Review of Storybook Land (July 15, 2003)

My daughter is now old enough to be able to ride on kiddy rides. My wife and her friend were talking and decided it would be a great idea to take our families on an outing together. My wife’s friend’s family had been to Storybook Land several times already and they agreed it would be lots of fun for the kids and a nice break for the parents.

We initially decided to go on a Friday in June; however, on the selected date it rained heavily, so we rescheduled for July. In reviewing the Storybook Land website, I learned that on weekdays the park stays open from 10AM – 5:30 PM, vs. 10AM - 3 PM had we gone in June. I also learned the admission price is $14.95 per person (including for small children). Babies get free admission.

Storybook Land is located in southern New Jersey, near Atlantic City, in a town called Egg Harbor. We found directions in MapQuest.com and set off down the Garden State Parkway. The park is located directly on Route 40. From the road, there is a huge sign and a nice, white castle. They have ample parking in the front and rear of the park. We were lucky and got a spot directly in front of the entrance!

There were a couple of people in line in front of us to get admission tickets, however, the lined moved quickly. It struck me odd how unfriendly the people who work there were! Once we finished getting our tickets, we moved directly into the park. A huge statue of Mother Goose greeted us. Although the parking lot was full, it did not seem crowded in the park at all.

We met up with our friends. My daughter had to go to the potty, so that was our first stop. The bathroom air was frigid cold! The bathrooms were reasonably neat and clean. Next, we stopped off on the carousel. The girls loved riding on the horses! All throughout the park there were storybook themes. To name a few: The three Little Pigs houses, Cinderella’s carriage, the Crooked Old Mans’ home, Santa’s workshop, Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ house + lots more!

The park was spotlessly well maintained. Kid rides also include a small roller coaster (with big roller coaster feel!), a ferries wheel, train ride, old fashioned car ride, rotating cup ride, tractor trailer ride + lots more! We tried most of the rides. They were very appropriate for children ages 2 – 7 years old. Everything was operating and lines were relatively short. We never had to wait long to get on any of the rides.

There were no water rides in the park. Despite the sultry hot day, we were able to keep cool under the large, tall trees throughout the park. There was also a “rain room” – a gentle spray of water that helped cool all of us off.

We stopped off at one of the food concessions in the park for a snack. We had eaten lunch at McDonalds earlier in the afternoon. Although the line for food was short, it seemed to take forever for it to move along. Two large lemonades and two small, soft pretzels cost just under $6. I thought this was a bit high priced, but what the heck? We were having fun!

The workers throughout the park all seemed tired and unhappy. Some of them were even snappy. I asked one fellow who looked particularly unhappy if he liked driving the train, and he responded: “Yeah, right”. Oh well….

The biggest plus of the park was that the children were delighted! They really enjoyed being there and had a lot of fun. There were no complaints from the kids. They all seemed most fascinated by the Three Little Bears’ house. We had a tough time pulling them away.

Other pluses, as mentioned earlier, the park was extremely clean and well maintained. Everything seemed well spaced out. All of the attractions were interesting to view. It also appeared that the park was opening several other attractions in the rear. I also saw several tractors in the woods behind the tractor-trailer ride tearing down trees. Further expansion?

There were a couple of negatives points too. The people who operate the rides and work in the park seemed a bit grumpy. Also, I figured there would be a few character actors or clowns out to great the children, like they do in other amusement parks. Some of the attractions display an animation when you press a button located next to the attraction’s window. On several of these attractions, the button did not operate.

All things considered, we all had a great time and loved our experience. My wife vows to return to the park again with the children. Many of the people that we spoke to, our friends included, have been to the park multiple times already. The entire park can be explored in one day – that is plenty of time. I’ve heard that some local motels give discount coupons for the park; however, we could find no other discounts. The park’s phone number is: Office phone: (609) 646-0103 (Ext. 5). Their web site is: http://www.storybookland.com/homeIE3.htm. Thanks for reading my review and best wishes for a nice summer!

Mike


Recommended: Yes