Zoo Passholder T&Cs - Colchester Zoological Society

Zoo Pass Usage

A valid Zoo Pass must be physically shown in order to enter Colchester Zoo or admission will be charged, which is non-refundable. Photocopies or photos of cards will not be accepted for entry.
Any Zoo Pass found to be used fraudulently, will be confiscated.
Any lost, defaced or spoiled passes must be replaced at cost to the Zoo Passholder.
Lost Zoo Passes or replacement Zoo Passes are charged a non-refundable fee per pass to cover additional administration and costs of processing a replacement. Previous Zoo Passes will become void.
Those who have forgotten their Zoo Passes will be charged a non-refundable, reduced entry fee per forgotten pass, as a gesture of goodwill. This can only be done once. If forgotten a second time, full admission will be charged for admittance.
Those who have forgotten their pass and have entered on a reduced entry fee, forfeit their benefits for that visit.
Zoo passes cannot be cancelled or transferred and any outstanding validity cannot be refunded. Equally, any outstanding validity on the Zoo Pass cannot be transferred to another person.

Access

Access for Zoo Passholders is determined by Colchester Zoo and reserves the right to amend access terms without notice.
A Zoo Pass is valid for as many visits as required from date of processing for one year (except Christmas day) during normal opening hours and subject to the standard terms and conditions of entry.
Although Zoo Passholders can gain entry to Colchester Zoo with their valid Zoo Pass, there may be the requirement to pre-book your visit for timed entry which Colchester Zoo can introduce at any time.
Zoo Pass entry does not include pre-bookable events, secondary attractions, or out-of-hours special events which may be charged for.
Colchester Zoo Passes are issued to an individual and are only valid when they contain a photograph of the holder.
Child Passholders must be accompanied by an adult at all times whilst on the premises. Children under the age of 16yrs will not be admitted entry without a responsible adult/guardian aged 16yrs or over.
Colchester Zoo reserves the right to contact an adult or guardian to collect under 16s who are unsupervised.
Colchester Zoo reserves the right to request proof of age to ensure the correct pass type is purchased.
Colchester Zoo reserves the right to refuse entry to a Zoo Passholder, even if the Zoo Pass is valid.
Family and friends cannot be fast tracked or allowed free admission with Zoo Passholders and must queue to pay for admission or purchase E-tickets in advance of their visit.
Colchester Zoo operates a zero-tolerance policy with physical or verbal threats towards its staff or physical damage to its facilities and property. Any Zoo Passholders behaving inappropriately will be denied access to, or told to leave, the park immediately.
Colchester Zoo reserves the right to close all or part of the Zoo as necessary without prior notice.
Encounters or rides can be temporarily withdrawn without notice due to animal sickness or other unforeseen circumstances.
We reserve the right to limit access to popular events within the Zoo to just one visit.

Zoo passes for visitors with disability and their personal assistant

When purchasing your Zoo Pass please make our team aware that you will require an assistant to enter with you when visiting.
Visitors with disability who have purchased a Zoo Pass are permitted to bring one personal assistant to enter with them free of charge during a visit. If a guest with disability has a need for more assistance, this should be discussed at the time of purchasing a pass where verification of need can be confirmed.
Personal assistants are admitted to support the guest named on the Zoo Pass with their visit. A personal assistant may not use a guest with disabilities pass without the guest being present.
On arrival, Passholders are able to access the Zoo via the Fast Track facilities, if operational.

Zoo Pass Exclusions

Colchester Zoo will charge a supplement to Passholders for entry to secondary attractions and special events such as, but not limited to, Halloween & Christmas. This supplement will be advertised on event information.
Zoo Passholders are subject to additional charges for special events as specified by Colchester Zoo. Access to special events is not included within your Zoo Pass unless otherwise stated by Colchester Zoo.
As Colchester Zoo is closed on Christmas Day access will not be granted to Zoo Passholders.

Access to other named zoos

Use of Colchester Zoo Passes at other named zoos is restricted to free admission only, participating zoos are Belfast, Chester (1 visit only per year), Dublin, Edinburgh, Highlands Wildlife Park, Marwell (1 visit only per year), Newquay, Paignton, Rotterdam, Twycross and Bristol Zoo Project. Other zoos may choose to join or withdraw from the scheme at any time as this is not controlled by Colchester Zoo.
Other zoos may choose to join or withdraw from the scheme at any time as this is not controlled by Colchester Zoo. This may be done without prior notice and is at the individual zoo’s discretion.
We ask that all those wishing to visit us as part of a Reciprocal Zoo visit to please head to our signed Ticket Office with proof of membership, to collect your complimentary tickets.

