Rollercoasters are usually the main draw at theme parks. But the UK is set to welcome an outdoor attraction with “thrills of an entirely different kind”, said Time Out. Kynren – The Storied Lands will open in County Durham this summer, but instead of offering exhilarating rides the historical theme park will “keep visitors entertained with live shows and immersive experiences that tell tales from Neolithic Britain, the Vikings and Victorian England”.
If battle reenactments aren’t your thing, though, there are plenty of other theme parks across the country to keep the whole family happy. Here are some of the best spots.
Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Surrey
The UK’s first World of Paw Patrol is opening at Chessington World of Adventures on 3 May, just in time for the bank holiday. “Four exciting new rides, interactive attractions and themed experiences” have been confirmed, said The Independent, including a “beginner-friendly rollercoaster that puts young riders in the middle of a rescue challenge with Chase and Everest”. And next year, the resort will welcome visitors to the first fully immersive Minecraft theme park.
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Paultons Park, Hampshire
Paultons Park is “perhaps best known as the home of Peppa Pig World”, said The Mirror. But on 16 May the theme park will unveil its new attraction, Valgard: Realm of the Vikings. “Aimed more at teenagers and adults”, it will feature the “park’s first inverting rollercoaster” with a “vertical lift hill and two twists where riders will be flung upside down”. The Cobra ride has also been “revamped” into a “bobsled adventure” that fits in with the Viking theme.
Alton Towers, Staffordshire
The team behind the new Bluey rollercoaster at Alton Towers spent “over 180 hours watching 154 episodes” of the kids’ cartoon about an anthropomorphic puppy, said Shyvonne Thomas on Digital Spy. The ride takes inspiration from the “fan-favourite ‘Grannies’ episode” of the cartoon series which “sees Bluey and Bingo dress up as grannies Janet and Rita to cause granny-like mayhem”. Ideal as an “introductory rollercoaster for toddlers”, I was “pleasantly surprised at the sudden rush and how fast the ride was, and my three-year-old loved it just as much”.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire
Expect “properly thrilling rides” at this popular park, from “the heart-stopping Infusion to the indomitable The Big One”, said The Telegraph. Little ones are also in for a fun day out at Nickelodeon Land where the rides are inspired by “popular characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer”. Over the summer months, visitors can also make the most of the extended opening hours at the Pleasure Beach, experiencing “‘late-night riding’ along with fireworks displays”.