6 Reasons You Should Visit Peppa Pig World

“There’s a Peppa Pig WORLD?” I remember saying to my husband around a year ago. Back then, we were fully embracing the Peppa Pig thing, indulging our toddler’s demands to watch episode after episode and buying her t-shirts with her little pink friend on it. But a whole Peppa Pig World? The mind boggled.

Of course, I was so naive back then.

Fast forward to summer 2013 when I was asked to review Peppa Pig World. In the weeks leading up to our visit, we became aware of how our 2-year-old had stopped talking about – and watching  – Peppa Pig as much as she once had. “Um,” I said to my husband. “Do you think she’s grown out of Peppa? Do you think she’ll enjoy Peppa Pig World?” She had started watching more of Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom and (hours of) vintage Pink Panther cartoons on YouTube.

Were we right to be worried? No. She had a WHALE of a time at Peppa Pig World.

6 Reasons You Should Visit…

1. It’s the perfect size for people with little legs. When we first arrived in the Peppa Pig World section of Pautons Park (the theme park that Peppa Pig World is part of) I’ll admit my initial reaction was ‘It’s a bit small!’ but actually, it’s just the right size. It takes ages to get around the whole area because you’re walking at small-person-pace and there are so many things to stop and look at, as you walk between rides.

2. The rides are gentle but fun. All seven rides (Windy Castle, George’s Dinosaur Adventure, Daddy Pig’s Car Ride, Grandpa Pig’s Little Train, Grandpa Pig’s Boat Trip, Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride and Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter Ride) are ideal for toddlers and pre-school kids. They gently whizz you around on land (George’s Dinosaur Adventure, Daddy Pig’s Car Ride, Grandpa Pig’s Little Train) or gently whizz you around on water (Grandpa Pig’s Boat Trip) or gently whizz you around in the air (Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride, Windy Castle and Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter Ride). You get the picture – they all gently whizz you around, which is EXACTLY what little kids love. And they don’t care that all the rides are basically a variation of two things. They’re in a CAR! Or a BOAT! Or a HELICOPTER! Thankfully when we went, the queues weren’t too long – probably around 10 minutes max.

3. There’s lots to see and do in between going on the rides. You can wander past the duck pond (“Hello Mrs Duck!”), visit Peppa’s house and watch the family make pancakes, have your photograph taken in the school, splash around in the Muddy Puddles wet area and play in Mr Potato’s Playground. You can even meet Peppa and George, who come out to pose for photos and meet the crowds (my toddler gets a bit scared of character costumes so we kept our distance…)

4. The food is fairly healthy. In the Peppa Pig World area, the only place to get lunch is Daddy Pig’s Big Tummy Cafe. It serves pick and mix lunches (5 items for a few quid) and the options are sandwiches, Babybel cheeses, yoghurts, fruit and fruit juices. To get hot food, you have to wander through to the main part of Paultons Park, where the options are the usual burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and chicken nuggets. My only small gripe was that there didn’t seem to be anywhere to eat inside (in Peppa Pig World) and the day we visited was unseasonably chilly, so we had to wrap up warm as we munched our sandwiches in the outdoor seating area.

5. Even if it’s cold or raining, there’s stuff to do indoors. As well as Peppa’s House and the School, there’s George’s Spaceship Playzone – an indoor soft play area. You can climb, throw balls, build towers, come down slides and generally run around until you’re out of breath (the kids can too, of course.)

6. It’s all very clean and well maintained. The whole of Peppa Pig World was so pristine that if you told me it had opened just days earlier, I might have believed you. High five to Paultons who clearly take it all very seriously and make sure there’s no rubbish lying around, and for looking after the area.

So was it good? Yes! Would I go again? Absolutely. The tickets aren’t cheap (currently £22.50 if booked in advance, £25 on the gate) but at least kids under 1 metre are free, and it’s a genuinely brilliant day out for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Here’s how our day went…