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Paultons Family Theme Park (Hampshire)
by OWiseYoungOwl
I first went to Paultons Park about 10 years ago when I was still about 14 years old. During the summer holidays my parents always used to do the tour of the theme parks with me, my sisters and my niece who was very younger at the time ( 3 or 4). Paultons Park was by far the best out of all of them for everyone. It was good for my niece ... because obviously it is very geared up towards young children, and over the years have added new features such as Peppa Pig World. For me and my sisters the rides weren't too scary as youngsters but as we have got older they have got some adult rides there which we now find fun. I think my parents found it relaxing - which is alot to say for a theme park! There are not many people and the queues for rides are relatively short.
Over the years the price to get in has gone up, obviously, but then hasn't everything? For an adult the price is £24, although this can be reduced to £21 if you buy in advance on their website. Seniors are £21.50, reduced to £18.50 if paid for in advance. You can get a family ticket of 3 for £69.50 or a family of 4 for £92.00, but this £92 can be reduced to £80 if you buy beforehand so it is well worth thinking about pre-buying tickets. Children under 1 metre go free, now there's something!
Paultons Park is great if you have young children. You walk in and instantly there are play areas, water areas, and picnic areas where you can sit down and let your children play. Of course there are the rides, which have height restrictions but there are alot geared towards very young children. If your children are not into rides and are scared of them, then there is plenty else to do. For instance there is a train that takes you around the park but be warned this does take at least an hour so if it's hot don't forget the suncream! There are also lots of characters walking around handing out balloons, taking pictures etc - all good fun and the children love it!
Throughout the park there are lots of animal enclosures, which of course is fun for the children as well as educational. Most of these are also in the shade, which could prove a welcome relief if you go during the summer months and need a break from the searing heat. There's all sorts of animals from meerkats, birds, flamingos, tortoises, wallabies and penguins - where you can also watch them being fed at certain times of the day.
As for practical issues like toilets and restaurants there seems to be lots of those around. I say restaurants, but they are just quick fast food places, not branded, but they sell hot dog and chips, burger and chips etc. Nothing particularly nice but for what it is it is okay. I suppose that is one of my only complaints that perhaps they could have a "nicer" restaurant where if you did want to eat something other than chips then you could, but it is no big issue. I would suggest if you do not like fast food or fatty foods then to take a picnic because you will not find anywhere that sells anything else.
My only worry is that Paultons Park is expanding and they seem to be getting bigger and bigger rides, geared towards adults which of course will lead to more adults in the park. This is not a problem in itself, but I would quite like Paultons to stay as a young theme park and not a Chessington etc.
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Alton Towers (Staffordshire)
by joey92
Alton Towers is one of Britain's best known theme parks, situated in the countryside of Staffordshire near Uttoxeter and Stoke on Trent.
Now, if you're not sure how to get here, it can be quite tricky. The best way to do it if you're not sure is to head to Uttoxeter and then follow the clear signs to Alton Towers. It's ... probably best to get a map as well. Towns you will go through after Uttoxeter are Denstone and the village of Alton. If you are a new driver (like me) the roads are incredibly steep and windy. There are also busses running from Stoke for guests and staff.
--The Attractions--
The park is huge, it takes about half an hour to walk from one end to the other! At Alton Towers, there is not only a theme park, but multiple conference facilities for business corporate events, a selection of luxury and family friendly hotels and the water park Splash Landings along with restaurants, bars and of course the theme park.
At Halloween and other special occasions, they run themed events such as the Halloween Scarefest.
--The Theme Park--
There are SO many rides, for the fearless and the uncertain. Here's a little summary of some of the main ones in the order we went round.
13.
This is a newer ride, involving a sharp drop and a "scary" theme. You sit down and are held in your seat by a bar which makes the adrenaline rush more intense when you drop. There is a surprise halfway round which I won't disclose.
Rita Queen of Speed
0-60 in 3 seconds or something ridiculous, this is a real adrenaline ride. Make sure to keep your head back in the seat like I didn't as it can really put stress on your neck!!
Nemesis
This is one of the most popular rides, for a reason. One of the older rollercoasters on the park, the track squeaks horrendously as you climb then you are taken round in loops and upside downs (which I am not fond of!) and a minute or so later, its all over. The queues weren't too bad last time we went but I can remember the queues being an hour long the first time I visited!
Bath Tub Ride
I can't remember the name of this one but it's sponsored by a soap company. This is very cold and very wet, with a larger splash depending on how heavy the people at the front are!!
Rapids
You sit in a large ring and bob round the "river" with people from the side paying £1 a go to spray you with water - I got hit in the face!
