Paultons Park

Queues vary a lot. Recent visitor reports range from walk-on or no wait on some weekdays to roughly 25 to 45 minute waits on some busy May and weekend visits, so a quieter-looking date is worth targeting if you have flexibility. Selected rides and attractions close between November and January, which is worth factoring in for winter trips. Individual rides have their own height and suitability restrictions, so not every ride will work for every guest. The park is often described as expensive for a family, and one visitor reported around 45 minutes to get out of the car park at closing, so leaving slightly before or after the final rush can help. If ride queues get wearing, the gardens and lake areas make an easy break from the busier parts of the park.

• Getting there: just off exit 2 of the M27, with free parking and a large disabled parking area close to the main entrance. By bus, the X7 Salisbury to Southampton service stops at Ower, Vine Inn outside the park, a 5 to 10 minute walk along the drive; some journeys during certain Wiltshire school holidays run to the main entrance.
• Allow a full day. With this many rides, play areas, animal enclosures and shows spread over a large site, a half day will feel rushed.
• Check the official app on the day for which food outlets are open, since dine-in restaurants and takeaways open according to season. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options are available, including vegetarian, vegan and nut-free choices.
• Book ahead where it matters: the Queue Assist Pass is a free additional service for eligible guests who cannot stand in queues and must be pre-booked, and mobility scooters are limited so should be reserved in advance.
• Practicalities are solid: ample toilets with accessible facilities, a changing places facility near the main entrance, baby-care centres, and plenty of benches plus large undercover seating areas.