Great Yarmouth is a fun beach resort on the Norfolk coast (east of Norwich). It’s a great place to visit with families and a few hours at the Pleasure Beach as part of a visit makes for a brilliant day. The Pleasure Beach has plenty of rides for toddlers upwards with a combination of real thrill rides, to those at a more gentle pace. On a visit you can enjoy all the classics like dodgems, a roller coaster, a fun house and ghost train as well as a few surprises too.

Updated April 2023

The Pleasure Beach is right next to Great Yarmouth Seafront

What Is There At Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach?

There is a wide variety of rides, an amusement arcade, a 4d cinema, food outlets and some fairground stall games. 

The rides include: 

Cup and Saucer - one of the smaller versions aimed at children.
Gallopers - The traditional carousel with horses (and a few other things) you can sit on and go up and down while the ride goes round in circles.
Haunted Hotel - Up to 2 people can sit on each car to go round this ghost train.
Roller Coaster - An old fashioned roller coaster built on a wooden frame which will be enjoyed by children and adults. It is one of the oldest roller coasters in Britain opening in 1932, but with significant maintenance over the years.
Snails and Fairy Tales - A children's ride where you sit in a snail and take a tour a long a track with nursery rhymes and character scenes.
Flying Dumbos - Happy elephants you sit in which are connected to the middle of the ride by long arms which move up and down as you go round.
Big Apple Coaster - a traditional style caterpillar rollercoaster which goes round a few times and finishes by going through a large apple. A small roller coaster, but good fun.
Free Fall - a tower ride where you go up and down a central pole as well as rotating round the pole.
Whirlwind - a rollercoaster ride where the cars spin round independently to each other as you go round a small figure of 8 track.
Bonanza Horses - a children's ride where horses which move along a steal track
Yo Yo - a roundabout with 2 person swing seats that swing out as you go round, but not very high so suitable for younger children.
Pirate Ship - a good size pirate ship which swings back and forth.
Raft Ride - A children's ride where they sit in a boat like raft and go round a central column. Riders can press a button to make their raft go up and down.
Fun Factory - A themed walk through fun house with moving floors. Worth noting that children can’t be carried so must be confident walkers and you can't wear open toed shoes.
Disko - a thrill ride where you face outwards in a circle and spun round while also moving side to side.
Sky Drop - Riders sit in a single line facing outwards and are lifted straight up into the air 22 metres before being bounced up and down including periods which feel like free falling.
Reverse Time - Riders face outwards sitting in a circle and are spun round in circles quickly, mid ride it changes direction.
Twister - another ride where you sit in a car and spin round until you are dizzy.
Dodgems - The classic ride where you drive around in bumper cars either crashing into everyone or trying to stay away from everyone depending on your style.
Monorail - 4 seater cars can be ridden round the monorail providing a great view of the Pleasure Beach and the actual beach beyond. The seats are pretty tight on adult sized bottoms!
Family Star - a roller coaster where up to 4 people per car spin round as the go round the track.
Lightening 360 - riders sit in 2 seater planes around a central tower the planes go up the tower and around, but what makes this ride different is the rider can rotate their plane turning themselves completely upside down if they want to.

There are lots of family rides suitable for toddlers to adults

Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach ride and attractions map

Tickets for Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach

While previously you could wander in and out of the Pleasure Beach they have now changed it so you are only able to enter with either a wristband or Fun Card.  You can come and go as often as you like during the day and stay as long as you like.  The wristbands and cards have a chip inside which you scan at the entrance to each ride. Under 3's are free. You can buy the wristband or cards online or at a booth outside the Pleasure Beach. 

Pleasure Beach Wristbands

The wristbands allow you to go on as many rides as you want on the day you purchase them for. You save £2 per wristband if you buy them online, even if you buy them on the day you are visiting so this is worth doing. You then need to show your email to the staff at the ticket booth who will activate and put on your wristbands. 

Wristbands cost £25 peak, £22 off peak for anyone 7 years upwards and £20 peak, £17 off peak for 3 to 6 year olds. 

Pleasure Beach Fun Cards

If you don't want to go on many rides (eg you are accompanying your children) you can buy a Fun Card. The Fun Cards cost £5 or £10 and come preloaded with 5 or 10 credits. They are valid for the whole season and can be topped up with additional credits.   

Each ride is a different number of credits to ride with most 3 or 4 tokens (the Roller Coaster is 5 tokens).

Outside of the summer season the Pleasure Beach is only open weekends, school holidays and occassional Wednesdays in April, May, June, September and October. Most sessions outside of the peak seasons are  12 til 5pm or 11 to 6pm. It is closed from November it is then closed until Spring, but check the website for details and booking.

Does it cost anything once you have bought your wristband?

While all the rides are free you might choose to spend money in the Pleasure Beach in the amusement arcade, fairground games like hook a duck, food and drink and ride photos (available on limited rides only). Once you have your wristband you don't have to spend any more money though.

The Supreme Waltzer has currently been removed (April 2023)

Eating and drinking at the Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach

Inside the Pleasure Beach you can get a wide range of food and drink and there are plenty of picnic tables to eat at. If people are hungry though you can choose from: sweets, ice cream, slushes, hot dogs, burgers and lots more.

There are plenty of rides for younger children to enjoy at the Pleasure Beach

Rides for Younger Children at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach

Before you go in to the Pleasure Beach you can measure your children against a height chart and get a good idea of what they can go on. In practice though there is a lot of variation so it's worth checking the signs at the entrance of each ride. There are some rides (like Disko, Lightening 360 and Sky Drop) where you have to be a minimum height to ride, but many of the other rides with higher height limits allow those under that height to ride with an adult. 

I couldn't see any rides that babes in arms are allowed on so if you have a baby you might want to consider whether you are going to keep passing them between parents or if it’s worth an adult staying outside the Pleasure Beach. The baby will be free, but the adult looking after them will need a wristband or Fun Card.  

There are lots of height restrictions and credits for rides, but with an adult younger children can go on a lot of them

Toddlers and Preschoolers can go on quite a few different rides.

Those under 90cm can ride accompanied on: Cup & Saucer, Gallopers, Haunted Hotel, Snails, Bonanza Horses, Yo Yo and the Monorail. 

Those over 90cm can go on the Cup & Saucer, Gallopers and Haunted Hotel unaccompanied and Flying Dumbos, Roller Coaster, Big Apple Coaster, Raft Ride, Floaty Boaty and Fun Factory if accompanied by an adult.

The 4D cinema has regular shows which last about 20 minutes. Babies in arms are not allowed, but otherwise the only restriction is under 8s must be accompanied.

If your child is over 1 metre they can go on: Dodgems (as a passenger), Bonanza horses and Yo Yo unaccompanied. 

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