Showing posts with label Child Friendly Attraction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Child Friendly Attraction. Show all posts

Saturday 18 November 2017

Our Visit to Bristol Zoo Gardens - A Review

We actually came across Bristol Zoo Gardens by accident as we were travelling to Burnham-on-Sea during the October half term. I noticed a sign for it as we were driving along the motorway and realising that it was less than an hour away from our accommodation, I found the website online to see what the attraction had on offer.

The website was very informative and provided a really good insight into zoo life, the animals and the facilities that were available. There was plenty of information for visitors, as well as further facts about the Bristol Zoo Garden's charitable mission and conservation work.

I also learnt a little bit more about the history of the zoo and was astonished to find that it is actually the fifth oldest zoo in the world, having first opened its doors to the public, back in July 1836. Since then the zoo has helped save over 175 species from extinction both in human care and in the wild. Over 90 million guests have visited the zoo over the years which is an incredible number! Having discovered more about Bristol Zoo Gardens, I made the decision that it was somewhere we would definitely have to visit.

We were very lucky with the weather during the half term week and managed to pick a day to visit, that was abundant with sunshine. We followed the sat nav using the postcode provided, however this did take us over the Clifton Suspension bridge (toll required) and along some small roads. My parents who decided to come along with us for the day, followed the signs from the motorway instead and found it with no problems.

When we arrived at the car park, we found that the parking costs £3 or a reduced rate of £1 for Zoo members. This is cash only and is paid to an attendant on arrival, so make sure you have some change spare. It isn't a huge car park, so I would recommend arriving early during peak periods to make sure you can find a space with ease. Once you have parked up, it is then a short walk to the entrance.

Credit: Emma Foster
The main entrance was very welcoming and the staff all seemed very friendly and polite. We were asked if we would like a map and whether there was any information we required before entering. The children could see all the items available in the shop behind the main kiosk and so we had to make a promise to let them have a look around before leaving. Once we had obtained our tickets and map, we made our way out of the foyer and into the beautiful Bristol Zoo Gardens.

Although I had read all the information on the website beforehand, I was still a little unsure as to what to expect and how the layout would be. It soon became apparent that the whole zoo looped round so it was easy to visit each enclosure in order, whilst surrounded by the beautiful landscaped gardens and features. The first animals we came across were the flamingos. They all looked so elegant and perfectly still whilst resting on one leg. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to stay in this area too long as the children heard a loud roar on the opposite side of the path, so they all ran over excitedly, with us not far behind.


The lions were absolutely magnificent and it was quite breathtaking to be able to see such stunning creatures up close. I could have literally stood there for hours just watching them and they didn't seem phased at all by the public observing through the glass viewing panel. All around me I could hear the gasps of children along with shouts of "Wow" as everyone watched whilst they prowled around the enclosure. There was also an informative sign nearby, that provided plenty of information on the Asiatic Lions, which I always find interesting to read.




Next, we made our way through the Twilight World which featured a wide range of nocturnal animals. As you would expect, it was very dark inside and Grandad struggled a bit to see his way through, but managed ok with a little bit of guidance from the grandkids! On leaving the Twilight World we entered the fruit bat enclosure which then led us out to the Red Pandas. Whilst our family was busy watching the Red Panda's climb down from the tree, I took Riley over to the Carousel on the Piazza where he enjoyed a short ride. He was very excited to find a painted pebble as we made our way back to the rest of the family, especially as someone had decorated it with Peppa's teddy!



One thing that I was already impressed with, was the maintenance of the site. Everywhere was really well kept, clean and tidy. I was also pleased that there was plenty of benches scattered at regular intervals along the terrace, providing a lovely area to sit down and simply enjoy the surroundings. Grandad is disabled and so it was ideal for him to have somewhere he could sit and rest whilst the kids ran around.

