Paultons Park is perhaps best known for being the home to the one and only Peppa pig world, however there is so much to explore, this family owned and family friendly theme park is one of the best in the U.K. and with so much to explore I wanted to share with you some of our best bits and hints and tips for your visit. Including how we got a budget friendly Peppa Pig Mini Break.
How to plan a Peppa Pig Mini Break
First things first check the website and download the app to plan your day. If your child is old enough and tall enough to enjoy some of the rollercoaster rides then I would head to the opposite side of the park first thing and leave exploring Peppa Pig World until later on – the majority of toddlers were napping in their strollers by mid afternoon as parents enjoyed picnics in the beautiful gardens and we found queue sizes for the most popular rides had reduced dramatically by then.
Pack your swimsuits – Paultons park has one of the biggest Splash Pads Arlo has ever experienced, and a smaller version too. We hired lockers for £4 just near to the main entrance which we could use as many times as we needed through the whole day and this was great as we doubled back to use the splash pad twice when the sun was highest in the sky as it was great to cool off. We also stored our picnic and snack bags here to save carrying too much around the park with us. One good thing about this theme park is that there’s plenty of taps throughout to refill your water bottles so if you’re on a budget then you can take everything you need and not spend any extra money at all.
The Lost Kingdom
We began our day in the Lost Kingdom, arriving early we spent a little time in the gardens before the gates opened meeting flamingoes and other exotic birds before rushing to try out some of the rollercoasters first, and we found that we didn’t need to queue longer than ten minutes for some of the biggest rides. I noticed that the attention to detail within the grounds of the park is second to none. The levels of cleanliness are second to none and the botanicals are chosen to really compliment each areas themes. It really did feel like Jurassic Park with the exotic palms and ferns and we found dinosaurs around every corner much to Arlo’s delight. There were also plenty of benches dotted around to take a rest. As a side note I clocked up 20,000 steps on my Fitbit!
We spent about an hour on this side of the park before finding the splash pad and having a pause to review the app and check some ride queue times to decide where to explore next. There were digital notice boards around the park displaying queue times which helped massively.
Critters Creek
Critters Creek was top of the list for Arlo, we we went to the Beastie Burrow to meet and greet all sorts of creatures such as the most beautifully coloured chameleon and then heading on to the Cat O Pillar coaster where we had lots of fun spotting some mixed up critters – have you ever seen a donkey with wings before? This area was the quietest in the whole park and fun to enjoy a more relaxed pace to break up the day. The gardens just beside this area provided great picnic spots for families too.
Tornado Springs
New for 2021 this area of the park transports you in to middle America and it feels like you’ve arrived just after a hurricane has made an exit. There’s cows stuck in rooftops and all sorts of fun things to spot, especially if you can keep your eyes open on the Storm Chaser. This was the busiest area in the park for us and we loved the hustle and bustle, queue of for twenty minutes at peak time for the Storm chaser was worth it, worth it for the adrenaline rush! 
Arlo’s favourite thing to do in this land was the play area which was fun for him to run around in for a good half an hour and give us a moments rest. We decided to eat at the nearby Route 83 Diner and so he could play whilst we were waiting for our food order. The food here was simple basket meals, surprisingly good for theme Park food, with a hot dog and chips costing around the £10 mark. This restaurant was fairly busy, we ordered using self service screens and then waited about fifteen minutes. Finding a table was easy they were being cleaned by the team as soon as they were vacated for quick rotation. I may as well add at this point that I noticed the toilets throughout the park were also maintained to a high standard and there were family friendly facilities everywhere too.
Arlo earnt his driving licence in this area and enjoyed the big thrill seeking rides – even if he seemed a little anxious at first so after this I decided we all needed another tranquil pause, going on the Rio Grande train ride was a nice relaxing ride and the time where Arlo got his first glimpse of Peppa Pig World as we went on a trail around the grounds. I spotted some more quiet corners which I noted for later on.
Just at the far end of the park is a working water wheel, and an enclosure of pelicans with some picnic benches, and a lovely lake to wander around. I think it’s great that Paultons Park balances the high octane areas with enough spaces to take a break away from the crowds, especially with the high number of families with young children. I had a little time to read about the history of the grounds and John and Anne’s garden, there’s a nature walk near to the Lost Kingdo which is a other quiet space to walk in a woodland environment which is great if you need a shaded cooler spot on a warm day too. If you’re an adult taking older children to the park then it’s great to note that there spaces to escape from the hustle and bustle whilst the kids have fun, or maybe a spot to walk a baby in the pram whilst the siblings queue up with another adult. 
Peppa Pig World
The main event of course is Peppa Pig world and it really does feel as though you’ve stepped in to another dimension, the music and scenery transports you directly in to the cartoon and again the attention to detail does not go unnoticed. There’s rides for every possible feature of the popular TV show you can imagine, and they’re all expertly designed playing close attention to the illustrative style of the cartoon. From hot air balloons to George’s dinosaur and everything in between.
We tried out the queens flying Coach ride first mid afternoon because it had a five minute queue time and I wanted to get a good view over the park to let Arlo decide what to go on next. Each of the rides in this area had a queue time of about ten-fifteen minutes which we didn’t mind. We spent our time playing eye spy and chatting about Peppa Pig – Arlo was most excited about being able to go on to the Dinosaur adventure alone. The rides in this area are all designed with young children in mind making it the ideal first family friendly theme park to visit and give them a taste for adventure.
You could easily book a nearby hotel and take two days to explore everything the park has to offer, with short breaks available to book on the website if you like to tick every ride off the list. Tickets are £37.75 for all over 1m tall if you book in advance on the website.
Where to book for a Peppa Pig mini break
We opted to book a nearby Premier Inn. I was looking for the cheapest option nearby and got a deal for £39 only twenty mins drive from the park. I wasn’t expecting much but the site at Southampton West Quay was perfect – on a retail park with a cinema, bowling, several restaurants and a handy convenience shop for snacks. Great views of some cruise ships too. Premier Inn are perhaps the only brand of nearby hotels which do not offer the 241 tickets and give you a second day free – but for the price we paid I was happy and didn’t need a second park day as we had made the most of it.
We chose to drive down the day before, stay overnight and then get up early to get to the park at opening to make the most of our day.
We were kindly invited to review Paultons Park with complimentary tickets however as always all opinions are my own
Last Updated on 2 years by Lavania Oluban
Not sure I could take any more Peppa Pig! 😅