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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Anybody been to Whipsnade zoo?

28 replies

natmeistergeneral · 09/02/2007 15:01

My dd 2.5 is obsessed with elephants and somebody told me that Whipsnade is similar to Longleat in as much as the animals roam freely whilst you sit in your car etc. Has anybody been and is my friend correct in saying they have the all important elephants there?

OP posts:
alittlebitshy · 09/02/2007 15:03

oh yes indeed!!!!!!!!
several elephants!

Aloha · 09/02/2007 15:04

Yes, and once or twice a day all the elephants go for a walk as a family through the zoo an into the countryside, and that really is magical, even for horrid, cynical old me.

Original poster
natmeistergeneral · 09/02/2007 15:05

Thats sounds really sweet, she would love it! Was it horribly expensive?

OP posts:
Flumpybumpy · 09/02/2007 15:06

Yep and it's good. There are elephants and loads of other animals. My DD loved the big grizzly bear. We preferred being out of teh car and just wandering around on our own. It is a bog park though. The bird show was fantastic and the birds fly right over your head.

Also, if you join the Toys 'R' Us Gold card scheme (free on-line) you get 23% at teh park entrance.

I don't work for either company by the way

FB x

Flumpybumpy · 09/02/2007 15:06

I didn't mean bog park - meant to read BIG park!!!!

FB x

Flumpybumpy · 09/02/2007 15:07

25% discount - seriously what is wrong with me today!!!!

FB x

misdee · 09/02/2007 15:08

really 25% discount?

blimey , must go find my card or register for a new one.

Original poster
natmeistergeneral · 09/02/2007 15:09

Brilliant- think thats my weekend sorted for next week(dh allowing!)Thanks for your help.

OP posts:
KTeePee · 09/02/2007 15:09

I think you may be confusing Whipsnade with Woburn Safari Park. At Whipsnade you can take your car in but you stay on a road and the animals are in seperate enclosures - you have to get out of your car to get up close. At Woburn you actually drive through the enclosures and the animals can come right up to your car. Woburn is still on its cheap winter admission at the moment - I think it is slightly cheaper than Whipsnade.

Aloha · 09/02/2007 15:12

You do go close to the animals in the car though and can walk about as well. The elephants do wander past you as you walk about - they get very close and it is rather awe-inspiring.

larkspur · 09/02/2007 15:12

We went last year and the highlight of the trip for me was turning round and seeing a whole line of elephants walking down the 'road' holding onto each others tails with their trunks a la the Jungle Book. Big ones and tiny ones! It was just fantastic. I think the keepers were taking them for a walk! We followed alongside and they were taken to a grassy area where they just mooched about. There wasn't a fence, just a lot of keepers making sure visitors didn't get too close.
Not sure if it's a daily event or if we just struck lucky. Maybe worth contacting them.

larkspur · 09/02/2007 15:13

Sorry X post - bit slow at typing!

Original poster
natmeistergeneral · 09/02/2007 15:14

To be honest as long as there are elephants involved the actual 'safari' part doesn't matter quite as much but will check out Woburn for another time as its a lttle further for us than Whipsnade.

OP posts:
misdee · 09/02/2007 15:14

there is a drive through bit in whipsnade. you can pay to take your car into the park.

my dd's like the train though

Flumpybumpy · 09/02/2007 15:15

misdee, not just at Whipsnade either, there are loads of places you can get discount at. You just have to show your card the the entrance. My friend borrowed mine and got the discount when she went.

Check out the Toy 'R' Us website.

FB x

feetheart · 09/02/2007 15:18

You do have to get out to see the animals properly but its well worth it and during the Winter you can take the car in free of charge (usually its £11 I think)

Think its £13.50 for adults and children under 3 free.

We have an annual pass as only live 20mins away and are always there so any more questions just ask

Oati · 09/02/2007 15:19

elephant encounter at Woburn

majorstress · 09/02/2007 15:22

No KTP you can drive through part of Whipsnade too. flumpybumpy's description fits.

Here's the clincher....there is a new BABY ELEPHANT DOB 19-01-07 and BABY RHINO DOB 31-12-06 there now!

here

KTeePee · 09/02/2007 15:28

I know you can take your car into Whipsnade - I was just pointing out that it isn't a safari park like Longleat or Woburn where you actually have the monkeys sitting on the roof of the car, etc....

Original poster
natmeistergeneral · 09/02/2007 15:53

That baby elephant is gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:
majorstress · 09/02/2007 15:55

True, no monkeys or lions but you do drive through the enclosure for "Passage to Asia", antelopes, camels etc.

Woburn is very nice too and so is Longleat.

WriggleJiggle · 09/02/2007 16:03

Whipsnade is great. The elephants go for a walk every day. You're not allowed to touch them unfortunately, but you can get really really close (within a couple of metres). Unless you want to tour many of the 'herd' type animals its probably not worth taking the car - just use the train and a push chair. The sealion display is worth seeing. And you can get really close to the penguins too.

moonshine · 21/02/2007 20:46

We went to Whipsnade today and it was magical as we saw the elephants on their walk holding tails, and at the front was the one-month old newcomer [soppy face emoticon]! Just wanted to add that it's a great zoo and nice and empty even during this half term (if somewhat muddy and cold - bring wellies!). There's also a great baby giraffe (and rhino I think but we didn't get to see it this time).

pollyanna · 21/02/2007 20:50

my children love whipsnade. You can feed the giraffes as well which is always popular.

All of the elephants moved there from London Zoo a couple of years ago (good thing imo, the elephant enclosure at London Zoo is tiny).

lovelymoo · 21/02/2007 21:06

we go there all the time. use me tesco vouchers a £2.50 voucher is worth £10 so usually cost us nothing to get in