Squeals of delight with Peppa Pig
I’M IN the middle of a toddler stampede. We’re at Peppa Pig World, a cartoon annexe of Hampshire’s Paultons Park dedicated to, you guessed it, the hit children’s television series.
Our porcine heroine has emerged to meet her public, and what follows is pre-school pandemonium as 100 little feet come running for a closer look.
Normally, theme parks make me agitated: the hours lost in queues eventually traded for a drenching flume or a nerveshredding rollercoaster; the lingering smell of fat that’s cooked a thousand fries.
But Peppa Pig is to Belle, our three-year-old, what Harry Styles is to a million teenagers, so I park these curmudgeon thoughts with the car on the green fields that surround Paultons Park.
‘We drove five hours to get here,’ one lady tells me as we queue for centrepiece attraction, Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride, which gently whirls riders high above the park in pretend hot-air balloons. ‘Our granddaughter is obsessed with Peppa – we’ll be back again tomorrow.’ Judging by the sea of pushchairs around us, so will plenty of others.
With just seven rides, Peppa Pig World – a teeny theme park within a much bigger one – wouldn’t make much of a dent on the car park at Florida’s Walt Disney World. But since opening in 2011, this corner of Paultons, where attractions include Grandpa Pig’s Little Train and Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter Flight, has proved a massive hit.
It isn’t difficult to see why. It’s a vision of rainbow colours, familiar characters and perfectly mild rides that can quickly make you feel as though you’re striding right into your very own episode (heaven knows, I’ve watched enough).
There’s variety too, with a splash park and adventure playground. And when the skies turn liquid, we retreat – in fact everybody retreats – to George’s Spaceship Indoor Playzone, a soft-play temple that can just about contain the rainsoaked crowds.
The park’s popularity means queue times, especially during school holidays, can be testing for smaller souls, but there are plenty of lesser attractions, music and other little faces to keep them entertained.
There is also an entire shop dedicated to merchandise, but the rides prove fascination enough for Belle.
Don’t neglect the rest of the park, especially if you’ve got older children in tow.
Now more than 30 years old, Paultons was recently voted the tenth-best amusement park in Europe by Trip Advisor users. With rides such as Magma, The Edge and The Cobra, it still feels a little less high-octane than, say, Alton Towers or Thorpe Park, but it’s quite a bit cheaper and perhaps a good match for younger children.
New this year is a beautiful double-decker Victorian-style carousel, which feels like the perfect antidote to the animated fun. A substantial toddlerfriendly sand-pit and paddling pool could also easily entertain for an afternoon alone.
There’s plenty of green space for picnics, too, should you wish to eschew the restaurants, which range from hot-dog stands (yes, even at Peppa Pig World) to Wildwoods, which serves up more interesting fare. If you’re searching for the perfect mini-break for your discerning tot, then this piggy – coupled with the splendour of the New Forest – might just be the ticket.
Altogether now, oink, oink...
Tickets to Paultons Family Theme Park (paultonspark.co.uk), including entrance to Peppa Pig World, cost £23.50 for a one-day pass, bought in advance, or £27 on the day. Children under one metre in height go free.