Chris Smyth

Review of Wheelgate Park

I can imagine that when this park was originally b...

I can imagine that when this park was originally built, the staff cared about their job and everything looked great. Unfortunately, that looks like a long, long, LONG time ago!

It's hard to know where to start with this review so I'll start with the positives.

Pro's:

The parking was easy as we arrived just before opening during school holidays.

Our 6 year old boy really enjoyed it (most of the time).

The water park is great for kids which has lots of slides and A MASSIVE bucket which tips over every minute or so.

The T-Rex in the band stand was good and entertaining and the guy who was his keeper was funny and put a lot of effort in.

Con's:

Everything was run-down or broken.

The toilets looked like they had been used as a crack den previously. The men's cubicle had 3 different broken locks on it and didn't close properly so I had to stand guard for my son.

The cool sounding "Alien Blaster Arena" had approximately 10 blaster guns which fire foam balls (the same as twin lakes if you've been). 2 of these guns worked. 1 not very well. The ball transport system didn't work either so I ended up throwing balls up a level so my boy could fire a few without losing the gun to other kids.

The staff looked like they were just trying to get through the day with old, faded uniforms.

Kids were pushing in in the queues meaning I had to stand guard with my son as he's too polite to elbow kids back to their place. Some staff had no control of the kids rides but, to be fair, the parents of some less behaved children were absent so they didn't have much of a chance.

The actual rides were great for my 6 year old, but my 2 year old wasn't allowed on the few that were there so it meant we couldn't go on them as a family.

Conclusion:

All in all it was an OK day. As I say, my 6 year old enjoyed it as he doesn't tend to see the negatives that haunt you as an adult. He just cracked on with the day and made the most of it.

My wife and I have said that we won't be going back again but I wouldn't advise anyone not to go, just...don't get your hopes up that it'll be lovely, because it won't!