Credit: Emma Foster
Our next stop was the Reptile House, where we saw some very large and fascinating creatures, including bright and colourful frogs, as well as large and scary looking snakes. My son Riley loved looking at all the reptiles, especially the lizards.

Credit: Emma Foster

Credit: Emma Foster
The exit from the Reptile House, took us to the Aquarium entrance, where we found an abundance of vibrant and lively fish. My children always enjoy looking for "Nemo's & Dory's" and so they were very happy to find a beautiful Dory near the exit.


By this point we had started to get a little thirsty so decided to purchase a drink. We made our way to The Hide Cafe Restaurant, which is a really nice dining area. On arrival you are taken to a table and provided with menus, then someone comes back to take your order. I found this to be a really lovely setting for a sit down meal, but thought it was a bit formal for just a few soft drinks and I also felt a bit awkard about taking up such a large table for just a drink. My husband then spotted a kiosk that had opened outside serving hot & cold drinks, along with some savoury snacks such as sausage rolls and pies, so we made our way over to this instead and enjoyed our drinks on one of the outdoor picnic benches instead. If we had wanted to have a meal though, then I wouldn't have hesitated to stay in The Hide Cafe Restaurant as it looked lovely, with a good selection of food available.

Credit: Emma Foster


After our drinks, we began to explore the monkey jungle and our favourite part of the zoo, which was the Lemur enclosure. We were fascinated watching the lemurs run around us and there were staff on hand to answer the hundreds of questions that the kids kept firing at them. It was amazing to witness them running around our feet and then swinging and chasing one another through the trees.



My children stopped to take a look at the map and saw that we were by Gorilla Island. We were just in time for the Gorilla talk and feed, so we hurried over to find out more about these incredible animals. We were astonished by just how big they were and Riley was convinced that the one in the picture below was actually a statue, until he put his hand in the air to catch a lettuce that had been thrown over.



Their size and physique was incredible and it was really interesting to hear about the diet the Gorilla's eat. We had seen a large board at the entrance to Gorilla Island that details Jock's daily menu and we had intially thought this was a joke!


In addition to the Gorilla talk, the map detailed numerous other talk and feeding sessions ranging from Lion's and Meerkats, to Penguins and Seals, which is always really useful if you want to learn more. We were going to visit the Seal and Penguin Coasts after Gorilla Island, but Ben spotted the sign for the Children's play area, so all the children quickly demanded a visit to the park for a play.


There was a wide range of play equipment available, as well as a sand play area. My only negative comment, would be that it was very hard for some of the smaller children to climb up to the slide and could have done with some additional steps inside the tower. Some children were able to pull themselves up with ease, but Riley and a few others were struggling. It was also in such a position that it was hard for parents to help from the outside. That being said, Riley did manage it twice and enjoyed the slide very much once he had managed to reach the top.


Once the children had finished burning off some energy in the Play Area, we returned back to the Seal and Penguin Coasts area, where we enjoyed a lovely stroll through the enclosure. The penguins all seemed busy, wandering around together, whilst the seals rolled gently in the water.

Credit: Emma Foster
We ended our visit to Bristol Zoo Gardens, with a lovely walk through the Butterfly Forest, where stunning butterflies of all different colours, flew around us. Some of them were really beautiful and Riley enjoyed looking for all the different species, that were on a sheet we had been provided with as we entered. There was also a fascinating area where you could see the cocoons that had been built ready for butterflies to emerge from.


As we made our way to the exit, the children enjoyed a quick run around the Turtle Maze. This was a lovely fun area, surrounded by lawns that looked really peaceful and well cared for. We all agreed that we had enjoyed a wonderful day at Bristol Zoo Gardens and felt that it was a great attraction for families to enjoy together. Nana and Grandad also commented on how beautiful it was and that they felt the layout was perfect and easy to follow. Overall we were very impressed and had a brilliant time. We would definitely return in the future and would recommend to others.

