Buses to amusement parks

[Martin1988]

Following on from my previous thread about buses to National Trust Properties and the thread about buses serving prisons, I thought it would be interesting to discuss public transport routes past and present that have served amusement parks. Thinking particularly in terms of the main ones like (Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington) but would be interested to find out about others.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Yorkshire Coastliner 840 (Leeds-Whitby) used to have some journeys serving Flamingoland.
In Cleethorpes various services served Pleasure Island until its closure in 2016; my 2015 map lists 7, 8, 9 and 10 plus evening-and-Sunday 5 (formerly 45) and summer-only 17.
In the present Hodgson's 159 (Ripon- Richmond) serves Lightwater Valley.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Thorpe Park appears rather well-connected by buses. The grounds are served by Sullivan Buses 950 and 951 shuttle services. Looking at bustimes.org, the former runs broadly half-hourly as an express from Staines, whilst the latter appears to run one round-trip a day from Watford via Rickmansworth and Denham.

On the main road a short walk away, you've also got White Bus 446 and Falcon Buses 456 services between Woking and Staines.

 

[Bumpkin]

Chessington World of Adventures is served directly by TfL routes 465 (half hourly ish Kingston to Dorking), 71 (about every 8-9 minutes Kingston to Chessington WoA) and N65 (half hourly Ealing Broadway to Chessington WoA). Route 467 (hourly Epsom to Hook) goes nearby which requires a 10 minute walk.

 

[Morgsie]

I know D and G serve Alton Towers, the 32 A and the X41 and there are employee buses to Alton Towers

 

[lachlan]

Many seaside amusement parks are easily reachable by public transport. Blackpool Pleasure Beach being the most notable which is easily reached by rail or tram.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Again.... they will be absolutely loads of these, past and present.

For instance....

Lightwater Valley is currently served by the 159 (as @Pyewipecarshed notes) but at other times, was served in the 1990s by United X96/X97/X98 and 146/161
Alton Towers - D&G X41 and 32A but also had the 14, 15, X52, and X39 IIRC in the past
Amtree Park was served by the UAS/EY121 in its short existence
Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is served by the 1C, 2, 3 and 3B
Drayton Manor used to have an Arriva service but not now
Longleat isn't really served though the 53 does serve Picket Post roundabout - good walk to the entrance, brisker walk if you're doing the Safari Park!
Legoland - 701/2/3 but think it had a dedicated First service (200?)
Paultons Park - served by the X7/X7R
Blackgang Chine - served by the 6
Milky Way - served by Go Cornwall 319
none of the Gullivers have a reasonable bus link AFAIK
American Adventure - was served by Trent 120/248 when it was around
Flamingoland - YC 840 but was the 92 in the past
Spanish City - most routes from Blyth into Whitley Bay
Crealy - Stagecoach SW 9 and 58
Wicksteed Park - Stagecoach 2, 16, 48, 50
Oakwood - Was served by Silcox/Taf Valley 322

 

[TheSel]

Southern Vectis '6' and 'Island Coaster' link Blackgang Chine Newport & Ventnor and to Yarmouth, Shankin, Sandown & Ryde respectively.


[oops - just spotted @TheGrandWazoo already highlighted the 6.]

 

[JKP]

First ran 247 Hamilton, Motherwell, Bellshill to M&D’s Theme Park over the summer school holidays.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Yorkshire Coastliner 840 (Leeds-Whitby) used to have some journeys serving Flamingoland.

Still does, the 840 journeys which start/end in Thornton-le-Dale serve Kirkby Misperton for Flamingo Land, only 840s which continue to Whitby don't serve Kirkby Misperton for Flamingo Land.

 

[Statto]

Again.... they will be absolutely loads of these, past and present.

For instance....

Lightwater Valley is currently served by the 159 (as @Pyewipecarshed notes) but at other times, was served in the 1990s by United X96/X97/X98 and 146/161
Alton Towers - D&G X41 and 32A but also had the 14, 15, X52, and X39 IIRC in the past
Amtree Park was served by the UAS/EY121 in its short existence
Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is served by the 1C, 2, 3 and 3B
Drayton Manor used to have an Arriva service but not now
Longleat isn't really served though the 53 does serve Picket Post roundabout - good walk to the entrance, brisker walk if you're doing the Safari Park!
Legoland - 701/2/3 but think it had a dedicated First service (200?)
Paultons Park - served by the X7/X7R
Blackgang Chine - served by the 6
Milky Way - served by Go Cornwall 319
none of the Gullivers have a reasonable bus link AFAIK
American Adventure - was served by Trent 120/248 when it was around
Flamingoland - YC 840 but was the 92 in the past
Spanish City - most routes from Blyth into Whitley Bay
Crealy - Stagecoach SW 9 and 58
Wicksteed Park - Stagecoach 2, 16, 48, 50
Oakwood - Was served by Silcox/Taf Valley 322

The Alton Towers 32A was more frequent seem to remember every 2 hours, thats now one journey each way, i do remember catching a 32A around 14.10 from Uttoxeter to Hanley one day that called at Alton Towers.

 

[Omnidekkalover]

none of the Gullivers have a reasonable bus link AFAIK

The one in Matlock Bath has

Ashbourne CT 110/111
trentbarton 6.1/little sixes
High Peak Transpeak
Stagecoach X17/140
Theses routes go from the A6 though

 

[WibbleWobble]

none of the Gullivers have a reasonable bus link AFAIK

The one in Warrington has the 17 stop across the roundabout from the main entrance.

Likewise the Rother Valley site has the 21, 26a and X5 stop outside the main entrance.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The one in Matlock Bath has

Ashbourne CT 110/111
trentbarton 6.1/little sixes
High Peak Transpeak
Stagecoach X17/140
Theses routes go from the A6 though

The one in Warrington has the 17 stop across the roundabout from the main entrance.

Likewise the Rother Valley site has the 21, 26a and X5 stop outside the main entrance.

Sorry - I forgot there was one in Matlock, and as for South Yorkshire....well that had escaped my attention completely Had to do the Warrington and MK ones as punishment in the past, and definitely didn't recall a bus service to the former.

 

[markymark2000]

I'd ask what constitues 'serving' a theme park because some of these examples are buses stopping a good 15 minute walk from the bus stop and some like Gullivers Matlock which is a 100+ft hill to climb. I wouldn't class it as a bus serving them, more a bus stops somewhere nearby and god help you getting into the park.

 

[SLTRegular]

Does anyone remember the number of the Northwestern Wiganbus service to Camelot theme park?? I can remember the N1**DWM Scania's on there but can't remember the number.

 

[joieman]

Twinlakes north of Melton Mowbray is served by Arriva's 5A from Leicester during the summer.

 

[aliceh]

I'm stretching the definition of "amusement park" already, but Marwell Zoo was served until this year by the excellently numbered Z00.

 

[WibbleWobble]

Does anyone remember the number of the Northwestern Wiganbus service to Camelot theme park?? I can remember the N1**DWM Scania's on there but can't remember the number.

That would be the Wigan - Preston 113 (later replaced by the Blue Bus 111). It was also served by Blue Bus' summer services on their way to Blackpool.