Peppa Pig World

Peppa Pig World

Peppa Pig World

We went in March, so very off peak, but it was a weekend. Booking online is advantageous - not only do you get a discount, but you avoid the queue and go straight in. We arrived at 9.45am in plenty of time for the start of the rides at 10. We were asked to get the very obviously little babies out of the pushchair and make them stand under the height restriction bar, which seemed officiously unnecessary to me. It was hell making them go back in the buggy. But they do get in free being under a metre! Nb there are buggies you can hire while there - not sure how much use they are really, but they seem to be light and spacious and maybe a tired child won't mind sitting in something different.

If you decide to abandon the buggy, it's a bit of a walk with tiny tots to the part of Paultons that houses Peppa Pig World, but there are things to see on the way, with some unusual birds etc.

The first thing you need to check are the times of events. Peppa and George come out onto the balcony of their little house and greet the hoards. If you don't get there in advance you will be stuck at the back with screaming kids. So check the times and wait for a few minutes. This way daddy can lift the little ones and they can give the monstrously gigantic Peppa a kiss and a cuddle.

Peppa Pig World has pretty much everything you need to entertain a child from 2-6. The rides are lovely and the play area safe. The shop is excellent and has all things Peppa. Don't go in if you are short of cash, the temptation to buy is bad enough for parents...your child, however, will be on it's knees begging you.

A word on queuing though; the queues very quickly stack up, so choose your initial rides wisely, they may be the only ones you manage. We stayed till after lunch and the queues by then were up to 15 minutes. That may not seem a lot, but you can re-enact this at home. Tell your child that they can have some chocolate cake, the most delicious and yummy ever, but then stand in the hallway and, moving a few inches every two minutes, take a quarter of an hour to get to the kitchen. By the tenth minute your child will probably have gnawed your leg off. I've heard that the queues can be up to an hour on peak days, which would be impossible for us with two year olds.

You may also need to get your two year old to understand the concept of the ride, in that it's over quickly. My son LOVED the car ride and screamed with pleasure all the way through, which quickly changed to screams of a different kind when he was suddenly expected to get out. The idea of it ending did not compute with him.

The cafe is limited to cold food, which is a bit of a shame and I think they could have made much more of it (thinking of Daddy Pig's obsession with chocolate cake!). They do lunch boxes for just over £4, with flexible filling, which is not unreasonable and they are nice for the little ones. Probably easier to bring your own food, which I wish I had done.

The toilets are spacious and clean. They are also toddler height!

There are rides close by, not part of Peppa Pig World, for adrenaline junkie toddlers and when we go again we will let our daughter have a go with daddy (mummy doesn't need the added effect of a strong gravitational pull to stretch her ageing skin any further).

My one brilliant suggestion is that the barriers erected for the queues could easily be painted and decorated with characters and mini puzzles to keep the little ones entertained while waiting.

All in all a lovely day, but certainly not cheap.