Roar and Snore Campground — Hotel in San Diego

July 14, 2024. The experience was great. Park staff was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Lots of fond memories. Tent #27 (not #22) was not so nice (sides of tent had awful stains that looked like mold on the inside and a slight smell too, our alcohol impregnated hand wipes didn’t do anything). Cost for our basic package was $145 + park entry of $79 per a person. So my son and I paid a total of $448 (plus $20 parking at the entrance gate). This is for one over night camp out which is your sleeping bags on a 1 inch vinyl covered foam mat. Buffet dinner, s’mores by the campfire, non alcoholic drinks and buffet breakfast are all included along with guided tours during the day and at night. Let’s start with checkin which is 4:00 PM ( you can arrive earlier the same day and visit the park prior to checking in, get a hand stamp so you can go into the park after checkin, the camp out ends at 9:00AM the next day. Get another hand stamp so you can still re enter and explore the park some more if you like). The adventure starts when you drop off your bags and camp gear at a booth near the preferred parking lot. You then enter the park from the normal front entrance and meet up with your camp guides and tour the park during your walk to the camp site. Dinner starts promptly at 5:00PM then dessert is making s’mores at a giant camp fire. Then everyone gets a break to settle in to there tents. That’s when we got a little scared at our accommodations. You can say bare minimal just no dirt floor though. There is no power outlets inside the tent unless you up grade so bring your backup power packs. There are two power outlets that are located next to the light poles that light up the camp area. In the tent was a battery powered lantern that was attached to the roof of the tent. Cell service was excellent. Anyways, there was a night tour of the park to view all the nocturnal animals (flashlights are a must but keep them low powered for the walking path, shining at the cages and animals are prohibited) that was awesome and took about 1.5 hours. Once back at camp, pop corn and drinks were provided before bed time. Lights out was at 10:00PM. It’s pitch black at night and you can hear different animals communicating. And yes you do hear the lions roar through out the night. By both the male and female lions. Wake up is at 6:00AM, pack up the gear for pickup, then breakfast by 7:00. Walk through the park to a tram tour of the wild open space back safari area. Walk back to the front entrance by 9:00 for check out. Pick up your gear outside put it in the car in the preferred parking lot. Go back in the park to enjoy the other parts that you did’t get to see. The night tour gives the the park a whole different feel which not everyone are able to experience. Well worth the 2.5 hour drive from LA. Interestingly, there were no mosquitoes and other flying bugs during our stay.sThere was a strong smell of centranella in the air. Ants were there on the...

Updated review - Wish we could still recommend the Roar and Snore experience, but that wouldn't be honest or fair.

We have been here in the past, and although it was a bit pricey for the somewhat short, and bare bones accommodations, it was still redeemable bc of the exclusive access and maybe the sense of fun rough'n it lol.

That however, is no longer the case. We were told After about the reductions and although they are going through construction they made no mention of it when booking.

So, we ended up spending a $1000 for an angry park employee to march us through the zoo to dirty, wet and moldy tents, and to be fed camp food buffet (the highlight of their accommodations) and then corraled back up and out the morning after.

What changed from the last visit?

They are doing construction so there was no: Bathrooms with hot water, no Elephant exhibit, no lions roaring (lots of lawn mowers and construction roars tho), no cheetah run, no campfire fun and storytime for the kids, no real interaction or guidance from the staff beyond occasional harassing some of the families (they were pretty snippy at quite a few of the parents and kids) ... Even their water supply was off?! Check out that picture, there was black b and brown bits in all the water. In like ALL the water, the hot water for tea, the cold water for drinking, the water for the kids hot chocolate, not sure what it was or why. We brought it to their attention and the first few times they just pulled the containers, but then by next morning, they just gave up and accepted it o guess idk . That part was weird.

Oh well, the summary - The least it'll cost is $250 per person for: access to see sleeping tigers in their exhibit, the platypus enclosure in the dark, hot dogs and hamburgers dinner, motel 6 breakfast, a very restricted night few hours sleeping in 10 year old tents with mold on the walls, holes in the bottom and you get to hang out with some grumpy camp dudes who clearly don't want to be there.

It was worth it a few years ago, but sadly it's just gone downhill terribly - no longer recommend it. Maybe when they finish...

We are waiting to hear back from the management team, they said they are looking into the matter and will get back to us.

In the meanwhile, we will share the facts: Cost - if you "Buy online and save" it's $165 per person and yes they changed us for the baby too Plus you have to pay for admission to the park as well, ($76 for anyone over the age of 11, $66 for ages 3-11, and they charged us $30 for the baby) Plus you are required to buy parking for the night $25.

Total for a family of 4 (two adults, two kids) - $165x4 plus $30 for the baby = $690 + admission $76x2 plus $66x2 = $284 + Parking - $35 Total = $1,009

Though we have paid a similar fee in the past (2 years prior it is a little less expensive)

We most admit it is a far cry from what it was in the past, No Cheetah run, no elephants, to exclusive access or private tours of the zoo, the overall service and experience has fallen drastically, and on our particular day 6 other families expressed a Lot of their disappointments, though I can not say this time relay all the issues, We will suffice to say this will be the last time we will ever attend or recommend...