Roarr! During Covid

Can you still have fun on a socially distanced day out? It appears you can. Here’s my Roarr Dinosaur Adventure Park – Covid Review! We’ve had some Roarr-some days out at Norfolk’s largest all inclusive family day trip – Roarr Dinosaur Adventure Park.  If you’ve followed me for a while you’ll understand how cautiously I’ve negotiated the Covid pandemic. Mostly because of the high risk people in my family. I don’t venture into a grocery store without mask and anti-bac in my pocket and this was before masks were made mandatory. So why go to Roarr! then?

The Park

First of all I know the park well. I’ve been a loyal season ticket holder for years (read my other reviews here), and know you can easily enjoy a day out without ever having to step inside. The site is huge and has so much to offer guests outside and in. It’s renowned for its huge indoor play area but with the weather so mild who’d want to be in a sweaty ball pit anyway? Secondly I knew that the staff of this family run business would do their utmost to make their visitors feel safe. Multiple automated hand sanitiser stations, distancing stickers, staggered booking, self service first aid stations, rigorous cleaning routines, capped visitor numbers, PPE and much more, reassured me of mine and my children’s safety. The other guests seemed really happy and responsible too. Probably encouraged by the conscientious approach of Roarr! and it’s adaptions.

Re-opening

The first time we visited post lock down it was very quiet and we never queued for anything. The second time was much busier, but I was prepared for this. With the majority of attractions now re-opened and the warm weather returning it wasn’t surprising. We were still able to find quiet spots and got a seat for lunch. The boy’s highlight of the day was the Predator! High Ropes. I say ‘the boy’ as some dummy forgot to bring closed-toe shoes for her and Wilba! Doh… Don’t forget yours! The look on Wilbas face was frightening 😂 and I’m sure she’s planning my demise. Since we visited they have now put in place a booking system for the Predator High Ropes, much like the splash area, so make sure you book your spot. Just visit the attraction to reserve your place. I think this is a very wise decision, it stops excessive queuing, especially in the heat, and reinforces social distancing.

Splash Park

Man its hot outside! The kids favourite bit at the moment is the relatively new Dippy’s Splash Zone. Again you must book your slot. Remember to do it early as in this heat it gets booked up very quickly. Reservations are made at the entrance to the splash area. The sessions have been reduced to 20 mins from 30 to ensure everyone gets a go as its been so popular. Plus if its good enough for Tom Hardy, its good enough for me!

Food and Drink

The snack shacks are open serving hot and cold food and drinks. Season ticket holders get 15% off which makes it very reasonable. Although there’s no cheesy-chips at the moment though which I was gutted about. Or if you prefer to take a picnic there’s lots of places to sit. Roarr Dinosaur Adventure Park have invested in more benches and there’s also shaded areas near the tunnel slides and main trees. My favourite place to go is next to the pond at the bottom of the park, near to the enchanted garden. As it’s one of the furthest parts of the park it’s usually very quiet here.

Dippys Raceway

The newest attraction to Roarr Dinosaur Adventure Park is an outdoor electric raceway. Roarr! lovers will remember the inside version of this but Dippy’s Raceway is now bigger and better. The kids loved it and begged to queue up again. The ‘novelty masked’ staff (you can get yours from the shop) made sure that everyone used antibacterial gel beforehand and were great with the kids. You’ll find the raceway where the old zip wire use to be near to the Lost World and X-Tinction Fossil Dig.

Value for Money

The park isn’t the cheapest in Norfolk that’s true but everything is included. The Predator! High Ropes alone would amount to half your ticket price at other similar venues. Roarr! have also extended pre-exisiting season ticket passes to make up for the missed time during lock-down. There’s a new tiered pricing system for new season tickets based on how many times you want to visit during the year which is reflected in the price. On top of this, last week Roarr Dinosaur Adventure launched its new Discovery Pass which is a 3-month pass for just £35. That’s a lot of summer fun.

We are living in scary times, this I know! But somehow the Jurassic period doesn’t seem so bad anymore 😘🍪

Disclaimer; Gifted tickets for purpose of review but as always the words are my own