'UK theme park where kids lose their s*** at Peppa Pig has not-for-kids secret'

'UK theme park where kids lose their s*** at Peppa Pig has not-for-kids secret',EXCLUSIVE: I thought going to Paulton's Park for my 29th birthday was something that at best would leave me bored on tea cups and at worst questioned by security where my (non-existent) children were

‘UK theme park where kids lose their s*** at Peppa Pig has not-for-kids secret’

It's far more than a "hoot" at Paultons Park these days as the attraction has under gone a mega transformation from my last visit 20 years ago.

I raised some eyebrow when my wife suggested we took time out of our south coast holiday at theme park I thought was exclusively for kids.

Giving a run down of the rides online, she convinced me and we were ready to embrace being the only visiting adults without kids in tow for a five mile radius.

READ MORE: 'I visited Brit island without a Wetherspoons, McDonald's or Greggs – I loved it'

A lovely dose of banter kicked our day off at the admissions gate with a cheeky welcome of "Are you excited to see Peppa Pig, guys?"

What an unexpected belter of a place Paultons Park is (Image: Charles Wade-Palmer)

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Storm Chaser

Storm Chaser is one of the newest and almost definitely the best rides at the park (Image: Charles Wade-Palmer)

What Disneyland Paris can't hold a candle to, however, is the wait times for the best rides at Paultons Park.

In the height of the school holidays, in the middle of a sun-soaked warm August Wednesday, I boarded the Storm Chaser rollercoaster in a matter of seconds.

Imagine hopping on an outdoor version of Disney's Crush's Coaster without being penned up with half of Europe beforehand – that's the level of thrill we're talking here.

It's 2023 and hat happens to be the park's 40th anniversary but it's over the last 10 years that have transformed the place from a cute day out for infants into a genuine thrill destination. Obviously I had no idea!

Magma is a drop ride with a bit of a difference (Image: Charles Wade-Palmer)

My only real memory of visiting as a nipper is of a dinosaur-filled woodland. In 2016 the Jurassic Park vibes were brought even more to life with the Lost Kingdom which boasts the likes of Pterosaur, Magma and Velociraptor.

The combined waiting times for the three amounted to just 25 minutes and that was purely for the former leg-dangling coaster.

Storm Chaser's introduction came with 2021's Western-themed Tornado Springs which is home to the best fast food restaurant experience I've had, and the Cyclonator – not to be enjoyed in that order.

Maybe it was my sudden fear of seeing my sunglasses fly from my face that meant the Cyclonator felt like a never-ending swing which just when I thought had hit peak height, continued to tip me further upside down.

So much for the place being for children.

The amazingly original Edge and Cobra at the other end of the site mean any adults visiting without a young family, can enjoy seven embarrassment-free thrills.

Of course, curiosity got the better of me and I couldn't leave without checking out Peppa Pig World which really was like stepping onto a dystopian planet of farm animal-worshipping families.

It's not behind me is it? (Image: Charles Wade-Palmer)

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On approach I saw a pair of kids lose their s*** at the site of Peppa, letting out blood-curdling screams of excitement for their parents to endure.

It was at this point the penny dropped. With most people – like me – thinking the theme park caters only to younger clientele, swathes of the park remain something of a hidden secret.

And with the famous pig proving to be such a popular attraction, it clears practically every other area of queues which left me going on more than my head could handle in such quick succession.