*PENGUIN EXPERIENCE REVIEW*
I can understand why some stars are knocked off for price. It is pricey yes, but I believe its worth it!
I went on a Monday afternoon, without reading reviews before going. There was no line to buy tickets. We did also spring for the penguin experience which was probably the best thing I've done in a long time! We got into the next available time slot which was 30 minutes away. They can accommodate up to 10? People per penguin experience. We had only 4 in ours which allowed us to have about 2 penguins each!
The experience is about 45 minutes. 5 minutes is used for a short class about the penguins you'll meet. No phones allowed in the penguin room, you will get a secured locker for your things. You enter with your trainers and they let you pet the penguins. Then you get to sit on the floor and play with them with toys! Eventually they'll get you situated with a towel on your lap and you can cuddle with them which was my favorite part. The experience comes with a printed photo in an album and you can choose to purchase more pictures taken by the photographer that follows you in the penguin room.
I was told that when school is out, if you want to do this penguin thing, you will have to book many weeks in advance to do it on the weekend.
I do recommend that if you can go during the day closer to the beginning of the week, you will get plenty of space and time to see all the animals and shows. I did not have to deal with timed entry.