Dudley Zoo and Castle Reviews Summary

Animal Exhibits

Pros:

• "The lemurs, sea lion and orangutans were the must see for us."
• "Can see and observe the animals really well and take brilliant photos because there are very few cages."
• "Great collection of animals including many endangered ones where you won't find frequently."
• "The range of animals was great and they all had plenty of room and were clearly well looked after."
• "All animals we saw looked healthy."
• "Lots of lovely animals to encounter and see."
• "The animals looked happy and we'll cared for."

Cons:

• "The area surrounding the zoo seems to be in or needing mass renovation so the arrival is rather odd."
• "Some animals looked a bit lonely due to being the only type or species they have in."
• "A lot of the animal enclosures were empty, or the animals looked a bit sad."
• "The tiger looked malnourished and very skinny, also the lions and camels did not look well looked after."
• "Animals pacing up and down repeatedly, even the sea lions swimming the same patterns over and over, obviously pure boredom."
• "Some of the animals didn't seem interested in their environment, no movement, no interaction for them."
• "As you can see from the photos the major issue with this zoo is the animals, or rather the lack of them."

Accessibility & Navigation

Pros:

• "There are cafes, picnic areas available, a land train to take you up to the castle (and gondolas in the summer)."
• "We jumped on the land train to get up to the top of the castle which the kids enjoyed."
• "Parking is much improved. Only £3.50 for the whole day (token operated gate system) and most of the site is wheelchair accessible, which is great."
• "Clean toilet and baby change facilities in multiple places throughout."
• "The well planned layout means you can catch the road train to the castle at the top, the circle around the whole zoo heading down."
• "Wheelchair access and parking available although some areas are signposted not accessible to wheelchairs due to slopes."
• "You can hire a mobility scooter or take the train to the top by the castle or the cable cars."

Cons:

• "Only downside was finding our way around without missing anything."
• "Obviously there are lots of hills and steps which is ok but not very pushchair or wheelchair friendly."
• "The zoo itself contains a lot of steep hills, making using a pushchair very difficult."
• "I did see wheelchair users and pushchairs having difficulty getting round to each animal/areas."
• "Very steep, in a number of locations not wheelchair friendly nor pushchair friendly."
• "Also keep in mind it is very hard work if you have a pushchair or wheelchair, very very steep hills all round the park especially to walk up to the castle."
• "It didn't affect our group but the wheelchair access was quite sparse and everywhere is very hilly so if you need that access, I would suggest planning your route in advance to make sure you don't need to back track!"

Value for Money

Pros:

• "This is an affordable and great place for a day out with the kids."
• "Pre booked tickets were £12.50 and tickets bought on the day were £15."
• "Great value for money."
• "Massively underrated zoo which is reasonably priced, especially if you find online deals."
• "We also got tickets from Groupon, which were good value."
• "Amazing value for money, highly recommend this to anyone!"
• "I've had a season ticket for me and my twins for many years. Fantastic value."

Cons:

• "Like most attractions nowadays you feel like you've been mugged if you buy a drink or slice of cake."
• "If you take children, I would definitely recommend taking a packed lunch as food is a little on the expensive side."
• "They charged me £2.65 for a 500ml coke which was not even cold."
• "The cafe is a tad expensive with cappuccino costing £3.10 each and a small portion of chips were £3.50."
• "The food was nice though a bit pricey."
• "The food and drink on offer is extortionate so if you are going bring your own."
• "The cost of entry wasn't too high but purchases on the day, food, drinks and gifts from the souvenir shop were quite expensive."

Staff & Customer Service

Pros:

• "Staff were decent but a bit moody."
• "The keepers were so knowledged and patient, they really helped to make the experience a life long memory."
• "Really friendly staff."
• "Everyone was very helpful and friendly."
• "The staff are friendly and eager to tell you all about the animals and their habitats, the animals are all loved and well cared for."
• "The staff were lovely and helped to direct us to the red panda Ember when we couldn't find the new enclosure."
• "The staff were all super friendly and helpful, happy to talk about who they were looking after."

Cons:

• "Staff are not friendly or helpful the animals have very little enrichment and the farm section is absolutely pointless."
• "Kids loved it, but the adults were surprised to hear him tell one of the boys that he couldn't have a pink bike as pink is for girls."
• "And service at the cafe by the entrance was very slow."
• "There aren't many toilets and the ones that are available are dirty, they don't seem to be cleaned."
• "The food is very expensive and really not worth it."
• "All staff were polite an helpful."
• "Overall, we will not be returning and would advise others to avoid."