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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Seriously? £86 for family entry?

311 replies

biggirlknickers · 04/07/2021 20:35

This is for a visit to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park for 2 adults and 2 children.

I mean, who can afford £86 on tickets? That’s before you’ve factored in petrol, extortionate icecreams / coffees and no doubt a huge gift shop that you are forced to exit through with kids.

We are professionals on decent enough wages - we’re not rolling in it but we are doing ok. But that is truly beyond our reach for a single day out!

I’m thinking too of all the lower income families that I work with every day as a primary school teacher, for whom this couldn’t even be a consideration. Yorkshire children who don’t have a hope in hell of ever going to Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

AIBU to think that it’s really too much?

OP posts:
Shoxfordian · 04/07/2021 20:36

If people pay it then it’s not too much for the market

endofthelinefinally · 04/07/2021 20:37

I agree.so many of these attractions are impossible for the average family.
Luckily Yorkshire is full of beautiful, free nature reserves and national parks.

30degreesandmeltinghere · 04/07/2021 20:38

We went last week end. Took 4 x dc.... It is what it is.
We took picnic and plenty of drinks. Only bought doughnuts and ice creams. That was costly...

KingdomScrolls · 04/07/2021 20:38

It's that the on the day price? Lots of the places offer discount for pre-booking, you can use Clubcard vouchers etc. A zoo costs a lot to maintain, it's not like a theme park that costs little when it's closed due to a pandemic animals still need feeding and caring for

Whyo · 04/07/2021 20:38

YABU the cost of caring for the types of animals in these parks is astronomical. I also don’t think it’s unreasonable price at all.

Vetyveriohohoh · 04/07/2021 20:39

I tried to book ten pin bowling for 2a and 2c - they wanted £58 so I didn’t bother

ILoveAnOwl · 04/07/2021 20:39

I've just look at Paultons. Over £100 for three of us. Crazy!

KingdomScrolls · 04/07/2021 20:40

£21.50 per person for a full day out isn't extortionate, it's a treat not a weekly occurrence. You take a picnic, don't buy expensive coffees and say no in the gift shop.

Ifailed · 04/07/2021 20:40

It's to keep the riff-raff out.

Screamingcowboy99 · 04/07/2021 20:41

I'd say that's standard for days out TBH.

Most attractions do have offers, deals, passes etc that make it cheaper. We used to be members of Chester Zoo which equated to the cost of three visits. We went every week when the DC were preschoolers.

fairgame84 · 04/07/2021 20:41

It is expensive but it's a full day out. We live 5 minutes from it and used to have an annual pass when DS was little. We haven't been for years due to the cost.
DH has never been but it would be £60 for the 3 of us to go.
Oh and you are spot on about the huuuuge gift shop.

Sexlife · 04/07/2021 20:41

@Vetyveriohohoh

I tried to book ten pin bowling for 2a and 2c - they wanted £58 so I didn’t bother
Wow thats so expensive
Smarshian · 04/07/2021 20:41

We paid £110 for tickets for a family day out this week (2 adults, 1 child as youngest was free!)
That is a lot of money, however it isn’t something we do every week. We disperse things like this with days to free things/ national Trust (we have membership). So we may pay for something like this once a month, then have free or cheap days otherwise. Take a picnic and then maybe buy an ice cream or coffee. Never anything from the gift shop.

Silversun83 · 04/07/2021 20:42

Is it not much more expensive for a yearly season ticket?

Our local zoo is simarly-priced, but only about £120 for a yearly family ticket. Yes, I appreciate that that is a lot to pay out in one go and there are families who wouldn't be able to afford it, but over the year, even if you only went once a month, would only be a tenner a visit.

We are fortunate though to live within 30 minutes of several zoos/wildlife parks so usually get one season ticket a year and then alternate.. Wouldn't dream of paying the daily rates.

FakeFruitShoot · 04/07/2021 20:43

Surely this is normal pricing for that kind of full day activity? It's £40 to go to the cinema...

