Woodlands Family Theme Park: Is the Annual Pass worth it?

Is the Annual Pass for Woodlands Family Theme Park worth it? Well, yes. Sort of. Kind of. It really depends how much time you’d like to spend reliving the same experience over and over again. Sounds a lot like parenting actually. That doesn’t help answer the question does it? Let me explain more clearly using the magic of prose writing.

Why me!

It’s my duty, as a dad, to visit places I don’t want to go! It’s all wrapped up in this whole husband/parenting malarkey that I signed up for years ago without reading the small print. And since then I’ve been repeatedly forced against my will to try new activities and even worse, develop emotionally as a flipping grown up. Ugh.

And since moving to Devon there’s been a plethora (when was the last time you got to use plethora in a sentence?) of opportunities for both and because avoiding emotional stuff is easy, I chose to visit lots of interesting places with the kids instead.

Woodlands: Out of Season or Main Season Visits?

I’m always wary about attractions that involve queuing with overstimulated kids and distracted parents. But we purposely chose December 2023 which is classed as the Off Peak Season for our first visit. Less queues. Less kids. Win, win. I was pleasantly surprised. Woodlands has a nice blend of indoor and outdoor activities. It has farm animals and other educational elements which works well for us because we are a homeschooling family. It’s only a twenty minute drive from where we live in Totnes and…

“Just tell us how much the annual pass is?”

Okay, okay, you don’t need to skip right to the end. It’s not a gluten free cake recipe. It cost us £320 for a family of four, and we calculated that if we visit at least once a month for a year, then we’ve definitely got our money’s worth.

Unexpected

But once a month has not been a problem because I love it! And of course, more importantly, so do the kids!

Now, I’m under no illusions that Woodlands will be jam-packed during the summer months and holidays but during our visit in December, and several times since then, it’s been quiet. Woodlands limits its opening times during winter to weekends and school holidays which didn’t benefit us as homeschoolers then, but does now as it’s moved into their Main Season opening times which is from Easter till October.

Indoor and Outdoor activities and Facilities

Several outdoor rides and attractions are closed during Off Peak. There are still some fun rides available, mainly aimed at little ones but don’t let the one in the middle of the main building fool you. You’ll know it when you see it. Both my boys instantly regretted it even though I’d told them, in great detail, how they would hate every second of it. And I was right of course. As usual. It brings me no pleasure being right all the time you know. It’s a heavy burden I must carry.

One of the benefits of Woodlands is the various indoor spaces which have recently come in handy while rain has become the new norm. There’s one room dedicated to shooting foam balls at each other with large air pressured guns which strangely has a sign saying DO NOT THROW BALLS. There’s a normal sized soft play and a huge, and I mean huge indoor soft play area that I recommend not playing hide and seek in with your little ones. Because they will win and you just look like a strange adult playing on the equipment alone.

Be prepared

I recommend taking plenty of food with you. I’m not averse to the odd pizza slice but these places never offer anything remotely healthy. It’s always the same predictable foods that vastly increase the cost of your visit and provide no nutritional value. And unfortunately Woodlands is no different. But if you don’t care about nutrition and love overpriced beige foods then you won’t be disappointed.

Woodlands has a lot to offer and we continue to enjoy using our Annual Pass. I recommend visiting on a weekday to start with at first, taking your own lunch and spare clothes for the kids. And if your little ones are squeamish then don’t visit the Falconry Centre at lunch time.

They’ll never look at a baby chick in the same way again.

To read more from Adam head over to adamglennon.com or purchase a copy of his book Why Do They Always Shout? Memoirs of a Tired Dad here.