Pleasurewood Hills Disabled Access Review

Iage of Iona sat on pleasurewoood Hills branded deckchair smiling. text reads plesurewood hills disabled access review with the Iona for theme park trips and an image of Iona riding a rollercoaster.
Join me for the final stop on our Great Yarmouth road trip Plesurewood Hills. Plesurewood hills is a fin family theme park that even caters for teens. So come on lets see what access is available for disabled guests and get on some rides.

Table of Contents

Facilities and Services Available for Disabled Guests

Here is a quick overview of the facilities and services available for disabled guests at Pleasurewood Hills, so that you can decide if this attraction is able to meet your access requirements. Please note: some of the services are listed below and a full explanation is available later on in the blog post. In order to quickly navigate through the post you can use the table of contents.

  • Mobility Scooter Hire: A limited number of mobility scooters are available for £25. Mobility scooters can be reserved for the date of your visit by clicking here reserve a mobility scooter.
  • Wheelchair Hire: A limited number of wheelchairs can be hired from the gift shop.
  • Single and double pushchair hire: A limited number of single and double pushchairs are available to hire. Single pushchairs are £8 and double pushchair are £12. Double and single pushchairs can be reserved for the date of your visit by clicking here stroller hire.
  • Discounted disabled and essential companion tickets: PleasurewoodHills offer a discounted ticket rate of £19 for disabled guests and £19 for essential companions. More information can be found in the ‘Before your visit’ section of this blog post.
  • Queue Assist(Priority Boarding): Pleasurewood Hills offer the reasonable adjustment of Priority Boarding for guests who are unable to queue in a conventional queue line due to a disability. Full information can be used in the ‘before your visit, arrivals and how Priority Boarding works’ sections of this blog post.
  • Assistance Dogs: Pleasurewood Hills welcomes assistance dogs at their venue.

Before your visit

Before visiting Pleasurewood Hills there are a few steps you must take in order to ensure you have the correct access available to you so you can enjoy your day.

Booking ticket

Pleasurewood Hills use a use Dynamic Pricing this means that prices differ depending on when you Visit. The following dated ticket types are available to be pre booked online: Entry ticket (anyone over 90cm) from £19.50, Family ticket (4 people over 90cm) from £75, Student, blue light, military, senior citizen, disabled and carer are all £19 and require documentation proof. you can book tickets by clicking here buy tickets Pleasurewood Hills.

disabled and essential companion tickets

Essential companion and disabled tickets can be selecting when purchasing the rest of your tickets by clicking both the disabled and carer ticket types which are £19 each. Proof of disability is required to be shown on the day of your visit. Pleasurewood Hills accepts the access card for the disability ticket and the access card with the +1 symbol for carer ticket. A full list of accepted disability proof for both ticket types can be found by clicking here accepted disability and carer proof.

Priority Boarding

Pleasurewood Hills offer Priority Boarding for guests that are unable to queue due to a disability. Disability proof is required to get a ride access pass an access card with the standing and queueing symbol is accepted. For a full list of accepted disability proof click here Priority Boarding disability proof. Full information on how the Priority Boarding works at Pleasurewood Hills can be found in the ‘arrivals and and how ride access pass works’ section of this blog post.

Arrivals

In this section of the blog we detail what will happen when you arrive at Pleasurewood Hills so you know what to expect and can get on the rides as quickly as possible.

blue badge parking

There was a few rows of blue badge parking available. However, they were not very well sign posted as blue badge spots and not level ground. Car parking costs £3 there is no discount for disabled parking. You can pay for parking online in advance or by using the Ringo app that costs more then £3. Full information about car parking can be found by clicking here Pleasurewood Hills car parking.

Photo taken from inside a car showing direction sign for disabled parking
View of a car park cars parked on a mostly unpaved and uneven surface

entering the park

The park entrance was located at the front of the car park nice and close to the blue badge parking. Before entering the park there was male and female toilets with accessible toilets available inside the park. There was a reception area located in a separate building where we sent as we got free entry with our Drayton Manor annual passes. The reception was also where we collected our ride access pass full information can be found in the section bellow.

Once we had our tickets and ride access pass sorted we headed into the park through the ticket kiosk where a member of staff checked are tickets.

