Toronto Zoo

Been a couple of times where the lines were CRAZY long to get in. If you plan to go on a busy day Arrive early so you don’t get stuck in parking lot 2, and won’t wait in the long line ups!
The animals are in a cage, but if they were «back home» they’d be sitting on someone’s trophy case/​shelf, plus the other animals that were rescued from people’s personal home zoo collections. The animals are «locked up,» but they don’t have it rough as some reviews have made it seem.
They’ve added several Tim Hortons pit stops for the guests.
Tundra trek the zip line ride is killer fun but expensive.
The splash pad, kid zoo, animal show are all great for the kids.
I think they said on zoo mobile they’re the 3^rd largest in North America.
Great for the kids, great for a date.
#recommend
#repeat
#lotsoffun

Pretty cool place for family, kids and everyone in between. That includes couples! This place is big. Might take a whole day from 9am to 5pm to see everything. Unless you get the yearly membership. So I noticed the park has a lot of picnic areas that u can use and bring your own food. Bring lots of water because all drinks in the park are $ 3 and up. My fav animals to see were the polar bears, penguins, orangutan and of course the pandas. Tons of parking for $ 12 and regular admission is $ 28.

Jsut an average zoo with a wide rang of animals. I came here for a UofT Alumni event which was held in the panda Pavillion. It was decent, fun and relaxing atmosphere however i feel that the animals kinda became fed up with all these big crowds coming up at them all at once. I was surprised that the zoo did not have a strong smell of animal manure. other than that its an average joe and fun place to stroll while watching cute animals :)

A decade ago, I went to the San Diego Zoo. I remember being hot and miserable. I don’t remember seeing many animals despite all the walking, and some of the few I did see were miserable in small concrete «homes» lacking shade and enrichment. In fact, I have very few pictures.
I do remember standing in line for an hour to see a panda cub in an exhibit that’s pitiful compared to the one I saw today in Toronto. Hopefully they’ve improved theirs in the last ten years. I anticipated a similar experience here so we arrived first thing in the morning and walked right in. There’s an indoor and outdoor exhibit, as well as another outdoor exhibit.
This zoo is similarly large and hard to navigate, but since it’s not as expensive as I remember the San Diego Zoo being, we splurged on tickets for the tram. Personally, I could have walked to all the exhibits I wanted to see but I can’t say the same for everyone else in my family.
I think some people exaggerate distances. I was under the mistaken impression that even if you take a tram to the Canadian Domain, it’s still a mile to the exhibits so we almost skipped my beloved cougar. Instead you see the raccoon, lynx and cougar on the way down to the grizzly, and while the hill is a bit of a hike, it’s a 5 minute hike.
I was impressed with the size and scope of many exhibits. The polar bears have multiple areas. The orangutans and gorillas have plenty of vertical and horizontal space with lots of engaging features. I wish the cougar and lynx had more room. I don’t see any reason why those exhibits can’t be expanded.
The splash pad is massive. Also, while some parts aren’t as shady as I would like, there is some shade and plenty of indoor pavilions to escape the heat.
Food and drinks are predictably overpriced but you can bring in your own.

I can honestly say I have been to the a handful of times in my 34yrs of life and would to say this time my experience was pretty cool. We went on Monday, May 30^th 2016 and already loved that it wasn’t that busy.
Coming through the gate we had a lovely man direct us to a couple of girls with lizards in their hands to touch… my 2yr old loved it. This reminded me of Ripley’s were you can touch the sting rays.
We made our way over to baby panda first because the zoo has a lot ground to cover and knew we won’t make it to every exhibit. It was nice to see the pandas were up and about kind of. Last year on this very day the pandas were just sleeping lol I guess because it was there first year there and we’re jet lagged.
My son really enjoyed the kid zone and I really enjoyed the tree house.
It was really cool that they had the camels out getting groomed and we saw the Alpacas being walked… very interactive experience this time around then last year.

What a lucky and wonderful experience we had today!
We came strictly for the babies, mostly the pandas, and they did not disappoint!
We arrived just before opening on a Monday. (Memorial Day for us, so on holiday). There w just a few people here so w walked right into the panda chi it and the babies were outside playing together, mom was inside lazing and dad was outside eating bamboo, which itself is quite a show!
Within an hour, buses arrived, the zoo filled up and heat/​humidity kicked in. We were back in the car by 10:15 and avoided all that.
Check your local zoo membership. We belong to the Detroit Zoo so received 50% off entrance fee.

