Zoolights

This was my first year at zoolights and overall I was very impressed by the amount of lights! The Phoenix Zoo does a spectacular job transforming the zoo for zoo lights! My only gripe is you really cannot see any animals… I guess they are sleeping and it’s dark out but I assumed because it was called zoolights you would see live animals. I would still recommend because it is very impressive. They also have 4D movies for a fee as well as camel rides. The zoo has some food stands open so toucan indulge in kettle corn or some hot chocolate among other favorites. We will make this an annual tradition with the family.

I’ve been dying to go to this since I moved here in mid-​2010, and so finally went this past Saturday night. I’m a lady who LOVES lights at night, but add in that the lights take shapes of various zoo animals?!? Even more enticing…
I did buy a ticket online (which saved me $ 2), so I didn’t have to stand in any sort of line. I parked in the Main Lot which was free but my friend told me (she got there 45 min before me) the Main Lot was full and had to park in lot on VanBuren, which sorta sucked. Hmmm… guess there are advantages to being late for everything… It would be great if they offered the VanBuren lot folks some sort of shuttle which circles at certain intervals — especially when it’s winter time.
I wasn’t prepared for the UTTER wonderland of lights ahead of me. Really. It was sooo spectacular and awesome. My ADD went into overdrive and I was darting my head every which direction that I couldn’t walk a straight line. The entire walk took us less than 2 hrs, but we had children and elderly person with us also. Plus took a ton of photos.
Be sure to visit the camels! I didn’t realize how cute their faces are! They remind me of llamas — such characters. Think they were sleepy as one camel was plopped down resting and one kept yawning.
Zoolights does have a pretty elaborate food court offering various options, but I didn’t stop to check types or even prices.
I was so impressed, I would consider making this an annual event as tradition.

This is probably something really great for kids or if you go at a discounted rate. I find it ok but nothing as spectacular as I remember years ago.

Buy your tickets online so you can skip all the grumpy people who are waiting in line at the ticket booths. Depending on the date and time of your arrival, you may have the park to yourself (check in at closing time) or you may be swamped– most evenings at 5 pm.
The lights are quite a sight to see, especially if this is your first visit. The music that accompanies the light shows is fairly traditional and will appeal to all but the punk rockers or the hip hop hipsters.
If you are hungry or thirsty you will be able to feast on hot dogs and popcorn (oh my!) as well as beer and hot chocolate (and the coffee they serve is Starbucks!)
Apart from the lack of animals, this is an enjoyable experience. The only creatures we saw were two bored eagles (yes, they were bald as well). The human herd made up for the dearth of animals.
If you like lights at night, this is worth a visit, especially if you need an excuse to get the kids or grandkids out of the house for a couple of hours.

Very nice family outing. The kids loved it, it was very small I envisioned it being miles of lights but a walk around the lagoon was plenty especially in cold temps. If you go after 8 you can find closer parking spaces since most families with small children will be leaving by then. Admission is a little pricey for what you get but go Ina value night and buy tickets online and it’s not a bad deal.

We went to Zoolights to mark my sweet little granddaughters 1^st birthday. She loves lights. We had been to Zoolights many years ago when the Hubby’s company had a holiday party there. The zoo festooned with lights set to music is a magical event. You don’t see many animals of the furry variety but plenty of light displays of animals. There are bears after honey, monkeys in the trees, spiders among the greenery and apes marking the path. They have a musical event every half hour with a large light up ball in the lagoon which plays lights set to Manheim Steamroller. No prancing fluids like in Vegas but a pretty big display just the same. There is some food and hot cocoa and plenty of souvenirs to buy. It seemed to be a pretty big year for light sabers.

