![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Man-pays-200-to-go-to-the-\u2018new-Jacksonville-Zoo.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Via iStockphoto \/ @peakabooitsmejohn TikTok \/ Sergey Adobe Stock<\/a><\/p>\n Have you ever bought a ticket to something, only to show up and realize it\u2019s not quite like you expected?<\/p>\n This is a feeling that happens to everyone. Many an attendee of Burning Man has complained about this very phenomenon; while they expected an oasis in the desert, what they got instead was a muddy wasteland with a 19-hour exit wait time<\/a>.<\/p>\n But you don\u2019t need to go all the way out to the desert to be hit with a nice wave of disappointment. Instead, you can go to your local zoo<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to TikTok user John Cannon (@peakabooitsmejohn), he recently went to the zoo with his family after hearing about new renovations. Now, he\u2019s questioning whether it was worth the time or the effort.<\/p>\n What\u2019s Wrong With The Jacksonville Zoo?<\/p>\n In a video with over 336,000 views, Cannon explains that he recently decided to listen to advertisements boasting about the \u201cnew\u201d Jacksonville Zoo and actually take his family to see the park.<\/p>\n As his family has two six-year-olds, a two-year-old, his wife, and himself, his ticket purchase amounted to around $200; the two-year-old was able to enter for free.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst red flag,\u201d he starts. \u201cBut I said, cool, whatever. They got the new manatee exhibit. Gonna go look at the manatees. The park is fully open.\u201d<\/p>\n When they actually arrived, however, they realized that getting into the park was going to be harder than they had imagined.<\/p>\n \u201cThe line to the zoo is backed up off of the highway,\u201d Cannon recalls. \u201cI said, \u2018Oh my god, it\u2019s about to be nuts up in here.\u2019 That s\u2014 was like Disney World.\u201d<\/p>\n Even after getting through the long line of cars, Cannon was shocked to see that there was a long line to enter the park as well. Thankfully, Cannon says his online tickets allowed him to skip this line, which was for people who had not purchased tickets. However, the issues didn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n Things Get Worse<\/p>\n After entering the zoo, Cannon realized that, to his dismay, not much had changed.<\/p>\n \u201cThat s\u2014 is the regular Jacksonville [zoo],\u201d he starts. While he says it\u2019s \u201ca little cleaner now,\u201d owing to the clean feeling to the presence of numerous cleaning staff, he says that most of the exhibits remained the same.<\/p>\n \u201cThat manatee exhibit right there in the front\u2014most boring animals on earth,\u201d Cannon details. Claiming he used to see manatees \u201call the time,\u201d he calls the animal \u201ca sea cow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey just sit there, look stupid float. And that\u2019s it,\u201d he summarizes.<\/p>\n Apart from that, Cannon says the majority of the changes to the zoo were aesthetic. He claims the zoo has a new logo that makes it appear more \u201cscientific,\u201d but apart from that and other small details, the zoo felt similar to how it used to be.<\/p>\n \u201cI just paid $200 to go on a little hike,\u201d Cannon concludes. \u201cThe dipping dots were good. The pretzels were hot\u2014with the hot thing of melted cheese on the side? That was delicious. Other than that, though, waste of money.\u201d<\/p>\n What Are The Changes To The Jacksonville Zoo?<\/p>\n The Jacksonville Zoo has recently undergone significant changes. According to Jacksonville Today<\/a>, these improvements include not only the manatee exhibit discussed by Cannon, but a new entryway and pathway through the zoo as well. The total cost of these improvements was around $72 million.<\/p>\n There are a few reasons why these developments took place. For example, one of the priorities of the development was a new walkway. This is because visitors found that, in the old park, they would need to frequently backtrack to see all the exhibits.<\/p>\n With the new walkway, News 4 JAX<\/a> reports, visitors can see the entire park in one continuous loop. Although there may not be many new exhibits visible in this loop, the overall park experience is improved.<\/p>\n To reflect new developments, the zoo changed its name and branding in May 2025<\/a>. It used to be the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens; now, it\u2019s the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens.<\/p>\n