The weather is fine, and the mood is good while shopping and eating. Please remember that the playground is open! While there’s no Disney or Universal Studios in the UK, there is a massive variety of theme parks with a wide range of unique features! Whether you’re a film buff, a fairground princess or a thrill-seeking adventurer, a theme park in the UK will help you release your dopamine and bring back the carefree childhood experiences. Unlock the top 8 theme parks to visit in the UK with the author today!
Top1 Blackpool Pleasure Beach
For those studying in Manchester, take advantage of the most romantic Blackpool Pleasure Beach, where Europe’s first fully inverted rollercoaster was built and boasts the world’s most extensive and most expensive indoor dark ride. When you’re at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, don’t miss The Pepsi Max, a PepsiCo-funded ride that used to be Europe’s longest and tallest rollercoaster at 1,675 metres long, and at its highest point, you can look down on the whole of Blackpool.
In addition to The Pepsi Max, the ICON double-track roller coaster is also exhilarating! The gravity level is said to be the same as a Formula 1 car, and it speeds up again in the middle of the ride! The Revolution 360-degree spinning start and the second half of the ride is a reverse shuttle, giving you a different roller coaster experience. If you still think it’s not exciting enough, you can try Infusion Suspended Coaster, 180-degree flip + track water spray; it is recommended not to eat before riding. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like roller coasters; the Riptide, Carousel, and Jumper are all available, and there is also a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed park for photo ops, suitable for young and old alike. After Blackpool Pleasure Beach closes at five o’clock, you can also go to the beach to enjoy the sunset. There are large and small arcades, fortune-telling houses on the beach, and a barbecue. Do not enjoy it more! It is recommended that a little extra change is made, as many shops are cash-only.
Address
525 Ocean Blvd, Blackpool FY4 1EZ
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday, 11:00-17:00. Saturday to Sunday 10:00-17:00
Price: from £31
Top2 Alton Towers
Alton Towers is the UK’s largest themed amusement park, famous for its thrills and scares! Legend has it that the park originated from a cursed castle, and parts of it are still off-limits to visitors. Nemesis Nemesis is a moderately fast ride. Rita, also known as the “Queen of Speed”, is the world’s fastest roller coaster, said to be able to accelerate to 65km/h in 2 seconds, but the queue is quite long, so it is recommended to go there early to wait for the queue!
If you think Rita is not excellent enough! Then, you can also experience Wicker Man, a wooden roller coaster with scenes laid out before the ride for a tornado-level experience! Horror-themed roller coaster TH13TEEN, queuing female ghosts in the counting, high altitude free fall and inverted rotation, the ride’s other surprises will not reveal xoxo!
Address
Farley Ln, Alton, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 4DB
Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday 10 am-6 pm
Price: from £39
Top3 Thorpe Park
For those who study in London, head to Surrey to experience the horror theme park Thorpe Park, where you can experience the UK’s fastest ‘invisible rollercoaster’ and the most significant water ride, Tidal Wave!
Thorpe Park is also famous for Saw-The ride, the first ever chainsaw-themed roller coaster, which ‘drops’ 90 degrees from a height of 100 feet. There’s also the world’s scariest roller coaster, Stealth, which takes you from zero to 80km/h in 2 seconds, with a 205ft fast drop and no padding! The Sledgehammer, Jumper and Haunted House are all must-tries, too! When you’re tired, there’s KFC, Burger King and more at the park, and the prices are the same as outside! We recommend downloading the Thorpe Park app ahead of time to check queue times and get the most out of the park for the same money.
Address
Staines Rd, Chertsey KT16 8PN
Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday 10:00-17:00
Price: from £32
Top4 Legoland Windsor Resort
Amusement parks aren’t just about excitement but also about finding your child’s innocence! Lego Park in Windsor is the UK’s most visited theme park and a miniature Lego land of building blocks! The best place to visit is Miniland, where world-famous landmarks are scaled down, such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the River Thames, and the Forbidden City, which we are all familiar with, are all presented! The city’s minifigures and vehicles are all moving. Legoland Windsor Resort’s rides include a drift boat, a Lego train, a pirate ship, and more. With more than 25 million Lego blocks in the park, you can stay in a Lego-themed hotel if you can’t finish it all in one day!