Wide view of the park entrance building and surrounding car park area.
Covered reception or ticket area
Close-up of a red ticket kiosk with information posters displayed in the window.
Large illustrated map and information board mounted on a red wooden wall outside the entrance.
Broad view showing the park entrance gate, a few visitors, and roller coaster tracks visible in the background.

collecting ride access pass

We were sent to the reception to collect our ride access pass. The reception is before you enter the park located in a building to the front right hand side of the ticket kiosks so was easy to find. In order to obtain the ride access pass at Pleasurewood Hills I just had to show my access card with the standing and queuing symbol on and was given a wristband to wear as seen in the images below.

Reception building at Pleasurewood Hills
silver Ride Access wristband given at Pleasurewood Hills

How To Use Ride Access Pass On Rides

Pleasurewood Hills allows the ride access pass user and 3 accompanying guests so 4 people in total to enter the ride via the ride exit gate or designated ride access pass entrance. If you are wanting to ride the same ride again the you need to wait 30 minutes to go on the same ride again using the ride access pass. Please see my step by step by guide to using the priority boarding on rides below:

Please note: There is still an element of queueing and priority boarding is not available on Cannonball Express and Wavebraker.

Step 1: Check ride restrictions

Sign at the Egg Spress ride entrance showing height restrictions and safety information.

Before going through the ride access pass entrance for the ride of your chose it’s important to make sure you have checked the ride restriction to make sure this ride or attraction accessible for you. The ride restriction board are clearly located at the entrance for each ride and attraction.

step 2: find the Priority Boarding entrance

ride acccess pass entrance to egg spress rollerocaster with ramp and direction signage

Now you have found out the ride is accessible for you it’s time to locate the priority boarding entrance for the ride you would like to enjoy. The priority boarding entrance at Pleasurewood Hills are clearly signposted as seen in the image. For the majority of rides you use the exit but please look for a ride access pass entrance before going up the exit as some rides have a separate priority boarding pass queue.

Step 3: show your easy access wristband

image of egg spress ride station
silver ride access pass wristband

Once reaching the front of the priority boarding queue line for your chosen ride a ride host will come and ask to see your wristband As seen the image to the image.

Step 4: Enjoy the ride

Egg Spress rollercoaster climbing a track bend surrounded by greenery.

It’s now time to experience your chosen ride! weather your riding Wipeout or taking a more genital ride on the carousel. I hope you enjoy being able to access the ride thanks to the priority boarding system.

Our day at Pleasurewood Hills

Now we’re in the park and have sorted all of our access out it’s time to enjoy the park and get on some rides. In this section you will find a write up of our day at Pleasurewood Hills including all the accessibility information of course. So come and enjoy the day with us!

Moby Dick

We started the day on the first ride we saw the Moby Dick. This was a slow spinning ride with whale themed ride carts a nice genital way to start a busy day. The Moby Dick has a ride minimum hight restriction when accompanied by an adult of 0.9 meters. The minimum hight restriction to ride alone was 1.3 meters.

In terms of access, there was no steps up to the ride area however, like most of this style of ride the ride area is sopped and on a slant. There a step up into the ride cart. The ride had no additional sensory effects.

Sign with ride restrictions and information for the Moby Dick ride, featuring a cartoon whale illustration next to a blue fence.
View of the Moby Dick ride showing multiple blue whale-shaped ride carts on a circular track, enclosed by a blue picket fence.
Close-up of the Moby Dick ride with several blue whale ride carts and part of a ship-themed backdrop visible behind the ride.

Root N Tootin Target Trail

We came across this cool wild west themed indoor dark ride Root N Tootin Target Trail with a minimum hight restriction of 80cm when accompanied by an adult. Anyone over 1.1 meters is able to ride by themselves. The aim of Root N Tootin is to hit as many targets as you can using the gun. During our visit the guns and laser targets were out of order this was clearly signposted at the rides entrance. Even without the main element of the target trail I still found Root N Tootin a fun little dark ride with some good indoor scenes.

In terms of access, the ride access pass entrance was located through the rides exit. The ride exit was a little challenging to get a wheelchair through as it was quite narrow. The exit was also dark with purple light effects adding an additional challenging to navigating to the ride station. The ride carts were fairly easy to get into but the door opening to get into the ride is quite narrow. As this ride is a dark ride it does feature a fair few sensory effects that could cause sensory overload including loud wild west themed music that is also in the exit area. The ride also features dark areas, flashing and different coloured lights.

