Our day out at Paultons Park and Peppa Pig World

It was Leo’s third birthday a couple of weeks ago and to celebrate a group us headed off to Paultons Park in Romsey for a day full of pig and dinosaur fun. We have been living only 15 minutes away from Peppa Pig World for nearly a year and I honestly can’t believe it has taken us so long to go. Like most kids his age, Leo is obsessed with Peppa Pig and I’m sure spending a day completely immersed in a world based on his favourite show is like some kind of dream come true. Paultons Park is not just about Peppa Pig World though, there are loads of rides to suit all ages and the new Lost Kingdom part of the park is a must for any dinosaur fan. For anyone planning a trip to Paultons Park you can find out all about it here and my thoughts on it as a family friendly day out. Spoiler alert – we LOVED it.

Entry

If your child is over a metre tall then you have to pay for their admission into the park, which is £30. It can get pretty pricey if you have a few tall children so that is something to consider before you make the trip to the park, maybe buying a family ticket would be best. There is no point trying to hide your child’s height by sitting them in a pram as they have to walk under a 1 meter barrier and then once through the gates they are measured by a member of staff to see how tall they are. Children are then given different coloured bands depending on their height to show what rides they can go on. Leo got a green band, this meant he was under a metre and couldn’t go on rides unsupervised. The staff seem really strict about the height thing so I wouldn’t bother even trying to blag your way past them, like I saw a couple families attempting to do. Adult tickets are £30 but it might be worth keeping an eye out online and in kids magazines for voucher codes. Here is a full list of the entry fees.

Peppa Pig World

As soon as we were through the gates into the park we headed straight to Peppa Pig World. As we went on a Saturday in the summer holidays is was so busy! The queues weren’t unbearable though and Leo seemed quite happy to wait as there was so much to look at. The Peppa Pig theme tune was on repeat throughout the park as well as other popular songs from the show so I think this helped to keep Leo and the other kids entertained in the long queues. We really felt like we had stepped on to the set of a live action version of the Peppa Pig TV show, there were lots of brightly coloured buildings, Madame Gazelles Play School and Peppa’s house to name just two, and various characters could be seen wondering around throughout the day for photo opportunities.

Our first stop was Grandpa Pig’s Little Train to ease Leo into the rides and once we were done on there Leo wanted to go on everything. We had fun driving around in Daddy Pig’s Car and Leo had a ride on George’s Dinosaur Adventure with his very own Grampy. We all had a ride on Grandpa Pig’s Boat Ride too, Leo loved all the rides and seeing models of all the TV characters as we were span round and round. There were a few rides we didn’t go on as I don’t think Leo fancied going up in the air, these were the Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter Ride, Windy Castle Ride and Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride.

After all that fun we all stopped for lunch to gather some much needed energy for the rest of our day. We had bought a picnic with us and we sat at the tables outside Daddy Pig’s Big Tummy Cafe in the shade. This was a great spot to soak up the crazy colourful view of Peppa Pig World and we had lots of ducks hanging out by our table, we all know ducks love picnics too after all. If you don’t fancy a picnic you could eat in the cafe or treat yourself at Miss Rabbit’s Ice Cream Parlour. There is a soft play centre, a splash park and a playground if your child wanted to burn off some energy, we avoided these as they are things we can do any old day and I thought they would be full of too many screaming children!

Thoughts on Peppa Pig World – 
* The rides are very toddler friendly and, although most of them just go round in a circle, there is a lot to look at and regular characters from the TV show are there to make them more exciting for kids.
* Considering how long the queues were some of the rides felt quite short. This was ok but a bit annoying when you’ve spent so long queuing.
* George’s Dinosaur Adventure seemed the most popular and there were long queues for that right up until closing time.
* The park is set out  brilliantly and there is lots going on to keep little ones entertained.
* A great day out for toddlers, although I think children any older than 4/5 would find the rides a bit boring.
* Rides close at 5pm which felt a little early, we could have easily spent another hour there.
* Leo loved it and I think it’s a must for Peppa Pig fans.

Lost Kingdom Dinosaur Park

My 6 year old nephew came along with us for the day and he got bored of Peppa Pig world pretty quickly. We managed to keep him happyish for as long as possible as it was Leo’s birthday treat but not long after lunch we decided to head on over to Paultons Park’s latest attraction. the Lost Kingdom. Leo wasn’t upset by this at all as he loves dinosaurs and I was pleased to see there were a few rides he was big enough to ride on in this part of the park too. This is where we lost Oli and his brother to the big thrill seeker rides, including Velociraptor and Flight of the Pterosaur.

