San Diego Zoo Safari Park 2023 | EVERYTHING You Need to Know

The ultimate guide to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 2023 that includes everything you need to know about visiting. We'll show you every exhibit, tell you which animals you need to see, share the best dining locations, and talk about the extra paid safaris you can enjoy.
I include important information, like what to expect from the Safari Park this year and special events you won't want to miss.
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CHAPTERS
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0:00 Maps, Strollers, Wheelchairs, & Lockers
0:54 What's New at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in 2023?
2:50 Animal Exhibits
10:52 Dining Locations
12:40 Activities & Safaris
14:39 Seasonal Events
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SOCIAL
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#SanDiegoZooSafariPark #SanDiegoZoo #ZooTours #SanDiego #SafariPark

[@lisabostrack24]

Can't say enough how much I love Safari Park. Great vlog. My plan when I come at the end of August or very beginning of September. Is to stay at a near hotel the day I arrive. Go to Safari Park. Then wake up and go in the morning. I can't wait for my trip. Need to book it.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

It was a very good day for seeing animals for sure.

[@sandiego3704]

I live in the neighborhood right by the park, we absolutely love taking a stroll through here!

[@Kartzchen]

Thank you!

[@InTheLifeOfJeff]

I love platapie! LOL...I can't wait 2 c the expansion!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Me too!

[@Makeacurry]

I'll be going for my birthday this weekend ☺

[@jeniferchacon878]

😍

[@epicsubset]

Still on my list to visit.. we didnt have time the last time down.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

You definitely need to go at least once! It’s a great place to visit.

[@mojopotato1715]

Love those sunglasses! You mind if I ask what kind are they? Taking the family to SD next month.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Shady Rays! I’ve been asked a few times so not odd at all! I once tried to get a sponsorship from them. But I had like 3,000 subscribers at the time. Maybe I should try again. Get a discount code for you all or something. 🤔

[@cameronbassett1716]

I grew up in SD and had the annual pass! I was at safari park or the zoo every other weekend

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

That’s what we used to do until we started KZbin and began spreading our visits out throughout all the SoCal parks.

[@E.Kari__]

We are finally opening Benbough where we have the bird shows next to mawazo restaurant on march 18th Im so excited!!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Oh nice! We'll have to come check it out.

[@E.Kari__]

@@SoCalDisneyDad yes I will let you know definitely fursure when we open but I think it is on the 18th they say once butterflys opens

[@E.Kari__]

@@SoCalDisneyDad nvmd they will be open on May 😭

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

@@E.Kari__ Thanks for keeping me updated.

[@TomFota]

As of May 5, there are daily shows at 2:00pm at Benbough Stadium. Content varies.

[@richardreynolds8326]

Great video, we are going in August, we want to see the Rhinos up close, can you please recommend a specific tour for them.. thanks

[@bettypeterson9599]

Which is better for seniors to see more of the park comfortably - the big truck or the carts? Also, do you recommend the African or Asian tour? We have tickets for May & would like to reserve a tour ahead of time. Your videos are very well done! Thank you.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

So none of the paid tours actually take you around the normal parts of the park. They are all up close experiences. And the Asian Tours specifically, the only way to see that part of the park is through the paid tours. The Safari Park doesn’t have a tour like the Zoo that goes around the park and points out the different exhibits you can walk to on foot. If you just want to see the African plains area, but don’t care about the up close aspects, the free Africa Tram is plenty enjoyable in my opinion and is about a half hour long. I actually haven’t done any of the paid tours, except the zipline, so I couldn’t speak to how “worth it” the rest of the tours are. If you are really interested in the up close 90 minute tours, just pick one that sounds the most interesting to you, or go for the Asian ones simply because that paid tour is the only way to see that part of the park.

[@TomFota]

The Rodrigues Fruit Bats exhibit re-opened in March of April. Lorikeet Landing has been repurposed as the Rain Forest Jungle aviary and opened in April. There are over a dozen species of tropical birds in the exhibit. The Lorikeets got moved to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. The gibbons habitat is getting a complete home remodeling and has been closed since mid-April. Construction was delayed by the above-average rainfall but will re-open when the construction is completed.

[@jaydee2111]

That zebra cracks me up 😂😂😂 everytime

[@AlphaLax]

How would you rate San Diego zoo among other zoos in the US?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

We think it’s pretty high up there. It’s not #1, I’d give that one to the Omaha Zoo. But it’s definitely one of the better zoos in the US. To be clear, we are talking about the main Zoo, not the Safari Park which is the topic of this video. Why the Safari Park is great, it’s missing a lot of key animals and diversity of biomes that make a zoo great. The Safari Park tends to focus on the African animals almost exclusively.

[@yongdou9751]

Do you know is there a height limit for the Safari balloon?

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

I believe most hot air balloons require a minimum height of 48 inches, but there is no upper limit. I don’t specifically know the rules of THIS hot air balloon, and their website doesn’t say. But it’s probably the standard of other hot air balloons in the area which is what I mentioned above.

[@alinecristinacoleto1743]

I only have 1 day, do I choose the Zoo or the Safari Park? 2 adults and a 9 years girl who loves animals, thank you!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

If you’ve never been to the Zoo, that’s the one to go to.

[@alinecristinacoleto1743]

@@SoCalDisneyDad thank you!

[@jeremynguyen2346]

Hello SoCal Disney Dad

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Hello!

[@jeremynguyen2346]

@@SoCalDisneyDad how are you doing

[@mrow6723]

how can you see the Asian savanna?

[@1kaaa]

I circled like 10 times trying to find Elephant Valley 😅

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

It’s not very easy now. And at first, I walked into the Roar and Snore camp area. I didn’t realize they moved the entrance into the herb garden. And it’s a pain to get into and out of the area now. Funneling all traffic through the tower. It’s just a lot of extra steps to see the elephants.

[@TomFota]

Always ask a volunteer for directions and suggestions!

[@sandiego3704]

We went to the park today and a new Lion male is there! Go check him out :)

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

Awesome! I’ve been trying to get a peek at him. Every time we’ve visited lately it’s been the girls who are out.

[@capuchinmonke1]

I think the safari park just got 2 Male lions

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

That’s awesome! Great to hear. Thanks for sharing.

[@TomFota]

The Safari Park got 3 lionesses in July last year, 8 YO sisters, from the Caldwell Zoo in TX. A new male lion, named Bo, arrived from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado at the end of March. He went through a 30 day quarantine and was officially announced by the SDZSF on Monday, May 15. I haven't seen him in person but I've seen photos posted by the general public where he was standing in the entrance to the bedrooms. Last I heard, he hasn't ventured out in the lion enclosure yet.

[@davidanton6203]

This video deserves a thumbs down for Traver insulting Robert the Zebra!!

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

😂

[@allgames2213]

H20

[@user-vw6oq8kp8g]

He only tells you what's NOT there. Not a very good guide.

[@SoCalDisneyDad]

This isn’t a full tour. And that portion of the video was construction updates and things that are closed. It’s not meant to highlight everything in the Safari park. It’s a big place. And this video is also 14 months old, so everything is outdated anyway.