First, if you are brave enough to go on $4 Tuesdays (July and August summer specials) get there before 9am. If you have an SUV and want to get in and out of your vehicle with more than a few inches, park in one of the end parking spots. The parking spots are pretty tight. And $4 Tuesdays are packed.
Some other general things...take comfortable shoes. You'd think that's a given but I see a ton of ladies with heels and I'm just wondering "what the heck were you thinking?!?". "Makes my feet ache just looking at you".
Also, bring your own lunch and drinks so you can splurge on snacks like elephant ears, pretzels and cotton candy. Bring old towels to sit down on if you're gonna picnic in the pavilion area that's next to the elephant exhibit. The grass is always damp.
Try to fit everything you'll need in a backpack instead of bringing a wagon. But if you have small kids you'll definitely need a jogger, stroller or wagon. You'll want to park your stroller off to the side, don't park or stop in the middle of the walkways because you'll just start a congestion.
Don't forget your sunscreen. Even on a somewhat cloudy day you'll get burn. Bring a hat for you and your little ones if it's a really sunny day. The nice thing is the zoo will turn on some mist sprinklers that are so refreshing.
Lastly, hit the Larakeet exhibit first and splurge on the $1 nectar cups. If you are gentle the birds will climb on your hand and feed from your cup. It is by far the kids' favorite exhibit.
