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Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

west midlands safari park - any tips?

22 replies

Tutter · 30/09/2007 20:34

planning on visiting for 3 or 4 hours on a monday morning (arrive 10ish, leave 2ish after lunch?) - is this long enough? too long?

lunching advice?

going with 2.4yo and 10 week old

OP posts:
SlightlyMadSweden · 30/09/2007 20:39

They say that the reserves are busiest around luch so I would go in the reserves at 10 if you get there on time. If you are running late you might want to do it on your way out.

You will get a voucher for a free return visit (I think you have to go back by Nov). If you are planning on using this then concentrate on the reserves and animal houses on first visit when you pay £10 to get in. Do the reserves and theme park on second visit when you get in for free and pay £10 for rides. TBH yours may be too young for rides.

I would take picnic (as always with this kind of place), but if need be the best place we found was a themed safari restaurant just before you go down to the rides where you can get some quite nice fresh filled bagettes (although a little pricey £3ish IIRC) rather than the burgers and stuff available opposite the hippos.

HTH

southeastastra · 30/09/2007 20:40

watch out for loose chimps

SlightlyMadSweden · 30/09/2007 20:41

If there are loose chimps I would be seriously worried as they will have travelled a bloody long way as I don't think there are chimps at WMSP

SlightlyMadSweden · 30/09/2007 20:41

Rhinos charging at your car on the other hand....

Tutter · 30/09/2007 20:41

sea

thanks for that sms - we aren't local so will need to do the best things there and then

so - reserve first, then animal houses...?

OP posts:
MaryBleedinPoppins · 30/09/2007 20:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Washersaurus · 30/09/2007 20:44

The monkeys were all shot.

Take picnic; food is dreadful - restaurant manky.

Tutter · 30/09/2007 20:45

ah

stayin at hotrel night before so picnic poss not available - will ask if they can do us one

OP posts:
southeastastra · 30/09/2007 20:49

one monkey was shot, the other gave itself up

Washersaurus · 30/09/2007 20:49

Do the safari drive bit first then try and catch one of the animal feeding/show times - think they do a good sealion show now.

Tutter · 30/09/2007 20:51

sea, have you been drinking

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southeastastra · 30/09/2007 20:52

no! it's true, at whipsnade zoo yesterday

SlightlyMadSweden · 30/09/2007 21:36

Yes the Sea lion show was OK. Have seen bigger and better your 2.4yo will enjoy it.

You will get a list of activity times when you go in, and pick what you fancy.

Some of the encounters are quite basic. As far as I could see the snake one was literally a man with a snake allowing the kids to touch the snake - which they found exciting. If you are in the rihgt place at the right time worth a look. Not necessarily worth running from the other end of the park 2 mins before it starts IYSWIM. Didn't do any of the others though.

Also if your LO is toilet trained you can stop in the main carpark for the loo before you drive around he reserves as it takes a while.

It took us nearly 2hrs but it was a busy time.

SlightlyMadSweden · 30/09/2007 21:41

OMG she hasn't been drinking

Beauregard · 30/09/2007 21:44

You will probably drive by near to where i live Tutter.

southeastastra · 30/09/2007 21:44

bloomin cheek!

SlightlyMadSweden · 30/09/2007 21:45

There you go - PFNM could make you a nice MN friendly picnic for you to collect en route

Beauregard · 30/09/2007 21:47

Could do yes if you tell me when you are coming?

SlightlyMadSweden · 30/09/2007 21:47
Scoobi6 · 30/09/2007 21:54

We went a few weeks ago, the food available there is v expensive and limited choice so take something in if you can, even if you have to buy from a petrol station or something. We ended up spending more on food and drinks than on the entry tickets

Hippo feeding was a good event to catch if you can. You stand on a bridge over the hippo lake and throw in the veg for them to eat. Sealion show is quite good fun for kiddies.

We didn't bother with the rides because dd only 10 mo, I think they do have rides suitable for toddlers but you have to pay extra. 3-4 hours you might be pushing it to do the safari drive (this takes 1-1.5 hours off peak, dep how fast you want to drive round it), animal houses and rides. If you go into the safari drive bear in mind there are no loos/getting out of car until you are out again! Is excellent though, designed so you get good views of all the animals

SlightlyMadSweden · 30/09/2007 21:55

We missed the hippo feeding - sounds like it was one we should have done

DontCallMeBaby · 30/09/2007 22:00

I've been twice over the 'summer'. First time - bank holiday, utter disaster. Got there pretty much as it opened, but it was heaving, decided to go round the reserve as it was never likely to get any better. DD sulked and refused to look at the animals, needed a wee (hurray for spacious car, slow-moving traffic and portable potty) and eventually we took advantage of one of the unofficial shortcuts being offered by park staff to get disgruntled visitors out of the reserve.

Then we went to the amusement park, which was far more successful, so much so that I used the free return ticket to go back with a friend and her daughter (you can go back with the same number of paying visitors, and the exact same car) on a weekday. Plenty of rides that the girls could go on (they are both 3, but as the first height 'band' is 80 to 100cm the same should be true of your 2.4yo), including all the ones in the top left of the map (www.wmsp.co.uk/downloads/wmsp_parkmap.pdf) that are suitable ONLY for that height range, ie no adults. BTW the list of rides on the website is slightly out of date, the map is more accurate but of course doesn't give the height restrictions.

The thing you'll need to look out for with the rides at a non-peak time like you're talking about, they seem to cut their staffing by only opening the rides for a limited time during each hour. There will be an additional notice on the information sign for each ride saying that it will be open from 10 to 'til 10 past the hour, for example.

If there's any chance your 2.4yo will enjoy the rides, a wristband works out as a good buy. Both times I bought three tickets for myself, and didn't use all (I think I used one last time, to go on the carousel).

If your 2.4yo is potty trained, schedule a loo-stop before you go up to the top left corner, the walk back is interminable with a dancing toddler (loos are by the hippos).

I think that is all I have to divulge.

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