The Best Theme Parks In UK For The Whole Family
The theme parks in the UK are some of the best in the world. You cannot beat a theme park for a great day out for the whole family, unless you or members of your family are scared of heights or don’t like fast rides. That is why I have looked at the best theme parks in England and listed the one’s that you should visit.
According to Wikipedia the first theme park to open in the world was Bakken in Kampenborg, Denmark, which opened in 1583. Many believe the first theme park in the UK to open was Blackpool Pleasure Beach. However, that is not the case. The first UK theme park was Blackgang Chine, which opened in 1843. Blackpool Pleasure Beach did not open until 1896.
The UK has lots of great theme parks from Kids theme parks to theme parks with the fastest rides around. Sadly, with the decline of theme parks in the UK there are now fewer than 20. The biggest theme park in England is Alton Towers which I also believe to be the best theme park in England. Alton Towers is spread over 910 acres.
Each theme park in England offers its own uniqueness to attract visitors, from the biggest rides in the UK to live festivals. One thing that all English theme parks have in common is they are all dedicated to providing each visitor with the best day out.
No matter if you are looking for the fastest rides, to rides for children, theme parks in England are a great way for the whole family to have fun.
Read through my list of the best theme parks in England for a great day out.
Best Theme Parks in England
Alton Towers, Staffordshire
When I look at all the theme parks in England and trying to decide which one is the best, I was divided on two amusement parks. I could not decide between the Blackpool Theme Park or Alton Towers in Stoke-On-Trent. I am a huge fan of both of these UK theme parks so I decided to look at the rides and the price, and then I finally found that Alton Towers had the edge over Blackpool Pleasure Beach and was the best theme park in England.
Alton Towers which is spread over 910 acres was first opened on 4th April 1980. It was actually one of the first UK theme parks that I went to. I remember the first time I went to Alton Towers; we went because it was the nearest theme park near me at the time. Since those days it has rapidly expanded to be one of the best theme parks in the world.
The first ride I went on at Alton Towers was the Log Flume. Sadly, the Alton Towers Log Flume closed in 2015 to be replaced with the Wicker Man rollercoaster.
So, why do I think Alton Towers in the best theme park in England? Well, the simple answer is, there is so much to do. You could spend a whole day there and still not have the time to visit every ride and enjoy everything it has to offer.
One thing to remember about Alton Towers. Like all theme parks Alton Towers has height restrictions and they are very strict on that. I have seen many parents trying to get the operators to let the height restriction for rides slide, but thankfully Altron Towers stick to their rules for safety reasons.
The adventure park has everything you could possibly want from a UK theme park. There are iconic rides for adrenalin junkies such as Nemesis and Oblivion, and new rides that include Galactica. There are also great kids rides and rides for those that are not the next level thrill seekers.
Alton Towers has proven it is the best theme park in England by winning GOLD overall at the UK Theme Park Awards 2020.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire
As mentioned, it was a hard choice trying to choose between Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Alton Towers as the best English theme park. Blackpool Pleasure Beach has always been a favourite of mine. Growing up it was one of the nearest theme parks near me, and one which me and my parents would often go to. The other theme park near me that we loved to go to was in Morecombe, sadly that has now gone.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is definitely one of England’s top amusement parks, it has something for everyone. More than six million visitors come here each year. It has rides for children and adults. There are more than 125 rides and attractions and lots of shows to enjoy.
It was opened in 1896 and founded by WG Bean. The UK theme park was based on American style amusement parks to allow adults to become children again. Once you arrive at Blackpool Pleasure Beach your troubles are gone. You will have so much fun that you will forget about any stress you may have in your life.
In 2020, Blackpool Pleasure Beach won Bronze in the ‘Best Rollercoaster’ award category at the UK Theme Park Awards 2020
Some of the favourite rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach include ICON, Big One, Valhalla, Infusion and Skyforce.
I would suggest that you try both Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Alton Towers to see if you agree with me that Alton Towers is the best adventure park in the UK.
Thorpe Park, Surrey
Thorpe Park has made it third on my list of England’s best theme parks. It has some of the fastest and highest rides in Europe. If you are a thrill seeker, then Thorpe Park is the theme park for you.
The UK theme park was opened on 24 May 1979. Since the early days of Thorpe Park, it has grown to be one of the UK adventure parks. I can only see Thorpe Park one day becoming the best UK theme park. They just need to add some more rides.
If you love rollercoasters then you will love Thorpe Park, it has 7 of them. Thorpe Park rollercoasters are some of the best in the world.
Thorpe Park is not just an adventure park, it is also a holiday destination, which does remind me of a serious problem they have. There are two Thorpe Parks in the UK. One is based in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire and the other is in Surrey. The one in Cleethorpes is a caravan park. There have been many times that people wishing to go to the theme park in Surrey somehow manage to arrive at Thorpe Park in Cleethorpes. It may be down to a faulty Sat Nav or lack of concentration, but just imagine arriving at a destination that is nearly four hours from where you should be.
