Hip hip horray for Adventure Island! (Adventure Island)

Member Name: karalouk

Product:	Adventure Island
Date:	15/03/09 (294 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun for all, a good day out, free admission

Disadvantages: Wristband a wee bit expensive, not like the big fun parks

I live close to Southend-on-Sea so have visited Adventure Island a fair few times.

Adventure Island (formerly Peter Pans Playground) is situated on Southend sea front. You do not have to pay a fee to enter Adventure Island but you do have to pay for all the rides and attractions. This is a really good idea, although you can get some riff raff that hang around inside because they haven't got anything better to do!

You can purchase wristbands which enable you to use the rides, unlimited, all day. If you book them online at the Adventure Island website you get them cheaper.

The prices are as follows:
Mini bands (for children under 1 metre tall) - £7.00 off peak and £10.00 peak - which run through the summer holidays. Online price: £6.50 off peak and £8.50 peak.
Junior bands (between 1 - 1.2 metres) - £12.00 off peak and £15 peak - which run through the summer holidays. Online price: £10 off peak and £12 peak.
Big adventure bands (adults and over 1.2 metres) - £18.00 off peak and £22.00 on peak - which run through the summer holidays. Online price: £15.00 off peak and £17.00 peak.

All wristbands are half price after 6pm.

Adventure Island opens their gates at 11am and close at 8pm off peak and 11am to 11pm peak.

You can reach Adventure Island easily by car, it is well signed up. Just follow the signs to the sea front. Southend Victoria and Southend Central train stations are also a short walk away from the the park. The train is free if you ask for an Adventure Island ticket, you will just have to pay for a wristband.

Here's my low down on the rides:

RIDES FOR ADULTS/OVER 1.2 METRES (BIG ADVENTURERS)
Archelon - A huge turtle with swings hanging off of it. It spins very high up in the air. It's not too scary but I would miss this out if you're not too fond of heights. Might also be suitable for daring junior adventurers.
Tidal Wave - Two slides, one green, one blue and you ride them in rubber dingys. This is a twisty, bendy and wet ride. You can ride alone or in couples. A good ride but you have to climb up a lot of stairs to get to the top.
Vortex - This ride spins you in the air and fast. You very almost go upside down. It's alot of fun but don't eat before riding.
Skydrop - This ride is basically a big row of seats which get lifted high up in the air and then dropped right back down to the bottom at great speed. I personally never found this ride too scary but a friend of mine screams her head off every time she has ever been on it. I'd say this was also suitable for daring junior adventurers.
Scorpion - Much like Vortex. This ride spins you in the air. You should deffinatley give this one a go.
Dragons Claw - Not for the weak! You'll go round and round and upside down..and then you do it all over again.
Ramba Zamba - This isn't very scary but it is alot of fun. You sit on individual seats facing outwards. The ride sways backwards and fowards and spins around. Might also be suitable for junior adventurers.
Green Scream - This is a roller coaster high up in air. You ride in a train that looks like a crocodile and can ride alone or in couples. The whole ride seats around 30 people.
Rage - This ride was constructed in 2007 and replaced the old log flume. It is a roller coaster which seats 2 rows of 4 people per ride. It includes a sheer drop and big loop. It is pictured above.

RIDES FOR KIDS (JUNIOR ADVENTURERS)
The Dragon - Spinning ride, which goes backwards too.
Sk8borda - This is one of the strangest rides I've seen. You sit on a giant skateboard in rows and ride up and down on a half pipe.
Cow Jump - A long row of seats which goes up and around.
Mighty Mini-Mega - This is a roller coaster suitable for the little ones.
Barnstormer - This is again a roller coaster suitable for the little ones.
Pharaohs Fury - This is a fun, spinny ride suitable for juniors and adults.

RIDES FOR TOTS (MINI ADVENTURERS)
Crooked House - This is a walk around attraction. Adults are welcome inside.
Flying Jumbos - Spin and fly in the air on an elephant.
Sea Serpent - A big curly wurly slide which you ride on in a sack.
Jungle Express - A nice little train ride.
Beelzee Bob's Trail - This is the cutest ghost train I've ever seen. It's not intended to be scary and is suitable for kids and adults alike. You'll absolutley love the photo that they take of you on this ride. Though I have heard rumours that this ride is changing into a scarier attraction at some point in 2009.
Lighthouse Slip - It's basically a helter skelter. Mind those elbows!
Big Wheel - aah, the big wheel, a firm family favourite! You get great views from up there too.
Magic Monsters - A roundabout ride but with monsters instead of the conventional farm animals.
Choo Choo Train - A small train that goes round and round.
Blackbeards - This is a walk around attraction. Take a walk around blackbeards ship with sound effects and all.

There are also Pay-as-you-Play attractions which cost between £3.00 - £3.50 (wristbands not permitted) which include go karting, wall climbing, dodgems and adventure golf which are all good fun.

There are also lots of arcade games (eg. grab machines) and little childrens rides (the ones you see outside of supermarkets and such) for around 50p scattered around the place.

One of the best things about this park that you don't see at the bigger parks is que times. Ques are virtually unheard of here. The longest I recall queing for a ride at Adventure Island is around 10 minutes.

The beach is situated either side of the park so you can go there any time and have a dip, a sunbathe or a picnic. It's also a sandy beach so is nice and comfortable.

There are plenty of places to eat at Adventure Island including the Jungle Jive Cafe, which is a nice but overpriced fast food resturant. They also sometimes put on shows for kids outside. You can also eat at the Hotdog and Burger Bar, fish and chip shop or buy some yummy treats at the Candy Cottage. Eating inside the park can be quite expensive so you can always eat along one of the seafront stalls.

There is a gift shop where you can purchase anything from balloons and mugs to postcards and sweets.

Southend shopping centre is just across the road from Adventure Island so if you have older kids that you feel confident leaving you can spend a few hours at the shops whilst they play. There are also numerous arcades, seaside shops and a Sealife Adventure nearby.

Being situated on the seaside it can get quite cold and windy so I'd advise going in the summer and checking the weather forecast before you leave.

I'd recommend Adventure Island for kids, teens, families, adults that are young at heart and people that live within a 40 mile radius of Southend (I'm afraid I don't think I would want to travel more than that for Adventure Island).

Summary: Adventures for everybody