Attraction Details

Address: Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton, Bristol, BS83HA
Website: www.bristolzoo.org.uk
Opening times: 9am til 5pm, 364 days a year.
Ticket Prices: Tickets can be purchased both online or on the gate. Prices vary, so please visit the Bristol Zoo website to obtain the most up to date details here: Ticket Information

Disclaimer: We were provided with complimentary admission for the purpose of providing an honest review of our experience. Opinions and photographs are my own, unless stated otherwise.

Wednesday 28 June 2017

A Wonderful Time at Wonderworks Orlando

I have noticed that a lot of my followers are planning holidays to Florida this summer and so I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my favourite attractions in Orlando. When we visited last year the blog was in it's infancy and so I realise that some of these attraction reviews may have been missed by readers over the last year, so what better time to re-share and help others with their holiday planning.

Wonderworks is located on International Drive and is very easy to spot as it is presented on the exterior as an upside down house. It is so clever and immediately attracts your attention. We couldn't wait to get inside and find out what it was all about.

The Wonderworks website describes the experience as being one of the top things to do in Orlando and they are not wrong. This indoor attraction offers 35,000 square foot of educational entertainment that keeps you mesmerised, interested and entertained from start to finish.


The exhibits are split into six wonder zones. The first zone we came to was the Natural Disasters Zone. My children were fascinated to learn about some of the natural disasters that have occurred around the world and took the time to read the information provided. It was great to see something capture their attention so well as opposed to a quick glance and carry on. Around each piece of information was also a hands on exhibit to try out. The first one that my children tried was the Earthquake Cafe which was designed to show the power of a 5.3 earthquake. I found that these kind of exhibits were a real eye opener for the children as we often hear of earthquakes on the news without any real idea as to how they actually feel or how scary they really are. Next we tried out the Hurricane Shack which allowed us to experience category one hurricane force winds, followed by the Google Earth console which allowed us zoom in on any part of the world. My children loved this and were able to find our home, their school and even our hotel. It was fascinating to see what technology is available to us and just how clever it is.

The most interesting and thought provoking part of this zone for me however was the Titanic Exhibit, which actually made me feel quite emotional. Most people will have heard the story of the Titanic and of course many of us have seen the hit film based on the tragedy. This exhibit allowed you to experience just how cold the water would have been for the tragic passengers who were plunged into the water. There is a small pool of water which you place your arm into which also has a timer that records just how long you can hold your arm in the water before you have to withdraw it. I only managed 12 seconds which just goes to show how awful it must have been for the passengers who had no choice but to wait in the water to be rescued. This really made us think and my children asked lots of questions about the Titanic whilst learning more in this exhibit.

The second zone we visited was the physical challenge zone. This zone was so much fun with plenty of activities to try out and enjoy. My husband tried out the bed of nails and my children absolutely loved the Wonderwall which allows you to create three dimensional images of your body on a giant plastic pin wall. The firm favourite in this area though was the Bubble Lab where you could create bubbles of all shapes and sizes. My husband managed to create a huge bubble that my daughter fitted in. Riley was also delighted to be able to make large bubbles of his own without any help. There really was something for everyone in this zone.


Next up was the light and sound zone. Here we learnt all about the speed of light, colours, patterns, shadows and sounds. Our favourite part of this zone was the shadow experiment. This allowed you to see your shadow in any shape you wanted. We stood in front of a wall and then there was a flash. The portion of the wall that our bodies were covering was not able to absorb the light and so this left our shadow impression on the wall. We learnt from this that our image on the wall hadn't actually become darker but instead the rest of the wall had absorbed the light and made the wall lighter. It was a really fun experiment that captured my children's attention and even with the explanation it left them intrigued as to how it worked. Isn't science interesting!