The Surrey theme park has a themed hotel, waterpark, amusement park, and live shows. It is a great holiday destination for the whole family.
Thorpe Park won the ‘Best Theme Park for Thrills’ at the UK Theme Park Awards 2020.
Drayton Manor Park, Staffordshire
One of the best theme parks England has to offer is Drayton Manor. It offers value for money and unlike many other England theme parks or theme parks around the world, it is family owned. It was opened 16 October 1949.
It has some of the best theme park rides in England and has Europe’s only stand-up coaster, The Shockwave. Other rides include the five-sided 54-metre drop tower, Apocalypse, Stormforce 10, and Air Race. These rides are not for those with weak stomachs. As well as lots of rides for thrill seekers, there are also lots of rides for kids.
Drayton Manor is spread over 180 acres, making it one of the UK biggest theme parks.
If you don’t want to go to Drayton Manor for just one day, then why not stay in the hotel
Legoland Windsor, Berkshire
Legoland is one of the best-known theme parks in England thanks to its brand name. It attracts millions of people of all ages each year making it one of the most visited theme parks in the UK.
Popular rides at Legoland Windsor include Laser Riders, The Dragon, Driving School, Pirate Falls, and the LEGO NINJAGO The Ride.
As well as having loads of rides, the adventure park that was opened on 17 March 1996 has lots of restaurants and shops. Due to its popularity, it has been named as the best theme park for kids near London.
Flamingo Land, North Yorkshire
Flamingo Land in Kirby Misperton, in North Yorkshire, is a great all round theme park for all ages. It offers the whole family a fun filled time. It was opened in 1959, it has been owned and operated by the Gibb family since 1978. They also owned Pleasure Island in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, but sadly that has now closed down.
Popular rides at Flamingo Ride include Mumbo Jumbo, Kumali, Pterodactyl, Hero, Velocity, spinning Twistosaurus and the wet and wild Splash Battle.
The popular UK adventure park is not just a great day out, you can also go there for a holiday. There is so much to do which includes visiting the Zoo. It has everything rolled into one.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Chessington World of Adventures Resort, which is owned by Merlin Entertainments, opened in Surrey as Chessington Zoo in 1931 before becoming a theme park and zoo in 1987.
Although it may not be the biggest UK theme park and only has 40 rides, it is still a great adventure park to visit and have fun. It is not just a theme park, there is also a zoo that has more than 1,000 animals and there is also a Sea Life attraction. For those that fancy spending more than one day here, then great news, it has two themed hotels, and also a glamping site.
In 2021, the Chessington World of Adventures Resort made headline news with the launch of a multi-million-pound drop tower ride known as Croc Drop. It was the first new ride the UK theme park had introduced since 2013.
There are lots of great rides at Chessington World of Adventures Resort which include ‘Barrel Bail Out’ and ‘Trawler Trouble’.
Lightwater Valley Theme Park
The popular amusement park is located in Ripon, North Yorkshire and covers 175 acres. There are lots of rides available as well as other attractions which includes crazy gold. In 2021, the North Yorkshire theme park added new attractions which includes a Go Safari area, and also Treetop Trails, and Hot Air Balloon rides.
There has been talk to develop the theme park to make it even more exciting that it currently is. It is a great way to spend a fun filled day.
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island, which is located in Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire has become a firm favourite for holidaymakers visiting Skegness. It was purchased by the Mellors Group in March 2016, and since then they have invested a large sum of money to improve the theme park experience.
It is the nearest theme park to Cleethorpes since Pleasure Island was closed down. And, due to that, it also attracts visitors who live in Cleethorpes and surrounding areas as well as holidaymakers staying on Cleethorpes Thorpe Park.
The Skegness theme park has lots of great rides which include the Odyssey and Millennium. It caters for people of all ages. Fantasy Island is not just an adventure park, it is also part of market. The adjoining market is Europe’s largest seven-day market.
Paultons Park
The theme park located on the edge of the New Forest National Park in Hampshire; England is spread over 140 acres. It was opened in 1983 and is home to more than 70 rides and attractions. There are rides for people of all ages which includes family rides, and thrill-seeking rides.
It is an ideal kids theme park as it has the UK’s only Peppa Pig World. There are 9 Peppa-themed rides for children.
Oakwood Theme Park
This popular UK theme park is located in Canaston Bridge in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It first opened in the late 1980s as a small family attraction and today, it has grown to become the biggest theme park in Wales.
There are some of the best thrill rides available at the South Wales theme park. Over the years it has won awards which includes for Megafobia which was voted the UK’s top wooden roller coaster.
Best Theme Parks in England Quicklist
Alton Towers, Staffordshire
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire
Thorpe Park, Surrey
Drayton Manor Park, Staffordshire
Legoland Windsor, Berkshire
Flamingo Land, North Yorkshire
Chessington World of Adventures Resort
Lightwater Valley Theme Park
Fantasy Island
Paultons Park
Oakwood Theme Park
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