| Archive for RCCGB FORUM Message Board for Members of the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain to discuss club events and all things theme park related. |
| Graboy |
TOP TEN UK PARKS?Hi All,Just wondered what would be deemed as the top ten parks in the UK? I'm thinking which other ones I ought to make an effort to visit. I suppose the obvious first five are BP, Alton, Thorpe, Drayton and then Oakwood? Are we able to draw up a definitive top ten list? |
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| David Ellis |
Is this the top 10 based on enthusiasts ratings, or number of coasters, or number of annual visitors? What "top 10" are you trying to list?
I am sure we can come up with our own top 10. Suggestions include: Pleasure Beach Blackpool Alton Towers Thorpe Park Oakwood Leisure Park Chessington WOA Flamingoland Drayton Manor Park Lightwater Valley Gt Yarmouth Pleasure Beach One or two of the Gullivers Parks? David. |
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| Graboy |
David,
I would have said the general top ten would have taken most, if not all of those factors into account. I'm not so much interested in whether Alton would beat BP etc..., because as I said, the top 4 or 5 are a given. I'm more after some suggestions to parks that I might otherwise overlook. Anyway, your list has given me something to go on. So appreciate that. Thanks, Graeme |
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| Spanners |
As far as I'm concerned after the top 5 or 6 I'm not sure there is any more that I would specifically vistit again unless it was for the summer bash of course.
I think the future is European parks within the "local" area. Cheap Ryan Air flights and some amazing parks I think it's worth the extra expense. Flying out early AM one day and flying back next evening (for as little as a couple of pound if you get it right) and getting 2 parks in. Of course you have to stay over night and normally hire a motor. |
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| Magic |
Quite agree with Phil, I couldn't come up with a top 10 for the UK. Could do a list of 10 UK parks but I wouldn't really want to go to most of them. Don't restirct yourself to the must do parks in the UK as Europe has so many better parks to offer and if you live within a couple of hours of a Ryanair serviced airport then they can be just as easy to get to as a UK park.
Many Europe parks can be done by public transport when you get there. For example Warner Madrid and Park de Attraciones Madrid are all accessible by train, Phantasialand is accessible by train/bus, Europa Park do a shuttle from the local airport. Other Top 10 Europe parks like Bobejaanland, Liseberg and Tusenfryd are easy by hire car. My Top 10 for easily accessible parks would be Phantasialand Europa Park Liseberg Warner Madrid Drayton Manor Thorpe Park Tusenfryd Bobejaanland Disneyland Paris Alton Towers |
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| bluea61 |
I'd say Fantasy Island is worth a visit. The added bonus with this is there are a couple of smaller parks in the area. Bottons is worth going to just for the inverted Big Apple.
I liked West Midlands Safari Park. They have a nice safari with a lot of animals and then a nice selection of rides. The coasters aren't the biggest but there is enough to keep you occupied there. It may not be in my tope ten but visit Camelot for Knightmare. Cracking coaster in the wrong park! |
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| Graboy |
Thanks Chaps for the advice.
I agree that I ought to look further afield within Europe; I'm finding I need my 'fix' more regularly  The problem for me is that nowadays I'm a family man and have two very young kids. I wouldn't want to and it's not really fair to bugger off for any amount of time, but I am now considering whether I could do a daytrip, albeit a long one, to certain European Parks. I need to enquire with B'ham airport!
I live 20 mins from WM Safari Park and for a SP, it doesn't disappoint. Their droptower 'Venom' scares the life out of me! As mentioned, it's not the best for rides, and I deeply regret them removing 'Cobra' rollercoaster, but it makes a great day out. Thanks, Graeme |
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| Happy Helen |
Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Blackpool are definately ones to do.
Oakwood, Drayton Manor and Flamingo Land are lovely parks. I think Gullivers World and Chessington are more for younger children. I have never been to Lightwater Valley however it does have an uncertain future and Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach isn't really that special. |
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| Coaster Police |
I totally agree with the above, however, make sure you pick your day carefully. It took me 4 attempts to ride the Jubilee Oddessy. Given thats 250 miles from my house, 1000 flippin' miles! (each way). It does not like wind. If it's too windy, and based on the east coast there's alot of wind from the sea, it won't work (incase it gets stuck in the loop). If it rains, and it's quiet, they send the operators home, or it could just be broken. (Those are my 3 failed attempt reasons). So best go on a nice sunny summer day when the place will be busy with no wind!! Good Luck! 
