Had a great time at the zoo :)
Pluses:
You can cover the entire zoo in 4 hours with lunch included.
They have animal experiences: we fed the giraffes ($4 pp) & rode a camel ($5 pp).
The grounds themselves are very nice, lots of shade.
Lots of photo ops.
Lots of kid focused activities: farm area, water fun area.
You can bring food into the zoo.
Cons:
The food in the zoo is expensive
The animal experiences are short (very). I spent $18 for approx 10 minutes with the giraffe encounter & the camel ride combined.
There aren't very many animals (some are actually put away when it's hot,,, and we live in a desert, lol).
The park doesn't open in the early morning or late evenings, when it would be more comfortable to be out during the summer time.
All in all, I'd go back! It's an interesting way to spend the day & there's a special kind of bonding that takes place when you are seeing & learning about animals from all over the world. You make memories that will last a lifetime & that's priceless ;)