I guess I was expecting to see some real animals too, and I wasn’t totally disappointed as there were a few bald eagles in one of the cages. The disappointment came when a nearby patron said to his small child «Look at the vultures.» Just so we’re all clear on this, he wasn’t referring to the crowd around the cage looking in.
If I were a zoo animal, I’d be hiding from the zoolights too, so I can’t really blame the animals.
We followed the pathways, which are clearly marked for the event, and only deviated once when Mark H. had to purchase a coffee. Actually, that place was definitely on the designated pathways. I also believe the gift shop was too.
Thumbs up for the ability to purchase the tickets online and then just showing the tickets on my phone! No paper wasted, just the green paper for admission.
I guess one must do Zoolights at least once in a lifetime. Check that off the bucket list. Next year: Desert Botanical Gardens.

I haven’t been back to Zoo Lights in over 10 years, so Dude and I decided to go the day after Christmas.
Pro Tip: Buying your tickets online ahead of time ($ 16) will save you $ 2.
Bonus Pro Tip: They’re digital! Just whip out your smartphone at the entry, and be on your merry way.
Bonus Pro Tip 2: Some days the tickets will be discounted even more than the online price … Ziiiing! Check the Zoo Lights website for the deets.
Anywho, man, have things changed here over the decade! So many more light displays now.
I don’t recall there being a timed music/​lights display around the pond area. This was a nice touch with the being timed to some tracks from the Trans Siberian Orchestra!
Great activity for the little ones, if you can keep them awake late.
Sure it can get a little crowded on the weekends, but it still made for a nice date.
So bundle up, grab your lady or man, a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the zillion light filled stroll.
Happy Holidays, Unilocal Phoenix!

To start i will say Zoolights gets only 3 stars for getting families together, spending the time walking and talking with family was great.
Zoolights it self is very small, has no close parking, (parking is almost a mile walk in itself) and is NOT what i call affordable to the average family $ 20 a person (children included) is not reasonable for what you get (or should i say what you don’t get). I don’t think they limit the number of people in the zoo, cause most of the time it was impossible to move around.

I finally got the chance to go to Zoo Lights this year! I’ve been wanting to do it for years but just never got around to it. It was a neat experience, there were so many fun animal lights, the trees were gorgeous, and the light show was pretty cool. So why only 3 stars? I honestly think it is super overpriced. $ 18 per person, no discounts for kids tickets unless they are under the age of 2, and all the activities (camel ride, photos, merry go round, stingray bay) were extra $$$. Hot chocolate was $ 3.50, which security made you throw out as you left the park. I understand not bringing drinks in, but not being able to leave with a beverage you paid for inside the park? I just felt nickel and dimed.
I will say it’s a nice date night activity or something to do with the kids. All in all I’m glad I got to experience Zoo Lights. Would I go again? Probably not, unless someone else was paying.

Compared to the Houston Zoolights, a little disappointed. It still is a beautiful showing of lights, just don’t expect to see many animals. I saw the camels that you can pay to ride, the backs of two bald eagles, and a Komodo Dragon. Much of park was roped off.
Order tickets online for $ 2 discount. They don’t have senior, student, or AAA discount. If you want to avoid all the children, go later in the night.
Probably a one and done kind of event. Good event for kids since it doesn’t take a long time to see everything. I would give it three and a half stars, but rounded up.

There just isnt much to do. You basically walk in one big circle. I wish they had the train open to ride around and more lights to look at. Nothing changes from year to year so it definately gets old. Fun for kids maybe for the first or second time but boring for adults after the first time.

Zoolights has only gotten BETTER every year! We’ve been members for years and still enjoy going every year to see the lovely lights, displays, and hearing the music. The zoo has no control of how many people show up on any given night, nor if couples make out during their visit, so these factors shouldn’t even be considered in a review as some have noted!
As a wonderfully run not-​for-​profit zoo, they do a fantastic job at putting this on each year, as it takes MONTHS of preparation to get the displays ready for season. We noticed several new animal lights this year (namely tigers) and love that they keep improving. Keep it up, Phoenix Zoo!

Some of the best holiday lights that you Ever see!!! Been coming for five years and this is the best ever seen… Plus the hot chocolate is great!

