Second time visiting drusillas. Great for kids & adults ( our party ranged from 1yr - 60yrs) and all thoroughly enjoyed it. There is such a lot to do there that you could easily stay the whole day. Outside play area brilliant and hello kitty rides were very much enjoyed.

Lots of things to do and see for little kids and interesting for adults too. My Grandson loved Thomas the Tank Engine.

We went as a couple without children as we were in the area and my partner loves zoos and animals. It was good, and had animals we hadn't seen in other zoos. They have a great farm yard section which I hadn't seen at many others. We did however manage to complete it in 2 hours because it's not as big as some of the others. There was, however, a lot of children's activities and playgrounds as well as mazes and a mini train for small children to play on which make a good day for children. The food was also cheap which I was surprised about, as usually these kinds of attractions charge a fortune for food. Good picnic areas too if you were to bring your own food.

We visited here in the summer holidays, our visit was because there was a teenage mutant ninja turtles meet and greet and my son is a big fan.
We arrived late morning, it was busy so we had to park in the very last field, we had pre booked tickets so it was cheaper.
We took our sons three wheeled scooters so that they could get round easily, but when we went through the ticket booth the young lady very rudely said you can't take the scooters in! We asked why and she said for health and safety reasons, we said well it doesn't say anything about this on your website and she said no it's new! So we had to trudge back to the car to drop off the restricted scooters, considering our car was parked in the furthest field this was a right pain!
Plus once inside we was shocked to see lots of children on scooters! How ridiculous!
We had a lovely time here, the animals are all on the children's eye level so they can see them with ease, our children especially enjoyed the meerkats and penguins, we took a packed lunch and there is lots of tables to sit and eat.
The teenage mutant ninja turtles meet and greet was fab, we got some great pictures with them.
Sadly after this the heavens opened and it just rained constantly, we had a drink in the cafe to keep out of the rain, but sadly had to leave after this as the rain did not stop! So we didn't get to do everything we wanted to do, but we have been here many times before so it wasn't too bad.
Will return for sure as its perfect for kids and so much to see and do.

The zoo part is great. The kids had little tasks to along the route, like testing their pulling strength to compare it to animals. The animals were all visible and active.
The play area is excellent and suits all ages and the Hello Kitty themed ride were perfect for my toddler.
It's also exceptionally clean with not a single piece of rubbish in sight.

My daughter had wanted to be a zookeeper for her birthday treat. She had the best day she wants to go back next year and do it all over again. she had lots of close up encounters with all the animals (after having to clear up the poo which all good zookeepers need to know how to do) She loved seeing behind the scenes and we understand the zookeeper who was supposed to be with our daughter called in sick that had no impact on her day whatsoever, they just delegated someone else.

Time was we went to Drusillas to see the animals. The zoo is still an important element but the park now contains playgrounds, a spooky maze, a Hello Kitty secret garden and a train ride on Thomas the Tank Engine. For inquisitive children the zoo contains much hands-on educational information and for the simply curious there are plenty of animals to wonder at. For my very active grand children the highlight was the playground. There are several for different age groups and although only 4 and 6 they enjoyed the big slides and quite demanding climbs. Off season and quiet it was very pleasant. During school holidays Drusillas can be very crowded. However there is enough to do to make the visit last all day.There are several cafes and the coffee in some of them is good. Although entry is expensive, once you are in the attractions are mainly included. It is good value for the money if you stay long enough to exhaust the possibilities!

I don't have children so I don't go to too many of these places but my friends twins often drag me around and wow!

There is soooo much to do here! We were here for hours on a Saturday and we still didn't get to do everything we wanted! There were SO many children but because there is so much to see you didn't feel like it.

My only negative that I thought the entry was a bit expensive and expecting children over 2 to pay the same as an adult seems stupid!?