The Root N Tootin Target Trail entrance with a wooden wild west theme, including blue and brown buildings and a ride sign above the entryway.
A close-up of the Root N Tootin Target Trail entrance sign and ride information board
sign saying that the guns and laser targets are out of order
The interior entrance area of the Root N Tootin Target Trail ride, showing a corridor with wooden fencing and themed decorations along the walls.
Inside the dark ride, featuring dim purple and pink lighting with cave-like textured walls.
The Root N Tootin Target Trail ride cart seating area, showing the wooden seat and ride controls inside the cart.

The Creepy Cave

Located through the exit door to the Root N Tootin Target Trail entrance area was the The Creepy Cave which I believed was a seasonal attraction for Halloween. The Creepy Cave attraction had lots of different insects and bugs like spiders, moths and lizards to learn all about. There was lots of information station and animals there was even an insect handling area where I was able to hold a centipede as seen in the images below.

In terms of access, The Creepy Cave experience was fully level the only sensory effect to note is that it was a little dark in the room.

Entrance to the Creepy Cave attraction with a themed sign and fencing.
Pathway outside the Creepy Cave showing an access sign and surrounding area.
Inside view of the Creepy Cave’s entrance corridor
Close-up view of the Creepy Cave sign next to the entrance door.
Insect enclosure display inside the Creepy Cave, showing various habitats.
Overview of the Creepy Cave interior with display tanks and dim lighting.
Terrarium displays featuring various insects in themed settings.
Table display of animal skulls, insect specimens, and educational materials.
Iona smiling and holding a centipede in the Creepy Cave handling area.

Carousel

Of course no theme park would be complete without a classic Carousel and Plesurewood Hills Carousel didn’t disappoint it had an upstairs. In terms of height restriction the Carousel has a minimum height restriction of 80cm and people between 80cm and 1.1 meters need to be accompanied by an adult.

In terms of access, the ride access pass was located at the ride exit. There was a step up to get onto the Carousel and then obviously a jump/step up to get onto a horse or carriage. The upstairs section of the carriage is via a flight of stairs with hand rails. This carriage doesn’t play any music.

Sign displaying height restrictions and safety rules for the Carousel ride at Pleasurewood Hills, with a height measuring stick beside it.
ride access pass Entrance area and ride exit of the Carousel ride at Pleasurewood Hills, enclosed by black fencing
Metal staircase with handrails leading to the upstairs section of the Carousel at Pleasurewood Hills.
Close-up view of the Carousel horses and ornate decorations at Pleasurewood Hills, with colorful details in the background
Wide view of the Carousel ride at Pleasurewood Hills from a distance, showing the entire attraction

Egg Spress

Of course we had to get all of the rollercoaster creds!! The first cred of the day was Egg Spress. A fun little coaster with a minimum height restriction of 90cm, anyone between 90c, and 1.23 meters need to be accompanied by an adult. The Egg Spress has fun layout in the forest with some sharp turns and even a tunnel over the lift hill.

In terms of access, the Egg Spress has a separate ride access pass entrance located next to the rides main entrance. The Egg Spress is fully level with a slight drop down to get into the ride vehicle. Other then the lift hill being covered by the tunnel so you can’t see outside the ride has no over obvious sensory effects.

Sign at the Egg Spress ride entrance showing height restrictions and safety information.
ride access pass entrance to the ride with signage and a ramp.
Egg Spress ride loading platform with bright yellow railings and sheltered roof.
Wooden tunnel section of the Egg Spress track surrounded by trees.
Egg Spress train with colorful carriages waiting at the station ready for passengers.
Egg Spress rollercoaster climbing a track bend surrounded by greenery.

Cannonball Express

The most unique cred of the trip was definitely Cannonball Express as it is the final remining coaster of its type. The Cannonball Express is more of a family thrill coaster with a minimum hight restriction of 1 meter and people between 1 meter and 1.25 meters must ride with an adult. The ride features some sharp corners and breaks and was a fun thrilling ride.

