For those with children under five there is
no way on this planet you wouldn’t have heard of the kids TV show Peppa
Pig. Most likely, you will have watched
every episode at least eighteen times and be able to sing the songs and quote
the catchphrases in your sleep. Every
type of Peppa Pig merchandise imaginable is available, so it should come as no
surprise that there is also a Peppa Pig World.
In short, Las Vegas for toddlers.
My daughter Coco LOVES Peppa Pig, and
consequently she watches far more episodes than she probably should. But there is just something about that pink
little pig that makes her smile. With
the impending arrival of a new brother or sister for Coco, I wanted to do
something for her that would be super exciting. So Coco and I, my sister-in-law Maria and
her two children Emmie and Sam set off to the mecca that is Peppa Pig World
last weekend for two full days of piggy filled fun.
Situated just off the M27 near Southampton,
Peppa Pig World is actually part of the larger theme park Paultons Park, so if
you have older kids they should be happy bunnies too. Tickets allow you entry into the entire park,
which Peppa Pig World is part of, but due to this the price for tickets is pretty
steep and any child over 1 meter tall has to pay an adult price. Kids under this height go for free.
Now, as with any theme park, Peppa Pig
World is no paradise, but I’m not ashamed to say that I was almost as excited
as Coco and her cousins as we approached the entrance. Life sized figures of Peppa, her family and friends
filled the park, dotted around a wide variety of amusement rides and
games. You can take a ride in Daddy
Pig’s car, Grandpa Pig’s boat or fly in Miss Rabbit’s helicopter. There are real-life costume characters for
kids to cuddle and on sunny days there is a large outdoor play area and small
splash park. Should the heavens open,
there is also an indoor soft play area, but luckily enough we didn’t have to
make use of this as we only got caught out in one downpour. The majority of the
rides were very gentle, so even pregnant ladies and tiny tiddlers can enjoy. Plus there are also plenty of rides in
Paultons Park suitable for youngsters too.
The carousel was our favourite.
As with all theme parks, the food was a bit questionable, but we found
the Wilderness restaurant at the entrance to serve the best quality grub.
Once the sun had set on Peppa Pig World (or
in our case the kids had been on so many rides they were practically
cross-eyed), we headed off to Macdonald Botley Park Hotel near Hedge End
roughly 25mins car drive away. One of
the many hotels associated with Peppa Pig World, they helped keep the piggy
magic alive with Peppa Pig themed activity packs and menus. The rooms were large, spacious and
comfortable and they offered a good variety of kid’s food options. The only downside was that the restaurant
wasn’t open until 6.30pm and it took a long time for the kid’s food to come
out, so by the time the kids hit their beds they were totally burnt out.
(Sorry for the blurry photo - they wouldn't stay still for long!)
As a consequence, the second day of Peppa
Pig World was slightly less magical and more manic. We first arrived on a Sunday and we assumed
that this would be the busier of the two days, but actually Monday was far
crazier. Whereas Paultons Park was a
little calmer, every eager parent with kids younger than school age opted for
the mid-week option thinking it would be quieter. Unfortunately this meant the queues were
longer and the sound of over-tired toddlers more audible. In hindsight, perhaps one day might have been
enough, but to be honest I would have stayed all week just to watch Coco’s
little face as she waved hello to Daddy and Mummy Pig endlessly. It was well worth the visit.
For more info on the rides and amusements
at Peppa Pig World & Paultons Park, and the different tickets and overnight
packages on offer, please click here.
We stayed at Macdonald Botley Park Hotel,
near Hedge End. For further information
on this hotel please click here.
Hope you have as much fun as we did!
Gemma x
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