Diggerland Kent Review
Diggerland Kent
Reviewed by Petra Aston and family
Saturday 5 April 2014
A great day out but not what was expected.
We went with our two 3 year olds and the grandparents. The kids had been talking about it for weeks and had watched Bob the Builder on repeat for about the same period!
With a dry weather outlook we made an early start to get there for the 10am opening,
It’s pretty simple to find and on arrival there was plenty of parking available. The site is set on the side of a hill overlooking the picturesque river Medway.
A warm greeting from the staff at the entrance and it wasn’t long before we had our first eye full of a digger. What must have been a 20ft digger perched on a grassy mound 2m or so high, had seats fitted into a wide digger bucket attached to the end of its arm. As we walked in we all thought ‘that looks a bit strange’ but what followed next was a real surprise. The digger started lifting up into the air the half dozen or so people, who were strapped into the bucket, and started to spin around in one direction then the other. ’Spin-Dizzy’, as the aptly named ride was called, lived up to its name as we would later find out. Not one for the little ones and not ideal after a coke or ice-cream either!!
The site is laid out in a way that allows you to see most of the rides and attractions from the entrance area. We chose some sedater rides to break the little ones in. A line of 1ft mini diggers where you can fish for ducks, dig in a sand pit and play a version of ten pin bowling by controlling their digger arms proved a lot of fun for kids, who were able sit in the cab on your lap and pull the levers.
We spent a good hour on these diggers after which lunch was taken. The food selection in the Diggerland restaurant looked varied, of good size portions and reasonably priced. The toilet facilities had good baby changing. There was also a large soft play area adjacent to the restaurant.
After lunch we headed for the larger diggers that allowed the parents and older children to drive and dig a big hole. This was excellent fun and kids were allowed to sit on your lap.
Next the kids saw a digger converted into carrousel ride called ‘Dig Around’. This was a particularly clever digger modification where passengers ride in bucket seats rather than your traditional horses. The kids loved this ride which we had two goes on.
Alongside was a tele-handler forklift (Sky-shuttle) which raises passengers high in to the air for great views around the park and of the River Medway
After an ice-cream we headed for a short break from the diggers and the kids took to a race track for some racing car action. Then we headed for what was the voted the best ride by the adults – ‘Ground Shuttle’. A Telehandler fitted with a bucket of 3 rows of seats that you are strapped into as it drove around over bumpy ground turning sharply swaying from side to side. Ear to ear smiles for the entire length of the ride!. The driver was very friendly and explained a bit about the park and its sponsors, H.E. Services.
The funniest thing we have seen in a long while was the health and safety talk given to our two 3 year olds as they sat in a mini Landover – this was hilariously pointless!
The Diggerland train was a highlight for the kids as they sat in their individual trailers, and the JCB drive experience was unique.
We couldn’t leave Diggerland without a trip on ‘Spin Dizzy’ – an extraordinary ride which is for the thrill seeker
Overall a really pleasant and relaxed friendly atmosphere where Health and Safety has not gone mad and where the adults are responsible the level at which the kids are involved. Well managed and helpful staff, all clearly having a good time at the park.
We asked about the time allocated to each ride and the sensible answer from staff was that it depended on how busy the park is at any one time – this flexible attitude and approach makes a big difference to the way a park is received.
The kids and Grandparents haven’t stopped talking about and are already planning a revisit.
In summary we would thoroughly recommend to anyone, young or old, and would give this a 4.5 out of 5. It is the best park we have been to in a long time. A suggested improvement would be to increase their external promotion and publicity – a really good day out but hardly anyone knows about it.
Rating: 4.5/5
Pay on the day tickets cost: Adults and children over 90cm: £19.95, Children under 90cm: Free, Over 65+: £9.95, Groups of 10+: £16.99, Disabled carer (with one paying visitor): Free.
Pre-booked online ticket cost: Adults and children over 90cm: £16.99, Children under 90cm: Free, Over 65+: £7.99, Groups of 10+: £16.99, Disabled carer (with one paying visitor): Free.
For more information, opening times ot to book tickets visit www.diggerland.com/kent.
Diggerland Kent, Medway Valley Leisure Park, Strood, Kent, ME2 2NU | 0871 2277007
(calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras)
