A calm, magical visit to Sundown Adventureland with a toddler. Honest review, Santa experience, queues, food, and whether it’s worth it for ages 2–6.

Sundown Adventureland with a Toddler: A Calm, Magical Day Out for Little Ones

A gentle day out at Sundown Adventureland

We visited Sundown Adventureland on Friday 5th December, one of those rare days off work that feels like a little gift. Lily was in school, so it was just me, Jonny and Noah, which already set the tone for a slower, calmer kind of day.This wasn’t our first visit — we took Lily when she was around two and absolutely loved it — so this trip was planned with fond memories in mind. I was quietly hoping it would live up to how I remembered it. It did. And more.

First impressions: everything I remembered (and then some)

From the moment we arrived, Sundown felt exactly as I remembered: gentle, magical and completely geared towards little ones. There’s something really reassuring about a place that doesn’t overwhelm you the second you walk in.

One of the biggest highlights for me was the indoor play area. It was so much fun. I genuinely had the best time racing Noah down the long slide, one of those simple moments that ends up meaning far more than the big rides ever do.

What Noah loved most

Noah absolutely thrived at Sundown Adventureland.

He loved:

all the interactive elements

exploring Fairytale Land

pressing buttons, climbing and investigating

having the freedom to wander safely and independently

What stood out most was how calm and regulated he was all day. No rushing, no overwhelm — just genuine enjoyment. Watching him engage so confidently with everything around him was honestly the best part of the day for me.

We arrived at around 11am and stayed until about 3.30pm, and the time flew by.

Meeting the big man

One of the most magical parts of the day was Noah meeting Santa.

Before seeing him, we went on a brilliant festive ride that took us through all sorts of Christmas scenes — lights, decorations and that proper Christmassy feeling that little ones soak up. It was such a gentle way to build excitement rather than overwhelm.

After the ride, we queued for about 15 minutes to see Santa. Not ideal, but realistically you don’t get much shorter queues than that in December, and it moved steadily.

Santa himself was fantastic: really warm, kind and very realistic, which makes such a difference for little ones. His cabin was beautiful, cosy and festive without feeling over the top.

Noah received a tractor, which was a genuinely decent present and went down very well. There was also the option to buy a photo afterwards, but Noah was feeling a little unsure (aren’t they all?), so we didn’t push it and skipped that part.

It felt like one of those moments that will quietly sit in his Christmas memories, and I’m so glad we did it.

Crowd levels, food and practicalities

One of the best things about our visit was how quiet it felt. There were no long queues, no pressure to rush, and plenty of space to just enjoy the day.

Food-wise, it was fine but nothing spectacular:

I had a sausage butty.

Jonny went for a jacket potato.

It did the job, and for a family day out like this, that’s really all you need.

From a practical point of view: Sundown is very pushchair friendly, easy to get around, with plenty of places to sit and pause when needed. All of this adds to that calm, manageable feeling — especially when visiting with a toddler or young child.

How it felt as a parent

I felt calm, enthused and genuinely excited — which doesn’t always happen on days out.

This was the kind of trip that feels like:

easy fun

joyful without being exhausting

special without being stressful

Watching Noah engage so happily made the whole experience feel worthwhile. It reminded me that days out don’t need to be big or complicated to be magical.

Is Sundown Adventureland worth it?

In my opinion: yes — especially for younger children.

Best suited for ages 2–6

Perfect for toddlers and early primary years

Older children may outgrow it a little

Would I go again? Possibly — although I do feel like once you’ve been, you’ve seen most of it. That said, I suspect they change some rides seasonally, and there’s a fantastic sandpit area we didn’t even get round to exploring, which would be lovely in warmer months.

It feels more like a special trip than an every-year habit — but one that really delivers for little ones.