Leo played around in the Little Explorers outdoor play area for a bit and then his Grampy whisked him off to go on some dino rides. The Dino Chase is a small rollercoaster that Leo was somehow big enough to go on, I am not sure he liked it as when he got off he kept saying ‘too fast for me Mummy!’ and the picture they had taken on the ride is just hilarious. After his brief encounter with a big boy ride, it wasn’t long before Leo was back on the round and round kids rides he has grown to know and love. Boulder Dash was a favourite and The Dinosaur Tour Co was an easy going car ride looking at all the different dinosaurs, be warned you might get wet at the end of this one. After all the fun and excitement it was time for ice cream from one on the kiosks in the Lost Kingdom, if you fancy hot food while in this part of the park there is the Base Camp which sells mostly chicken type meals.

Thoughts on the Lost Kingdom –
* There are rides to suit all ages which was perfect for us. This part of the park managed to keep a 3year old, a 6year old and my parent’s and in laws (who are in their 50s/60s) happy.
* If you are pregnant you can’t go on  any of the fun rides.
* Queues were shorter than in Peppa Pig World.
* The robotic dinosaurs were amazing, really big and really life like. When he wasn’t going on rides Leo enjoyed just walking around and looking at all the dinosaurs.
* We missed this but at different times throughout the day a giant T-Rex comes out of hiding to say hello.
* The music will make you feel like you’ve been dropped into a scene straight from Jurassic Park.
* Although they are big, the dinosaurs are not scary and Leo wasn’t intimidated or scared of them at all.
* Makes a nice break from the bright and loud toddler filled Peppa Pig World.

Paultons Park

Once we were all dinosaured out we went for a look around the rest of Paultons Park. There are lots of rides we didn’t go on but everyone managed to go on what they wanted. Oli, his brother and my nephew went on The Edge (which I was secretly glad I couldn’t go on!), my Dad joined them and they all went on The Cobra which I was informed was pretty scary too. Leo was napping at this point so I kind of felt like I was at least missing out on rides for a reason. Everyone had a go on the Raging River Ride Log Flume and got soaked, none of them minded too much as it was a boiling hot day.

We also checked out the Critter Creek part of the park where there was a small train ride for Leo to enjoy and there was also a small insect/aquarium attraction where you could check out all the critters. This was a very small part of the park but Leo and my nephew seemed to enjoy it, for some reason it reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. Never ones to miss out, Oli and his brother tried out the children’s roller coaster Cat-O-Pillar Coaster too with my Dad and nephew. Due to the amount of time we spent in the other parts of the park we didn’t get around to going on all the rides in Paultons Park, here is a full list of them if you want to see what there is.

For the last hour of our day we headed back to Peppa Pig world and got one last ride on all of Leo’s favourites. The rides all closed at 5 and we stayed right up until every ride had stopped! After a long and fun filled day we headed for the exit which is of course through the gift shop! We spent ages waiting for Leo to choose something and once he had bagged himself a George sat on a dragon toy it was time to go home.

Thoughts on Paultons Park overall –
* There are plenty of rides to keep every one entertained for a full day
* It is expensive if you have more than one child over 1 meter
* It is set out brilliantly and there are lots of sign posts to stop you getting lost.
* There is lots there for small children and toddlers. I loved that there were playgrounds and soft play for children who don’t fancy the rides.
* The different parts of the park mean if one bit is too busy (probably Peppa Pig World) you can probably find a ride with a small queue somewhere else.
* The staff were friendly and helpful.
* I loved that the toilets had built in smaller seats for toddlers – there’s absolutely no need to take your own potty.
* Some of the rides were really short.
* 5pm is a bit too early for the park to close, especially in summer when there are loads of hours of daylight left.

We had a fantastic day out at Paultons Park, despite the few negatives I have mentioned, and we can’t wait to go back again. I think we will wait until baby boy is here so I don’t have to miss out on all the rides!

Have you been to Paultons Park, did you enjoy your day out there? If you have considered going has this post persuaded you to visit? I definitely think it is worth the money, we all had a brilliant day and Leo loved his special birthday treat.

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