To think that Theme parks/Zoos etc.

[GenderApostatemk2]

Are now priced beyond the means of ordinary families?
I looked for Chester zoo tickets, haven’t been for years and was horrified at the cost - £25 adults/£20 kids. For 2 adults /3 kids would be £110! That’s obscene, factor in food and petrol you are talking £200 for a day out, that could be 3 weeks food shopping for a family.
I don’t remember things being so relatively expensive 20 - 25 years ago when DD was little, we used to go to lots of places without worrying about the cost.
It’s £70 just for me, DH and 2 year old Dgs, we can easily afford it but it horrifies me.
Even when DD /Dsil + 3 kids go to soft play it’s £35 for only 2 hours!

Am I just hopelessly out of touch?

They’ve got to pay staff, maintain rides to proper health and safety standards etc. These places cost a fortune to run.

Most people only go about once a year anyway and tend to spend the whole day so I think it’s value for money.

Clearly ordinary families are not priced out or they wouldnt be so busy. For many they are an occasional treat, some people have season tickets.

[quote NotPersephone]@namesnamesnamesnames no, it’s Chester actually! But I’ve just checked and as of 7 June members now longer have to book, so I’m also out of date.

In fairness it was a right pain in the arse to book member tickets before that [/quote]
I think the problem was with many attractions tbf to Chester

I much prefer Knowsley to Chester zoo. I once read that the Rhino enclosure at Knowsley is the size of the whole of Chester zoo. The animals at Knowsley have a lot more space.

I used to go to Alton Towers 30+ years ago and it was £20 or £25. Now, according to the website, it’s £34 -£53. In that time inflation has increased prices by 92% and the average median salary has gone from 15k to 34k. Alton Towers has a lot more going on than it did 30 years ago, though you can still wait just as long for the most popular rides.

So I don’t think the prices are totally out of whack. They seem to be a bit more varied but basically in the same ballpark.

I think our expectation of what we should be able to do has changed, though. You didn’t tend to see that many younger kids at Alton Towers, you had lots of kids from the age of 11ish going in big groups (School, Guides, church groups, just friends, etc) rather than with their families. My mum would never have paid £20 in 1991 to sit in some nice gardens while my brother and I ran from the luge to the corkscrew to see which had the shortest ride.

@Serin

I much prefer Knowsley to Chester zoo. I once read that the Rhino enclosure at Knowsley is the size of the whole of Chester zoo. The animals at Knowsley have a lot more space.

That's because that's a safari, not a zoo (except the zoo part). You can't compare the two. They roam

This is why I don't take my kids to the zoo or softplay often!
They went to a zoo for the youngest's 2nd birthday, and while on holiday in Munich, and once with cousins. So my 7yo has been 4 times in his life as he had a school trip too. I think that's fine.
Incidentally, Munich zoo was very reasonable and very cool. DH and I were only saying last week it would probably be cheaper to fly there next time we want to visit a zoo!
Softplay is a once a year thing. I hate it anyway.

2 adults and any number of children living at the same address is €33 at Munich zoo!

Many of these places accept Tesco Clubcard vouchers. I’ve never ‘paid’ for Legoland or Sea life.

We were looking at Waterworld which is a waterpark thing. £20 a ticket basically, same for adults and children. I thought that was expensive, and like many of these places, you also need to pay separately for parking too.

I don't think there are as many deals around this year.

Zoos are on their absolute uppers at the moment and close to going bust (which is awful for those with significant conservation activity) because animals don't stop needing care.

For comparison, it would be more balanced to compare the cost of lazing round on a sun lounger here v at a destination a flight away, versus cost of zoo or theme park tickets here and abroad.

I suppose zoos could reduce their conservation work (which tends to become expensive) and just become showplaces for the cheaper animals to keep. That would undo 50 years of work to change the ethos of zoos, but would result in cheaper tickets.

If you have a Blue Badge you can get buy one get one free tickets to Alton Towers (don’t know about other parks) They also had an offer on a few years ago where if you went on the ‘Big 6’ you could go again for free. I would also recommend (if you can) going on weekday during term time as you certainly feel as though you’ve had your money’s worth.

It can be expensive but then they are special days out for a birthday treat for example. Not really something you would do every week and you can spend a long time at the zoo. I would take a picnic to cut costs and look out for any deals or offers, try booking in advance and seeing how much cheaper that is.

Took the kids to zoos twice, maybe 3 times, during their whole childhood.

Would have been a lot more to take them to see those animals in their natural habitat

We rationed our ‘expensive’ days. Took NT membership one year and made the best of history visits, got a deal on a Merlin pass in another year, and made that earn its keep.

I am happier to pay for ‘big experiences’ once in a while, zoos, castles, than regular ‘treats’ that don’t really add much to the quality of life, IMO.

It’s really expensive. We went to legoland a few weeks ago. Random inset day, so luckily just before school holidays. 2 adults, 2 children. We got a deal on the tickets (full price adult with free child and combi adult with pre-schooler ticket). We took a picnic lunch. It still cost £270 (£120 of that was 3 fast passes, as the queues were 45-60 mins each). We had a fun day. It would have been miserable without the fast passes. 4 ice cream cost £18!

Actually the prices at kids’ adventure farms drive me potty. Why am I paying £14 per adult? There’s literally zero enjoyment for adults at those places (few sheep, some guinea pigs, sand pit, wooden adventure play ground and massive soft play).

At least at a theme park adults are entertained too.

Have annual pass for major zoo
They gave an extra free month, due to closure during the covid lockdown
Think it is good value
We take packed lunch
Some of the enclosures have been improved
Lovely gardens too
They also have a variety of exhibitions too

Better value than National Trust, where pre bookings have been full & the buildings have been closed. No free extension due to covid

@DipSwimSwoosh

2 adults and any number of children living at the same address is €33 at Munich zoo!

We had a lovely day at Munich zoo and were shocked at how cheap it was. Even the food and drink was very reasonable.

It probably isn’t a regular outing for most families, but there are certainly ways to save money. However you might have to plan ahead in order to do it cheaply.

You can get 2 for 1s or discount codes for many attractions. Choose the one that offers these deals. Quite simply, don’t plan to buy anything once there, unless you are talking about 1 coffee. Take all your food and drink for the day. Teach the kids not to expect stuff in the crap gift shops.

Many people spend huge amounts once in those places. By not doing so, a great day can be had. You can make yourself a really lovely picnic with treats and goodies.

Yes to looking at Tesco Clubcard or DaysOut vouchers etc.

I’m always surprised by how many people complain about £20 for 2 kids meals etc. None of those things are an essential cost in the day out. It’s hardly a surprise that the meals are really expensive or the gift shop extortionate. You do t have to spend on that stuff so don’t.

The impromptu day out without checking voucher codes or offers, or planning to take food, is bound to cost a lot more.