Grand Pier Birthday Party Video and Review

Grand Pier Party Review Weston-super-Mare, #Grand #Pier #Teen #Party #WestonsuperMare #review

Grand Pier Teen Party Review

My sweet little firstborn baby has somehow turned into a tall, technically ~~obsessed~~ gifted, eleven year old adrenaline junkie. Soft play, children’s entertainers and dressing up parties are dim and distant memories. His birthday comes before most of his friends, so I’m always on the lookout for a different age appropriate party to road test. I don’t know how many more proper birthday parties he’ll be interested in having, so this year I racked my brains to find something special which would appeal to him, his friends and his brothers.

I was pleased when I came across the unlimited rides wristband at the Grand Pier, Weston-super-Mare, but at £15 per person plus £1 entry to the pier and no food included, I thought it might be a very expensive outing. Our sons get on really well with each other so I have to factor two siblings into any party planning, before we even start inviting friends.

Initially I couldn’t find a party package and having worked out that the wristband and food was going to cost at least £20 per head thought it might be a bit too pricey. Fortunately I phoned the pier to check if they catered for older kids and they told me they did. Even though our children’s ages range from 6 to 11, I would be allowed to book the Teen Party package. This would give them each an unlimited rides wrist band (arcade games not included) plus an adult sized meal and a drink – all for £14.95 per head (minimum of ten children). Compared to most parties for their age, that seemed pretty competitive.

My son couldn’t believe his luck when he heard he could have a party at a local indoor theme-park and pleaded with me to book it straight away. Before I get into too many details, I’ll let you see my short video which gives a really good flavour of the rides on offer for their age.

Grand Pier Teen Party Video

Safety

From an adult perspective I had a healthy concern about how we were going to be able to control and keep sight of ten very excited children. My husband and I enlisted two grandparents and accepted the help of another Mum who had offered to come, giving us five adults to ten children. Once they’d all been issued with their wristbands, I split them into two teams with my son and another sensible friend as leaders of their respective teams. Before I let them run free, I gave them a few simple groundrules and explained that each child was responsible for making sure that nobody became separated from their team. The adults were obviously on hand to keep an eye on them but this proved to be a very effective strategy as they took charge of their own groups and generally stuck together like glue. The adults set up a base in a cafe so the kids knew where to find us when they wanted to.

Age Limitations

Height and age restrictions meant my six year old was excluded from many of the rides but he happily amused himself with those he could do. My eight year old could go on most things, but a few rides, such as the Formula 1 simulator were only suitable for eleven plus which meant the birthday boy had an extra special treat. It wasn’t too much of a problem for us but depending on the age range of the party, the age restrictions could be a nuisance. You can find information about the rides and age restrictions here.

The Good Bits

The party was a huge amount of fun. There were no squabbles. The children loved having the independence to go and do their own thing with minimal adult intervention.
The children enjoyed all the rides but particularly loved being flung around by the articulated Robot hand. (Doesn’t make me at all nauseous just watching it, honest!)
The staff were helpful and friendly, both at the rides and in the restaurant where we had lunch.
The adult portions were very welcome – a kids’ fish fingers and chips just wouldn’t have been enough to keep these ten and eleven year olds going, especially with all the rushing around they were doing!
Having researched other parties to appeal to their age group, I thought this was good value in comparison.
It was a surprisingly relaxing and fun experience for us as adults. The children rose to the challenge of taking charge of their own teams so we could enjoy a quiet coffee whilst watching them have fun.

The Bits which could be even better

Quite often the wristbands wouldn’t scan easily so the children were allowed to climb under the barrier to gain entry. The children found this nod to rebelliousness great fun but I imagine it could become difficult to manage if the rides were busier.
There seemed to be a lack of info about which rides were included. We spotted different ones by chance but thought some sort of checklist would be helpful as a couple of children were disappointed at the end when they realised they’d missed a ride out.
There was no vegetable included in the adult meal which came with the package. The quality and quantity of the food was good but although there were vegetables available on display, the children weren’t given any. (I know, I know, it’s a birthday party but just a spoonful of baked beans or a mini corn on the cob would make me feel like a better parent!). Ready access to a jug of tap water at the cafe after all that running around would have been handy too.

The Verdict

We adults actually enjoyed the day out, rather than just getting through it for the sake of the birthday boy.

As far as the children are concerned it definitely exceeded expectations. Without exception they told me they had an absolute blast, giving it “a million out of ten” and quoting it as “absolutely awesome” and “the best party ever”.

