• START HERE!
    • ABOUT CARLY
    • CONTACT
  • FASHION
  • BODY POSITIVITY
  • GIRL POWER
  • SD LIFE
  • DISNEY
  • SHOP MY INSTAGRAM
  • SHOP MY FAVES

Lipgloss and Crayons

San Diego

Roar and Snore: San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Thank you to Universal Pictures for inviting us to celebrate the release of Dolittle with a Roar and Snore Sleepover.

Thinking about doing the Roar and Snore at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park? We had the best experience camping at the Zoo!

Roar and Snore: Want to spend the night at the zoo (or the San Diego Safari Park to be exact)? This review will tell you everything you need to know!

When we moved to San Diego, we immediately became members of the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park.  We had visited both while living in Los Angeles, and knew that we'd want to visit both on a regular basis now that we were becoming San Diego residents.  The Safari Park is under twenty minutes from our house, and we love going for a couples on weekends or even after school.  During our visits, one thing came up over and over again.  The Roar and Snore experience.  Whenever we walked by the tents and campsite area, Lydia asked if we could spend the night at the zoo.  She was fascinated with the idea of waking up with the lions, tigers and elephants (oh my) near by.

I filed it under, things we need to do in San Diego.  Then, an email hit my inbox that made Lydia's dream a reality.  Universal Pictures was putting together a unique event to celebrate the release of Dolittle.  The film releases on January 17th, and reimagines the story that we all know and love about the man who could talk to animals.  In this colorful version, Robert Downey Jr. plays Dr. Dolittle (the veterinarian of Queen Victoria’s England) and when the queen falls ill…..he sets on an epic adventure in search of a cure.  As you can imagine, a cast of amazing animals is front and center.  Universal Pictures invited an intimate group of families to Roar and Snore at the Safari Park so that we could……go on our own epic animal adventure.  And we couldn't have been more excited!

Roar and Snore: San Diego Zoo Safari Park

Now the great news is, you don't have to be invited by a studio to experience Roar and Snore.  These experiences are open to anyone, you just have to make a reservation!

Thinking about doing the Roar and Snore at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park? This full review will help you learn what to expect from the overnight experience!

Roar and Snore Itinerary:

The Roar and Snore is an overnight activity from late afternoon until about 9:30 am the next morning.  You will need to purchase tickets to enter the Safari Park separately (or a membership if you're local, which I highly suggest).

CLICK HERE TO BUY SAFARI PARK TICKETS

My personal suggestion? I'd arrive a couple hours before your Roar and Snore begins (you'll have paid for park admission) or plan to stay for a few hours after so that you have more time to explore OTHER parts of the zoo.  Ideally, I would suggest the day of your sleepover.  After camping overnight, you may be wanting to head home versus spending THAT day at the park.

Roar and Snore: Where to Park

Upon arrival, you will be directed to the special parking spots for the Roar and Snore where you'll be checked in and your luggage will be checked (don't worry, you'll see it again when you get to your tent).  After checking in, if you've got time you can explore the Safari Park or you can head straight to the tents (which are located by the giant balloon, the cheetah run area, and the lions).

Looking for great San Diego family activities? The Roar and Snore at the San Diego Safari Park is a total blast!

Once you are in the tent area, you'll have time to unpack and get settled and then the fun begins!  You can expect some great animal encounters (and they're especially awesome because of the small number of people participating).  We had a TON of animal encounters and I was SUPER impressed by the amount of time we had with the trainers, and the amount of information the kids (and adults) received.

Animal walks are another special part of the Roar and Snore, and we got to do two of them.  Since our walk was in January, it was dark and I loved seeing the animals behavior during a time we aren't normally able to visit them.  Depending on time of year and weather, you'll either do the animal walks before or after dinner.

San Diego Safari Park

You'll have dinner back at “base camp”.  We had tons of food (hamburgers, mac and cheese, veggie options, drinks and dessert).

After dinner, our group got to do a camper caravan safari (this is an add on option for parties with kids who are ages 6 and up).  I HIGHLY suggest this if it works for your group.  We got to take a caravan through the park and into some of the animal areas and we even had night vision goggles to see the animals clearly.  I loved seeing areas that we had ONLY seen during the day in such a different light pun intended).  If your group doesn't do a camper caravan safari, you'll have fun activities to do back at the campsite.

Thinking about doing the Roar and Snore at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park? This full review will help you learn what to expect from the overnight experience!

Before you head to bed, there's a campfire with one of the best parts of camping….s'mores and hot chocolate.  It was really fun to sit around the fire with our friends, to enjoy the stars and to marvel at the fact that there were elephants and giraffes just a few feet away!

There were plenty of restrooms to get ready for bed (and there are even showers available if you want them).  We got ready, and headed to our tent for lights out at 10:00 pm.  Trust me, Lydia was tired and fell asleep right away (thank goodness, I was worried she'd be too excited about her friends sleeping just a tent away)!

