San Diego; Wild Animal Park.

[cherrymoose]

Tomorrow, we're going to visit my grandma in LA, and we're also stopping by the San Diego zoo and Wild Animal Park. I've never been there, and my mom hasn't for years, but based on the website info there's two different 'tours' you can take. The basic one just pretty much goes on the outskirts of the park; pretty far from the animals. But for $70 more per person, you can go on a special "photo tour". I'm not quite sure what this is, but I'm guessing I'd get much better photo opportunities of the animals than on the basic one.

Does anyone who's been there know if paying extra for the special tour is worth it? How close can you get to the animals, photography wise? (I have a 12x zoom, but try not to use it fully because of quality issues). Are the views worth it, or should I just stick with the 'basic' tour and hope for the best photo opps.?

Thanks.

 

[Chase]

The photo tour actually puts you in the back of a flatbed truck where they drive out onto the fields where the animals are. One of the highlights is generally having the giraffes come right up to the truck to eat out of peoples' hands. I've never done it, but the people that I've seen on them seem to be having a great time and you really do get very close to the animals. The standard tour is a tram that circles the outside of each of the enclosure areas.

 

[Efergoh]

It is worth it. I used to live right down the road from the Wild Animal Park (if you can call Ramona right down the road).
The tram rides the outskirts, and you can get some decent shots if you have a 200-300mm lens, but you won't get up close and personal unless the animals are on the edges of their enclosures, and they aren't very often. Not only that, but the tram doesn't stop at all during the tour and you would be taking your shots while in motion.

$70 seems high, but you definatly have a better chance at getting good shots. The park is friggin huge.

 

[Moe Sizlack]

Worth Every Penny! How close you ask? Here is a picture I took of a rhino... thats as close as I want to get. Seriously it is awesome.

 

[cherrymoose]

Thanks, everyone. Yea... motion shots I've had enough of. We're definitely going on the special tour, I think.

Moe Sizlack-- I dearly hope a zoom lens was used to take that picture!
(Awesome photo, by the way. )

 

[Moe Sizlack]

Just the old 28-80mm. I put that apple in his mouth. As was mentioned you ride around the park in the pack of a truck and the animals come right up to you. I have another pic of a giraffe eating a biscuit type thing right out of my hand. It is a really cool experience and well worth the money.