To their parents I can only apologise for any children who are now nagging you for their own party on the pier!

You can find out more about children’s parties at the Grand Pier here.

DISCLOSURE: AFTER HAVING RESEARCHED THE PARTY AND PRICES, OUR TEEN PARTY WAS FUNDED BY THE PIER IN EXCHANGE FOR WRITING THIS HONEST REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS ARE OUR OWN.

30 comments… add one

fritha 28/04/2015, 13:36
aww I love Western pier! I think you just have to embrace it to really enjoy it! x
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Carolynne @ Mummy Endeavours 23/04/2015, 23:16
Sounds fab. I’ve been racking my brains for something different for my daughter to do this year… pity I don’t live near here
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- Jane Batt 23/04/2015, 23:29
  Good luck with finding something suitable. Would love to hear if what you end up doing
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Ickle Pickle 20/04/2015, 20:51
This looks such a fab party idea! My big bro and sis would love it!
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Emma 20/04/2015, 20:48
oh what fun, I love the pier to.
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Joanna Imran 20/04/2015, 01:33
Looks like everyone had a fun day, despite a few glitches. Great idea for a birthday party, wish we had anything like that near us 🙂
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Rosie Corriette 19/04/2015, 23:35
Wow, I loved the pier when I was younger (still do now if I’m honest!) Looks like they all had a great time!
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Sarah Bailey 19/04/2015, 23:11
What a lovely time – it seems like everyone had a great day which is always a plus! x
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Laura 19/04/2015, 23:04
Such fond memories of days out at the pier! We took Leo the other year, and he loved it!
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Jen aka Muminthemadhouse 19/04/2015, 20:57
Looks like you all had an ace time. The one and only time I have been to Weston was on a Hen do!
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:36
  Oh dear – I’m guessing you may have seen a bit of a different side of the town!!
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Nayna Kanabar 19/04/2015, 19:34
Looks like everyone had a lovely time and the children look like they really enjoyed their day.
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Nayna Kanabar 19/04/2015, 19:23
Looks like everyone had an amazing day out and best of all the kids were kept well entertained.
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:35
  Yes Nayna – the kids were thoroughly entertained and used words like “awesome” and “best party ever” quite frequently.
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Jaime Oliver 19/04/2015, 16:44
it looks like you have lots going off .. i ought to look closer to home but often find we travel further afield
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:34
  Yes Jaime, its less than 30 minutes from here – any further and I don’t think it would work for a birthday party. Local is gooooood!
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Rachel 19/04/2015, 16:12
It sounds like a great idea but definitely the need for a little more info x
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:32
  Yes I thought a little checklist or leaflet would have been handy as it was easy to miss something out
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Cass@frugalfamily 19/04/2015, 13:53
This sounds like a really cool party – I bet all his friends were jealous x x
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:31
  Quite a few of them said they wanted to have their own parties there Cass.
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Ness @ JibberJabberUK 19/04/2015, 11:19
That’s a brilliant idea for a party for an eleven year old. I’m struggling to think of something for my daughter who will be ten this year.
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:27
  My 9 year old wants a climbing party which was also one of our considerations. Good luck finding something suitable Ness
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Michelle 19/04/2015, 10:16
I’ve never been to WSM, but this looks like a fun place to have a party. Sounds to me like the good outweighed the bad, and everyone had a great time!
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:26
  Yes the good definitely won through. The negatives were pretty minor but I like to make sure reviews are balanced and useful to readers. Great fun thank you!
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angela hamilton 18/04/2015, 19:11
I wish i had something like this near me, what a fantastic idea and it sounds like a fun party for everyone! Love this idea x
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:25
  Thanks Angela. Like I said we hadn’t even realised it was an option either until I phoned through to the pier!!
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Abi - Angel Eden Blog 18/04/2015, 17:54
I’ve never been there but looks like a lot of fun. I now dread birthdays coming and working out what we’ll organise for an appropriate party 🙂
Abi
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:24
  Oh what a shame. That’s why I’m putting together a series of birthday party posts. Hopefully it’ll offer some ideas which might be useful!
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mellissa williams 18/04/2015, 14:26
I love the pier in Weston. One of my first dates with my husband was playing air hockey on the pier 😉 It looks like a great place for a children’s party too.
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- Jane Batt 19/04/2015, 22:18
  It was ace but sadly I didn’t get to play any air hockey at all 🙁
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