We really enjoyed ourselves. The lights, the music and, of course, I went with fun people. I only took a few PIX because we were busy talking, laughing and enjoying the night.
Note: buy online for faster entrance at lower prices.

I love looking at the holiday lights. I loaded up the family and headed out to the Phoenix Zoo lights well aware that it is almost $ 20 a person (including my six year old). I was sure it would be worth it.
I was wrong. Total waste of money!
Pros:
–super nice staff, help and friendly
— street performer on the walk way leading to the zoo from parking
— easy to use parking (both in and out)
— they have a staff member helping you to get tickets quickly (the line was fast and easy)
Cons:
— lights were disappointing (not many in areas apart from the many entrance and lake area)
— food is crazy over priced –3.50 for a small hot chocolate with marshmallows for .75 extra?
— the same four carols play over and over
— there is nothing aside from lights. This wouldn’t be bad if the price was lower or there were more lights. Maybe a few street performers or more lights would be nice.
This is just simply not worth the money. The only reason I gave it a second star was because of the staff.

Very much a pleasant experience as you wander through the lighted displays. But as my mother in law would say needs even more lights. Still it’s clean and inviting and a great place to take your family. The kids are sure to enjoy it, and it definitely puts you in the Christmas experience.

Hadn’t been to this event in four years when my wife’s employer had a group event or soft launch. Wow, they really ramped up the displays and the zoo had changed a lot too.
The weather was great and, though it was a heavy crowd, we had a blast. There is a lot here for the kids, but also fun for aduts!

Zoolights has gotten better year over year. If you haven’t been in a while, you should check it out again. It’s a great holiday tradition in the Valley and a great place to take kids. No, you won’t see any animals… they’re sleeping… but you will see some great light displays and maybe you can go back to the Zoo during daylight hours to see the animals. So bundle up and go out to Zoolights!

I’m not sure what all of the hype is about for this event. I agreed to go with some family because they insisted it was a tradition and that I needed to experience it at least once.
I hate zoos.
Anyway, it was packed, hot and the smell was so bad that I couldn’t even concentrate on the lights. I also felt badly for the poor animals who had to deal with crazy lights, tons of foot traffic, etc. Aren’t they tortured enough having to live in the desert in captivity?
Too much money for what? Some Christmas lights.
I think I’ll sit this one out next year.

If you have children, this is the perfect place to bring them. Otherwise, $ 18 per person is a bit much. I think we spent only about 30 min. seeing the whole thing.
It is a sight to see with all the lights strung across all the trees. The animal shaped lights were especially appealing to all the children there. I think the most interesting sight there was how they timed some of the lights around the lake to the holiday music. It really puts you in a festive mood. Again, mostly for children, they offer some camel rides in the back.
It gets pretty chilly at night so dress warmly. They also sell hot chocolate, kettle corn, and other fair type foods. All over-​priced like fair food generally is. Since Zoolights is held in a zoo, you might be able to catch glimpses of some of the animals. The whole zoo was quite noisy, so the animals probably aren’t getting any sleep despite being hidden away.
Hours are from 5:30pm — 10:30pm. Parking was crowded and hectic, but surprisingly, we found a spot pretty quickly. I think no matter what time you come, you won’t be able to avoid a crowd, but I guess the earlier, the easier it is to find a parking spot.

Who doesn’t usher in the holiday festivities without a trip to Zoo Lights!!! That’s just unheard of. It brings out the kid of anyone, maybe I’m just one crazy little love monkey, and if you’re that much of a scrooge, have a hot cocoa and churro. I promise you will smile from a happy belly and let out a mirth of giggles.
Parking is easy and plentiful, ignore the signs that say it’s full. It never is when you see cars leaving; I’m just a rebel I guess. With over 750 lights, pitter patter running around, carolers swooning to you, you will feast on plenty to keep you entertained. Buy tickets online for weekday visit and it’s just $ 10. That’s the cheapest family fun or easy relaxed date you can have! Definitely doing more than one visit.