Ticket Prices at Zoo, Animal Park to Increase : Attractions: Once inside, visitors will have free access to what had been considered extras at the zoo.

Beginning Monday, visitors to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park will pay more to enter the attractions but will get more freebies at the zoo once they get in.

Although adult tickets at the zoo will rise from $8.50 to $10.75 and children’s tickets from $2.50 to $4, visitors will no longer have to pay extra to tour the Children’s Zoo or ride Skyfari, the tramway that crosses the park, the San Diego Zoological Society announced Wednesday.

The pricier admission tickets will make the zoological parks among the most expensive in the nation but still a bargain contrasted with Sea World, which charges adults $21 and children $15.50.

“The vast majority of people are already buying the Children’s Zoo or Skyfari, so it’s not going to have a great effect on the people who will be paying more,” zoo spokesman Jeff Jouett said. “But, even those paying more will get more value for their money.”

Adult visitors who have been paying to take in all of the zoo’s attractions will end up paying 25 cents more under the new pricing scheme, but will save 50 cents on the price of their children’s tickets, Jouett said.

At the Wild Animal Park, however, visitors will pay more to enjoy the same attractions. Admission tickets will still include passes to ride the monorail, but they will cost adults $14.50, up $1.55, while children’s tickets will cost $7.50, up $1.30.

Although the zoo raised the price of adult tickets in June, 1987, the price of children’s tickets has not changed since 1984. The Wild Animal Park has not raised the price of children’s tickets since 1983.

The Zoological Society’s board of trustees voted Tuesday night to increase admission prices to encourage more San Diego County residents to become members or buy annual passes, Jouett said.

“They’re a very important segment because they’re strong bases of support with a lot of potential for repeat visitors,” he said. “Whereas a tourist might be in town a week, a pass holder could come every week, potentially.”

More than 350,000 people hold memberships or passes to the zoo, accounting for about 9% of its total revenue, Jouett said. The annual passes can be held by San Diego adult residents ($23.50 and good for the zoo only); children ages 3 to 15 ($8, or $9 with Koala Club newsletter); students living in San Diego County ($17) and people 60 or older ($11 for one; $20 per couple).

Of the 3.7 million people who visited the zoo last year, about a third were Zoo Society members or pass holders, Jouett said.

Memberships and most passes will remain the same price, and holders will no longer have to pay to ride the Wild Animal Park’s monorail. Only the city residents’ pass will rise in price, from $19 to $23.50.

Zoo officials have not calculated how much more revenue the new pricing structure will bring in, but, Jouett said, “We feel that it will work out on the plus side.”

ZOO PRICE INCREASES SAN DIEGO ZOO

Attraction Now Dec. 4 Adult admission $8.50 $10.75 Children age 3-15 2.50 4.00 Skyfari gondola 1.50 Free Children’s Zoo .50 Free Bus Tour Adults 2.50 3.00 Children 2.00 2.50

WILDANIMAL PARK

Attraction Now Dec. 4 Adult admission * 12.95 14.50 Children age 3-15 * 6.20 7.50 Monorail (for members and passholders) Adults 2.75 Free Children 2.25 Free

* includes monorail ride