So how did we sleep? A lot better than I expected.  Yes, we did hear some animal sounds throughout the night, but it was nothing that was disruptive to sleep.  The Safari Park team gave us a gentle wake up at about 6:15 am and it was REALLY cool to wake up to the sounds of birds singing and yes…..lions roaring.  We had about 45 minutes after that to wake up, pack up, and head down to base camp for breakfast.  Breakfast was DELISH.  Pancakes, eggs, sausages, fruit along with coffee and juice.

San Diego Safari Park: The tram tour that is included in the ticket price is a TON of fun!

After breakfast we had a tram tour of the same area we saw at night (which is also an option while the Safari Park is open and included in the price of your admission ticket).  Then we had a little walk through the park and we got to have one more animal encounter (for us it was a team of birds…..one that we can look forward to spotting in Dolittle).

After the final encounter, a tour guide led us to the exit where our luggage was waiting in a special Roar and Snore area next to our cars.

Roar and Snore Pricing and Sleeping Options:

The Safari Park options a ton of Roar and Snore options: all ages sleepovers, adults only sleepovers, Girl Scouts sleepovers, even options for teachers to do a sleepover with their students!

Roar and Snore: San Diego Safari Park premium tent

Tent Options (and current pricing as of 1/12/20):

Classic Tent ($145 per person ages 3 and up, $30 2 and under): Fits up to five campers, 9 x 14 foot interior, vinyl-covered tent floor, sleeping bag pads (plan to bring your own sleeping bag and pillow)

Vista Tent ($185 per person ages 3 and up, $30 2 and under): Fits up to six campers, 9 x 14 foot interior, vinyl-covered tent floor, includes 2 chairs, has 2 sets of bunk cots and 2 single cots

Premium Tent ($225 per person ages 3 and up, $30 2 and under): Fits up to four campers, 12 x 16 foot interior, electrical outlets (yes, you can charge your phone), queen bed and two cots (with bed linens and pillows)

We had a premium tent and I have to say…..it was pretty awesome.  Even in January when it gets PRETTY cold in Escondido, we had a heater and were just fine temperature wise.

Our Thoughts:

Honestly, I absolutely LOVED the experience.  It's such a unique family activity and I loved that since the Safari Park is a nonprofit, we knew all the ticket pricing and costs were going towards their animal conservation efforts.  Agewise, I would suggest a Roar and Snore for ages five and up….I think while younger kids will enjoy it, they may not grasp the concept of it as well (but obviously that depends on your child).  Would we do it again? ABSOLUTELY.

Thinking about doing the Roar and Snore at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park? This full review will help you learn what to expect from the overnight experience!

And the best part? It made us SO excited for the Dolittle movie release on January 17th…..we can't wait to see some of these species we learned about in the film!

Have you ever done a Roar and Snore campout? Or is it on your family bucket list?

0 Leave a Comment

Subscribe to L&C Weekly!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Cinderella Books: Creating a Diverse Library
Next Valentine’s Day Clothes: Day, Girls’ Night and Date Night