BrownEyedGirl80 · 04/07/2021 20:43

It's 5 mins drive from us and we rarely go as its extortionate

BrownEyedGirl80 · 04/07/2021 20:43

@fairgame84 snap!

PerciphonePuma · 04/07/2021 20:43

@Smarshian

We paid £110 for tickets for a family day out this week (2 adults, 1 child as youngest was free!) That is a lot of money, however it isn’t something we do every week. We disperse things like this with days to free things/ national Trust (we have membership). So we may pay for something like this once a month, then have free or cheap days otherwise. Take a picnic and then maybe buy an ice cream or coffee. Never anything from the gift shop.
A £110 day out once a month?!?! Bloody hell! Plus a National Trust membership fee on top?! You really like your days out, don't you?! Shock
bigbluecup · 04/07/2021 20:44

It doesn’t seem unexpectedly expensive to me honestly (speaking as someone who doesn’t have a lot!) it’s £21.50 each which is pretty standard I think. A lot of us just wait for deals or offers or buy with club card vouchers. It’s also a once a year treat

KarlUrbansWife · 04/07/2021 20:44

It's pretty standard for a dya out round here. At least with a zoo/wildlife park you know exactly what the money is being spent on. Zoos have such a shortfall of funding and, as already pointed out, those animals still needed to be fed and looked after in lockdown

NoSquirrels · 04/07/2021 20:44

We’ve had a great day out at a wildlife park very recently and a family ticket was £30 cheaper than Yorkshire Wildlife Park - it’s still expensive at £50+ but was worth it to me. But I’ve never been to the YWP so perhaps their animals & experience is worth paying the extra.

They’re an expensive day out for a reason - exotic animals aren’t cheap to keep! If you care about welfare and conservation you don’t want these places to be cheap. That’s the issue really.

It is sad it’s out of reach of a lot of families and children though.

littlegreybird · 04/07/2021 20:44

It is expensive but I suppose they work out what they can charge to be profitable and charge that. I'm a teacher and lp, and while I couldn't afford that sort of day out regularly it's certainly not out of my reach as an occasional treat so I feel you've exaggerated a bit in saying you're comfortable yet it's truly beyond your reach. It's not really their problem how much you may need to spend on petrol etc.

I don't know - it is expensive and it is sad that lots of families couldn't afford it but running a zoo has got to be costly so in a way I can see why the price reflects that, though quite often you do get offers and they do things like free entry for a year with your ticket (maybe not this year though).

PerciphonePuma · 04/07/2021 20:45

@Silversun83

Is it not much more expensive for a yearly season ticket?

Our local zoo is simarly-priced, but only about £120 for a yearly family ticket. Yes, I appreciate that that is a lot to pay out in one go and there are families who wouldn't be able to afford it, but over the year, even if you only went once a month, would only be a tenner a visit.

We are fortunate though to live within 30 minutes of several zoos/wildlife parks so usually get one season ticket a year and then alternate.. Wouldn't dream of paying the daily rates.

Our fave local attraction is £699 for a yearly pass!!! That's just for ONE person!!
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 04/07/2021 20:45

You don't need to go through the gift shop, its outside the park with other shops/restaurants.

Its a nice place. But one off tickets aren't cheap. But theres plenty of picnic tables to take your own food. Ice creams are about £3 each. Its a lit of walking and not very shady so be prepared on hot days.

PerciphonePuma · 04/07/2021 20:45

@Silversun83

Is it not much more expensive for a yearly season ticket?

Our local zoo is simarly-priced, but only about £120 for a yearly family ticket. Yes, I appreciate that that is a lot to pay out in one go and there are families who wouldn't be able to afford it, but over the year, even if you only went once a month, would only be a tenner a visit.

We are fortunate though to live within 30 minutes of several zoos/wildlife parks so usually get one season ticket a year and then alternate.. Wouldn't dream of paying the daily rates.

Not a theme park either and no animals. It's just an enchanted forest and parks with occasional inflatable slides
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