Either way we will be back to explore some more soon! :)

I'm sure that this is the place that inspired Julie Felix to sing that well known song in 1970. We have been visiting Drusillas for the past 30 years or so and have seen it grow and grow into the magnificent attraction that it is. One of the best days out for the whole family not only on the south coast but possibly in the whole country. I have not reviewed Drusillas before, assuming everybody has heard and know of its existence, but for the few that haven't it's a must day out if you're anywhere down south. Lots to see and do, the list is endless:- The zoo with its array of well kept animals and lots of opportunities for interaction; the play areas for different ages; Thomas the Tank train rides; Hello Kitty area with rides; the usual gift shops etc., cafes and picnic areas to name just a few. One thing we have yet to do is the 'keeper for the day' which we hope to do for our 7 year old granddaughter this summer. The entry price is very reasonable compared with its competitors. I haven't yet mentioned the staff - they are all very friendly, helpful and informative particularly about the animals. Check it out for yourselves, you won't be dissapointed.

Great fun day out. Has a mixture of animals, play barn as well as Thomas the Tank Engine and Hello Kitty.<br>Free parking on site and eating areas

Went here on a wet day and to be honest wasn't too sure what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised however, there is a good selection of animals that all looked well looked after.

Real highlights were watching the Beavers, feeding the lorikeets, the amazing bingturongs and the various monkeys.

The price is fairly high to get in, but better value if you have kids that would enjoy the rides or Thomas the tank engine train ride.

We ate in the cafe, food very nice but a bit expensive at nearly £20.00 for 2 fairly small meals and 2 hot drinks.

The zoo is small compared to others around, and doesn't have any of the usual 'big' animals such as tigers, giraffes etc but is still well worth a visit.

Overall I was impressed and am sure to come back.

I couldn't rate this experience higher, the zoo keeper gave me loads of background on the zoo and on the penguins i was feeding, she was very kind and helpful and made me feel very welcome.
When I wasn't feeding the penguins we took our children around the park and they had a fantastic time not only seeing the animals but then in the play zones afterwards too.
Would highly recommend to anyone thinking about going for the day.

We love this place !! We came last year too . So much to see and do for little ones and so safe . Staff are all so welcoming and helpful too . We will be back again in june . Thank you for a lovely day

Just adore this place x

I used to visit this zoo when I was younger and recently took my little boy for his 3rd birthday. The zoo itself was as I remembered it - very hands on and fun for little people. Even though it was raining, we had lots of fun seeing all the animals and pressing lots of buttons, pulling levers and lifting up panels! It was just a pity that some other customers couldn't read "entrance" and "exit" so we found ourselves getting caught up at certain points when people were trying to come in the exit. Grrrr!

The Thomas ride is quite short and probably not worth visiting Drusilla's for on its own but my little boy enjoyed it. Hello Kitty's secret garden has some little rides that are fun for toddlers and the queues weren't too bad either. The little shop has both Thomas and Hello Kitty merchandise with products for all budgets.

Overall we had a great day. If the weather was better we could have spent much longer at the park- especially in the playground and splash park. Recommend for families, especially those with kids under 5.

Amazing place, enjoyable even for adults even maybe we enjoyed it more than all the kids around us 😊 would love to go again :-)

Visited Drusillas for the first time this week with my 4 & 6 year old daughters.

I was worried about how busy it would be since it was half term and a rare sunny day but it wasn't a problem. Although it was busy the layout of the park means it's rarely overcrowded in 1 particular place.

My daughters loved it and have asked to go back every day since!

My one negative point was the pay as you go rides inside the park, like the bouncy castle slide, rock climbing wall and various machines around the park. When you've paid for a family of 4 to enter the park it is annoying when your children see these added things and want them as well.

My 13 year old daughter spent today as Zoo Keeper for the day and had a fantastic time. She shadowed Zoo Keeper Sian James who was great and very informative, she answered all the questions my daughter and I had and more. Personalised service and the care for the animals was second to non. We'd like to thank Sian for making it such a fantastic day, I'm sure we will be back for more.

Took our 11 month old daughter and 4 year old nephew. They loved it!!! There are loads of farm animals and plenty of zoo type animals.

