Mrs adore333 and I went to the Wolong Reserve late November last year. It was recommended by our hotel concierge (@Grand Hyatt Chengdu) out of all the panda bases and I have to say it was amazing. I think we were the only visitors there at the time (of course it was in the winter). We spent around 2,5 hours going through the grounds (including a photo shoot with a panda, which required a sizable donation).

There are paths you can walk around in the reserve. You'll see maybe 20 adult pandas in their individual living quarters (outside). It was close to freezing so the pandas were actually quite active. In addition there is a large common area for the panda babies, where they can climb the trees and push and shove each other. It was very cute and we spent a bit of time there.

The photo shoot with a panda was very quick. First you had to wear protective clothing (not to get the panda sick) and then sit with a little one on a bench (while they fed him carrots). It was nice to do once, but I would not do it again.

The drive to the base was quite long, but the mountain scenery was beautiful. We also stopped by a high(?) school that had been damaged by the earthquake. A small town with a variety of restaurants and street food options had been rebuilt there. The school had been left as a memorial for the earthquake with walkways to see the damage.