The UK’s best theme park has beaten out the likes of Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, Legoland and Chessington – and it’s sure to be a hit with young families too
British thrill-seekers usually flock to the likes of Thorpe Park, Legoland, Chessington and Alton Towers when the UK actually has decent weather, but there’s one underrated theme park you may want on your radar.
Paultons Park in Hampshire has heaps of rides, attractions and fun meet and greets with beloved characters in its Peppa Pig World – and it’s been crowned the UK’s best theme park in rankings on Tripadvisor.
The theme park is geared towards families with younger children so you won’t find rides quite as terrifying as the ones in other theme parks, but there’s still heaps of adrenaline-inducing fun to be had.
Popular rides include the Storm Chaser and Cobra rollercoasters, Flight of the Pterosaur where you soar through the sky with your legs dangling below, and the Cyclonator that spins you 25metres above the ground. There are also heaps of gentler rollercoasters for smaller children looking to try their first rides, as well as boat rides, trains and gentle spinning rides.
One of the biggest highlights has to be the park’s Peppa Pig World, with themed rides including Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride, Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter Flight and George’s Dinosaur Adventure Ride. There are also plenty of meet and greet opportunities with Peppa and her friends, and an on-site toy shop if you want to treat the kids to a souvenir. Other highlights include the Lost Kingdom land with its dinosaur theme, and the park’s most recent big opening Tornado Springs set in the 1950s US Midwest which features a spinning coaster, gyro swing ride, and a gentler coaster for younger children.
Over on Tripadvisor, the reviews are glowing. Parents often praise the staff and the cleanliness of the park, as well as the variety of fun for smaller children to have, especially those who may not be big enough for the rollercoasters at other theme parks. One happy parent, who visited during the school holidays, said that the “day out was worth every penny” and that “the queue times were the shortest we’ve ever experienced at a theme park despite it being during the Easter holidays”.
They added: “One thing I really liked about this park is that the height limits for the bigger rides are only 1m. We have a 6 year old daughter who is tiny and cannot ride the bigger rides at any other park and is always disappointed but she was able to ride every ride here except from one. We came here while we were in the area with no intention of making the long journey down in the future just to come to the park but have left so happy with our experience that we are planning on visiting again in the summer.”
Another visitor, who headed to the park last October, wrote: “A really great day out for the less adventurous and the more so. Enough fun and excitement to keep everyone happy. No queues!!”
During the peak seasons, tickets start from £43.50pp – however it’s worth noting that children under 1 metre in height can enter for FREE and do not require a ticket. There are also short break options if you’re travelling from further afield and a day trip doesn’t quite cut it – plus there are deals on offer such as a second day in the park for free. You can find out more on paultonspark.co.uk.
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