What inverted Big Apple?? |
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| bluea61 |
Well its the Queen Bee, but essentially its a big apple but inverted. See pics:
http://www.rcdb.com/ig1871.htm?picture=1 We were really lucky when we went to Skeggy. There was a small bit of wind and it was really overcast. We saw it running, so we legged it round the two big coasters. It poured with rain in the afternoon, then brightened up and the coaster re opened!! 
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| towerofterror1989 |
top 10 parks UKAlton TowersDrayton Manor Park Blackpool Pleasure Beach Thorpe Park Flamingoland Camelot Gulliver's World Warrington not much left after that!! No Pleasureland, No American Adventure, not much Lightwater Valley, no Frontierland Morecambe, Dreamland closed(?), Rotunda closed(?). Sad time that all the classic parks are being closed down. The north west has gone from 5 major amusement parks to 2 major parks and one family park. BPB, Camelot and Gulliver's World. and soon we could be loosing Camelot Theme Park. I will be gutted when that happens. Ian |
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| sueysue |
what about Oakwood and the great Megafobia!!!? |
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| bradpeet |
How about Adventure Island at Southend? http://www.adventureisland.co.uk/ It's not great, but it is good
And thay are now billing themselves as "The UK's No 1 Free Admission Fun Park" (That was pretty quick lol) |
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| c anderson |
As has been said, try abroad, Liseberg is a good day out depending on the flights, 1st out & last back has worked for me in the past. | ||||||||||
| Kirk |
i find it hard to rate any UK at present all are going downhill! I agree with Magic, if i want to visit a theme park i simply fly to Europe for a weekend easily done for under £100 which is little compared to others who spend a lot more on UK based park visits! | ||||||||||
| bluea61 |
I think there are some good parks in this country, sometimes travelling to the more unheard of places you will find some good coasters/rides. I think Rhyl used to be a good casing point as it had the only operating Water Chute when we visted. Un fortunaelty now closed.
Although, I totally agree about travelling abroad. There are some excellent parks within a few hours by plane. In the last couple of years we have been to PortAventura, Parque de Atraciones Madrid, and Parque Warner Madrd. All three execellent parks which as a whole are better than UK parks and all pretty easy to visit on Public Transport. |
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| stevencaine |
Have to agree Southend is a great park not the greatest rides but always a great fun 
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| nemesis scribe |
Joyland at Great Yarmouth has to be Number 1 . . .  Afterall, they do have the Uks best coaster . . .
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| Nemesis Nick |
Totally agree Helen, I've been to all three of those with the RCCGB and throroughly enjoyed riding the coasters and other rides at those parks.
Of those three, I recently attended Flamingo Land with the Club (this year's Summer Bash) and thoroughly enjoyed their selection of rides, but have never been to Oakwood or Drayton Manor.
Some time ago, I was led to believe that they moved some rides between Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures, to make Thorpe Park more for young adults and Chessington WOA for families. I've never been to Chessington WOA so don't know what it's like these days. Nor have I ever visited any of the Gullivers parks.
Does it really have an uncertain future? Where did you hear that? I considered going there for the meet-up the day after the Summer Bash, but felt it would be too long-winded to get there on public transport from York (where I was staying), I've explained in more depth towards the end of my Summer Bash trip report.
