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- Posted: 23/06/2025
Paultons Park Review 2025
Laura
Paultons Park is a family theme park on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire. Most people immediately think of Peppa Pig World, which is brilliant for younger children. We have already been to that part of the park and experienced it when the kids were little. This time, I wanted to see if the rest of the park would be suitable for our two boys aged 7 and 11.
Now, the big challenge we have is that my eldest loves all the big, adrenaline filled rides, while my youngest really doesn’t. So it was going to be an interesting test to see if we could entertain them both!
Before You Arrive at Paultons Park
Make sure to pre-book your tickets online. Advance tickets are £45 per person (for anyone 1 metre tall and over) and under 1 metre goes free.
If you just turn up on the day, tickets jump to £60 each – ouch!
Download the app before you go. It’s a great little app that lets you explore the rides and plan your day. The virtual map shows current queue times, height and age restrictions for each ride, and all the day’s showtimes. Super handy for planning ahead. Of all the tips in this Paultons Park Review, this is one you definitely need!
You can’t buy a fast pass at Paultons Park and honestly, I think that’s a big win! It means the queues move more smoothly, and the longest one we had to wait in was just 15 minutes long. Most were under 5 minutes. They do still offer a Queue Assist Pass that you can book in advance with an Access Card ID, to make queuing easier for those who may need it. We visited the park on one of our teacher training days after half term. Lots of schools were still off and the park was busy, but even so, the queues were really manageable and nowhere felt over crowded.
If you plan to visit often, there are annual passes available too.
Arriving at Paultons Park
The park was easy to find and well signposted. If you’re heading to the South for a holiday, it’s a great place to stop and break up the journey.
There’s a big, well organised car park, and we arrived right at the opening time of 10am. Everything ran smoothly.
Everyone heading towards Peppa Pig World turns right as they enter. My top tip? Turn left and head to the back of the park first, as less people head this way.
The first thing I noticed was how beautifully green the park is. It’s surrounded by stunning gardens and feels calm and relaxing, definitely not your average concrete heavy theme park.
It’s a large park for little legs, but you can hire strollers if needed (£10 for a single, £15 for a double) they’re right near the entrance.
There’s also a lovely Wild Forest Café at the entrance, serving breakfast and food throughout the day, perfect for a bite before you start or grab some food on the way out.
Navigating Paultons Park
The park is split into three big themed zones, plus smaller areas with rides and attractions dotted around. A new ride called Ghostly Manor opened in May, which we were really excited to try.
Lost Kingdom zone
Turn left when you enter and head to Lost Kingdom, a Jurassic themed area full of dinosaurs.
This zone isn’t just for little ones it has two fantastic rollercoasters that my eldest loved (and I did too!).
- Flight of the Pterosaur – a suspended coaster that swoops and twists (but doesn’t go upside down thankfully)
- Velociraptor – this one scared me a bit (but it doesn’t take much!) It starts by going backwards up a steep slope before launching you through the track, then does it all again in reverse. My son thought I was very brave for going on it – I think I earned some cool mum points!
For the younger (and less thrill-seeking) ones, there’s loads to enjoy here too:
- Dinosaur Tour Co. – you ride in little jeeps through a dino expedition.
- Dino Chase – a gentle rollercoaster that’s a great intro ride.
- Splash Lagoon – a mini log flume (you might want to save this one for later so you’re not soaked straight away!).
We also bought a Ranger Licence for around £12 for the youngest one, they get a fun photo ID card to wear around their neck and they feel like they are a dino ranger.
Each zone in the park has brilliant play areas too. So if one child wants to go on a ride and the other doesn’t, there’s always somewhere fun to wait.
Live Show: Alive!
In Lost Kingdom, don’t miss the Alive! Dinosaur Encounter Show. Check the app for times and set a reminder. It’s a fun interactive show where little ones help train a dinosaur, my 7 year old loved it, though the 11 year old wasn’t quite as impressed!
More Rides near Lost Kingdom
There are also three bigger rides nearby:
- Edge – a spinning big disk, definitely made me feel dizzy.
- Cobra – scary!
- Magma – Makes your tummy jump into your throat!
Cobra made me feel like we were going to fly off the track (you won’t!), but my eldest adored it.
There are more gentle rides nearby, like Seal Falls, Sky Swinger, and a digger ride, plenty for every age and bravery level.
Splash Zone near Lost Kingdom
If the weather’s good, bring swimwear! There’s a fab splash area with changing rooms, lockers, toilets and even people dryers, all right next to Lost Kingdom.
Snacks and Picnic Spots
There are snack shacks all over Paultons park selling drinks and ice cream, but the main restaurants are on the other side. I would suggest making your way over there before the lunch rush.
You can also bring your own food, the picnic areas are amazing, especially the ones in the middle of the park surrounded by the gardens. Head to the middle of the park to enjoy this.
Ghostly Manor (New Ride at Paultons Park)
As we started to move on from the left hand side of the park and head across to the other side, we came to Ghostly Manor, Paulton Parks new ride. The theming was incredible, it looks like a haunted house and has loads of fun interactive surprises as you queue, I won’t spoil them but they were fantastic!
The ride itself is brilliant. It’s an interactive ghost hunting mission for ages 5 and up, using your “Phantom Phaser” to zap sneaky ghosts. Such a fun, immersive ride that all of us loved. A fun feel good family ride.
