Wheelgate Family Theme Park Review
Wheelgate
All-Action Family Theme Park
Reviewer by Amanda Whittam
with 3 year old twins, Sophia and Sienna
After being asked to review the new water park attraction at Wheelgate, I decided to 'follow' the park on Facebook to check the progress of its build.
The park were very informative and provided regular updates throughout July, but unfortunately the water park didn't open until the first weekend of the school holidays so we were unable to visit until much later in the summer.
So, on the first day that we had free (and with a good weather forecast) we packed a picnic and invited some friends to join us on an outing to Wheelgate. On arrival we queued for about 5 minutes to collect our pre-ordered tickets (we had booked online and received a 10% discount) and were welcomed by the friendly and efficient staff who gave us a map and sent us on our way into the park.
Our four children, ages 4, 3 and 2, made a bee-line for the first play area they could see and happily ran around after our car journey. They were delighted with a ride on the carousel, a play in the sand pit and a run around the miniature village before we stopped for some lunch. They were then eager for a look around the farm and particularly enjoyed the small animal house with rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs and other cute furry friends. The 'house' was really big and the children could easily see into each enclosure, the 'animal fact' board on each pen was really informative too. We also enjoyed the reptile house where there was a chance to get up close to some of the inhabitants (although I was not as keen as my daughters were!).
We then spent some time on the castle park, which offers a great obstacle course for older children as well as a bit of a challenge for our pre-schoolers! As this play area was right next to the water park, we could avoid it no longer and were dragged along by our very excited children who were extremely keen to get wet!
On entry to the area we were disappointed to discover that the changing rooms were not finished which meant that parents had nowhere to get changed and there were no toilet facilities within the water park area. They are in the process of completing this, but it’s a shame it was not ready for this first season. There were plenty of sun loungers and chairs, so we quickly got our tribe ready and stepped into the freezing water (unfortunately our summers are just not hot enough to warm up that water!). We headed to the one slide that was age appropriate but found that it was difficult to get to the top of the slide without getting drenched by a huge barrel which dropped water every 3 or 4 minutes – obviously that is the point of the water park but as a mum who didn't really want to be wet through I found it difficult to help my 3 year olds onto the slide (they were not keen on the drenching either!). The park would benefit from the addition of some smaller play equipment for children aged 5 and under, as at the moment there is nothing for this age group so my children were quickly cold and fed up. I was also concerned with the concrete flooring as I felt it was unsafe, however I have since been advised that this is speciality play flooring and will be painted in time for next season. I think the water park is suitable for ages 8+ who are capable of climbing up to the slides on their own. There is a good number of staff who stand at the top and bottom of each slide and are very vigilant.
On the whole I would really recommend a visit to Wheelgate, there are some fantastic play areas and some big indoor attractions (which we didn't have time to explore fully, but included indoor soft play and rides) as well as a lovely farm. The water park looks very impressive but is currently only really suitable for older children who can go off and explore it on their own (unless parents want to get soaked too!). I hope that maybe the management may further invest in some smaller water attractions for their younger visitors in time for next season.
We look forward to visiting again!
Rating: 4/5
For more information or to book tickets online and save money visit www.wheelgatepark.com