In terms of access, well there isn’t any for Cannonball Express. You are unable to use the ride access pass or priority boarding on the Cannonball Express due to you getting on the ride to a different ride station you get off the ride. Thankfully on our visit the ride was walk on so I managed to experience Cannonball Express. It is all ramped to the ride station however, the ramps are incredibly steep to the point I found them a real challenge to get up and down we were able to leave the wheelchair at the exit station.

Entrance to the Cannonball Express roller coaster, showing the ride’s track and signage with ride restrictions
Pathway leading to the Cannonball Express entrance, with signage and trees lining the route.
Steep, ramped access walkway to the Cannonball Express ride station.
View of the Cannonball Express coaster track curving past a fence, with trees in the background.
The red track of Cannonball Express twisting and turning through grassy open space.
Cannonball Express ride track section near the station

Jolly Roger

Located next to the Cannonball Express was a thrilling drop tower Jolly Roger with a minimum hight restriction of 1.4 meters. Despite being sort as the ride only drops once Jolly Roger was still a real thrill of a ride and gave some unique views of Cannonball Express.

In terms of access, There is a few steps with no handrail to get up to the ride area for Jolly Roger. The ride has no additional sensory effects however, due to how fast the drop is you can really feel the wind on your face.

Entrance to the Jolly Roger drop tower ride, showing the wooden archway sign and ramp leading to the ride area.
Close-up of the ride’s entrance sign and safety information board, with a height measurement post next to the path.
Jolly Roger drop tower ride structure seen against a blue sky,
View looking up at the tall, vertical Jolly Roger drop tower, with clouds and trees in the background.

Wipeout

Just before lunch we noticed that Wipeout had finally opening after it kept closing due to the ride breaking down so of course we rushed over for a ride or 2. Wipeout is a real thrill coaster with a minimum hight restriction of 1.3 meters and a maximum hight restriction of 1.95 meters. Wipeout had a really cool coaster layout my favourite part was the backwards inversion.

In terms of access, Wipeout has a designated ride access pass entrance located next to the rides main entrance. It is fully step free up to the rides station. The exit is on a different side of the station to the ride access pass entrance however, the staff seemed more then accommodating to let anyone with a wheelchair/mobility aid get off the ride via the ride access pass entrance.

A colorful surfboard-shaped sign with "Wipeout" ride ristrictions and ride information on the sign
The queuing area and station entrance of the Wipeout roller coaster
A wooden ramp with handrails and a sign for the designated ride access pass entrance, next to the Wipeout ride station.
The Wipeout roller coaster track curving sharply upwards in a vertical loop,
A wide view of the Wipeout roller coaster’s looping steel track
The interior of the Wipeout roller coaster station with riders seated in the blue coaster train, ready for departure.

Lunch

We had brought our own pack up for lunch and luckily for us there was plenty of picnic benches. We managed to find a large step free covered picnic area near the Egg Spress coaster. During in our visit a number of the food options were closed however, there was food outlet near the undercover picnic area with the usual theme park fast food options as seen in the pictures below.

Picnic benches on a spacious grassy area in a theme park
Covered picnic area with red and white fencing, providing step-free access.
Theme park food menu board displayed on a red wooden wall.

Pleasurewood Hills Express

The Pleasurewood Hills Express is a fun train ride and great form of transportation around the theme park with the Pleasurewood Hills Express having three stations. The Pleasurewood Hills Express has no minimum hight restriction however, people under 1.25 meters must ride with an adult.

In terms of access, there is a designated wheelchair carriage allowing wheelchair users to stay in their chair during the train ride. Sensory wise, the train has a horn and there are barrier crossing that make an alarm sound when a train is going through.

Sign for Pleasurewood Hills Express displaying ride information and safety guidelines.
Entrance to Pleasurewood Hills Express with a red sign above a gated entryway.
Inside view of the Pleasurewood Hills Express train, including a wheelchair user in a designated area.
Paved pathway alongside a station building with an arched window.
Building at the Pleasurewood Hills Express station with a covered waiting area and white fence.
Pleasurewood Hills Express train waiting at an outdoor station near a rollercoaster in the background.

Marble Madness

The final cred to get was Marble Madness a fun wild mouse coaster. With a minimum hight restriction of 1.25 meters. Marble Madness is a great family thrill coaster and a nice step up from the Egg Spress coaster.

In terms of access, Marble Madness has step free access up to the ride station. Marble Madness has a separate ride access pass entrance located next to the rides main entrance as seen in the images below.

