London Sealife Center or a Safari Park for toddler and teenager?

[BlueBumedFly]

We want to get out and about this Saturday with an almost 3 year old and a 12 year old. Weather looks okay-ish but cold.

Do we take the plunge and train into town (about an hour) and go to the Sealife Center or drive outside London for a Safari Park?

Any ideas most welcome. If you buy tickets to the aquarium online do you then still have to queue to get in?

12 year old not over-keen on crowds and toddler never been on a train! I am liking both ideas but am really not sure. If we drive would not want to go further than 1.5 hours really which allows for Portsmouth Aquarium, is it any good? Or Woburn Safari/Whipsanade?

Please help me decide - many thanks

Is Longleat too far for you? That's great for toddlers as not only do they have monkeys that jump on your car but also a Postman Pat town! There is enough to keep the teenager happy too, including a maze you could lose her in for a while.

Sorry I don't know anything about the sealife centres or the other parks you mention!

Stranded- thanks but sadly yes, its about 2.5 hours. We did go there last summer whilst at CenterParcs and the kids did love it.

Thanks anyway and happy easter!

I'd go for a Safari Park personally. I find sealife centres quite expensive and with not as much to do, unless of course the children have a strong interest in sea creatures.

we went to the London aquarium recently, it was v. good, though dd1 was a bit tired by the end (there was more to it than I remembered from the previous visit), and we went on a friday so it was pretty quiet. Might be less fun when very busy, though I reckon if you turned up early it wouldn't be so bad.
Not sure re tickets and queuing, i would say though that it is pretty expensive but we managed to save ourselves 16 quid by getting a 2-for-1 days out voucher from a leaflet at the station.

Thanks guys, the kids just love animals, the youngest prob more into the fish than the elder for sure. 2 for 1 deals ended now for Easter which is a shame as I had my heart set on that deal!

Just read that Woburn has an indoor play area too so that might have just tilted the balance, somewhere to warm up and drink some coffee whilst DD3 runs about

I was starting to have nightmares about the train ride home with a very tired toddler and a teen who gets freaked out in crowds,... could be a recipe for disaster, at least in the car one or both can snooze