I had no idea what I was in for when we decided to visit Diggerland USA on the hottest day of the summer...so far. I knew Diggerland was a construction themed theme park, but what did that mean for rides and things to do for my seven and three-year-old? I guess we would take the drive to West Berlin, NJ and find out.
It started off as a surprise. My husband and I didn’t tell my kids what we were doing. We gave them two hints: It was someplace that none of us had been before and it was in New Jersey. Well, the sheer anticipation was enough to excite them and keep them happy for the entire drive! The drive was actually pretty nice and we made good time. We left to get there for when the park opened at 10 am to try to beat the heat and the crowds! When we pulled up and they saw the sign the excitement grew. MacKid Tip - Parking is Free and it is not a huge lot so you won’t be worn out before you make it to the park!
With about 25 rides and attractions, Diggerland was definitely a different experience for us. While there were some rides, the bulk of the fun for us was getting to use real construction equipment. So maybe there were some scary moments when my daughter took the wheel of the Kubota but everything is safe and modified to allow kids to have fun and experience real life construction equipment and I got over it pretty fast. I did say that her father would have to teach her to drive in 10 years though!
Both my kids were able to drive skid-loaders, Kubota, and tractors around a course among other things. They operated diggers to complete different tasks. They started out with the larger diggers to dig and fill holes in the dirt. They used small diggers to dig for treasure, ring a duck and drop it in a box, and bowling with a digger. Digger bowling has a ball attached to the digger and it was so much fun I didn’t want to stop!
My favorite attraction was the ropes course. You are attached with a rope and you try to make it all 4 floors by climbing the steps and going through the obstacles. I was scared like you wouldn’t believe but after watching all the little kids do it, I thought this momma could handle it too. It is not for the faint of heart but I felt like a champ. It was like I was a construction worker on a skyscraper.
Diggerland does have traditional, yet construction themed rides. The SpinDizzy and the SkyShuttle were fun. The Greased Beast was great! It is a demolition trailer that you actually sit in the trailer and they lift it up and dump it out. Thank goodness we were strapped in tight!
My daughter was exactly 4 foot tall so she was able to do most the rides and attractions herself, although I went on a lot of them with her. With only one seat in some, she rode on my lap and I was able to help her when needed. My son was tall enough to ride with his dad so while he didn’t have as much independence as his big sister, he certainly enjoyed himself going along for the ride. He was also a huge fan of the KidZone area. He made a few friends while climbing and sliding and my husband, who was on toddler duty, got to take a break and sit down for a few minutes while he played.
We are definitely planning a trip back to Diggerland this fall. We spend a few hours there but I feel like we could have spent more time doing everything! The misting fans and covered line queues made the heat a little easier to bear. Plus, we were having so much fun we weren’t even thinking of the summer sun!
Disclosure: Complimentary passes were received for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are her own.
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