Theme park discussion

[PTR 444]

Railways aren’t the only place where you can find trains. At several locations, you can find them hurtling along a circuitous mesh of steel with all sorts of bumps, turns and loops. Known as roller coasters, these “railways” are for entertainment rather than public transport, and I’m sure safety standards would prevent such undulating track being approved for genuine public transport infrastructure.

As somebody with an interest in rollercoasters as well as railways, I thought it would be worthwhile to create a thread to discuss the British theme park scene, including your own opinions on rides and attractions. Two exciting developments I have been keeping an eye on are the new “Project Exodus” roller coaster at Thorpe Park (set to become the UK’s tallest and fastest roller coaster), and the retracking of Nemesis at Alton Towers. The latter park I have never visited, but it has been on my bucket list for a long time. I had planned to go this year but thought it would be better to wait until the iconic ride reopens in its 30th anniversary year. Other commitments have got in the way of getting round to visiting any theme parks this year, but I am hoping to tick off the brand new rollercoaster at Chessington sometime before the end of the season.

Please feel free to use the poll below and share any theme parks you have visited. This includes both open and defunct attractions.

 

[jon81uk]

I'm actually more interested in seeing what the new (probably spinning) coaster at Drayton Manor will be like next year. Exodus doesn't interest me so much.

Project Horizon at Alton Towers also looks interesting, we don't have enough indoor coasters in the UK.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Used to go to Frontierland at Morecambe regularly as a kid, was sad to see it go.
Was also sad to see The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley close earlier this year, given its British Rail heritage and former status as the longest in Europe.

What's M&D's, by the way?

 

[PeterY]

I've ticked the boxes of the places I've been in my lifetime and that's a long long time.

 

[PTR 444]

What's M&D's, by the way?

A small theme park in Motherwell, Scotland

 

[oxfordray1]

I do love a good theme park. I think my favourite in the UK is Thorpe Park. Went about 10 years ago and went on Swarm about 6 times in a row.

However, by a large margin, my favourite is Phantasialand in Brühl just south of Cologne. Aggressive but smooth coasters with superb theming. Hoping to go to Europa Park in the next couple of years which has also got excellent reviews.

The theme park I've been to most is Alton Towers and I clearly remember the excitement at being tall enough to go on Nemesis. Haven't been for a while but a number of friends have given rather lousy feedback for a collection of reasons (but primarily unreliable rides).

 

[Bevan Price]

Would hardly describe either as a theme park, but I have ticked the two locations I last visited many years ago. That at Southport was visited only to photograph / ride the railway.

 

[Bald Rick]

11. Haven’t bothered with U.K. theme parks (with one exception) since I went to a few US theme parks some years ago. Everything here is rather tame by comparison.

The exception is Blackpool Pleasure beach, which is something of a family tradition, even though I can’t stand the place (and some of the coasters are decidedly iffy). Ikon is decent enough though.

 

[telstarbox]

Blackpool is great value - exciting rides and minimal queues. The Big One is amazing but the Grand National is most fun!

 

[ChrisC]

I've ticked the boxes of the places I've been in my lifetime and that's a long long time.

There are three on the list that I have visited as a child and that was almost 60 years ago. Does that still count? I’m not even sure that they were theme parks back then, in the way that we know them now. I have ticked them.

 

[Bald Rick]

The Big One is amazing but the Grand National is most fun!

The Big One was amazing, but now it’s almost 30 years old and scary (for the wrong reasons).
The Grand National is just painful.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

As an addendum to Frontierland mentioned earlier, I've been reminded of another now closed amusement park that I've been to- Shipley Glen... though it was rather small.

 

[johntea]

Perhaps the most white knuckle attraction at Alton Towers is the journey to and from it via the country roads

My problem is I got spoiled as a nipper with my aunt and uncle taking me to Orlando when I was much younger twice, so nothing really matches up to the magic of a couple of weeks at Disney / Universal / Busch Gardens where I also managed to visit again about 8 years ago slightly more grown up where Harry Potter world is pretty much worth the visit alone even if not a massive Harry Potter geek!

