Chessington and Legoland binned - any recommendations for days out?

[CrispieCake]

We've recently had shit days out at both Chessington and Legoland. Just dreadful from start to finish. I have a fairly hyperactive 7yo and the expectation that young children will queue quietly for hours for rides that last a couple of minutes max is just unbelievable. DC is a bit of a wuss too so a couple of times we waited in line and then he decided when we got to the front that he didn't want to do the ride. So we paid a fortune to... queue. I would rather have a wisdom tooth extracted than spend another minute in places like this.

We're not badly off, but like many other families feeling the pinch a bit. We're not doing an abroad holiday this year, just a few days seaside break and day trips. I can't afford to spend £150+ for my DC to have a shit time and to come home feeling stressed and mugged.

Any recommendations for days out? Any places that you'd blacklist/put in the bin? Useful to know the ages of your DC too.

Based south-east but happy to travel/camp.

I'll start.

Bin
Legoland
Chessington
Thorpe Park

Recommend
Hobbledown
Bocketts Farm
Roarr! (Norfolk)

@CordylineCapybara

See if the train is running at abbey park in Leicester, also there's a museum there (was free pre COVID) that used to have kids activities in the holidays. Space centre is better for a bit older

And top tip - if they still do them, get your kids interested in blue Peter and earn a badge, we saved a fortune and the silver badge dd had was a real talking point at attractions.

My DC can stand in a queue for a reasonable length of time, although doesn't enjoy it. But we were queuing 40-90 minutes for some rides, some of which my DC didn't actually want to go on by the time we reached the front and actually saw them😬!

I suppose one could spin it as a life-skill - "Come to Legoland and teach your child how to queue! - but the ticket price seems a bit steep for something we can practice at length for free in our local Post Office. They can usually guarantee you at least a 20 minute queue so we tend to do our queuing practice there.

Hobbledown Heath is good

Hollycombe Funfair Museum in Liphook is really charming. It’s one ticket to last all year - £14.00 last time we went Basically a field full of old steam funfair rides like carousels, chair-o-planes, a big wheel etc. They also have a little train and some donkeys I think. Good for a picnic. The carousels never really have a queue but you might have to wait a few mins for some of the other rides but it’s never been tiresome.

Brooklands Motor museum

Wisley RHS - membership makes it amazing value for sunny day scampering + they have something good going on every school holiday. Its our best value children’s ’thing’ for the year.

I recommend Hever Castle on a warm day. There's a fabulous water maze that kept my DC happy for hours when they were younger. There's also a dry maze, rowing boats, a playground, the castle itself and they also do jousting weekends (bring a sun shade).

We also did a lovely weekend trip once, with a day at Paulton's theme park and the next day taking the ferry over to the Isle of Wight. We took the car and spent the day at Osborne House. There's a little beach with an ice cream hut and lots of events on for kids.

Mine used to love Bewilderwood in Norfolk. DH grumpily called it an expensive walk in the woods, but it wasn't really aimed at his age group.

If you visit Littlehampton you're near Arundel Castle too which often has a fun medieval festival thing going on in summer holidays - my dc loved it.

If you do go down to Littlehampton, there's a fantastic pick-your-own farm with tractor rides included in the price. Link:

They’ve stopped doing that now and you also get a limited number of rides with your ticket. It’s still good value and we found that between us and the kids there were enough rides between us. The big wheel was in service last year - not sure whether it’s back this year or next. We go quite a bit as the kids love it there.

Trentham Monkey Forest in stoke. Over 140 monkeys freely roaming whilst you walk through the forest. Lots of interesting facts told to you by the staff who are absolutely lovely. Feeding times regularly through the day. A couple of large outdoor play areas on the site and a large indoor and outdoor cafe. Only £10 each.

Best day out we have had in years. I hate all the major supposedly child friendly attractions. They always turn out to be pretty shit and very stressful

wonder if you live in Surrey as all those places are near me.

There’s Godstone farm & Priory farm discovery walk that we love too!

I took DD to Chessington last year but she was just about to turn 4 and in nursery so could do a Thursday and it was super quiet. Longest queue was 20mins if that. My friend went on the following Sunday and it was insane - they only managed to get on two rides the entire day! Put me off taking her again until she's much older which is a shame because she loved it but I'm not forking out on fast passes on top of entry.

Hobbledown in Epsom is great - went last summer on a Saturday and it was busy but not crowded.

London Transport Museum is a firm fave for us.

Priory Farm just outside Redhill is great too!

If your 7yo loves animals, Port Lympne is great in Kent

If you are going to Beaulieu, look also at Buckler's Hard. You pay to park and can buy a trip on the river but entrance is free. Go to the website for more details

Not exactly on the doorstep, but we've always found Longleat to be worth the journey. Dd loves the safari.

We took our son (aged 7) to legoland and booked the castle hotel during term time during......absolutely worth the £400...no ques, amazing memories, we are doing the same for halloween this year. Think you just need to avoid school holidays and weekends for theme parks.

Avoid shreks adventure in London. That's a pile of rubbish.

Paradise wildlife park is good

British Wildlife Centre
Crystal Palace Park - dinosaurs
Bushy Park/Richmond Park - Deer
Tilgate Park
Take the train down to Brighton for the day

Might not be worth travelling for but my kid loves rides but hates queueing and is also quite happy if he can run around and explore (age 10) - have you looked at Forbidden Corner? No rides, just a huge garden with lots of features to explore. Fantasy themed. Easier to watch a vid about it on YouTube probably, to decide.

I'm with you OP why the hell you should you pay £££ to have a shit time.

Fishers farm in West Sussex is our fav farm, above bocketts and hobbledown

Has more rides/equitment pls donutting which kids LOVE,

Butlins Bognor Regis is great value for day passes on Term Time weekends (next availability in July though). More expensive on holiday weekends, but potentially more shows on too.

You get access to lots of fairground rides, soft play, the swimming pools and some of the shows.

www.butlins.com/discover-butlins/day-visits

The cost per person for legoland and chessingtin I thought was pretty cheap when you think about how much it must cost to run the place and staff and look after tge animals etc.
Everyone always wants to go to Winter Wonderland in London....its £9 each fir the roller Amsterdam and most rides I paid between £5-£8 per person for. Then £30 for 3 hot dogs.
You're getting alot for your money at a theme park.....why you won't take your child out of school as sick 1 day is beyond me. My kid is the top of his class with the lowest attendance ....you just need to educate them too to keep them up.

Someone mentioned Bewilderwood. Forgot about this place and it's brilliant!! Worth going. Perhaps you should visit thomasland or somewhere and introduce him to the small rides to give him confidence first

Banstead Woods is nice - loads of Narnia wooden sculptures

Agree with this, we aren't from your neck of the woods OP, but National Trust days out have never failed us, we have a 5yo and they usually have lots on in school holidays, they did summer of play last year and it was brill! They're often not mega expensive either.

I agree it's shit that you have to pay a fortune for these attractions but to make it half decent you have to spend a shedload more money.