Great play area for the kids. The main attraction seems to be the Thomas train.

Will definitely be going back in the summer.

I did wonder if it wasn't an "age appropriate" activity for someone of my age when I first booked to do this but needn't have had any worries. From the warm welcome at Reception to the fascinating, friendly and knowledgeable Julie, my assigned keeper, the whole day was fantastic. It was exciting and enlightening to get so close to so many varied animals, from mucking out meerkats, feeding penguins, tickling capybaras and handling a royal python. Lunch was included at The Explorer's Cafe and a presentation folder containing a certificate and reminder of the day's activities was given at the end of the day. We were so busy with our zookeeping activities that I didn't have time to visit all the animals and exhibits before it started raining. I will definitely return.

We went on a Sunday with my god son who needs a wheel chair to get around. Had a fabulous time & he was made up! Brilliant facilities for wheel chairs & the stamp book with the animals to spot as you go around is a great idea. Considering how busy the car park was (Sunday in the Easter Holidays) it didn't feel cramped or over crowded inside.

We've not visited Drusillas for years but it was popular with our children when they were growing up.
We decided to visit again as we wanted to do something special for my 85 year old mum and we knew they had meerkats, which she loves.
I rang Drusillas to ask about the best times to see them and spoke with Charlotte who was really helpful. She suggested I thought about buying The Meerkat Experience. I talked it over with my husband and we went ahead and booked but kept it a secret from mum. She was thrilled when we arrived at Drusillas. I hadn't realised she'd never been there before! We arrived around lunchtime and had lunch in The Explorers. The haddock and chips was delicious - far better than we expected and on a par with any restaurant. We all enjoyed the wander around the park, especially getting close to the lemurs and the lorikeets. We even went on the little ride around the park on the train! It was great to be kids again!
I told mum we had to go to the visitors centre at a certain time and bluffed it was something to do with payment. Gemma, the keeper arrived and we marched mum off to the meerkats.
It was a wonderful surprise for her and the look on her face was priceless!
She spent at least half an hour with the meerkats and we captured many photos of them sitting on her lap, her shoulder and her head! Gemma was brilliant! She answered all of mum's questions and told her so much about them.
Although I, initially, thought the price for the experience was expensive, (£75 - which covered admission for two and the experience for one) it WAS during the school Easter holidays, when everything is more costly but we all feel it was worth every penny. It was a day none of us will ever forget and mum described it as 'one of the best days of my life!'
Although I've had to choose Family(teens) under 'What sort of visit was this?' The youngest visitor was 31. There seems to be no category for groups of adults!

We have been members here for 15 years now. We visit at least once a month and are always amazed at how much has been added/ improved over this time. The relatively recent addition of the Hello Kitty attraction has certainly increased our return rate as our 3 year old adores all the rides.

Our most recent visit to see the Gruffulo ( very cool) was also combined with a visit to the new Splash Zone area. It is fantastic, even on a very chilly March day our youngest couldn't resist having a run around.

The staff and volunteers are always polite and helpful even on the busiest days. I would like to mention that even on these seemingly hectic days ( usually due to a visiting character) there is still somewhere to park/sit/eat/play thanks to the fantastic layout and organisation of the park.

Looking forward to seeing the new Serval enclosure and hoping to get a proper peek at the brand new baby Sloth next time ( and maybe one day the armadillo.......)

We have visited many times and both my daughters have had zoo keeper experiences for their tenth birthday treat (2013 and 2016). I looked into the details for lots of other junior zoo keeper experiences but Drusillas offered the most interesting and varied experience for the money. Their helpers were lovely both times and they had a really full day. Both my girls had a wonderful and memorable time.

Had a family day out.
Arrived @ 10am left @ 5pm G/Children were on the go all day and loved it as did we.
Won't say this place is popular but we got to the entry gate at 10am and had to park in the overflow car park.
Living 15mins away we go past regularly and can see the overflow parking area from the road and it is frequently in use and quite full.