Not the most swish and snazzy theme park with huge...

Not the most swish and snazzy theme park with huge rides as it caters for younger thrill seekers but it's still a fun day out. We live locally and have merlin passes which means we can visit regularly and avoid the big rides on very busy days (or just get one or two fast track passes).
We always have a great day and although the food isn't cheap we get 20% off which makes it OK.
If it's busy queues are huge as with all theme parks. You can easily get half price tickets online or on cereal packets but please set your expectations for how long things take. There are plenty of other non ride things to do with kids if the queues are long. If you are only going to visit once choose a quiet weekend! Get there for opening to get a quick ride or two before the crowds arrive.