A beloved holiday tradition gets a 2020 update and we’re good with it.
Are there certain holiday events that your kids get excited about every year? For my kids, it’s ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo. As the holiday season approaches, my daughter reminds me (several times!) to buy tickets. This is her event. In the midst of a pandemic, we wondered if this holiday tradition would endure. For her sake, I hoped it would.
In mid-November, the Oregon Zoo announced plans to open ZooLights with two options – a walking experience and a drive-though one. Then just a few days later, Oregon’s governor ordered a “freeze” on businesses, due to the rising coronavirus numbers in the state. That meant the zoo must close, therefore zoo lights, as we knew it, was cancelled, too.
But because a drive-through experience was already planned, the Oregon Zoo successfully petitioned to keep that part of the event open with plenty of safety measures in place.
Here’s what you need to know if you plan to go.
Buy tickets in advance
You must buy your tickets in advance online. You can either print the tickets at home, or show the barcode on your phone for entry. Upon purchase, you’ll get an email with additional instructions for your visit. Tickets for the first week sold out fast! The good news is that the zoo only allows purchases seven days in advance, which means a new round of tickets go on sale each day. The cost ranges from $40-65 depending on the night. Zoo members receive a 25% discount.
Entry procedures
When you pull into the zoo parking lot, you’ll see clearly marked signs directing you to the entrance location. There are also friendly zoo staff around to help guide you. You need to arrive within 15-minutes of your timed ticket.
You’ll have minimal contact with people on your visit, at most one or two. The driver must wear a mask when interacting with zoo employees. One person will check you in, another will give you your snacks (if you choose that option).
Snacks optional, but recommended
When you purchase your tickets online, you can also select add-on items. We added elephant ears, popcorn and hot cocoa. That was a big hit with my kids who always insist on elephant ears when we visit the zoo. The staff will direct you where to go to pick up your snacks. You’ll tell them what you ordered and they hand you the items and you’re on your way.
KidTripster Tip: You can save a little money by making cocoa and popcorn before leaving the house. If you want to splurge on something, go for the elephant ears.
Line up
After checking in, you’ll queue up in the parking lot. The line appears long, but it moves relatively quickly.
KidTripster Tip: Restrooms are closed, so encourage the kids to use the bathroom before leaving home.
Once inside the gates, you’ll follow a one-way path through the zoo, moving just a few miles per hour. The zoo estimates that the drive takes about 25-30 minutes to complete.
Light displays
Light displays are set up on both sides of the vehicle and sometimes over the top, too. The zoo says it uses more than 1.5 million lights to create this holiday wonderland. If you’ve attended ZooLights in previous years, some of the displays will be familiar, like the purple gorillas and pink hippos. The displays includes a mix of real animals, mythical creatures and fairytale characters.
You can roll the windows down or not, likely depending on the weather. We had our holiday music playing on the stereo.
Our review
Because it was our first time doing the drive-through ZooLights, we weren’t certain what to expect. The kids liked the surprises at every turn. We heard lots of “oohs and aaahs” coming from the backseat. Before we got halfway through the drive, the kids were already asking for a return visit before Christmas.
I didn’t expect the experience to last so long. The whole drive took about 45 minutes. In all, it felt like money well spent and the start of a new tradition, Thanksgiving at the zoo.
Our family of four gives ZooLights 2020 at the Oregon Zoo four big thumbs up.
Check your local zoo. Many of them have some sort of holiday lights event, some of them have also gone the drive-through route.
ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo is open every night through January 10th, with the exception of December 25th.