I wonder if anyone has been caught fare dodging between 'London King's Cross' and Hogsmeade

 

[ChrisC]

I remember Alton Towers from when I was a child way back in the 1960’s. It was then a popular destination for Sunday School outings. It was more a place where people went to visit the gardens in those days. I remember there being a miniature railway and a chairlift but not much else.

 

[Calthrop]

Call me a supercilious snob -- but theme parks are not a scene with any appeal "to me, for me". I've voted "none in UK" -- would not have engaged in this thread, except for noticing the reference to Robin Hill / Blackgang Chine. Have a great love of the Isle of Wight, which I visit frequently, usually including a considerable amount of travelling around by bus -- in course of which, halts often made at the entrances to those venues; no desire on my part to explore them further, but "it would be very dull if we all liked and disliked exactly the same things".

 

[brad465]

If the Euthanasia coaster ever gets built, that will be the fiercest place anyone who has ridden it will have been, but they won't be ticking that box in person.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Call me a supercilious snob -- but theme parks are not a scene with any appeal "to me, for me". I've voted "none in UK" -- would not have engaged in this thread, except for noticing the reference to Robin Hill / Blackgang Chine. Have a great love of the Isle of Wight, which I visit frequently, usually including a considerable amount of travelling around by bus -- in course of which, halts often made at the entrances to those venues; no desire on my part to explore them further, but "it would be very dull if we all liked and disliked exactly the same things".

Visited Robin Hill as a youngster with the family... remember seeing rats nicking food from a monkey enclosure and a zipline accident that required the attendance of paramedics.

 

[Calthrop]

Visited Robin Hill as a youngster with the family... remember seeing rats nicking food from a monkey enclosure and a zipline accident that required the attendance of paramedics.

(My bolding) -- red squirrels doing same, would have been even more fun (said creatures are a speciality of the IOW -- grey ones have not been able to cross the water -- and Robin Hill is said to be a particularly good spot to see them); but they're timid beasts: don't see them having the "bottle" for the exploit in question.

 

[philthetube]

The Big One was amazing, but now it’s almost 30 years old and scary (for the wrong reasons).
The Grand National is just painful.

Anyone into heritage travel should love Blackpool, the wooden rides have nothing in the UK which is comparable.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Anyone into heritage travel should love Blackpool, the wooden rides have nothing in the UK which is comparable.

Dreamland Margate has the "Scenic Railway", which is very much comparable with the examples at Blackpool.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Anyone into heritage travel should love Blackpool, the wooden rides have nothing in the UK which is comparable.

Blackpool also has the "Pleasure Beach Express" (553mm gauge) which can be especially good depending on where the coasters are, entirely luck as to where ones fly by you.

 

[m79900]

What do people think of Infusion at Blackpool? I’d like to go on it, but it seems to get a lot of hate.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Sep 2023 ==

If the Euthanasia coaster ever gets built, that will be the fiercest place anyone who has ridden it will have been, but they won't be ticking that box in person.

It won’t get built. I think it was over a mile tall, TWICE as tall the Burj Khalif, and that’s the tallest building ever built.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

What do people think of Infusion at Blackpool? I’d like to go on it, but it seems to get a lot of hate.

I like it (but have only had one go). It's quite consistent action and is different to most coasters with legs being free to move.

Although I've been on almost everything in the main bit in Blackpool and the only ones I didn't like were Grand National (which I gave a 2/10 due to horrible pain) and Big Dipper (6/10 due to a bit of pain).

Infusion got a 3rd place from me on my first visit behind The Big One and ICON.

 

[brad465]

It won’t get built. I think it was over a mile tall, TWICE as tall the Burj Khalif, and that’s the tallest building ever built.

Yes I don't think the designer believes it will either, and forgetting the height of the structure, the biggest barrier is surely that in many countries it would do something illegal to prospective riders.

 

[tigerroar]

You have Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill as one, aren't they different places? Robin Hill is in the centre of the island.

 

[PTR 444]

You have Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill as one, aren't they different places? Robin Hill is in the centre of the island.

They are different places, but I’ve put them down as one since they are owned by the same family and I believe you can still buy combined tickets for both parks

 

[ABB125]

It's been probably 6 years since I last went to a theme park. I've been to Thorpe Park twice, Chessington, and Drayton Manor. Gardaland beats all of them, rides similar to Thorpe Park but with about a tenth of the queue!