Peppa Pig World in-depth video & photo review

[Ian]

As you all probably know by now, Peppa Pig World is the new themed area exclusive to Paultons Park in Hampshire, UK. Peppa Pig is an award winning British cartoon show aimed at one to six year olds. The show airs in 180 territories across the world.

The Peppa Pig World concept originated in 2009 from “meet and greet” events which have been held regularly at Paultons Park since 2007. As the events proved popular, the company behind Peppa Pig, Astley Baker Davies, and Paultons built up a relationship and the idea was conceived.

Peppa Pig World was designed by RMA Themed Attractions (RMATA) in conjunction with Paultons Park. RMATA also designed Thomasland at Drayton Manor Park and the Jorvik Viking Centre in York. The new area took 13 months to build.

Surely all of this comes together to form a winning combination? Ian and Nic went to find out…

There are seven rides in Peppa Pig World. Five of the rides are designed by Metallbau Emmeln (ME), the other two by Zierer, both German manufactures. Paultons Park already operate some Zierer rides; Dragon Ride, Kontiki and Wave Swinger. Each ride type was chosen with through-put, longevity, engineering, theme and most important, fun, in mind. Most of the popular Peppa Pig characters have their own themed ride.

Windy Castle
This a “Flying Wheels” attraction by Metallbau Emmeln and is the tallest ride in Peppa Pig World. Imagine a ferris wheel that rotates as it moves up and down a 44ft tower to get an idea. Windy Castle is the only ride of this type currently in the UK. There is no height limit for this ride but under 8s must be accompanied by an adult.

Peppa Pigs Big Balloon Ride
On this Zierer ride, riders sit in a hot air balloon style basket which is hoisted up in the air and gently rotated like a merry-go-round. Riders can rotate the basket using the wheel in the middle. There are some great views of Peppa Pig World to be had. Like Windy Castle, there is no height limit but under 8s must be accompanied by an adult. All the family can fit in: a maximum of 4 Adults and 2 small children per balloon. More children can ride with fewer adults.

George’s Dinosaur Adventure
George Pig’s favourite toy is Mr Dinosaur (or “dine-saw” as he calls it), so it comes as no surprise that his ride is themed to that! Riders sit on a dinosaur which gallops along a 679ft track, passing scenery and theme. This is a “Pony Trekking” ride by Metallbau Emmeln. Riders must be 0.9mm or taller to ride with an adult, or at least 1.1m to ride alone.

This ride appears to be the best themed. The dinosaur treks through a garden scene, complete with scarecrow and crops, and ends in a rocky, area with smoking volcanoes! Awesome!

Grandpa Pig's Little Train
Choo choo! Grandpa Pig has been busy creating a model train ride ready to take youngsters on a scenic trip around his garden. A XX capacity train peacefully chugs along an indented oval shaped track, similar to what you’d find on a ghost train ride. There is no height restriction for this attraction but under 4s must be accompanied by an adult.

Daddy Pig’s Car Ride
Cars automatically travel along a guided track, passing some of Peppa’s friends on the way. Daddy Pig’s car can fit two adults and two children. Under 4s must be accompanied by an adult. Watch out for the speed camera, which also doubles-up as an on-ride photo opportunity! There are normal cars and convertibles! Look out half way round for Grandad Dog’s Garage, where he's tinkering with his cars!

Grandpa Pig’s Boat Trip
This ride is a take on the Metallbau Emmeln “Duck Boat” ride. Instead of a duck, the 4-person (maximum one adult) vessels are themed to ships which sail around Grandpa Pig’s lighthouse as seen in the first ever episode. The boats move on a guided rail that undulates, creating the impression of boats cresting the waves. This ride is quite similar to the Viking Boat ride already at the park.

Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter Flight
Four passengers (all adults if necessary!) hop on board Miss Rabbit’s rescue helicopter and fly in a circular fashion, offering lovely views of Peppa’s new playground. This ride is a 39ft high Zierer Ferris Wheel ride.

Here is a short montage video of the rides in action, but stay tuned for a CoasterForce Documentary presented by Mark Evans and filmed & edited by Leigh Hills, where we’ll take you on a video tour through Peppa Pig World.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sslc62f6YEw[/youtube]
Peppa Pig World fits into a three acre area, which obviously means there must be more to it than the rides. There are also several other familiar locations from the show to interact with and observe.

The one which most fans of the show will recognise is Peppa’s House. Just like the cartoon, Peppa’s House is on top of a hill and deliberately has wonky edging. Inside the house you can see Peppa, George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig having Pancakes for breakfast...although most appear to be stuck on the ceiling!