Address
Winkfield Rd, Windsor SL4 4AY
Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday 10:00-18:00
Price: from £34
Top5 Chessington World of Adventure
Chessington was one of the first theme parks in the UK and is one of the few amusement parks, zoos, and resorts that are all-in-one destinations. The theme park blends different cultures worldwide with English-style squares, Mexican wilderness forests, Bavarian-style streets, etc. Chessington contains more than 1,000 animals, many of which can be encountered up close! Many rare animals, such as western lowland gorillas, sea lions and Sumatran tigers, can be seen here! There is also an aquarium and Penguin Cove, so if you like marine life, don’t miss it. The rides are all animal-themed, and if you’re tired of playing, you can take your little ones to the Camping Glamping programme, where you can mostly find the feeling of childhood.
Address
Leatherhead Rd, Chessington KT9 2NE.
Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday, 10:00-17:00
Price
From £33 online, £60 offline
Top6 Flambards Theme Park
Established in 1976, Flambards in Cornwall is the largest amusement park in southwest England. It has a unique combination of a zoo and rides. Rhinos, giraffes, sea lions and peacocks can be seen here, as well as roller coasters for all ages, ideal for students who do not like thrills and spills. At night, stay in the Holiday Village to listen to open-air concerts and taste the authentic American Dinner, which is very enjoyable.
Address
Clodgey Ln, Helston TR13 0QA
Opening Hours
Monday to Saturday 10:00-17:00
Price
£19.76 online, £30+ offline
Top7 Drayton Manor
Drayton Manor is known as the best holiday park, covering 280 acres. It is also the fourth-largest playground in the UK. When you’re tired of playing, you can rest at the resort’s hotel or pitch your tent and camp with no problem. The amusement park’s facilities are also definitely exciting enough; the rollercoaster Apocalypse is not seated but standing! The jumping machine Shockwave is also not seated but standing! The Thomas Train Park is also for those who like to drop by.
Address
Drayton Manor Dr, Fazeley, Mile Oak, Tamworth B78 3TW
Opening Hours
Mon-Thu, Sun 10:00-17:00, Fri-Sat 09:00-17:00
Price: £29.50/person, from £115 for 4 people.
Top8 Paultons Park
Paultons Park in Southampton is an authentic Peppa Pig land and home to the dinosaurs of the Lost Kingdom. With over 70 rides and attractions plus 80 species of birds and animals, it’s an excellent choice for a holiday. The ride queues are relatively short, so you can take several rides in a row! Paultons Park’s landscaping is fantastic! The brightly coloured facilities, plus the different shapes of the pachyderms, make it very easy to take photos on a good day.
Address
Ower, Romsey SO51 6AL
Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday 10:00-17:30
Price
online £41.75.
FAQ
Thorpe Park is one of the largest amusement parks in the UK. Located in Surrey, England, Thorpe Park offers a wide range of thrill rides and attractions, including roller coasters, water rides, and themed areas. It is known for attractions such as “Stealth,” “The Swarm,” and “Saw – The Ride.”
Lego Park in Windsor is the most visited theme park in the UK! It’s also a block-building Lego mini-nation! Over 2 million people visit Legoland Windsor each year, making it the most popular theme park in the UK. Visitors can access various attractions, models, and workshops with a Lego theme.
Market competition: The UK already has several established theme parks such as Alton Towers Resort and Thorpe Park. These parks compete fiercely in the local market. Therefore, Universal Studios may perceive the market competition as unfavorable.
Land and real estate costs: Land costs in the UK are typically high, and suitable land for constructing large-scale theme parks may be limited. Finding suitable locations for constructing large-scale theme parks in the UK could pose challenges in terms of land and real estate costs.
Regulatory and planning restrictions: Regulatory and planning restrictions in the UK could influence the construction and operation of large-scale theme parks. For instance, environmental regulations, building codes, and local government planning restrictions may increase construction costs and limit the scale of the theme park.
Located next to Windsor Castle in London, Legoland Windsor Resort opened in 1996 and is perfect for families.
