Despite having worked in Wilmslow for the last 7 years I had no idea that that the Raptor Safari family attraction even existed. Set on a farm about 5 minutes from Wilmslow town centre, in the middle of lots of pine trees is this wonderful dinosaur adventure called Raptor Safari.
On arrival we were greeted by the Ranger who welcomed us to our adventure and explained that we had exclusive family access to the whole dinosaur park. He then walked us down to the entrance where we stopped to have a photo with King Kong, then simply told us to follow the orange rope round the trees.
At this point we all didn’t know what to expect as all we could see ahead of us was a thick pine forest and some orange rope! As we entered the Ranger waved us good bye and told us to stay alert at this point a moving centipede came at us….little did we know the Ranger was operating this to scare us as we started our journey.
As we entered the pine forest, I was glad we had put the kids in wellies and my husband and I wore our old trainers as it was incredibly muddy! We also had to keep telling the kids as we ducked under pine branches, that the pines were just going to tickle and wouldn’t hurt…despite me rubbing my arm several times!! Next time I’m going to wear a long-sleeved top!
Amongst the pine trees we came across all kinds of dinosaurs and even some dinosaur eggs! We also had to watch out and spot all the snakes, centipedes, and other insects (all pretend you’ll be pleased to hear!) Every twist and turn we seemed to come across all types of animals – leopards, panthers, bears, pigs, foxes, wolves, scorpions, and alligators…around each corner we didn’t know what we were going to find. Thankfully, the kids took the lead so I could remain scared at the back!!
Without giving any spoilers to the adventure the kids particularly loved seeing all the baby dinosaurs and the giant T-Rex and Diplodocus. There are literally so many dinosaurs that I spent most of the time googling on my phone what they were while my son reeled off all the names…thanks school!
When we finally came to the end of our adventure, we thoroughly enjoyed it and the kids were beaming. The Ranger greeted us again and presented the kids with a ranger badge, they were so happy! In the car on the way home all they did was talk about dinosaurs and snakes…as they know Mummy hates snakes!!
Top Tips: wear wellies or old shoes you don’t mind getting muddy. Maybe take a long sleeved top or hoodie in case the kids start to moan about being spiked with pine leaves. My children were fine (even my 4 years old) but appreciate other children may not enjoy it! Take drinks and a few snacks to keep you going as there is no where to buy food or drink amongst the pine trees! Go to the toilet before you go as I don’t think toilets are available – I certainly wouldn’t want to have a wild wee either next to a dinosaur! If you have a pushchair (which we didn’t) I would try and take your child in a carrier if you have one, or just be prepared for your wheels to get stuck in the mud…it is doable but some paths are quite narrow.
Prices are £5 per head for adults and children so it’s a really reasonable cost. Payment on the day or via PayPal at time of booking. (Visited July 2020)
Opening times – 9am – 6.30pm but booking is essential in one-hour slots. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to just turn up on the day you will be turned away – sorry!
