'theme' park and safari/zoo - toddler recommendations and other suggestions

[BalconiWaferAddict]

Looking to take our will-be 21month old away for a few days in early September. 3 days somewhere and ideally want to include a zoo or safari.

Currently looking at Milton Keynes (Gullivers/Woburn Safari) - anyone have any advice on whether this is worth in regarding how many things LO could do at the theme park? Is the accommodation at Gullivers decent - the dens look really small and like they won't fit a travel cot?

Or do you recommend somewhere totally different? We're south coast based so ideally within a 3 hour drive would be good.

Ime way too young to appreciate

We took ds to Longleat at nearly 2.. Wasted. At nearly 5 he absolutely loved it. Making it a 3 yearly trip!!

At that age a nice farm park is just as good. Also the big zoos are just too much to get round at that age.
Farms tend to have play equipment more suitable for little ones too.
If you do want a 'zoo' - Doncaster wildlife park is good, as is Chester zoo.

I’d wait until he no longer needs an afternoon nap

Paultons Park featuring Peppa Pig World. Some animals although not a safari/zoo quantity. Fab water play zone. Drayton Manor has Thomas Land and a zoo section - though is near Birmingham so not South Coast.

Been to both with 2/3 year olds, both absolutely fab and well geared up for little ones. I’d be tempted to wait a year though, he’ll get far more out of it and it’s not cheap.

Or Chessington has a zoo. Not sure how suitable the rides would be though, we’ve not been since the children were born.

Woburn is lovely, but at that age mine didn’t get much from the drive through section - they invariably fell asleep. It’s expensive for what they get out of it.

Honestly, I’d agree that a farm park or small local zoo will be just as fun for him though. I’d go next year. If you want to go away this year I’d look for somewhere with a good indoor play area, maybe a petting zoo, a swimming pool maybe with a splash area....

Cotswold Wildlife Park

At that age a nice farm park where they can stroke animals, perhaps have a pony ride and a good playground with eg ride on tractors is perfect. Leave the big (expensive) places for when they appreciate it. If you fancy a break pick somewhere you will enjoy - at that age we made sure we had a pushchair for evenings but my DD's loved a hotel with a buffet (and ideally a waffle making machine), little pool maybe, pubs that allow kids in

Also sea life centres at that age are always a winner ✅

The absolute best drive through safari is the West midland safari park but whether a toddler would find it that interesting is another matter . We went to Woburn just after lockdown last year and the drive through part was frankly woeful .

Thomas land at Drayton Manor, also has a zoo on site and the hotel is nice. Might be too far but mine loved it at that age (still do at 5 and 3)

Beekse Bergen in the Netherlands. Book with Eurocamp. Has a safari park and 'theme park' (more of an adventure playground with some rides) on site. If you're in the South East and can get to Dover easily, it's about a 3 hour drive from Calais.

At that age I doubt your DC will be that bothered by the animals for long. You want somewhere that also has lots of play areas/sandpits etc

I know you might not be thinking of abroad this year but I do highly recommend Beekse Bergen for families with young children. The Dutch just get how to accommodate children.

You get to the theme park (Speelland) by boat and can get to the safari park either by road train or the safari bus. All very exciting for little ones (and all included in the cosy of your stay).

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/holland/hl013-beekse-bergen/ataglance.html

Agree that Sealife Centres beat zoos at that age - little ones find it hard to spot the animals but the fish stand out well.

Chessington has everything you are looking for - theme park with a number of rides for little ones, zoo and sealife centre. You could easily do two days there.

Thanks all! You’re right I just want to get away and do something 😆 partial mummy-guilt going on as I’m eyeing up a nice overnight spa break for our anniversary and leaving the toddler with my parents for a night. We live very close to a big zoo so we’ll be going there anyway in the summer.

Will look into aquariums and beaches instead :)

Peppa pig world.
Marwell zoo

Hotel. Breaks for paultons is 2nd day entry free.
Free parking.

If stay a 3rd day marwell is 30 min away.

I agree it is a bit wasted at this age and can be very expensive. It might be better to find somewhere that's more like a farm with a petting zoo type thing and tractor rides would be my suggestion x

Near Southampton we have

1. Paultons Park incl Peppa Pig World (and penguins & meerkats)
2. Marwell Zoo (bit of a hike, def need the pushchair)
3. Longdown Dairy Farm (can usually bottle feed goats)
4. New Forest Wildlife Park (deer, wolves, otters, owls, ..) Don't know their current opening status though.

Drusillas is good for that age. Where on South Coast are you? Mine also liked Knockhatch adventure park near Hailshan and, if you are nearish to Kent, the Rare Breeds Centre in Woodchurch is lovely.

Paultons/Marwell definitely. And then other places as @TeenMinusTests says. I’m assuming you’re not near that bit of the south coast...

I am still scared from a trip to a wildlife attraction with my 1 year old that she bloody hated. Biggest waste of 100 quid ever. Would have got as much use burning the money. The thing she enjoyed the most was a bit of string she found on the grass. Abs then on the way out she discovered the pay to ride on car things and we felt so guilty about how shit she’d found the whole day we spent a fortune. She then knew exactly what those rides were any time we went anywhere else with them.

@SmednotaSmoo I am indeed :) roughly 15minutes from either one

Hello neighbour ;)

May be too far from you, but Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire is amazing. They've got a massive petting barn, a proper zoo (lions, rhinos, giraffes, penguins, the lot) and another massive barn with historic fairground rides you can go on.

You’ve had some good suggestions on this thread, and I’m just posting to say don’t go to gullivers in MK. While I’ve only been to the gullivers dinosaur park next door, and not the main park, the dinosaur park is dirty and run down and I would expect the main park to be similar. And while I’m not that fussy and did have fun at the dinosaur park (and returned), it’s not somewhere you want to go for a nice short break. And Woburn is better for older kids.

Hi, new on here. Has anyone been to fonmon castle and dinosaur park in Cardiff and the dinosaur park in Tenby - which one offers better value for money for two dc (11yrs and 7yrs) both like dinosaurs but love space to run and play

@jmc1977 Been to both, but Fonmon comes up as the winner for my little family. So much space for kids to run around and the play park there is lovely. Staff are great with the kids too, my 5 year old talked one of their ears off and she smiled, laughed, and answered all his questions! Brilliant day out.