A good suggestion, here's the ones I've been to Pleasure Beach Blackpool YES (RCCGB Blackpool Bash 2008 & 2009) Alton Towers YES (RCCGB Loopathon 2005 and 2006) Thorpe Park YES (InterSystems Symposium 2005, RCCGB SawTed 2009) Oakwood Leisure Park NO Chessington WOA NO Flamingoland YES (RCCGB Summer Bash 2009) Drayton Manor Park NO (I wanted to do RCCGB Loopathon 2007 there, but backed off at the 11th hour for various reasons) Lightwater Valley NO (for various reasons I decided not to do it the day after Summer Bash 2009) Gt Yarmouth Pleasure Beach YES (Summer Bash 2009) One or two of the Gullivers Parks? NO (not been to any of their parks) Right now my turn to suggest a top ten. Note I've not ranked them in order of preference, I've not been to them all myself, but there's some I've put in based on what I've heard are must-do parks (ones I've done once or more are listed first, with ones I've never visited at the end): Pleasure Beach Blackpool (definitely my number one) Adventure Island Southend on Sea (due to Rage, Mighty Mini Mega and two other coasters, plus loads of other rides) Alton Towers (AIR, Nemesis Inferno, Oblivion, Spinball Whizzer) Flamingo Land (Velocity, Corkscrew, Mumbo Jumbo, Kumali, plus other rides) Gt Yarmouth Pleasure Beach (due to its Roller Coaster, and salt water log flume) Paultons (it's got Cobra and Stinger, plus loads of other rides I've done, and now Edge which I've yet to do) Thorpe Park (Nemesis Inferno, Colossus, SAW, Rush) (the following three I've never visited, but I've put them in for rides they're famous for) Drayton Manor Park (not been there, but it's a mega park in the Midlands, it has Maelstrom and other big rides) Oakwood Leisure Park (not been there, but it's got the UK's 1st beyond vertical drop steelie, plus the woodie Megafobia) Lightwater Valley (not been there, but I've read somewhere it's got Britain's longest coaster) |
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| Nemesis Nick |
Great Little UK Parks
Further to my list above, here's five smaller parks I strongly recommend. Some don't have a roller coaster, but are still worth a visit for other rides and attractions. N.B. These aren't in my order of preference, as I can't make up my mind on that, but they're arranged west to east geographically. Flambards Hornet Coaster (family steelie), Thunderbolt, Extreme Force, Log flume, plus Cyclone Monorail, Balloon Race, Chariot Race, Rock 'n' Tug. In addition try the Demon Drop Slide, Shiver Me Timbers and see the exhibitions (Victorian Village, Britain In The Blitz, Gus TV, Weather Station, Exploratorium). Cornwall's Crealy no roller coaster, but it's got two water coasters, swinging pirate ship, log flume, Beast (drop ride), pony monorail (one could say this is a level version of PBB's Steeplechase). Also, there's outdoor play areas (which adults can play in), and two indoor adventure play areas Haunted House and Dragon Kingdom filled with giant slides and soft play equipment (adults can play in both). Woodlands no roller coaster, but it's got the Toboggan Run (due to the lift followed by riding the steel track downhill under gravity you could call it a coaster of a sort), Cyclone Watercoasters (I've never done those as I've only ever visited Woodlands alone, and they don't allow single riders on those), Avalanche, Arctic Gliders and indoor rides, e.g. Trauma Tower (drop tower). Plus numerous outdoor play areas (most of which adults can play in) and two indoor play areas Master Blaster (ball firing and soft play) and Sea Dragon's Play City (UK's biggest soft play area with giant slides) - adults can play on the play equipment in Master Blaster and Sea Dragon's Play City. Devon's Crealy El Pastil Loco Family Rollercoaster (steelie), log flume, Dino Blasters, Queen Bess Pirate Ship, Carousel, Dizzy Dina Ride, Meteorite, Honey Swing. Outdoor play areas Treetops (including Buzzards Swoop Drop Slide), River Challenge (bridges), Funambulist Challenge, Roundabout PlayPump (adults can play in the ones I've listed), Adventure Zone (soft play and big slides - adults can play too). Funland Hayling Island I've been there once to-date: RCCGB Summer Bash 2005 (my debut Club trip). Features Klondike roller coaster, log flume, drop tower (I enjoyed that, and a photo in the 2004/5 Yearbook shows 4 riders equally enjoying it), go-karts (if you like that, pas pour moi, I chose not to do those during Summer Bash 2005). Also in 2005, it also had a helter skelter (I had a few goes Summer Bash 2005), I hope they still have that. |