area (unlike Paignton ..).
 
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