We’ve always been theme park fans, even before we had kids! I think whether you love thrill rides or not, the atmosphere, smell and pure excitement at any theme park is just amazing! With that being said, I thought I’d share my top 5 UK theme parks that we have visited with the kids and that we all love!
This has been a popular theme park for us over the years, especially with the extended Cbeebies Land. Not only does it cater for the little ones, but it also have some top thrill rides (and whilst I went on these as a teen, I certainly don’t go on them now!)
For kids, Cbeebies Land is a hit, especially if they watch the channel. Rides include Postman Pat, In the Night Garden and Octnonauts Rollercoaster! Cbeebies Land is spacious and includes a few shops and toilet facilities, and even a small Charlie and Lola restaurant. Alton Towers is set in beautiful landscaped gardens, and there is so much more to this theme park than rides! The views on a clear day are stunning and don’t forget to take a walk around Alton Gardens for some quiet time!
And whilst they now have three hotels on site, including the Enchanted Village, I find the prices too expensive to include an overnight stay. However, if you really do want to consider staying in an Alton Towers Hotel and are tight on budget, look at doing a stay and swim package. Alton Towers also runs seasonal events during theme park closure months, such as Pirates and Princesses in the winter months. We loved this when we visited and got to experience the Waterpark, Sea Life experience, Swashbuckle Pirate show and B&B.
Price: Online tickets are priced at an average of £34 per adult (over 12 years) and £28.50 per child. Under 3’s are free.
Discounts: Check Kellogg’s or Cadburys deals. If you have a Taste Plus card or Little Bird subscription, check out their local deals!
We have only visited Legoland once when Mr B turned 4 years old. However, we had an absolute blast, and if you have a little one that LOVES lego, then this is the place to come. I would love to return back now that Baby K is getting that little bit older. All rides are suitable for families and there is no particular thrill rides like at Alton Towers. There is even a splash park which is great fun for the kids if you happen to visit on a warm sunny day.
I have heard mixed reviews about Legoland. For us, we loved it. However, to stay onsite is yet again, not cheap. So stay offsite if you don’t live local. And if you really want to experience a Legoland Hotel stay (especially now they have opened Legoland Castle Hotel), take advantage of the Splash and Stay offers. This is where you can stay over at the Hotels whilst the theme park is closed and get to experience all the benefits of the hotel, including the splash pool and meeting Lego characters. The themed rooms look amazing!
Prices: Tickets from only £29
Discounts: Kellogg’s have a deal on most cereal packets.
We’ve visited Paulton’s Park several times now and the kids thoroughly enjoy it. Peppa Pig World recently had an extension of two further rides last year in 2018, and the theming is great. Inside Peppa Pig World there is a snack kiosk, shop, plenty of rides and even an indoor soft play area. Mr B is now a little old for Peppa Pig, however he absolutely loved the The Lost Kingdom – a dinosaur themed land on the other side of Paultons. This includes Flight of the Pterosaur, Velociraptor and The Dinosaur Tour Co. All these rides have an added thrill which is perfect for tweens!
Paulton’s Theme park doesn’t have an onsite hotel (yet!) but they do offer packages for tickets including a stay at a nearby hotel. We have taken advantage of this offer and stayed in a nearby Holiday Inn, with a two day theme park ticket. This is great as you can walk around at your leisure without worrying if you have seen all of the park in just one day.
Don’t miss the Paulton’s Gardens which are straight in front of you when you enter Paulton’s Park – a lovely tranquil walk!
Prices: Advanced tickets are around £30. Children under 1m are FREE
Discounts: Sign up to the Paulton’s Theme Park Newsletter
We live not too far from Drayton Manor and really enjoy Thomas Land. It’s had an extension in the last couple of years which has really opened up the land, as there is quite a lot of rides in such a small space. Troublesome Trucks is a great children’s rollercoaster and is not one to miss! You can even catch a train (either Thomas, Percy or Rosie) to the other side of the Park which is a lovely experience.
Drayton Manor is also home to a couple of thrill rides including Storm Force 10, Appcalypse and Air Race. So if you have younger and older children in your party, you can be sure to find something suitable for everyone.
There is even a small Zoo within Drayton Manor Park.
There is an onsite Hotel which you can stay at, that does have Thomas themed rooms, which of course come at a price. It does look fun, especially if your child is a huge Thomas fan. Be sure to check out the website for their latest prices!
Prices: Pre-bookable tickets are priced at £28 for over 12’s and children are priced at £24. Children under 2 are free.
Discount: Follow their Facebook page for competitions and their latest offers!
We have visited Blackpool Pleasure Beach twice and really love it there. It is home to not only some classic thrill rides, but also Nickelodeon Land, which is fantastic for the kids! Rides include Rugrats Lost River Log Flume, Nickelodeon Streak (a big rollercoaster!) and SpongeBob’s Splash Bash (be warned, you get soaked on this!) Some of the bigger thrill rides outside of Nickelodeon Land, include The Big One, The Big Dipper and ICON.
From the outside, the theme park doesn’t actually look that big. But it really is, and we had a jam packed day riding most of the rides, having lunch and I even got change to have a glass of prosecco in the sunshine at the Oyster Bar!
We stayed at The Big Blue Hotel, which is the hotel next to the theme park and has views of some of the rollercoasters. They offer a package and often run a deal which includes:
What’s great about The Big Blue Hotel is that their have family rooms with a separate sleeping area for the children! They are also opening a new hotel adjacent!
Prices: The more you book in advance, the more you will save. Prices can be from £25 per person.
Discounts: Explore the options at The Big Blue Hotel and see if you can save on your ticket price. Blackpool Pleasure Beach also offer a student reward scheme, employee reward scheme and a local residents discount.
And there you have it! Have you visited any of these UK theme parks? Which is your favourite?! Let me know in the comments below!
Traveling afar? Check out Dreamality’s post on her top Travel Destinations for Summer this 2019!
Thanks for reading xxx
Hi and welcome to The Willow Tree. I’m Michelle, also known as Shel and I am a mama to three beautiful crazy kids – I have two handsome boys and a wild and wonderful girl.
I really wanted a concrete place to share my love for travel, in particular Disney and offer my readers a chance to gain some knowledge around what we love to do as a family of 5.
I share our family adventures which include days out, travel advice and tips, holiday reviews, restaurant visits and of course, our love for Disney, including Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World.
Life is about creating memories, and here we are sharing them with you
xoxo
Some great thrill rides at all these parks!