On Monday, I strapped in two very excited kids (2.5yrs and 5yrs) to go to Flamingo Land. The weather forecast was patchy so the bags were packed accordingly. My mother in law met us there to help look after Eliza to ensure Henry could go on the rides he was tall enough for. She definitely wasn’t going to get wet, waterproofs at the ready!
We arrived at 10am to make the most of it. We thought we would head straight for Peter Rabbit. However, there was a little swerve into Dino-Stone Park due to Henry spotting the dinosaurs, to say he is fanatical is an understatement! First ride was the Twistosaurus which he loved! Eliza had a little look in the Dino Dig but like her brother was more transfixed by the model dinosaurs, which are fantastic and a massive hit with all small dinosaur lovers! Granny was dragged on Dino Roller which I think its safe to say Henry enjoyed more than his accomplice. This is a great area of the park….
Eliza was by now pestering to find Peter Rabbit. Even Henry agreed, we should “hop to it”. This is a great area for the smaller visitors as there are lots of things for them to do, see, touch and play with. It really encourages imaginative play. For us, the best bit was that this is a fairly enclosed area and therefore you can sit down and enjoy a cuppa whilst the kids play. Eliza loved Pig Robinson’s farm, growing vegetables and packed them in the pull cart which she them enjoyed dragging around. We were there early and therefore it was fairly quiet which was awesome and allowed them to really enjoy it, exploring everything whilst we enjoyed a seat. We passed through later in the afternoon and it was busy, all kids looked to be having a great time but it may not have been that relaxing for the parents!
It is 20 years since I last visited Flamingo Land on a school trip, at the time Thunder Mountain, the Corkscrew and the Bullet were the “must do” rides. The zoo was big but nothing like as impressive as it is today. The kids really wanted to see the different animals so we had a lovely walk round spotting the various species. All Henry could talk about on the way there was flamingos – “there will be some won’t there Mummy?” Flamingo Land lived up to the name and didn’t disappoint….phew, that would have taken some explaining. The Black Rhinos are incredible and were really active so great fun to watch. They are impressive animals and Eliza was particularly transfixed. The Zoo Monorail was a lovely way to see the animals.
Lunch called, Boma Cafe was quick, nice and ok for price. The biggest annoyance was the wasps but it was evident that pest control was in place – with food and this time of year, it is to be expected.
The Children’s Planet is great and well thought through, particularly for the shorter guest. The windows in the walls mean, that Eliza could really enjoy the animals. They enjoyed spotting the animals in Reptile River, more than me, who definitely isn’t keen on snakes and that python was sizey! It goes without saying that the play area is a big hit!
The Tractor Ride is lovely, meaning they could drive me around, marvellous. How I wish I wasn’t the taxi driver in “real life”!
The Sea Lion Show was certainly a highlight. Merlin was on great form and provided lots of entertainment. Henry has a lot of work to emulate his ball skills! Clive is massive and despite the keeper telling the children they would get wet, one on the front row still looked put out, shocked and miserable when Clive had the last laugh. The animals throughout the park are a credit to all the staff and it is evident how much they care.
Little legs were getting tired so a train ride was the order of the day. We got off at the Pirate Ship as a few “promises” had been made! It had also been agreed that we would have a ride on the Lost River immediately before home (definitely the best time to do it). What a lovely way to see the lions (which you couldn’t really see on your feet due to where they were), giraffes and zebras. It goes without saying that we got wet! Not helped by the fact we had no coat or cape as Granny and Eliza had disappeared to see some animals whilst we got in the queue!
All in all, it was a wonderful day. I had fond memories of happy times at Flamingo Land as a child and I was not disappointed. I was particularly impressed with the layout, meaning smaller visitors don’t get muddled up in the bigger ones as the different areas are so well organised. It also means, the braver little ones don’t get above there “height allowance” wanting to go on certain rides etc as they don’t really see them. The decorations throughout the park were excellent and compared well with other places we have been particularly Peter Rabbit as you would expect with it being new but also in Dino-Stone Park where those dinosaurs what Henry has only been able to dream of.
I would recommend getting there early and doing the things you really want to do first. We didn’t take a picnic but there are plenty of benches etc. I did take snacks and drinks to keep them “fuelled” – definitely needed for my gang. A great day out with loads to do for any age whatever the interests of the child, definitely worth a visit as a treat. The weather was patchy but it didn’t spoil it for us, we had wet weather gear and a change of clothes (for kids). I would say WEARING A CAPE OR COAT on the Lost River is a must as I drove home very wet!
Admission:
Adults and Children (4 yrs +) £38 on the day, £32 online (£33 if online with 2 days of visit). Discounts for larger groups and annual passes are available.
See the website for further details. http://www.flamingoland.co.uk Keep an eye on the Party in the Park line ups, these are great nights in the park with some fantastic acts.