Lunch at Paultons Park
By now, we needed a rest and some food. The boys wanted burgers so we headed to the Route 83 Diner in Tornado Springs. It’s an American-style diner, cleverly themed, and felt like being in Disney!
They had burgers, hot dogs and curly fries, three adult meals with drinks came to £35.90. So not too bad for a theme park. The boys said it was tastier than McDonalds (their comparison for all burgers) and all really enjoyed it.
I wasn’t in the mood for a big lunch, so I popped over to Grande Central which serves lighter options like salad boxes, wraps and toasties. I had a chicken wrap and a cute little pot of strawberries with cream, all with a much needed coffee. I forgot to keep the receipt, but it was reasonably priced again. I joined the boys with my take-away back over at the Diner. There are lots of food options and there is something for everyone. Again service was quick and everything was spotlessly clean.
Tornado Springs zone
After lunch it was time to tackle all of the right hand side of the park, this is the side where you will find Peppa Pig World. Tornado Springs was probably my favourite zone. Set in 1950s Midwest America, the theming was brilliant.
Thrill rides:
- Storm Chaser – a spinning rollercoaster that’s wild but fun.
- Cyclonator – my eldest’s top ride. It swings you 25 metres in the air whilst spinning and you are pretty much dangling upside down. Not for the faint hearted! This is the one ride I declined.. But my son went on it 5 times!
Family-friendly rides:
- Al’s Auto Academy – a super cute driving school with vintage-style cars, the best driving school ride I have seen.
- Farmyard Flyer – a gentle coaster, perfect for younger ones.
- Water slides, tractor rides, play areas and all with retro American music playing throughout!
Critter Creek zone
This area doesn’t have any big thrill rides but is perfect for a slower pace. It’s full of quirky creatures and has the Beastie Burrow, which houses real turtles, snakes, lizards and more.
It was a nice break from the faster rides. There’s a family coaster here, my youngest decided it looked a bit too fast for him this time, but I think most children would find it absolutely fine.
From here, you can also wander through lovely gardens, see flamingos, lemurs, and explore more nature-filled spaces and the path will take you back to the other side of the theme park.
Ice Cream Break
After all of that fun, it was ice cream time. We headed to Ciao Bella, which looked like the best ice cream parlour in the park. You could pick your cones, toppings, ice creams and sauce. They even had waffles and doughnuts – the works! We all had something different and it came to £19.25 for the four of us.
Ride Repeats!
Because the queues were so short, we ended the day by revisiting our favourite rides, something we have never been able to do in a UK theme park before!
I peeked into Peppa Pig World too and it was much busier and looked like it had the longest queues.
Facilities in general
Now, I’m a bit picky about public toilets (I hate them) and theme parks aren’t usually great. But Paultons gets top marks. Everything was clean and well looked after, the toilets really were all spotlessly clean. The whole park is spotless, and I’m really fussy!
Favourite Rides
We asked the boys to rank 5 favourite rides of the day and this is what they picked.
The Adrenaline Seeker (11-year-old):
- Cyclonator
- Flight of the Pterosaur
- Storm Chaser
- Velociraptor
- Cobra
The Non-Adrenaline Seeker (7-year-old):
- Seal Falls
- Dino Chase
- Farmyard Flyer
- Ghostly Manor
- Al’s Auto Academy
Paultons Park Review Overall
Our Travel Mum Review Score: 5/5
We had the best day out. We’ve been to a lot of UK (and international) theme parks, and this might actually be our favourite in the UK. Theme parks are never a cheap day out but there was a lot to do here.
The short queues made a huge difference, I really think it’s because there are no fast passes or virtual lines. Just one fair queue for everyone, and it works brilliantly.
There was a great mix of rides for different ages and bravery levels, which made it easy to keep both kids happy all day long. The calm, green setting gave it a lovely feel. I think this park best suits ages 5 all the way up to adults.
If you’re thinking of going do it! We give it a solid 5/5.
Exciting Things Coming….
New in 2026 a themed area called Realm of the Vikings, featuring the park’s most thrilling ride yet. It’s designed with older kids and teens in mind.
They’re also building on-site accommodation, with a Scandinavian style resort for up to 700 guests. It’s planned to open in 2026 but no official date yet, but it sounds fantastic.
Where to Stay Near Paultons Park
We managed everything in one full day, but two days would be ideal, especially if you want to do Peppa Pig World too.
Until the on-site accommodation opens, nearby options include:
- The Mortimer Arms Hotel – right next to the park
- Bartley Lodge – about 3 miles away
Written by: Laura
Hi, I’m a mum of two lively boys and married to a husband who (unfortunately) keeps my holiday obsession in check! We’re all about fun, active family getaways as relaxing isn’t really in my boys’ vocabulary!
Our go to destination is the UAE, and over the years we’ve tried and tested plenty of hotels and experiences, which I love sharing on Instagram. Living in beautiful Dorset, I know just how exhausting the trek to London airports can be especially after a long flight. That’s why I’m here to help you discover amazing holiday deals flying from our more convenient local airports of Exeter, Bournemouth, and Southampton.
Whether it’s travel tips, hotel reviews, or family days out, I’m all about sharing our adventures and hopefully helping you find your next great holiday at a brilliant price.
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