The Complete Guide to Tornado Springs Paultons Park

The complete guide to Tornado Springs Paultons Park. We have long been big fans of the UK theme park – Paultons Park having visited a lot over the years including Halloween at Paultons Park, reviewing the new Peppa Pig Rides when they were built at Paultons Park and even spending time in the Lost Kingdom. So when the family theme park launched a new themed area which opened in May we were super excited to try the new area out. And to try out the Tornado Springs roller coaster.

AD – We were gifted entry in return for this blog post – The Complete Guide to Tornado Springs Paultons Park. All words and opinions are my own.

Tornado Springs is made up of eight new rides and experiences including, two play areas and several eateries. Including a new restaurant, a classic American diner. Although Paultons Park will always be synonymous with Peppa Pig World the introduction of Storm Chaser and Cyclonator rides to Tornado Springs. Makes the park even more attractive to slightly older children. Both of these are thrill rides and a great addition to what is our favourite theme park. So how did we get on with our first visit to this new exciting ride area?

Complete Guide to Tornado Springs Paultons Park

Located near Peppa Pig World Tornado Springs looks like a film set with Americana music going in the background. The land is set in a midwest desert resort town in the American heyday of the 1950’s. The new addition of the 1950s resort town really would not look out of place in one of the big themed resorts in America. It is by far one of the best themed areas I have seen in a UK theme park. Everything has been thought about, from the signage to the play areas, to the Route 83 Diner and the theming of the rides. The sun was shining and it was hot on the day of our visit and we really did not feel like we were in the United Kingdom! But before we get into the new land here are some basics about the theme park.

Where is Paultons Park & how to get to Paultons Park

Paultons Park is located in Romsey Hampshire on the edge of the New Forest. We drove and used the postcode SO51 6LA which took us straight there. Not that we needed to worry as the theme park is clearly marked by brown signs on the M27. Paultons Park is around a twenty-minute drive from Southampton, forty minutes from Portsmouth and 1 hour and forty minutes from central London. I really like that you do not need to pay for parking at Paultons Park. They have plenty of space and if they are busy they have an overflow carpark as well. Because of where the theme park is, there can be queuing off of the last roundabout. So bear this in mind if you are arriving at an opening time. 

If you are looking to use public transport then you will be pleased to know that there are many options. Travelling from central London it is possible to catch a coach from London Victoria. It is possible to get dropped at the top of the drive on the X7 Sailsbury to Southampton bus route. There are two train stations within ten miles. These are Southampton Central and Southampton Airport Parkway. Both are around a fifteen-minute taxi ride away. You can find out more details on how to get to the park on the Paultons Park website.

How much does it cost to go to Paultons Park?

Paultons Park does not have an onsite hotel but does run offers with hotels nearby. Many of which are based around Southampton. This way you can get two days access to the park for the price of one. 

If your child is under 1m then they are free. There is a place to check and the children will be measured at the entrance to the park by the people scanning tickets. If you buy tickets online before you go then make sure you download them and have the QR code to hand. As signal can be a little hit or miss in the area. 

If you pre-book your tickets online then you will save money on the ticket price. It is also handy to see which days are sell-outs or close to it. Their pricing structure is also really simple. Anyone over 1m pays and they all pay the same price. So an individual ticket brought online is £37.75 which is a saving of £7.75. A family of four is £147 saving £31. They also have other family options available. Senior citizens do pay a slightly reduced rate of £35.25. You can purchase tickets here. 

The new rides in Tornado Springs

There are several new attraction in the themed land. Although the one which the boys were most excited about was the Tornado Springs roller coaster.

The Storm Chaser Rollercoaster – Tornado Springs roller coaster

We entered the park around 10.30 am which is half an hour after it opened. I wasn’t holding out much hope to avoid the queues for the Tornado Springs roller coaster. But when we arrived we headed straight for the Tornado Springs area and managed to get on the new roller coaster Storm Chaser three times before the queuing time moved off of zero! Unlike other rollercoasters in the park, this one spins as it thunders up and down the track. To be honest it was the first time I had been on a spinning coaster that spins round as well as going forwards. It was brilliant, even Harry had a go (5 yrs) as the minimum height restrictions are 1m. Charlie went on the new rollercoaster storm chaser at least six times during our visit. 

Al’s Auto Academy

Our next stop was Al’s Autoacademy, where the boys got to drive around in little electric cars. In a garage-themed driving school ride. Harry needed to go on with an adult because he is under 120cm. So needed someone to operate the pedals while he steered. They really enjoyed al’s auto academy and it gave them their first taste of learning to drive and looking both ways at junctions. This is a very popular ride, the boys waited around twenty minutes and this was around an hour after the park had opened. While waiting you get the opportunity to have your photo taken so that you can purchase a driving licence or the picture can be used on all sorts of memorabilia in al’s shop. There is an additional charge for this.  

Cyclonator

The ride that everyone is talking about is Cyclonator, which spins and swings you up to 25 metres in the air. The gyro swing ride is definitely for the thrill-seekers you need to be over 120cm to ride this. Which gives it the highest height restriction in the park. If this is your thing then I would definitely make this your first point of call when the park opens. As it was extremely popular and the first time we had been on a gyro swing pendulum ride.