Related Posts

Things for the Beach: What to Bring

The Best Pool Toys for Kids

Julian California: A San Diego Day Trip

Road Trips from San Diego for Families

Primary Sidebar

Search

NEW? START HERE

DISCLAIMER

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Now, if I’m being totally honest…..this pulled Now, if I’m being totally honest…..this pulled muscle? I should have known better.  When training for my race, I didn’t stretch or warm up enough most days and….here we are.Lesson learned.  I’m 4 weeks post race (do not recommend running a 10k on a pulled muscle) and I’m……almost better.  I’m learning to stretch and walk and to take better care of myself so that I can start running again REALLY soon (we’re almost there I think).For now? I’m doing recovery walks and trying to strengthen my leg.  And trying to make sure I get enough protein.  When I talked about Built Bars on my stories, a LOTTTTT of you raced about their Puffs.  Yup, I get it.  They’re AMAZING.  I’ve been bringing them along on my walks (and gluten free friends….they have some great options for us).Have you ever pulled a muscle? What was recovery like for you?#youGOTTAtrythis #BUILTProtein #BUILT #BUILTbar partner
💕Double Tap when you see who we found at the zo 💕Double Tap when you see who we found at the zoo (and swipe to the end for a close up)⠀⠀🌴Coming to San Diego for Spring Break or a Summer Vacation?⠀⠀📍Let’s talk San Diego Zoo (and yes, I got off a plane yesterday, picked up Lydia and we spent the afternoon at the zoo…..it was LOVELY).⠀⠀A few things to help you plan visits to San Diego and the Zoo:⠀1️⃣ the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park are NOT close together.  The Zoo is close to downtown, the Safari Park is about 25 miles north.  I’d suggest one day at each.  They’re totally unique and both worth a visit.  The Safari Park is smaller, but has REALLY unique exhibits (Walkabout Australia is my favorite).⠀2️⃣ both have some really fun and unique dining experiences that you can reserve in advance: Albert’s at the Zoo is a FANCY and fun sit down option, and The Watering Hole at Kijamii Overlook at the Safari Park is great for happy hour or a fun lunch ⠀3️⃣ there are great kids play areas at both locations, the Wildlife Explorers Base Camp area at the San Diego Zoo is brand new and absolutely amazing⠀⠀✨ Now, a bonus tip.  Undercover Tourist now has NATIONWIDE savings on over 500 attractions in 50 cities and up to 25% on tickets for theme parks, zoo, museums, aquariums, city tours, water parks, and movie tickets. And the deals they have for San Diego?  AMAZING (I’m sharing details in my stories).⠀⠀@themeparkfrog #UncoverSavingsNationwide #ad
In high school, I wasn’t supposed to cross the b In high school, I wasn’t supposed to cross the bridge without permission.⠀⠀I grew up about 20 minutes from San Francisco, on the OTHER side of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Yes, you know that opening scene in Full House where they’re driving across the bridge? I was on the other side of that.  And one of MOST parents’ rules where I grew up? No going into the city without permission.  Sorry mom and dad, it’s been long enough…..now I can disclose that we broke that rule constantly.⠀⠀San Francisco is my favorite city.  It’s intimate and moody and filled with history and some of the best food in the world.  It reminds me of childhood trips to the zoo and Golden Gate Park, it reminds me of my first apartment after college and my first serious relationship.  It reminds me of 22 year old carefree nights with friends and milkshakes at Mels in high school and coffee in North Beach and nights in the Marin Headlands (the closest we were supposed to get to the bridge).⠀⠀So when I had the opportunity to spend 20 hours in my city by the Bay? I took it.⠀⠀Photo Diary:⠀1) nothing like a hotel room to yourself ⠀2) basically drove through a monsoon in San Diego yesterday to make it to the airport⠀3) through the fog? You can see the Golden Gate Bridge⠀4) SFO ⠀5) drove right through North Beach where my mom lived until she was 2, and texted her this photo of a church where she remembers going to weddings as a child⠀6) dinner with Dove, talking about the importance of diversity and representation in gaming avatars ⠀7 and 8) anyone else got a roblox fan in their house? Dove is changing the game (pun intended) and we love to see it.⠀⠀Have you been to San Francisco?
Are you a road trip or a fly in the sky vacationer Are you a road trip or a fly in the sky vacationer? What’s your ideal?⠀Figured this was a good day to ask since….I’m boarding a plane this morning for a VERY quick trip.⠀❤️Over on stories, we are playing this or that. We’re making this a regular little weekly coffee chat.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀☕️So, five of you will get a coffee on me.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Want to join in?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀1) like this post⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀2) answer the polls in stories⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀3) tag a friend in comments, or tell me what your ideal vacation looks like, and how you’d get there!
One more mommy and me activity: we popped over to One more mommy and me activity: we popped over to Knott’s yesterday to eat our way through the Boysenberry Festival…….and listen to meeeeee…..they have some GREAT food / drinks.⠀⠀This is such a fun time to visit Knott’s, we may try to go again ONE more time before the festival is over on April 16th. ⠀⠀Knott’s gave us these Festival Tasting Cards (they are priced at $55 and give you 6 tastes of your choosing (drinks / alcoholic beverages ARE included) from a BUNCH of locations all around Knott’s. ⠀⠀Our favs:⠀-Boysenberry Blonde from Ghost Town Bakery⠀-Boysenberry Waffle with Whipped Cream and Boysenberry Maple Syrup from Ghost Town Bakery⠀- Sushi Burrito Spicy Crab Surimi, Avocado, Lettuce, Crispy Onions, Sesami and Unagi Sauce, with Boysenberry Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce from Ghost Town Bakery⠀-Boysenberry Mango Lemonade with Mint from Wilderness Broiler ⠀-Cauliflower Bites with a Boysenberry Curry Drizzle from the Wilderness Dance Hall⠀- (I had to) Boysenberry Latte (with oat milk) from Charleston Circle Coffee (not included in the Tasting Card options)⠀⠀Which of these would you try first???⠀⠀#boysenberryfestival #knotts #knottsberryfarm
  • Collaborate
  • Speaking
  • Contact Carly
  • PRESS
  • Privacy Policy
  • Fashion
  • Body Positivity
  • Girl Power
  • SD Life
  • Disney
  • Travel
  • Highlights

© 2019 LIPGLOSS AND CRAYONS  |  SITE DESIGN: MLL DESIGN STUDIO  & FUZE BRANDING