Air
This is a unique rollercoaster in that you are horizontal to the ground, to imitate a feeling of flying. Quite a gentle coaster for your first rollercoaster! I used to be scared of rollercoasters but I loved this one when I was 12!!
Oblivion
I went on Oblivion for the first time last time I visited the park and you get a gorgeous view from the top of the countryside then you are plunged into a dark hole! This is quite an old coaster as well so don't be alarmed if they take you off the ride (as they did with us!) for regular checks. My new favourite ride!!
Hex
This is a psychological ride, as it seems like you are spinning round and round when in fact you are swaying gently from side to side.
This ride tells the story of the curse which Alton Towers was built around and is a good one for the kids especially!
Ripsaw
You are held upside down while jets spurt water at you! I was lucky enough not to get *too* wet on this one but everyone else got soaked!! I wouldn't advise this if you have just eaten!
The Runaway Mine Train
This ride made me laugh a lot, if only because of the guy who was running it having to repeat the words "Choo choo" a million times over in a very VERY sarcastic tone of voice. A fun gentler rollercoaster for the kids (oh and the big kids like me!)
While you are on the rides, there are places to store luggage and coats. I wouldn't recommend taking anything too valuable that you wouldn't want to lose. Don't have your phone or anything important in your pocket on the upside down rides or the water rides!
--Pricing and Availability--
You can buy tickets on the door but it is probably recommended to book in advance to avoid all the ticket queues. You can buy online from their website at www.altontowers.com. I find the ticket prices pretty extortionate for a day out at £43.50 for an adult on the door. You can get 40% discount by booking online at a slightly more reasonable £26.10. Pay £19.10 per person if you go as a family. Child tickets are priced at £20 online, though on the door both of these are more expensive.
It is then a matter of printing tickets online. I guess I'm lucky as my other half works at Alton Towers so when we went on a day out with two of our friends we all got in for free and we didn't have to queue for tickets!!
There are a few extra costs involved in your day out. Food and drink is priced at the kind of prices you would expect at an attraction. £8 for a burger at a sit down restaurant or £4 for a Burger King, then £5 for a Panini which is what I had.
The car park is extortionate at £6 for a car parking space for the day which would make me feel ripped off if I had paid full ticket price, so it really is a day out for a special occasion.
--Food and Drink--
There are a number of food and drink outlets around the park. You can get a refillable drink for £5 for the day which is good value if you are sharing! We shared this between four of us so it cost £1.25 for fizzy drinks all day (would have been good to have some water too but can't complain at the price!)
I had a Panini with my boyfriend's staff discount and it came to £3.50 so it would be £4.50 at full price. There was a Mexican outlet, many burger outlets, a fried chicken place and a few mini restaurants as well as many kiosks offering snacks and drinks.
One thing I would say is that there are limited options for healthy food which I was really craving on the day so take a picnic if you are uncertain of spending a lot on junk food!
--The Car park--
The main car park is some distance from the actual park, but there is a cable car which takes you across the park called the Skyride.
--Summary--
A great day out for friends or family, but recommended for a treat as the prices are so high!
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Pettitts Animal Adventure Park (Norfolk)
by Phil Cox
Take your kids here if you want them to get cancer and want to re-mortgage your house in the process. The entrance fee is astronomic (not sure why I was surprised by this as it is excluded from their leaflets) particularly given the attractions inside. To be fair, the main play area is one of the better around; but at over £35 for 2 ... adults and a child one would expect more animals in larger compounds and a larger selection of other attractions.
Don't take a buggy as although this is aimed at young families they gravel the entire site making it extremely hard work to push this around.
Also make sure you bring a packed lunch as you will then not need to eat at the café, where staff are allowed to smoke in the external dining areas. So your children can have their intake of tar and nicotine along with their (deep fried) fish fingers. And the prices here are more exorbitant than the entrance fee! But if you forget your lunch then you should know that Maxi Snaks is inexplicably 50p cheaper than the café on all items.
The rides are not staffed all the time meaning unnecessary waiting times, as well as unnecessary waiting as they forgot to put the fish fingers in the deep fat fryer. And when the staff return to the unmanned rides, they feel it acceptable to amble along and stop for a chat with colleagues en route.
My partner complained to Sue, who was lovely and very understanding and didn't disagree with any of our views. She asked that she complain to Graham, who runs the café and snack bar. He was extremely rude, glared at her, called her "luv" repeatedly and saw no problem with his staff smoking in the family dining areas as it was "outside".
I am somewhat surprised by the number of positive views as the attraction represents to my mind extremely poor value for money. That said, my daughter had an great time but then she, a 4 year old, has no concept of either the entry fee or the damage to her health caused by nicotine and deep fried food.
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