South Lakes Safari Zoo?

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Does anyone have an experience of South Lakes Safari Zoo at all please? I was planning on taking a trip there when we visit the Lake District but after reading some of the trip advisor reviews, I'm a bit concerned.
I know people are more inclined to leave a review if it's negative though so thought I'd ask.

We thought of visiting the Beatrix Potter place and maybe the safari zoo but any other Lake District attractions suitable for a 3 year old (in probably bad weather ☔️) would be greatly appreciated.

A few more ideas...
The swimming pool in Keswick is a good one with really warm water , slides and a toddler area. There are a couple of nice parks in Keswick too with play areas. The one down by the lake has crazy golf, and you can buy food to feed the ducks by the lakeside. Or go on a boat trip of course! Though I actually think the nicest boat trips in the Lakes are on Ullswater - it's much quieter and less commercialised.
There are a few interesting cinemas in the Lakes. Zefferellis in Ambleside has a nice restaurant attached, the Alhambra in Keswick is a real olde world cinema experience, and there is a really big screen at the Rheged centre. Obviously it's a bit hit and miss as to what is on but they do all show kids films at times and it could be worth checking what is on in the event of truly awful weather (such as we have had today!)
The King Kong Adventure Centre in Keswick has a "hard play" area, which is a child friendly introduction to climbing and caving, safe for even really tiny children- I think the minimum age is around 2 years old.
Also near Keswick is Mirehouse Stately Home and gardens. It is a beautiful old house, quite small by stately home standards and quite child friendly. I've got a picture of my DD when she was 3 or 4 sitting on a rocking horse in the nursery where she had lots of fun playing with the toys. That was a long time ago now but hopefully it's not changed. Another family friendly house is Wordsworth House in Cockermouth. They have people in period dress doing cooking demos etc, kids can play with the toys and get dressed up, it's quite good fun there.
This one probably sounds a bit mad, but there is a museum at Threlkeld Quarry. It is full of old diggers and machinery, you can pan for "gold" and there is a little train ride. It is run by volunteers and not what you'd call polished but it is just a bit different and more interesting than you might imagine. Its a bit grim in bad weather though, so really only a nice weather day out.
My last suggestion is very dependent on your child's temperament, but Honister Slate Mine does tours which are brilliant. A lot of their activities have age and height restrictions but I just had a quick look on their website and I cant see a minimum age for going down the mine. We went when my youngest was quite small and he loved it, but there is a lot of walking and it is a bit dark so maybe 3 is a little young. But put it on your list of possibles for a rainy day maybe.
I can't suggest anywhere specific to stay sorry but generally you will get better value for money if you look a bit outside of the tourist hotspots. Even going up the hill into Windermere as opposed to Bowness tends to be a bit cheaper, and villages a bit further away will probably be better value still. If you opt for Bowness/Windermere or Ambleside in particular, check what the parking situation is with your accomodation. Parking can be difficult and expensive in a lot of the towns in the Lakes, so check that wherever you book has private parking as not all do.
Ok, I'm rambling. I will shut up now but I hope something out of that is helpful. If you need any more info about the area I am lucky enough to call home then please ask and I will do my best to help.

When and how long are you looking for?

What kind of accommodation do you want, facilities/ eating out opportunities etc? If you are wanting to go soon you might be a bit limited on options as October - Dec is still quite busy. Much quieter in Jan/Feb

Also worth a visit to Hayes garden centre in Ambleside to see their Christmas displays if you are going this side of Christmas.

Definitely don't bother with south lakes safari zoo.

I wouldn’t go to South Lakes. The previous owner still owns all the land and very close links to the staff consortium who run it. The neglect animals suffered at his hands, not to mention the death of the zoo keeper, mean I would never want that man to see benefit of a single penny of my money.