The Gruffalo Discovery Land at Twycross Zoo — Attraction in Hinckley and Bosworth

I originally gave this 3/5 stars however a year later and I'm changing it to 1. Unfortunately this place has been left to rot which is such a shame and a shock considering it's a relatively new experience. Around 20% of the interactive animatronics actually work (if you're lucky). We've visited several times throughout the year as members and this is still the case. Instead of anything being fixed they've put "sorry for the inconvenience" signs throughout the area. The gruffalo land no longer looks like it gets cleaned. The floors inside are filthy as well as the walls. We have a two year old and we now try to avoid this entire area when we visit the zoo as it just makes him cry when he goes to press the buttons and nothing works.

Granted, this isn't entirely the fault of the zoo. For example a lot of the animatronic mice have been snapped off and stolen, buttons have been damaged etc. However, this is a pretty new experience and surely should be under some sort of warranty to get these things repaired? A year later, nothing. It's as if they've given up on the area all together. If you check their socials you'll notice they haven't even advertised the gruffalo land for well over 6 months.

If you're considering visiting twycross zoo specifically for the gruffalo land, honestly...

The attraction itself was a great idea but has a lot more potential than what is currently there. The whole story builds up to seeing the Gruffallo, which then doesn't really do anything compared to meeting the other characters, I was expecting a bit more of an impressive ending. My 3 year old loved the experience of walking round a forest like path and interacting with each area, although there was only one button. So children either have to wait a long time, be lucky to be first, or miss out interacting with each area. The entertainers who put on a little show weren't very enthusiastic, just reeled off some facts about animals, the short choreographed dance was ok and engaged some of the audience. The huge let down was the prices of the gift shop, easily three times that of the zoo gift shop. A set of small Gruffallo characters was £40! Compared to exact set in Argos for £18, understandbly we stopped on the way home to pick up a gift for my child. I understand upping the price slightly, but WOW! Overall, I'd only take my girl again If I lived closer, the toilets were more accessible for toddlers and I had a voucher...

Ah, the Gruffalo Discovery Land at Twycross Zoo—where children's literature springs to life and adults become big kids. It's like Narnia for the under-10 crowd, only instead of a White Witch, you meet a Gruffalo that thankfully doesn't gobble up children—or confused adult partners like me.

The whole experience was like stepping into the pages of the beloved children's book. My inner child was jumping with joy while my adult self was busy taking mental notes for future garden decor (Gruffalo statue, anyone?).

The interactive elements are a hit. They’ve got puzzles and games that test your wits, or at least distract you from the animal poop aromas wafting in from other parts of the zoo. One of the staff, dressed in a woodland creature outfit, quizzed us on Gruffalo trivia. When asked what the Gruffalo says, I yelled, "It's Gruffa-LIT!" I don't think that's canon, but it got a laugh.

All in all, whether you're a kid, have a kid, or are a grown-up who refuses to adult for an afternoon, the Gruffalo Discovery Land is a magical detour in an already stellar zoo. Five stars, would...