Codona's — Attraction in Aberdeen City

I visited today with my partner and 15 year old son. My son and I were last here about 6 years ago.

We got a family wrist band each. On offer for £9.99 each (see photo).

WELL worth the money for what you get with that offer!!

The unlimited pizzas however... Us adults couldn't eat it, it was so poor. But we didn't expect high class stuff... And thankfully had filled up with a huge breakfast elsewhere in the retail park before going to Codonas. Just incase. Didn't expect to not be able to eat more than a single bite each though! So be aware... It's pretty awful! And despite having times inflicted on you that you HAD to go to it at. There was major queues for it.

The outdoor area was definitely the highlight. Well worth the cash. The time flew!! Loved the more recent additions that were not there years ago. Like the pirate ship and the circular spinny dropper thing.

The arcade... Well! That was very disappointing! Considering how much cash is spent by people in there (including us).

Quite a few things were broken... but NOTHING broken had signs up that they were. Anywhere. So you'd take off your jackets, bags, etc. Handing them to someone with you, or finding a place by the machine to place them. Get in/on the ride. Ready to insert your cash and get going... To find that it was broken. So then you need to get all your belongings together again! Going through this process. Several times... Was very frustrating!! Especially when, like myself, you have disabilities. This is wasting my energy levels and increasing my pain for no reason (chronic fatigue and pain). A reasonable expectation would be that broken items were labelled as such.

On the Raving Rabbits VR experience in the arcade - there was a very unprofessional looking, scrawled, handwritten small notice stuck to the bit where you pay. Stating the cost of it. No notice whatsoever that the ability to pay by card by inserting it, or by contactless was not working and it was currently cash only. By this point, we were not at all surprised that yet again, we wasted time and effort and energy doing something for zero reason. A small printed note would have given a much better impression.

There was lots of staff standing about at various times, not doing much of anything. And yet, when you reported something wasn't working... When you seen the item again. Even hours later... There STILL was not a sign up. So I stopped bothering trying to be a helpful person and informing them. Wasting my time when they blatantly didn't care. Surely it would not take much time, effort or money, for Codonas to provide some laminated out of order signs that staff could put on broken items?

We had no problem or issue that things WERE not working. These things happen and repairs can take a while... But to not state this. Anywhere. Is not customer-friendly and definitely not disability-friendly. It's just going to annoy people you want to return again!

My partner isn't much of a fan of outdoor rides. But he got the wrist band to partake in just a couple of things. The main reason he came at all, was for the advertised (see photo) Dino 4D ride... That was not even on! Nothing to state this at either places you bought the wristbands! That there was some Hallowe'en Frankenstein thing on instead of the Dino ride. So he'd have been cheaper just buying tokens for the couple of things he actually went on. False advertising is not acceptable, I don't even think it is legal here in the UK. The website states you get a Dino ride included in the cost we paid. Yet we did not get this. We were all looking forward to that, and were let down. The website had been updated to include this temporary cheaper wristband price AND the school holiday type dates it was applicable for. Yet was not updated to state the correct ride you would get. Another thing that is frustratingly annoying to customers, if we can't trust you!

Understandable of course if things aren't open/available or are broken because of weather, break downs etc. But this...

Went to Cadonas on a half price October offer. Good as only thing local - however nothing compared to what it once was.

New wrist ticketing system works (most of the time).

The food was not the best. Pizza was okay and unfortunately limited to one flavour. Outdoor food vans are expensive for what you are getting.

The variety of rides have gone. Within an hour we had been on everything. Kids were also extremely disappointed - park opens at 10, outdoors at 12. To fill time we have always went to smugglers cove. However once you have done this they can no longer go on the new outdoor go karts.

On this visit: smugglers cover outdoors was closed. Smugglers big slide closed (always is and staff just say no staff or opening later when it never does), Big wheel was closed for maintenance. Dodgems not included in all day band. “The Apple coaster” no longer has its Apple on the ride.

New go karts we’re fun. However they are a gimmick during day, near impossible to overtake or have a fun family race.

In the end, we spent a fortune on the day, entry bands, visit to sweet treat van, and paid for access to go karts.

It was a good day out but few considerations:

Take snacks with you.

Only visit when half price (even the staff said it is not worth the full price bands).

Cannot film on rides. Some let us, some we managed to hide camera. despite having a proper action camera secured to me - we were told either no filming allowed on park or no...

Some long queues but can't complain, I got slushies for the girls before we started queuing for the scallywag bumper boats to keep them distracted. Staff all working hard and keeping things running smoothly. Would rather they had more rides though.

Update - dont waste your time and money with ticket machines. Was back again visiting indoors this time and so many of the machines are in dire need of repair. Quite a few so broken they dont even accept money. Many took money and didn't work correctly. Only one of the Raving rabid headsets, were useable other ones straps so damaged couldnt get it to stay even roughly in place on my daughters head. Right beside the space invaders they have an unsigned contactless pay point which i thought was for space invaders and tried it a couple times before realising it was for the ride beside it, with no way to get my money refunded back onto my card. Many of the machines didnt produce any tickets some had to be fixed twice while i was doing my daughters tickets. Ticket counting machines were all playing up, one daughter clearly had loads more tickets than other one. But only counted 300, whereas other one counted 500. Just terrible, outside good and go karts are fun. Absurd not running the waterfalls and fountains of the outdoor mini golf on the October holidays, loads of repairs need done to the...