This is a wonderful zoo, with a lot of exhibits, animals and attractions for kids. The layout was nice, with cool areas for the animals to lounge around closer to the viewing areas and a blend of outdoor and indoor spaces, intermixed well with food areas. The food was OK for a zoo, nothing spectacular but I was glad to see more «food court» type areas than food trucks, so you have a nice, cool sit down area if you need it.
The Panda exhibit was well worth the time, especially with the rare baby pandas. My only complaint was the Canada exhibit where there was a lot of uphill walking with not a lot to look at. There was a 3 – 4 person golf cart running people up and down the stretch, but it was constantly full. With how hot the day was, it was likely better to have more carts running here. Also, I couldn’t help but feel bad for some of the animals — especially the felines who were panting and breathing hard. With that said, most of the exhibits were excellent and I enjoyed the zoo keeper talks.
Also, the random zipline, water playground, «monkey» playground and teepee exhibits were thoughtful additions to the zoo.

The Toronto Zoo is a whale of a good time (tip: no living whales at the zoo). On a beautiful sunny day it’s an almost perfect family environment: nice walking paths, awesome animals to watch and learn about and a splash pad to cool off.
Exhibit areas are clearly mapped out as are restrooms and snack shops. Note that you can bring your own food and drinks into the zoo along with strollers our wagons or whatever. Easy enough to lug a small cooler and supplement it from the snack shops (beaver tails recommended).
Today I watched the baby polar bear (Juno) race around his pen playing at break neck speed. It was awesome beyond words.

Went with my friend last friday, it was packed but the place was big enough to make it not crowded and the animals there were cute!!! Juno the polar cub and the pandas were great!
But there are not alot of space for the indoors cafeteria :/​overall it was a great trip.

Ah, the Toronto Zoo. I’ve been twice, and the second time was a much better planned trip than the first. This zoo is gigantic. Borderline TOO big, if you ask me. The Canadian/​American exhibit is so far into East-​Juhungaland, that the first time we went, we skipped the whole thing. They have a train/​trolley that operates around the zoo, but it doesn’t operate all the time in the colder months and it costs a pretty penny. Let me delve into my 2 visits.
Visit 1: Took the GO Train from Downtown Toronto to the bus that takes you to the zoo. This sucked, because we had an unexpected transfer and didn’t have enough bus tokens or Canadian cash, so we ended up walking the last ½ mile. I had planned the whole route as well, and this really threw a wrench in our visit. Not the zoo’s fault, but you’d THINK they would offer more accessible ways for people to visit without driving.
While at the zoo, we enjoyed all the wonderful exhibits in the hot, hot summer. The Africa exhibit stretches on forever, and the zoo itself is very hilly, which can take its toll. Getting home, the bus didn’t have any unexpected transfers, and we made it back to the train and our hotel Downtown with ease.
Visit 2: Ok, no more public transit for this, because I learned my lesson. Decided to drive, and it was so much easier. It’s a pretty quick, simple on-​off with Highway 401. Parking was simple. This trip was in mid-​November for us, and after having being here before, we knew exactly what to expect, and how to navigate. We actually planned/​mapped the place out beforehand. This time we skipped the sprawling African Savannah (because other than a few animals, it’s probably my least favorite region of animals). We walked down the large sloping hill to the Canadian/​American exhibit, and then made our way around and checked out the awesome Panda Bears. This visit was MUCH more enjoyable.
Animals: Awesome, awesome, awesome selection and array of animals, including some rarer ones that people may not notice are rare. For example, as a self-​proclaimed otter enthusiast, the zoo boasts a small exhibit of Spotted-​Neck Otters, a type of otter that’s very uncommon in a zoo! This, plus PANDA BEARS! Amazing!
All in all, the Toronto Zoo is awesome, but the acreage is too big for it’s own good in my opinion. But the variety of animals definitely makes it worth it. I would just recommend planning ahead where you want to go, because it’s easy to get looped into an area for a while that you may have wish you skipped entirely.

The zoo features a wide array of animals from all over the world, and while it’s a great way to see exotic animals close to home, I left feeling sad and angry. Many animals that are used to warmer climates are kept inside during the winter in enclosures that are far too small, with concrete floors and minimal sunlight.
I believe that if an animal is in distress, they should be relocated to an environment they can thrive in. It was incredibly sad to see the lone rhino hunched beside a concrete wall with no trees, grass, savannah sun, or other wildlife to interact with.
In the tiger pen, you can see a path that has been worn down along the fence from the tiger continually pacing back and forth. Animals like this need space to roam. The elephants were saved and relocated, and now it’s time to save the other animals.

Expect to walk a lot. Bring water and snacks– it’s permitted. In early October, I came here with my family and friends who used a Groupon deal to get nearly half off adult ticket prices. My daughter who was under 2, was free. The complimentary map was really helpful in prioritizing places to see. Though we ended up skipping one major area (The Americas) out of five, it still felt like a long walk. Sometime past halfway of our time there, we took a break to hydrate and eat some cookies. Nonetheless, this zoo offers a lot of variety and great views of animals. We were able to see tigers, fish, birds, warthogs, chimpanzees, panda bears, butterflies, mountain lions, among many others.