Other rides in Tornado Springs

Another favourite of ours is Buffalo Falls. Although not a new ride it has been rebranded to fit in with the rest of Tornado Springs. You sit in a giant dingy and go down a very bumpy slide. It has always been a firm favourite with the boys. Right next to Peppa Pig world the queues for this can get long later in the day. So I would go on this towards the beginning of your visit. To ride children need to be over 90cm. Another ride that has been refurbished is the Trekking Tractors. A family ride ideal for a younger audience with no height limits although keep an eye out for the groundhogs that keep trying to steal farmer Flo’s fruit and veg.

Another new ride is the Windmill Towers, the boys absolutely love those style rides that drop you from high up. And this time there are two! You need to be 90cm to go on this and seats have been placed so it is easy to sit with an adult. It is this sort of thought which makes me love Paultons Park. The boys are tall enough for Magna with is the other ride like this at the park. So opted to go on that one because it is taller, but then so are the height limits at 110cm. It is good that shorter children now have the chance to experience this style of ride.

The last ride in this area is the Rio Grande Train. We had a trip on this at the end of the day, a little bit of shade and a sit down after a manic day! It takes you around the whole of Tornado Springs with the Storm Chaser hurtling over the top of you. As a family ride, there are no restrictions on height and it is a great way to spot other rides you may want to go on. The entrance to the train is just outside the land near the Victorian carousel. 

Since we visited there has also been the addition of a new junior rollercoaster the Farmyard Flyer. Also set in the American desert, the new Tornado Springs area.

 

Play areas in Tornado Springs

As well as the rides there are two play areas in Tornado Springs. This is something that Paultons Park do throughout the theme park. And something I have always loved. As especially with young children they can get a bit overwhelmed with all the rides and noise. So if they just want to have a climb and go on a slide they can do it. They have even gone one further by having a play area for the 6-12-year-olds and another for the younger ones, located next to the Diner.

Harry really enjoyed the Junkyard Junction play area and had a blast while Charlie went on the Storm Chaser several more times! It is large enough that they can still get their own individual space and the ground is all spongy and soft. There is even a little bit of parent setting that has been put in. 

Eating in Tornado Springs

We had planned to eat at the end of the day but did not realise that the Route 83 Diner stops serving hot food at 4.30 pm. With some of the rides having extended hours until 6.00 pm during the Summer season it would make sense to offer food later. This did mean we missed out on trying out the American treats we had set our heart on. However, it does also give us a good excuse to go back.

As well as offering a traditional American breakfast of pancakes up to 11.30 am. The diner offers burgers, chicken tenders, hot dogs and salads. All with a midwest twist. You can even get a Budwiser to go with your adult meal. Children’s meals cost just under £7 and come with a drink. I do think this is very good value for money. Especially when you see the size of the portions. There is also a full range of desserts of the pie variety.

However, Charlie had set his heart on one of the ice cream sundaes he had seen which you can buy from a kiosk near the rollercoaster. Needless to say, he was one happy boy! I do think that the range of different types of food and drink available across Paultons Park is very impressive and it is nice to see all sorts of healthy options available. All fairly priced. 

How many rollercoasters does Paultons Park have

As well as enjoying all that Tornado Springs has to offer we also targeted some of the other rollercoasters in Paultons Park. With the addition of Storm Chaser, there are now four large rollercoasters and two aimed at younger children. Harry who has just turned five and is 110cm can go on all of the large rollercoasters.

• Storm Chaser – as mentioned above on the Tornado Springs roller coaster not only do you race up and down. But the car itself also rotates and spins. No two rides are the same!
• The flight of the Pterosaur – which has long been our favourite suspends you in the air while you race around 395m of track. Just remember to remove any loose shoes!
• Velociraptor – a family rollercoaster. Although I would suggest the thrilling end of the family scale as it drops from 20m in the air sweeping around tight bends with speeds of up to 40 mph before reversing to do it all again.
• Cobra – the wildest and oldest of the coasters. It takes you around tight bends, spirals and the camel humps at the end. Guaranteed to raise a squeal. 
• Cat-O-Pillar Coaster – is located in the Little Critters area of the park. It is a great family coaster that is only 10m off of the ground. An ideal first coaster experience for anyone over 90cm.
• Dino Chase – in the Lost Kingdom is the first rollercoaster that Charlie ever went on and I am pretty sure one of Harry’s firsts too. A lovely family coaster that doesn’t terrify little ones and comes with no height restrictions. 

Is Paultons Park Suitable for an 8-year-old?

Although Paultons Park is associated with Peppa Pig world it is so much more than that. During our visit, we did not set foot into Peppa’s domain. That is not because we don’t love the rides or her, it is just that the boys have outgrown them. Sob. We have had some fantastic days out there. But now they want more thrills. 

With the addition of Tornado Springs Paultons Park has become the best theme park for older kids. Those that fall into that middle ground between not being a little one and not being a teenager. Where they are not tall enough yet to ride the big rides in the big brand named parks. But who still want amazing rollercoasters and excitement. Or those that are close but have younger siblings as we do. Finding a theme park that caters well for both a 5-year-old and 8 year old is a challenge. It is a very specific market and Paultons Park have done it amazingly well. We had a wonderful family day out where there were so many rides that we struggled to choose the next one. 

And the real gem… because so many people still visit for Peppa Pig World many of the other rides have very reasonable queues. Using the app you can see what queuing times are like and we only saw one (outside of Peppa Pig) queue line above 25 minutes all day. And we visited on a hot sunny June weekend. 

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post – Complete Guide to Tornado Springs Paultons Park. We love Paultons Park and will most definitely be back. Have you visited?

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Complete Guide to Tornado Springs Paultons Park