This month I went on a small holiday to Great Yarmouth and decided to stop by a few attractions whilst I was there. One of the attractions on my radar was Joyland Children’s Park. Joyland stood out to me as it was home to two rides which I’d heard about and had put on my bucket list, so when we had the opportunity to visit, I was sure to fit it into my itinerary for the visit. We found it easily on the seafront by the pier, the colourful toy mountain standing tall to greet us in the centre of the park.
On arrival, we were instantly surprised by how much the park managed to fit in the space considering the footprint is quite small. Rides are arranged close together but cleverly, so it still feels rather spacious to get around without issue. The park essentially has a circular route that you can follow to find everything with big signs pointing out the entrances for the selection of rides on park.
Speaking of rides, you pay for rides by using tokens, they cost £2 each or you can get a deal (E.g £20 for 12) for better value. Each ride costs 1 token which we felt was great value for money. Tokens can be purchased either at token machines or from a cash desk in the park (Get your token bundles at the desk).
With tokens at the ready, we were able to experience the park and enjoy a range of their rides including the Tyrolean Tub Twist and Super Snails – Two of the rides which we had come for. These rides are an absolute classic for Great Yarmouth and have been around for 75 years (As of this year). They have been a staple of Great Yarmouth seaside holidays for so many families and we hope they will remain to be for many years. The Tyrolean Tub Twist was really interesting as it is the sole surviving Virginia Reel in the world. It makes for a dizzy yet thrilling ride experience, yes it is a bit bumpy but honestly that’s part of the experience! We found it so much fun and really left feeling dizzy – unlike some more modern day spinning rides where the feeling fades before you get off.
The Super Snails of Joyland are an iconic memorable experience and one of the ones many of you told us about when we mentioned this trip was coming. No one can go to Great Yarmouth without a ride on the Super Snails! The charming snails take you on a ride around their track which hosts a beautiful garden, multiple statues and a few hills along the way. It was a delightful ride and one that we loved. Growing up with trips to Weymouth, we experienced a similar snail ride on the beach, but this one is different with a permanent setup. This is a classic ride and something everyone remembers from their trips to Great Yarmouth over the years, its a must do if you ask us!
We really enjoyed the selection of rides on offer at the park and like I said before, we were amazed by how much they have managed to fit into such a small footprint. It’s well laid out. The selection of rides is really varied making sure theres something for everyone. There is even coin operated rides for smaller children. The park also has a dark ride, Neptune’s Kingdom, which is a charming fun ride taking you on a journey into the undersea world where you even meet King Neptune!
The Super Snails, Spook Express and Jet Car’s have the option for an on-ride photo which can be purchased for a small cost, however, the thing that makes these onride photos different, is that they re physically taken by a photographer! The park had two photographers going from each of the three rides to take photos for the riders either as they were about to embark on their ride or at the end of the ride. Once the photo was taken, you would be handed a sticker which had your photo number on – this could be shown to the photo kiosk where you could view and purchase the pictures. We purchased a few of our pictures and were very happy with the results.
Overall, we were really impressed by Joyland. It’s a charming little park with lovely staff and its clear to see they take pride in their rides – looking after rides for over 75 years. We found it was great value for money and there wasn’t much of a wait if any during our visit (there may be a wait during the summer holidays!). Outside they also have a diner and other food options are available. You really don’t need to go far to find anything you may need Joyland. Its also a stone’s throw from the beach so an ideal location for a family trip!
Have you visited Joyland? What did you think?
Joyland is open daily from 11am, weather permitting. For the latest updates, check their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JoylandGY
Find out more about our visit by watching our VLOG below: