Flamingo Land

If you can engage your child in activities that are linked to things that they are currently interested in, then you have a much better chance that they will learn. Our youngest currently has Global Developmental Delay (he is still awaiting an assessment to see whether he will be diagnosed as having Autism/being Autistic), he is very interested in Dinosaurs, therefore I approached Flamingo Land for tickets to their theme park to review. I have received no financial payment or being asked to insert any links.

Flamingo Land located in Malton, North Yorkshire, was quiet a journey for us, but well worth it, especially with the new and exciting Dino Stone Park within the theme park. It certainly catered well for my family well (4 boys ages 4-16), as there were a range of rides mixed in each area. There was always something to keep the younger ones entertained whilst the older ones went on the bigger rides.They offer money-saving ways to visit the park again, or you can use the park as a holiday resort. There were things suitable for wet weather and hot sunny days. The park caters for those with special needs/disabilities, as well as those who do not wish to queue (a charge applies).  Plus there is also a  zoo and conservation area.

dino_stone

When I heard about the new Dino Stone park opening at Flamingo Land Summer 2013 (it is now 95% completed) I was very excited, as we love dinosaurs here!

With so much attention to detail – even the bins have dinosaurs on them

dinosaur_bin

and it has a Jurassic Park feel.

jurassic_park_feel

There’s an array of dinosaurs around the area, which move too.

dinosaur_scary

This guy was pretty tall too – and when he moved a little bit scary for my 4 year old.

dino_landdinosaurs

The photos don’t even begin to do them justice – they were fab!

dinosaurs_at_Flamingolanddinosaur

The youngest 3 boys loved the big Dinosaur egg that they could climb inside.

dinosaur_egg

My teen didn’t get bored whilst in Dino Stone Park either as there are bigger rides inside too.

ptreodtrycalheight_restriction

The Pterodactyl looked a bit high for me and my husband, but the 2 older ones loved it. However, be aware that this ride does not operate in certain weather conditions.

ferris_wheel

This one was more up my street, and I liked how the kids couldn’t lean over the side. It gave us a good view of some of the park from up there.

There were all manner of gorgeous Dinosaur merchandise (amongst other things) in the many shops. We purchased personalised table mats with 3D dinosaurs on.

dinosaur_teddy

As well as these there are like fair stalls around – and the one we went to I thought was well really well priced – it was £3 a go (hook-a-duck) with a prize every time – and the two youngest boys got toy teddy ice-creams each.

hook_a_duck

There is a good mix of rides, catering for all ages, and ride preferences.

rollercoasterflamingoland

dragon_ridechildrens_ride_flamingoland

pedal_ride

The rides have different height restrictions, these are clearly marked on your map. If you are organised you can figure out which rides your children are and aren’t big enough for, thus avoiding any disappointment.

velocity

My boy who is turning 10 this month was very excited to be tall enough for some of the bigger rides. In fact some rides I wish he wasn’t tall enough for as they looked very scary!

upside_down_rollercoaster

I liked the fact that you could buy a video of the ride though. Also the purchase of photos for the rides could also come with a Facebook copy – but I forgot to ask about this.

video_of_ride

Unfortunately his little brother wanted to go on too (the trouble of having such big age gaps and the fact that we go to so many theme parks he’s used to rides as “grown up” as possible).

not_tall_enough

The new ride Hero wasn’t open when we went but it is NOW (it has a 4’6″/1.37m restriction), and looks really good!

hero_ride

Personally, I think it’s a good idea to plan where you are going as it will save time – we did not manage to cover the whole park in the time that we were there (our youngest got too over-stimulating and we had to leave). They are looking into return passes for next year. In the meantime you can purchase a season pass (I definitely would if I lived closer), and 2-day tickets (which allow returning on the following day for £13. Or there was a band that a lady had that allowed her into the park during her hotel stay (as she’d come down from Scotland).

hotel_pass

Remember to pack your swim stuff – there is an AMAZING water ride called “Splash Battle” and I have never got so wet on a ride in my life! In fact we didn’t go on any other water rides after this!

slash_battle

Not only that but there’s a great water play area.

water_play_Flamingoland

This indoor softplay pirate area was a great hit (and near some bigger rides) – but also ideal if the weather turned bad.

pirate_ship_softplay

There is  guide for those with Disabilities/Special needs – and if you bring a DLA letter and photographic proof then they and a carer (maximum 2) you can obtain a band which allows you to go through the exit onto the ride, but avoids the need to queue for a long period. There is also a discounted admission price of £20  for each disabled visitor and then £20 for their carer (usually £30 each). They told me that they do not ask for photographic proof of ID when the disability is visible, but more and more guests who are entitled to the price concession and direct access bands have disabilities that are not obviously visible.

exit_pass

 I think we will all agree, especially with young children, queueing isn’t much fun.  Flamingo Land operate a Q-Buster system, whereby guests can purchase beat the queue tickets for certain rides – costing £2 each, or £5 for a 3 ride package. These are available at two sale points on the park.

There is a great zoo, allowing you to get up close to some wonderful animals.

giraffes_FlamingolandKangaroos_Flamingoland

Or look at them from above, on the Zoo Monorail

zoo_monorail

And of course they provide areas to make sure your hands are clean.

clean_hands

If you are in Yorkshire you may also be interested in Yorkshire Wonders – Family Days Out with the Kids – 30+ ideas

I received complimentary tickets in order to review the park. All opinions are my own.

11 thoughts on “Flamingo Land”

  1. I went to FlamingoLand as a teenager, but I’ve not been since. The Dino Park looks great, mine would love that, and they’d ‘pretend’ to be scared 😀

    Reply
  2. I haven’t been to Flamingo Land since I was small and to be fair it wasn’t great! Looks like it has improved so much and your boys look like they had a great time! Must make a visit as it’s only an hour or so up the road for us. Great review!

    Reply
  3. Flamingo Land seems to have it all – wow what a fun packed day for all the family. The water rides would be perfect for cooling down on with the current heatwave. I love the fact that they also have a zoo as well, there really is something for everyone, thanks for sharing with Country Kids.

    Reply
  4. This looks like a lovely place for a family day out. I’d love you to share it on my weekly Family Days Linky on Mums do travel, if you’d like to.

    Reply
  5. really interesting review, it looks like a great day out! I dont understand what they mean about photographic id proof for the disability concessions, my son with asd doesnt have any photo id because he is 3 years old?? so would they say that dla/carers allowance letter and any report from hospital is not enough? :S

    Reply
    • Have you anything – like a passport? Think to prove the dla letter is his. We didn’t have any and they were ok but it’s sad people are abusing it.

      Reply
  6. This looks brilliant. We used to visit when I was younger but it looks like it has changed loads. Definitely one to add to the list, my little boy LOVES dinosaurs so he would really enjoy this. How cool is that dinosaur egg too?!?

    Reply

Leave a Reply to pinkoddy Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.