The Toronto Zoo is gigantic, like a sprawling cosmopolis that stretches from one end of the country to another. The size is seemingly magnified when coupled with the extreme summer heat (even during September) and the chilling cold (goes on until late March). Imagine trudging through horrible weather with no shade or shelter; it’s just you and miles and miles of unprotected road in front of you…
I had the unfortunate luck to visit Toronto Zoo during both of these over-​the-​top weather conditions. It really takes away from your $ 20 experience gazing at a variety of animals who are also trying to hide from the sun /​protect itself from the cold. I also went during mating season– a rather amazing sight, in a different way than you would expect.
Personally I did not find the zoo to be worth my while; the buildings were smelly (of course) and also extremely warm (to be expected) but it certainly didn’t make me feel any happier than I was. I must say they DO have a spectacular range of animals, and it was great to look at them trotting around and minding their own business. Just come to the zoo when the weather is more temperate and comfortable!

Toronto Zoo is definitely worth your time no matter what age you are. I came here during my vacation to Toronto. I would be lying if I said I am not here to see the Pandas for the first time of my life and definitely NO REGRETS, it was a wonderful experience with or without the pandas. We got our tickets through Toronto CityPASS for $ 64+Taxes CAD (5 Attractions) the Zoo individually would be around $ 28 CAD and the weather was great that day. The Zoo was crowded yet still clean compare to New York. It is separated into different themes:
Eurasia Wilds, Tundra Trek, Americas, Canadian Domain, African Savanna, Indo-Malaya.(African Savanna is HUGE)
(My experience of seeing pandas for the first time)
Da Mao and Er Shun were both separated. At first I saw Da Mao through photos posted on Unilocal.I told my sister we must look for Da Mao and it turned out he was a sleepy potato. He slept on the side of his cheeks and looked up for 2 seconds and went directly back to sleep on his face. Er Shun was more active and moved around to her second play house and munched on her bamboos (my sister even recorded her pooping — haha; Don’t ask why). Their play house was very creative and seen very suitable for them. Then the Red panda (Looks a bit like a raccoon) are also in the Zoo. The little fellow was also munching on his bamboos, they even have signs directing you to look up because the red pandas have a hard time dealing with hot and humid weather. Then when I look up, I saw his buddy on the tree. Both types of Pandas are really really cute.
Of course there is a lot of other interesting animals but i took approximately 7 hours to walk through the zoo. So you get the point you have to experience it with your eyes! And warning: if you want to go through the whole zoo it is going to be really tiring. Overall it was wonderful and educational experience. Most of the animal lived in an imitating of natural environment and they also seen healthy compare to a lot of other zoos. Toronto Zoo is definitely a well design environment for their animals.

The Toronto Zoo is a great place to take a walk and at the same time there’s the animals of course. I have been here many times already but for those who have read my reviews you know I only review things that are eatable.
After a few hours of walking on a hot summers day you get thirsty really fast. Even though we did bring our own water it just wasn’t the same as having an iced cold blue slushie. I forget how much it cost but it was super expensive of course for a slushie. Something like $ 8 I think and refills are $ 3. I remember the cost of refills because we ended up getting refills twice. They rape you on the price but it was worth every penny and made the walk that much more enjoyable.
For Food we got Smoke’s Poutinerie. The pulled pork and bacon poutine was $ 12 big ones. It was loaded with cheese and meat and did taste pretty decent for zoo food. 3 stars.
As if three slushies were not enough sugar for the day we also got Beavertails. It tasted like old burnt oil. Worst Beavertaisl I have ever had but still eatible. 2 stars.
If I had to review the actual zoo itself its a 4 star. If you follow the feeding schedule on the map then you get a better experience rather then seeing animals sleep. The food they have is a 3 star average.

Fantastic place for the kids. I hadn’t been back since i was a child so I was completely blown away. Lots to see and do. We went on a Saturday and as greeted with quite a line up to get in. Once in however, there was never a wait for anything else… except for the pandas of course.
My only suggestion would be to go on a day that isn’t too hot because the animals seemed very inactive. I heard again and again «Animals aren’t moving… too hot out here.». Who knows if it’s true but going back when the weather is cooler wouldn’t hurt!