Please see table below for further booking information.

Reciprocal Zoo	Visit Restrictions	Pre-Booking Required
Belfast Zoo	Visit any time	No need to pre-book. Proof of membership required on arrival.
Chester Zoo	One free annual visit any time	No need to pre-book. On arrival please head to ticket sales windows with proof of membership to collect complimentary entry ticket.
Dublin Zoo	Visit any time	Email in@du*****.ie in advance of visit date. Proof of membership required on arrival.
Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS)	Visit any time	No need to pre-book. Proof of membership required on arrival.
Marwell Zoo	One free annual visit any time excluding the Glow Event	No need to pre-book. On arrival please head to the entrance with proof of membership and membership expiry date.
Paignton Zoo and Newquay Zoo (Wild Planet Trust)	Visit any time	Email pa*******@wi*********.uk or ne****@wi***********.uk in advance of visit date. Proof of membership required on arrival.
Rotterdam Zoo	Visit any time	No need to pre-book. Proof of membership required on arrival.
Twycross Zoo	Visit any time	No need to pre-book. Proof of membership required on arrival.
Bristol Zoo Project	One free annual visit during normal opening hours	No need to pre-book. Proof of membership required on arrival.

Offers

Colchester Zoo offers a discount for purchasing 3 or more passes in the same transaction. This is not valid in conjunction with any other offer.
Zoo Passes cannot be used in conjunction with vouchers or any other offer or discount unless otherwise stated by Colchester Zoo.
Visitors upgrading admission tickets to a Zoo Pass must have their own admission ticket. Another person’s entry ticket cannot be used. If upgrading your ticket to a Zoo Pass this must be done within 7 days of your original visit.
Zoo Passes cannot be purchased with Tesco Deals Vouchers.
Any offers on Zoo Passes are valid on Zoo Passes only, not Zoo Pass Gift Vouchers unless otherwise stated in promotion terms and conditions.
To qualify for the Zoo Pass exclusive price on selected animal experiences, a valid Zoo Pass is required for the participant.
The Zoo Pass discount in catering facilities and gift shops is not valid in conjunction with any other offer and selected items may be excluded from the offer. The discount is only given when a valid Zoo Pass is shown to the cashier.
Colchester Zoo reserves the right to discount the cost of Zoo Passes without having to refund existing Passholders.
We reserve the right to close shops and food outlets, where the Passholder discount is valid, at any time.
A consecutive renewal discount is offered to passholders renewing their pass consecutively within 1 month of the Zoo Pass expiry date. The Zoo Pass will be dated 1 year from the date of previous expiry. This is not valid in conjunction with any other offer and maybe withdrawn at any time.
Personal assistants can book experiences on behalf of the named Guest with Disability Passholder with their permission. The Passholder discount will then be applied to the booking. The assistant will be admitted as support for the Passholder during the experience but the assistant will not be ‘participating’ in the experience unless full price is paid to participate.
Colchester Zoo reserves the right to terminate any discounts or benefits to Passholders at any time without notice.

Cancellation

Online purchases: You have 14 days to change your mind about your purchase. There would be a reasonable administration fee per card to cancel within these 14 days. As soon as your pass has been used, you are no longer entitled to a refund even if it is within 14 days of purchase. Please note 14 day cooling off period only applies to online purchases.
Payment for passes purchased online is taken when you enter your card details and your pass is valid from the day that it is processed.
Any refunds issued will only be made to the purchaser.

General

All standard entry conditions also apply to Zoo Pass holders. Please check www.colchesterzoo.org for details.
Zoo passes remain the property of Colchester Zoo.
We process and store the data you supply to fulfil our contract with you in relation to the product you have purchased. This will not be passed to third parties.
To see how we use and store your data please read our privacy policy at www.colchesterzoologicalsociety.co.uk/legal/privacypolicy/ by agreeing to the terms and conditions of this product you agree with Colchester Zoo’s privacy policy.
Colchester Zoo reserves the right to withdraw Zoo Pass benefits, discounts and unlimited access temporarily or permanently without notice.
Any Zoo Passholders found to be misusing their benefits causing a detrimental effect to Colchester Zoo will be penalised as necessary. This may result in a suspension of your Zoo Pass.
Terms and conditions are subject to change without notification and apply to all Zoo Passholders. Up-to-date terms and conditions can be found at www.colchesterzoologicalsociety.co.uk

Details correct at time of publishing. July 2024.