The kids had been talking about Blackpool non stop since we took them there last year so we decided to treat them to a day out at M and D’s theme park which is much closer to home. I loved to go to the shows as a kid but the cost of taking three kids out for a day quickly adds up so going to a theme park with unlimited rides for a set price seemed the a good option for us. There were five of us in our party, two adults and three kids aged eleven, seven and six. The six year old was under the 1.30m height for riding unsupervised on almost all rides, the seven year old reached the 1.30m limit when his hair was spiked up high so managed both the kiddie and bigger rides and the eleven year old was tall enough for everything.

Initial Impressions

This is a small and compact park. You can see from one end of the theme park to the other and walk the length of it in a few minutes. We visited on a cold day at the end of March so it was pretty quiet with very little queues. There were no rides with a wow factor but there was enough variety to keep everybody happy. The small size meant that we were happy to let the older kids keep riding the express train while we took the little one onto the big wheel with us without panicking about being separated and losing sight of them.

The Thrill Rides

There are several rides advertised as thrill rides. Disappointingly, the tsunami (could they come up with a name in worse taste?) was closed with no explanation why. It did look pretty impressive with large section going upside down. The express was a firm favourite with the eleven and seven year old. It was so quiet that they often came out the exit and were able to rejoin for the next ride and they must have been on that train around ten times each that day. The whitewater express was also a favourite, after a long climb up some stairs you are hurtled down a one of three large slides in a rubber dinghy. It was definitely a low tech ride but fun all the same.

The boys aged six and seven also loved the mine train. I did go on this ride and it was pretty fast but hardly the scariest rollercoaster I’ve ever been on. It was another that they rode over and over again.

I wanted to go on the bungee ride. It looked terrifying but it cost an additional £7.50 for two people to ride and everyone else I was with was too chicken to go on it with me! I found out my niece wanted to go on it when she went so I might take her with me next time we go and we can get hurtled around in a metal ball at great speeds together.

The rides were ok but hardly the most thrilling of thrill rides. I want to be hurtled around so quickly that I fear for my life and lose my lunch but there was no chance of that there.

Family/Kids Rides

There was plenty to keep the younger ones amused. There were a few rides such as the roundabout and funhouse that only the kids under 1.3m could go on. We all loved the water rides and bought photos of us all looking drenched as a momento of the day. My favourite was the big wheel with spectacular views over the park and surrounding countryside from the top. The kids all loved the big apple where they rode on a caterpillar shaped train and it was another of the rides that they kept running round and rejoining it. You might be familiar with the big wheel as it is the same one used during Edinburgh’s Winter Wonderland celebrations.

Amusement Arcades

I took my daughter into the under 18 part of the amusement arcade for a while and it had plenty of the type of machine where you play games for tickets and swap them for tat from the shop. I’ve got to admit that I played crazy frog bop too and my cool mum rating went up loads by winning more tickets than the kid. Two days later and she’s back to ignoring me again and the plastic crap she won will soon all be in the bucket. There was also a small over 18 only area where adults can go and waste their money if they want. I’ve never seen the allure of gambling myself and feel literally sick at the thought of feeding coin after coin into a fruit machine so can’t say how good that area is.

Other Attractions

Amazonia, an indoor rainforest and Devils Island crazy golf are both inside the complex but you need to pay extra to use them or both can be added on to the cost of a wrist band for a couple of extra pounds. I loved Amazonia but we never visited Devils Island but it looked impressive from the big wheel so if we return we will probably buy tickets for it.

Food And Drink

There was a Wimpy, an onsite chippie and a couple of diners. I only bought drinks from Wimpy and it was the same price as the high street. There were also the usual stalls selling sweeties and candy floss. Not a great selection, but didn’t seem ridiculously overpriced either.

Overall

We had a great day out and considering how much funfair rides cost we got good value for money by buying a family wristband. I don’t know if I would have felt as positive about it if we had visited mid summer and spent hours on end queuing for rides which were simply average. If you are a serious thrill junkie then you are better travelling south to one of the bigger theme parks with the big rides but there’s enough at M and D’s to keep the kids happy for a day and we will probably visit again in future.

General Information

Unlimited ride wristbands cost £14.50 if you are over 1.35m tall and £10 for shorties and a family band is £42.
We bought a package for £49 which also gave us entry to Amazonia indoor rainforest for 4 people.
If you don’t buy a wristband, you can pay for each ride with tokens. Each token costs 50p and most rides need four tokens.

More information available at http://www.scotlandsthemepark.com/