This zoo is amazing! For what we spent on the Toronto City Pass, the zoo alone was worth every penny of it.
My family is from Buffalo and we have a membership to our Buffalo Zoo. While our zoo is deeply historic, it doesn’t hold a candle to the Toronto Zoo. My husband and I were comparing enclosures between the two zoos and there is a huuuge difference between the two. (Of course it isn’t quite fair to compare the two zoos since our zoo is small and land-​locked; there is no room to expand in any direction, while the Toronto zoo seems to have all the space in the world to keep going.) But I digress…
There is a lot of walking involved, and especially on the way to the African savanna, there are some major hills to climb. Pushing 75 pounds worth of double-​stroller, children, and accessories was nothing short of the best workout I’ve ever put myself through! Be prepared for lots and lots of walking. Pack plenty of water. There are quite a few water fountains throughout the zoo to refill your bottle as well. Don’t forget the sunscreen either!
The animals all look happy and healthy and all have lots of room to just be themselves. It was nice to see animals in such great shape.
The kid section of the zoo was fun too. Our two little boys had fun exploring through that part and checking out the bunnies and goats, etc.
For such a large space, it was over-​crowded to the point of it being somewhat annoying, but we did go on a holiday weekend so we should have expected it.

Visited the zoo as part of the CityPass ticket booklet I bought just to see the pandas and polar bears.
Coming from LA, those are the only two animals I cared to see and boy were they cute. There are two pandas, one of sleeping and one was munching on his bamboo dinner. I think there were the polar bears, one sleeping right next to the window, one sprawled on the grass, and one lounging in the water. They were the cutest bears and living in a very large exhibit.
This zoo is very extensive and you will need the whole day to see and explore everything. The exhibits cover alot of ground and it’s quite a trek to get from place to place.
This zoo is located miles away from downtown but worth the drive if you have the time. Regular admission price is a bit steep, so I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t at a discount. Parking is an also an additional $ 12.

WORLD CLASS ZOO
If there’s one thing we humans cherish more than enacting our dominance on the rest of the natural world by trapping innocent animals, binding them, stealing them from their natural habitat and locking them in a cage against their will for the rest of their meager existence, it’s gawking at those animals at the zoo!
Alright, alright… Don’t get your panties in a knot and go and cue the Sarah McLachlan ASPCA theme song in your head now; I’m just joshing you. Besides, zoo animals have it pretty good living in captivity… I think.
Anyways, I can’t imagine there being a better zoo than Toronto’s. All of the main attraction exhibits have great and close views of all their animals, and many of which have a lower and upper viewing area. I stood 15 feet from a bunch of gorillas pounding their chests, came face to face through the glass with a pacing Siberian tiger, listened to a pride of lions «purr», watched a polar bear back stroke past me in her swimming pool and was so close to a giraffe munching on a tree I could have touched it. That giraffe even inadvertently flung spit onto us when he snapped a branch back in our direction! Cool, huh?
Not to forget that the Toronto Zoo has a giant panda exhibit on display now as well. You can’t just go and see pandas anywhere these days, you know.
Only bummer I found was with the zoo being huge and you getting pretty thirsty walking it in the heat, I couldn’t seem to find a water fountain anywhere. So, be sure to pack plenty of water and comfortable shoes.
Sarah McLachlan is Canadian anyways. Even she must know that the Toronto Zoo rocks.

Si vous aimez les parcs animalier, il vous faudra visiter celui-​ci. Attention, il est tellement grand qu’une journée complète né sera pas de trop pour parcourir toutes les allées. Je n’ai jamais autant marché dans un zoo, mais heureusement il y a un stand Beaver Tails pour le réconfort.
Le Zoo de Toronto se trouve dans la banlieue mais il est accessible en bus (1h depuis le centre ville).
Je retiens deux attractions dans ce zoo: la volière à papillons, moment magique avec des milliers de papillons en liberté, et le bassin à requins et raies où l’on peut toucher les animaux (attention supplément pour cette activité, mais c’est très intéressant).
Pour les non canadiens, il y aussi l’espace des animaux du Canada qui est intéressant, mais assez excentré du reste du zoo.
Le prix est de 28 $ par adulte durant la haut saison.

Well I must start buy saying that this is clearly better suited for a summer visit.
I have come here both in summer and recently came in winter. Although during the winter month this place is not as crowed the line ups are not as long so you really do get to enjoy the visit a little more. There is of course a lot of waling to do, a lot! There is so much to see, my favorite place is the Tundra and the Canadian plains (I may be a little biased). I was surprised to see all the Asia animals out, I did not think they would like the cold but it seems that they do especially the two hump camels.
Over the last 2 years the main attraction has been of course the newest addition to the Toronto Zoo, a pair of Pandas. I had the chance to see them and they were everything I expected, they reminded me so much of PO from Kung Fu Panda :)
Over all I had a great time here and I will be back for another visit in the summer time of course when I will enjoy the walking a lot more!