Yes - family tickets for groups of 4 or 5 are commonly booked here, and there's enough to keep children occupied for most of a day. Concession tickets are available too if your group mix is different.

Better than you'd expect. You've got proper shows - Motown nights, Christmas spectaculars, comedy and dance acts - running regularly. Book a few weeks ahead for peak season or festive shows.

Private transfers are the most popular option and save the stress of trains or buses with luggage. It's about an hour's drive depending on traffic.

The scavenger hunt walking activity shows there's a bit of interactive entertainment woven into the town itself - good for a couple of hours if you want something different from the seafront.

Summer's busy and warm. Christmas and autumn half-term bring special festive shows that book up fast - decide early if that's your target. Off-season (January-March) is quieter but some attractions scale back.

Day tickets to the zoo are usually available last-minute, but special shows (Christmas, big nights out) can sell out weeks ahead. Book those as soon as your dates are set.

Transfers, zoo tickets, and show tickets all come through different operators - SimilarTours lets you compare prices across the top booking sites for each so you're not overpaying on any of them.