Our favourite zone was the Space Discovery Zone, this area was so informative and interesting and also offered some fantastic photo opportunities. We learnt all about space suits, what they provide to astronauts and how they help them to survive. They really are an amazing piece of equipment and you can have your photo taken inside one too which is fabulous. There is also a replica of the mercury capsule where you can experience what it is like to be inside one of these amazing vehicles. In this area is also the astronaut training challenge which seats 2 people and then spins and rotates in numerous directions to simulate the effects that spaces has on the human body. Having just eaten our lunch prior to our visit though we decided not to try this, but it did look great fun. Don't miss out on the Wonder Coaster in this zone either as this allows you to create your own dream roller coaster and then experience it in a virtual ride. Really clever!


After everything we had already experienced at Wonderworks, we were expecting the attraction to soon come to an end as it felt like we had done so much. However we were pleased to find yet another zone called the Imagination Zone. My youngest son Riley loved this area as there was so much for him to do. A gigantic version of Lite-Brite immediately caught his attention where you could rearrange coloured sticks on to a black wall which would then light up and glow. He created his own little masterpieces that looked fantastic and he was really proud of his efforts. The fun express stations also offered Riley some digital colouring activities that were similar to some of the apps he uses on the ipad. This meant that he was familiar with them and able to use them with ease. I think he could have quite happily sat here for hours. When we did get him to venture away from the Fun Express station he quickly moved on to Gear Works. As he was only 3 at the time he didn't quite understand the purpose of the activity, however he was quite happy just moving the cogs around and connecting them together. Emma and Ben enjoyed the educational part of this and began to understand how gears work.


Last up of the zones was the Far Out Art Gallery. This wasn't in a large allocated area like the others and instead it was a series of illusions and paintings that were situated on the walls on the way up to the basement. Yes that's UP to the basement (remember the house is upside down!). They really got your mind working and some were quite baffling.

The basement offers even more fun and features an amazing three storey glow in the dark climbing course. My daughter Emma tried this out and it really tested her abilities as well as improving her confidence whilst trying out a new and exciting activity that she had never tried before. My son Ben chose not to participate in this due to his fear of heights, but Emma really enjoyed it and was excited and proud of herself when she had finished.

The basement also houses the 4D XD Motion Theater experience. The film that was on show during our visit was the Canyon Coaster and this offered a simulated thrill ride that we all enjoyed. The ride can accommodate twelve persons at a time and lasts approximately five minutes so we didn't need to queue for long at all. The Wonderworks website does advertise that there are three different movies shown on a rotating schedule, so if we get the chance to return in the future it would be great to try out one of the others.

Sadly, due to a dinner reservation that we had in Citywalk we had no time to try out the laser tag. I was quite gutted about this as I haven't played laser tag since I was about 10 and had been really looking forward to it, but due to having so much fun in the other zones time had literally flown. The next time we return to Orlando we will definitely be doing this without a doubt as it looked great fun. If all of that wasn't enough then the basement also has some arcade games which were great for keeping Riley occupied whilst Emma enjoyed the ropes course and was a great little addition to have within the attraction.

Overall we absolutely loved it here. All the staff were fantastic, especially the lady who served us on the ticket desk. They all seemed very happy to help and provide information when needed. It really is a fun filled attraction from start to finish that offers excellent value for money, as well as providing a unique learning experience. Would I recommend this place to families? ABSOLUTELY

For more information on Wonderworks Orlando please visit their website here: Wonderworks Orlando

Important Information:

Address - 9067 International Drive, Orlando, Florida, FL 32819

Opening Hours - 9am til midnight 365 days a year. *Last tickets sold 90 minutes before closing.

Parking - Parking is available at the nearby Pointe Orlando Parking Garage and costs $4 for the first two hours, $2 for each additional hour, with a maximum fee of $10.

Ticket prices - Adults are $29.99 + tax with children's tickets costing $23.99 + tax.


Disclaimer: I was provided with complimentary tickets to this attraction for the purpose of providing an honest and impartial review. Opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated. Information I have provided was correct at the time of writing, but would always recommend visiting the attractions own website to obtain the most up to date information as this can be subject to change.