Marble Madness roller coaster structure with white fencing.
ride information or height restriction sign.
main entrance and ride access pass entrance to the ride
loser view of the roller coaster's track
Marbel madness lift hill with vide carts on the track

Sealion Show

We decided to give the Sealion Show go I hadn’t done this sort of thing before so had zero clue what was going to happen. The show takes place at set times throughout the day in the Sealion Splash area located near the Marble Madness ride. I don’t like the idea of the animals being forced to perform or do tricks they don’t want to however, it was made very clear that the Sealions are not forced or punished for not doing tricks and joining in and it was all on their terms. There was 4 Sealions in the show who did a number of different tricks whilst the host told us facts about the Sealions. I found it a fun and engaging show I’ve included some of the best bits in the images below.

In terms of access, there was step free access for getting into the show area and a little platform of the back where you could stay in your wheelchair however, no seats around where a wheelchair could go. Or the other seats were benches with no backs down stairs as seen in the images below. The show had music throughout and the host talks through a microphone. If sat at the front of the show there are areas where you may get wet.

Signboard at the entrance to the Sealion Show area displaying show times and information
Pathway with a large sign leading into the Sealion Show area
Viewing platform at the Sealion Show with a railing and a person looking towards the arena
Sealion and trainer by the pool during the Sealion Show, with the trainer preparing for a trick
ealion and trainer in front of the ‘Sealion Splash’ backdrop, the trainer interacting with the animal
Overview of the Sealion Splash pool and stage with two trainers and two sealions performing for the audience

Kite Flyer

During a walk around the park we stumbled across a cool family flat ride called Kite Flyer with a minimum hight restriction of 1.05 meters. Kite Flyer is a ride where you lay on your tummy and go up and around in a circle as seen in the images below. I personally find these flat rides quite uncomfortable however, still a little unique flat ride the full family can enjoy.

In terms of access, there is level access all the way into the ride area. However, due to the ride cart being on your front it is a challenging transfer. The ride access pass entrance for Kite Flyer is located at the rides exit.

Sign for the "Kite Flyer" ride attached to a colorful wooden fence, displaying ride instructions and safety information.
Wide view of the Kite Flyer family ride, showing the ride’s large circular structure and orange ride vehicles surrounded by a blue and yellow fence.
Side view of the Kite Flyer ride in operation, with the ride vehicles lifted off the ground
Closer view of the Kite Flyer ride and its exit area, featuring labeled “Exit” signs and the colorful fencing around the attraction.

Safari

The Safari is a fun little car ride where you see lots of models of safari animals going around the track. With a minimum hight restriction of just 80 cm when accompanied by an adult and a a minimum hight restriction to ride alone of 1.25 meters its a fun little ride the full family can enjoy as adults also fit on the ride.

In terms of access, there is step free access up to the rides loading area. The ride access pass entrance is located at the rides exit. Safari is a gentle slow moving ride with no sensory effects making it a great chose for people who struggle with the sensory elements of rides.

Entrance to the Safari ride, showing a small building decorated with safari-themed signs and surrounded by trees.
Close-up of the Safari ride's height restriction and safety information sign.
View of the Safari ride track winding through trees and grassy areas, with animal models in the distance.
Safari animal models, such as lions, beside the ride track
A safari jeep car from the ride is seen on the track
Tall giraffe models standing beside the ride track, next to leafy trees in the safari area.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, Pleasurewood Hills is a great family theme park and definitely worth a visit. During our visit the park was incredibly quiet despite it being October half term. Pleasurewood Hills is no longer owned by the Looping group and therefore, not available on the Drayton Manor annual pass. I highly recommend a visit as it seems like the perfect family park that can also cater to adults and teens. I look forward to seeing how this park does in the future. Anyway, that’s all from me today and brings us to the end of the Great Yarmouth road trip thanks for joining this adventure with me. Hope to see you at my next adventure! Bye, for now.

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Disclaimer​

The information provided on this blog about theme park accessibility is based on my experiences and the details available from the attractions’ official websites at the time of my visit. Please note that facilities and services for disabled guests may change, and the information may not always be up-to-date. I strongly recommend checking the accessibility section on the respective attractions’ websites for the most current information. The comments and opinions expressed in this blog are solely my own and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representative of any other organisation.