Gullivers Valley is less than one hours drive from Wakefield. A fairly short trip down the M1 and only a few roads off the motorway. It was so easy to get there the children didn’t mind the journey whatsoever, which meant everyone arrived in a great mood ready for an awesome day of rides, thrills and amazing family fun.
1. It is so close to Wakefield. Before our visit to Gullivers valley I thought the nearest theme park was way over an hours drive away. And longer journeys can fill me full of dread with small children who are overexcited for the day out ahead. I believe the satnav said 42 minutes from our front door to be parked up outside. How close is that?
2. The interactive park map lets you plan in advance. Before you set off have a look at the interactive park map for Gullivers Valley. This map lets you plan out the best route for your little ones before you arrive, making the logistics of the day a little bit easier.
3. The park is designed under 10 years old. There are no triple loop rollercoasters or no super fast corkscrews. The rides are all child sized and designed with little ones in mind. Helping you avoid tear due to unexpected scary bits in a ride.
4. There is a farm. What a wonderful little addition to this family friendly park. We were able to take some time away from the rides and enjoy a quiet, calming stroll to see the animals. Super helpful to help calm some very over excited children.
5. Adults allowed! I remember the first time my child went on a ride on their own. I was practically hung over the railings ready to leap if they so much as wiggled on their Merry Go Round seat. But at Gullivers Valley, the rides were all suitable and big enough for grown ups too. Which meant no anxious parents hanging over the railings around the rides.
6. There is a few big thrill rides. Now we are not talking 0-100mph roller coasters or 100ft drop rides. But a child sized roller coaster, pint sized river rapids and speedy water slides. These big thrill rides were the perfect level of exciting and scary for children over 120cm who came off the rides exhilarated but not full of fear.
7. Perfect for Dinosaur lovers. The LOST WORLD of the LIVING DINOSAURS was amazing for dino enthusiasts. Animatronic dinosaurs were scattered around the path, Jurassic themed rides and playground were plenty. We could have spent most of the day in this section of the park alone.
8. Playgrounds are everywhere. There are so many themed playgrounds scattered around the park. Our littles ones especially loved exploring the pirate ship themed climbing frame. With so much to climb up, slide down and explore. You are guaranteed some tired feet at the end of the day.
9. Find the Bank Heist play area. Nestled in to what initially appears to be some decorative scenery, this could easily be mistaken for a decorative building. The bank heist is a hidden play space starting in the bank vault and ending in the Western style jail. Look for it on the right as you enter Western World, right opposite the BBQ style food stand.
10. So many rides are simple but effective. As an adult on a self-driving car on a track may seem tame, but the little ones love it. Consider it through their eyes! They are ‘driving’ their parents in their own car. They are exploring new territory. They are spotting hidden creatures. Sometimes simple is the best.
11. The choice of food is amazing! We took our own picnic as we have some very fussy eaters in our family. But as we walked around we needn’t have worried. There was so much choice and variety for meals and snacks. BBQ stalls, Pizza places, cafes with sandwiches and paninis and a beautifully styled restaurant. Plus lots of ice cream and drinks stalls scattered around the park.
12. It is a theme park but you could spend all day in the indoor play spaces. We spent an hour in the indoor Build Zone. Tucked behind an outdoor construction zone next to Toyland. The indoor Build Zone provided some well needed relief from the blazing sunshine. Inside we found diggers galore, construction tables, brick building, climbing wall and our tiny child’s favourite…. the BALL POOL.
13. What?….. even more indoor play spaces? YES! The YooHoo Playzone, Gully Town and Dragons Lair offer an inflatable adventure, super soft play and more ride adventures. These can all be found in the entrance building at the very front of the theme park.
14. Fancy a sleep over? Gullivers Valley offers a whole range of resort style accommodation in the centre of the theme park. No walking miles just to pop back to your room for a break. Most hide outs, suites, lodges, dens and tents offer park views as well as being themed to match your little ones favourite things. From unicorns to dinosaurs, pirates to princesses and mermaids to fairies.
15. You can actually stay in the castle! With a number of suites available in the castle, what a treat it would be to be a royal for the weekend and stay in the turreted castle.
16. The Parks youngest visitors are charged (or not charged) by their height. Little ones under 90cm visit the park FREE. There are a few restrictions on the rides they can go on, but we found our 2 year old at 88cm high still had plenty of choices or rides that were age appropriate and offered mini thrills perfect for how young she was.
17. No long queues. The majority of rides had such short queues we didn’t once feel worried or flustered about keeping the children happy and in check as we inched closer to each ride. An absolute treat compared to the 2 hours queues we have previously waited in at bigger theme parks.
18. The carpark is right outside. I think our car was parked around 100 yards from the entrance to the park. Heading home was a sad moment for our little ones who just didn’t want to leave, and who can blame them? But at least we were back in the car within a few moments of leaving. It only took 6 minutes of our journey home before the first of our children fell asleep.
We had the most phenomenal day at Gullivers Valley and would absolutely recommend the day out for all under 10s.
With prices starting from £26 per person (remember under 90cm goes FREE). Tickets must be pre-booked, although this can be done the morning you wish to visit if you’ve only just decided to go. You can book your tickets HERE.
Have the best day at Gullivers Valley. And if you love it? Why not check out their other theme park destinations at Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes.
Don’t forget to post photos of your visit to the Wakefield Mumbler Group on Facebook.
