I took my mother and aunt who were visiting me to the San Diego Zoo for a fun day. We got the tickets that included the tickets for the shuttles and tram, and it was completely worthwhile to do so. Taking the 40 minute tour bus is a great start to the zoo, because it helps you get your bearings and see what is available. I strongly suggest looking online before you go to see if there might be shows you want to see and to make sure that certain exhibits that are important to you are going to be available. Also certain animals have viewings only at certain times. We ended up skipping the pandas, because the line was tremendously long and we weren't willing to wait. Going when the zoo opens is a good idea, because most of the animals seemed to be napping in the middle of the day. Definitely bring your own snacks and drinks, because the zoo charges a fortune and the food is less than mediocre!
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