Ad – press trip to Sooty Land
Sooty Land is the latest addition to Devon’s No1 family day out, Crealy Theme Park. The new attraction is inspired by the Sooty Show, which is the longest running children’s television show in the UK, and it has been designed in such a way that all Sooty fans, old and new, will enjoy exploring it together.
Here is everything you need o know about Sooty Land, including our review based on taking two children aged 2.5 and 9.
What is there to do at Sooty Land?
There is loads to see and do at Sooty Land including trying out the four new rides.
Sooty’s Magic Bus is suitable for those over 105cm or those under if riding with a responsible adult. It goes up in the air and then back down a few times and then changes direction and does the same again. This ride was a firm favourite with our 2 and a half year old and it gives you great views over Sooty Land when you are up at the top too which is nice for the adults.
Photo credit Steve Haywood
Sue’s Sweet Balloon Ride is suitable for those over 90cm, or those under when riding with a responsible adult. You sit in a hot air balloon basket and go up in the air and rotate in circles. You can, if you are an adrenaline junkie like our 9 year old, turn the wheel in the middle to make the balloon spin which is a great feature that makes the ride more inclusive for children of all ages.
Sweep’s flying circus is for those taller than 105cm and unfortunately smaller children can not ride, even with an adult. This ride is like the classic fairground rides that go up and down and round and round, allowing you to drive the plane yourself.
Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Dizzy is the fastest of all the rides at Sooty Land and is aimed at older children as you must be 120cm to ride alone or between 92cm and 119cm to ride with an adult. This ride spins in circles and rotates across the floor in a figure of 8 and is one that will definitely be a hit with the older kids that love fast rides.
As well as the four new rides that are outside there is also an indoor area called the Pier. In here you will find
Sooty’s Magic Mirror Maze,
a play area,
interactive games
dance studio,
Hall of fame,
Sue’s café
Sooty’s diner
and the gift shop.
All of these indoor attractions are relatively close together and visible from the seating area so if you are visiting with children about 4 and over you will probably feel relaxed enough to sit down and grab a coffee whilst the children burn off some energy.
The Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame is inside the pier and is perfect for fans that remember Sooty from years gone by. It is full of incredible memorabilia as well as old episodes playing on loop. It is sure to bring back all those memories from your own childhood and give you the opportunity to share them with your children. The Hall of Fame is a lovely nod to the previous presenters and shows how far the show has come over the years. It is bound to make you feel nostalgic and want to start re watching all the original shows once you return home.
The Sooty Show
The live show has been written by presenter Richard Cadell and is a real joy to watch for both the children and the adults. Although Richard is unable to be live on stage for every show it has been created in such a way that he is still a huge part of the performance, so it remains in keeping with the TV show the audience is familiar with but with the addition of an assistant who is hilarious and works so well with Sooty, Sweep and Sue. It is a really engaging and interactive show that lasts about 30 minutes and should definitely be factored in to your visit.
Top Tip 1 – Download the Kahoot app in advance as there is a quiz whilst you wait.
Top tip 2 – If you can then treat your little one to a flashing wand on the way in as they will love to join in with all the magic, music, dancing and wand waving.
Top tip 3 – The live Sooty Show takes place in the big top, there is plenty of seating and it does look like you can get a good view from all the seats as they are staggered in height but if it is an extremely busy day or you want to sit at the front then I suggest you arrive early. I would also recommend you try and sit near the front if you have pre schoolers as there are parts where the children get up and dance near the stage, this is great fun and lovely to watch but as the mum of a toddler I imagine this would be more difficult if you are sat further back.
Meet and greet with Sooty
One of the things that makes Sooty Land different to all the other themed attractions is that you can enjoy a meet and greet with Sooty himself. Not just a replica in the form of a statue or a person in an obvious costume but an actual meet and greet with Sooty as he looks in the show making it a much more authentic experience and one that fans will love.
Our Sooty Land Review
Overall we loved Sooty Land and think it is a brilliant addition to Crealy Theme Park. It has managed to create the perfect mix of old and new, incorporating many aspects of the famous show from when it first began to where it is today. It has all the elements of a perfect family day out with rides, play areas and a show and we had an absolute blast from start to finish.
I took two children, aged 2.5 and 9, and I can honestly say that they both loved it. The youngest was only able to ride two of the rides but she did this repeatedly and never got bored of them and with the outside play park being so close to the rides it meant that as two adults we could split up and do different hings with each child when needed without feeling miles away from each other or getting lost. Again, once in the pier both children were able to use the play area and interactive games together or separately. My eldest favoured the interactive wall game where you have to try and press the lights as and when they flash to beat the timer, whereas the youngest liked dancing in the dance studio and “playing” twister and they both had fun in the play area.
We spent the best part of a day in Sooty Land and I think if you have children aged between 4 and 8 you could easily stay here for the day, just don’t forget that Sooty Land is only one part of Crealy Theme Park and your admission fee gets you access to the full park so you may need to plan your day accordingly, or better yet check out their accommodation and make a weekend of it like we did when we stayed one of their lodges with a hot tub.
Whatever you decide to do I am sure you will have a wonderful time at Sooty Land and if you do choose to stay for a while then be sure to check out other attractions in Devon too.