You can also visit Grandpa Pig’s House and see him and Grandma Pig.

Peppa and her friends plan a lot of their school trips and learn about the world around them in Madame Gazelle's School House.

You can have your photograph taken inside the school!

Talking of photos, in Peppa's Magic Photo Studio, there is a green screen...

...which is used to super-impose guests in the Peppa Pig World! there are four different scenes to choose from.

This attraction is run by Picsolve, the same company who do a lot of on-ride photography throughout the world.

Peppa loves to read, so it’s only right that she has a Library to enjoy! The Library sits on top of a hill in the middle of Grandpa Pig's Little Train ride.

On top of another hill, the familiar Campervan from episode five of series three can be seen.

One of the more quirky locations is the Paddling Ducks pond.

So, seven rides and seven familiar locations; what else could possibly make Peppa Pig World an exciting place for youngsters? Playgrounds! There are three of them!

Muddy Puddles is a water playground.

Mr Potato, who had a cameo role in the third series of the show, makes an appearance in Peppa Pig World with his own playground. In the show, Mr Potato opens the sports centre, so you can be sure of something athletic here: swings, slides and jumps all set around a rainbow pathway.

The playground piece de resistance is the 900m-squared indoor play area - George's Spaceship Play Zone - complete with one of the largest grass roofs in Hampshire!

Inside, young children can climb inside George’s spaceship and exit down an enclosed tunnel slide, explore the soft obstacle course, try to escape the rope maze room, climb the moonwalk and slide down one of the big slides before running back for more!

There is also the Recycling Centre, where those playing pick up balls and place them inside the collection buckets before they are fired out all over the place! Very similar to the Temple of Mayhem at Chessington World of Adventures or Berry Bish Bash at Alton Towers.

Young babies are also catered for in the Musical Instrument Area with Peppa's musical shapes game, a magic music machine and Mr Dinosaur's soft foam rocker.

Although Paultons Park already has plenty of places to buy food, there are two shops within Peppa Pig World that offer snacks and treats. Daddy Pig's Big Tummy Café is the larger of the two (where parents can grab a well deserved cuppa) and there is also Miss Rabbit's Ice Cream Parlour, which serves, yes, that’s right, ice cream (and very nice it was, too!).

Indoor seating does seem to be limited, although outside there are plenty of benches and tables (with giant umbrella shades) ideal for picnics.

Finally, Peppa Pig World is home to the largest (and probably only) dedicated Peppa Pig merchandise shop. There are literally hundreds of toys, collectables and items ranging from bedspreads to plush toys, so parents better have their cash at the ready! Peppa Pig episodes play on televisions and Nintendo Wii & DS consoles are at the ready, so you can try out the latest Peppa Pig games.

Peppa Pig World is pretty. The first thing any fan of the show will notice is the attention to detail and theme. The building and features are built exactly as they are in the show; edges are deliberately left wonky and outlines are well defined.

Even the benches in the playgrounds have quirky, yet cute features.

Check out this hedge version of Peppa's family! It'll look superb when it has matured.

All of Peppa's friends make an appearance. It's quite good fun trying to spot them all.

So that's Peppa Pig World! The only critisisms that Nic and I found were superficial; the loos and the bins! The bins are normal bins but appear out of place in such a beautifully themed land. Perhaps a leaf out of Chessington World of Adventure's book and theme the bins to PPW would make sense. The toilets are fine, they do the job, but perhaps the Peppa Pig theme should be extended inside? For example, in the on-ride photo booth, the walls are covered with a plastic montage of the characters, which would work nicely inside the loos.

I always knew they would do a grand job of bringing Peppa Pig World to life and Paultons Park/Entertainment One have exceeded my expectations. Everything is carefully laid out, interactive and immersive. Peppa Pig World does feel sperate to Paultons Park, which is intentional, but I hope that the rest of the park doesn't suffer neglect, like what happened at Drayton Manor following Thomasland.

Ultimately I am a thrill seaker but I appreciate a good theme and attention to detail. I got exactly that when I walked through the gates. So much so, I actually wish I was four years old again!

Kids and families will love this. It's perfect for them. Judging by the 50,000 entries they had for the "Golden Ticket" giveaway, it appears that Paultons Park is no longer a regional theme park. It's national. Good on them!

Say bye-bye, Nic!

Peppa Pig World opens at Paultons Park (Ower, Hampshire, UK) on Saturday 9th April.

Further Reading
CoasterForce Paultons Park guide
CoasterForce discussion & photos of Peppa Pig World’s construction
Official Paultons Park website
Official Peppa Pig World website

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

OMG Peppa Pig world is so cute haha, glad they put lots of effort into it and I'm sure the kiddies will enjoy it!

Good report/review!

 

[rollermonkey]

What's a Peppa Pig?

 

[Ian]

What's a Peppa Pig?

...and here's me thinking I made it American proof :wink:

Peppa Pig is an award winning British cartoon show aimed at one to six year olds. The show airs in 180 territories across the world.

 

[gerstlauer]

Awesome review... PPW looks amazing!

SO looking forward to going in the water playground tomorrow, I absolutely love them things

 

[Ollie]

On top of another hill, the familiar Campervan from episode five of series three can be seen.

I wonder who's an avid watcher of the TV show?

And I didn't realise how close the area got to those water slides.

It does look amazing though and it' really well done. I'm so pleased for the park for creating something as fantastic as this.

 

[ciallkennett]

Wow. I have followed Ian's reports from Paultons over the last year or so and have really been looking forward to seeing the final product. It looks simply amazing! Quite frankly exceeded my expectations and the whole area has really enforced the fact that Paultons is a park which will be a hotspot for families in the next few years.

Brilliant!

Now, who wants to give me a lift down from Milton Keynes?

 

[Martyn B]

That does look fantastic. I love all the little buildings and locations from the show, makes if feel more than just a kids themed ride area.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

We get Peppa Pig in Canada <3

Just thought I'd share that with everyone.

 

[alexr]

Wow, Great report, the attention to detail is amazing. I never thought such a small park could make such a good family attraction, I can see paulingtons being popular this summer

 

[Dave]

Awww, it's turned out so so well for the park! I am so pleased for them, will prove to be a superb addition. Everything has been carefully considered (except maybe your points) and planned to a good level which should come off well to all who visit it.

 

[Martyn B]

I actually think that big building ruins the look of it. I know they needed an indoor area for obviously reasons, but they should have stuck with the PP theme for the exterior. It reminds me of a new block at school.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Also how come they put grass on the roof? Just more pleasing to the eye or was there a purpose?

 

[Mackem Lad]

Hats off to Paultons.

They really have left no stone unturned; the attention to detail is magnificent.

 

[Richie]

This looks great!

I could imagine really loving this as a child.

 

[Nic]

Hi everyone! I'm back in internet land after a lovely night spent in a field in Hampshire.

As you can see from Ian's report, we had a fantastic time yesterday. Peppa Pig world is fantastic, and everyone involved in its creation should be really proud of themselves. The UK has always been a bit lacking in world-class theming, but hopefully this will raise the bar and signify a turning point for the industry.

Anyway, to avoid replicating what Ian has already written, I'm going to give some reviews and opinions on some of the rides.

Windy Castle
As this is the UK first, and a first for me, I was really looking forward to it. The sensation of the ride is, well, rather odd. Imagine a Ferris Wheel crossed with teacups, and you’re almost there. I don’t really like spinny things at the best of times, and had just had an ice cream, so wasn’t really feeling this one. You can reduce the amount it spins and you do get a great view of the area. Its worth riding just for a new experience, but its not one of my personal favourites.

Peppa Pigs Big Balloon Ride
This one was pretty pleasant. Again, you get a great view of the area, and again, you can make the car spin round. Much slower this time though, which I approve of. It seemed to be on a reasonably long cycle. I don’t know if this is just because it was pretty quiet yesterday, or if it’ll always be like that?

Grandpa Pig’s Boat Trip
Again, it’s a spinny ride, so was never going to be one of my favourites. This also seemed to be on a fairly long cycle, so I felt pretty dizzy by the end of it. Its nice to go on a water ride where you come of dry though, I approve of that! I don’t approve of the seats though, they were rather uncomfortable.

Grandpa Pig's Little Train
This ride gives you a better change to get a look at some of the theming around the area, especially the library. As with all of the tracked rides in the area, it seemed to go fairly fast, which should be beneficial to throughput. The cars seemed to seat 2 adults and 2 children. Unlike most of these things, there was actually plenty of room to get everyone in. Bonus.

Daddy Pig’s Car Ride
The cars look amazing – they’re themed to look exactly like the ones in the cartoon (including, controversially, no seat belts!). I was slightly disappointed that, on both of our two rides, we were in a hard top car. In such nice weather, a ride in a convertible would’ve been nice! I really enjoyed this ride, but I can’t really put my finger on why. Really, its no different to any other tracked car ride, but I think it’s the quality of the theming and scenes on the way round that sets it apart. There’s some great details including a zebra crossing and, to Ian’s excitement, a working set of traffic lights! Again, this goes at quite a speed. That makes taking photos tricky, but will help throughput no end.

Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter Flight
I can’t remember the last time I went on a Ferris Wheel. This was a great one to break the drought with though. The cars are themed brilliantly, and even have “control panels” inside! There’s also sound effects throughout the ride which really adds to the fun.

George’s Dinosaur Adventure
No, its been well documented over the years how much I “enjoy” these types of rides, so its needless to say that I was really looking forward to this one! The dinosaurs look amazing! Again, the attention to detail on the way round is brilliant (Try and spot the giant grass/hedge dinosaur peeking out of the ground! Again, the soundtrack on this is great. Each car has in built speakers, so the sound follows you as you travel round the track. The working volcanoes near the end are also a nice touch. Overall, this was probably my favourite of all the rides (and no, not for that reason!)

Peppa’s House
With the animatronics and soundtrack, its like watching a live episode of the cartoon right infront of your eyes! The animation of the animatronics is not the best in the world, but its still excellent, and makes for a great additional attraction for the area.

Grandpa Pig’s House, Library, Campervan
I was slightly disappointed that these are for display only. I especially wanted to sit in the campervan and have my photo taken, but nevermind!

Duckpond
The ducks had been really hyped up by the park, and, if I’m honest, were a little disappointing. There were still some great ideas on it though, like having the speak rotating with the ducks, so that the quacking always comes from there they’re swimming. It’s a cute feature.

Muddy Puddles play area
This looks great, and fits in with the theme really well. Afterall, what’s Peppa’s favourite pastime?! Therefore, there’s no way you could’ve had an area dedicated to her without it. It looks great, and I’m sure the kids will love it in the nice weather.

Mr Potato’s playground
This contained my two favourite surface coverings in the whole area. First is the rainbow path. OMG I love it! I want that in my house! The 2nd is the synthetic grass. This is particularly brilliant, because, in this day and age of health and safety gone mad, it seems so unusual to see play equipment set up on grass. It makes the area with the swing, roundabout and little slide look so much nicer than having rubber matting everywhere. Plus, it again looks more true to the cartoon. Oh, I also want the synthetic grass in my house. I reckon it’d make an awesome carpet.

One thing that is important to mention about the area is the music. It really finishes if off and adds to the atmosphere. It’s all music from the series, so again helps to make you feel like you’ve just walked straight into the cartoon. There’s also little sound affects all around the place which really add to it. I love some of the attention to detail. All of the areas with ‘brick’ walls have been individually painted with outlines to make it look more cartoon like. This must’ve taken them ages, but was well worth the effort. As Ian’s already said, the 2 things that felt like no thought for themeing had gone into them were the bins and toilets. The toilets were good (they were beautifully clean, well laid out with kids in mind, and the pearlescent mosaic tiles are pretty) but nothing in there made me think Peppa Pig. Even just playing some of the music of something in there would’ve been a start. The bins were also a disappointment. They’re clearly brand new, but (to me at least) stick out like a sore thumb. I don’t know what the bins should’ve looked like, but I’m sure some clever spark somewhere could’ve come up with something! In an area where so much thought has gone in to the theming, I’m going to start nit-picking, but these are my only two gripes.

All in all, Peppa Pig World is fantastic. If you have kids (or grown-ups!) that love the cartoon then this is definitely worth the trip. Even if you’re not a Peppa fan, but love a good themed area, then this needs to be seen to be believed. So here’s a big congratulations to all involved in its creation.

This leaves me with just one question for Paulton’s… what’s next?!

 

[furie]

Ciaran desperately wants to know if they sell chocolate cake in Daddy Pig's Big Tummy Cafe?

 

[Tomatron]

Looks like an amazing area area for (big) kids and families!

 

[divvie_dave]

Good review Ian.... Nic, I still believe you should be in the Kitchen ;-)

Looks like a sweet place really, so much detail and love has gone into it. If I love it anywhere near as much as I love Thomas Land at DMP, its gonna be awesome!

 

[marc]

Had a fantastic day in the park today, Peppa Pig World looks fantastic and the atmosphere in there was brilliant.

They have done such a good job with the area and to see kids not knowing what to do next and get all excited was nice to see.

I am uploading the pictures I took to FB and will link them here tomorrow, I am so tired been up since 5am. Big thank you to Ian for today and the park