There’s no shortage of theme parks in the UK, with almost 30 in operation during the summer months. If you’re planning on visiting one of them with your family, it can be difficult to decide which is the right park for you. Whereas the world’s largest theme park operator, Disney, tends to cater for every age group at its properties, many of the UK’s parks lean towards a particular demographic. Toddlers will love Legoland Windsor, while teenagers and young adults will be in a thrill-seeker’s heaven at Thorpe Park. But what about families with mix of older and younger members? Here are 5 of the best UK theme parks that offer something for everyone.
5. Flamingo Land

As its name suggests, Flamingo Land’s first famous attraction was a colony of flamingos that were housed in its zoo in the 1960s. The descendants of those birds are still a popular fixture, but the surrounding area has since grown into one of the UK’s most-visited theme parks.
For older guests, Flamingo Land offers an impressive range of thrill rides. This includes the Mumbo Jumbo roller coaster, which held the record for having the steepest drop in the world for two years after its 2009 debut. Another record-breaking coaster, Velocity, sees guests straddling motorbike-style vehicles, and is the fastest ride of its kind in the world.
While it hosts a number of rides aimed at younger visitors, the primary attraction for kids at Flamingo Land is its expansive zoo. Home to a wide variety of exotic creatures, including tigers, hippos and rhinos, it is worthy of a full day’s visit in itself. To combine the two elements of the park, the lengthy Lost River Ride takes guests on a boat tour past the African Plains area of the zoo, before plummeting down a 60-foot drop into a splash zone below.
4. Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Part-amusement park, part-living history museum, Blackpool Pleasure Beach first opened in 1896 on Blackpool’s South Shore. It has survived (and thrived) since then by continually updating its roster of attractions, although part of its enduring appeal is that it has retained many of the classic attractions that helped establish it as the UK’s most popular seaside amusement park.
Towering over Blackpool Pleasure Beach is the Pepsi Max Big One, the tallest roller coaster in the UK. Reaching a maximum height of 213 feet, it hits a top speed of 84 miles per hour during its twisting, turning circuit. Also on offer for fans of white-knuckle attractions are the Infusion inverted roller coaster and a range of off-the-shelf funfair rides. Kids, meanwhile, will be kept entertained by the Nickelodeon Land area, which opened in 2011 at a cost £10 million.
The park’s historic attractions are suitable for a mixed range of age groups. They include a number of rickety wooden roller coasters, the classic River Caves dark ride (which inspired Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean) and the Alice in Wonderland fairytale car ride. The clear highlight is the 1904 Flying Machines, which is as enjoyable to ride today as it was a century ago.
3. Drayton Manor

While it’s often overshadowed by nearby Alton Towers, Drayton Manor firmly established itself in the UK theme park market with the opening of the Thomas Land area in 2008. This features a range of attractions inspired by Thomas & Friends, and the opportunity to ride on-board the famous train himself is one that most kids will not want to miss.
Elsewhere in the park, there is a diverse range of rides that will appeal to the whole family. The Ben 10: Ultimate Mission roller coaster, which opened in 2010, is relatively tame. It offers a good stepping-stone for older children before they graduate to Drayton Manor’s headline rides, such as the Shockwave stand-up coaster.
Like Flamingo Land, Drayton Manor is also home to a zoo. While not quite on the same scale as the former park’s, it still houses more than 100 species and is the only part of the park that is opened 365 days a year.
2. Chessington World of Adventures

One of three major theme parks in the Greater London area (the others being Thorpe Park and Legoland Windsor), Chessington World of Adventures is the only one that caters for everyone. As well as a large zoo and a Sea Life aquarium, the park features some of the most unique rides in the UK.
Among the curiosities on offer is Bubbleworks, an indoor boat ride through a mock soap factory. The whole family can cram into one of its floating vehicles, taking a journey past a variety of whimsical scenes. Another major ride that can be experienced as a group is Tomb Blaster, an impressive laser-gun ride set inside an Egyptian tomb that is overrun by all manner of supernatural beings.
While it lacks the mega-coasters of Thorpe Park, Chessington offers more than enough thrills to keep the majority of guests happy. The Vampire roller coaster swoops through the Transylvania area, while the spinning Dragon’s Fury will leave you feeling dizzy but exhilarated.
1. Alton Towers

The UK’s most popular theme park is most famous for two things: the gothic mansion that lends it its name, and a line-up of roller coasters that rivals any other park in the world. Sprawling across an 800-acre site, though, it features more rides for younger guests than many dedicated kids’ parks, as well as attractions that cater for every age group in-between.
Alton Towers is home to a number of first-of-a-kind roller coasters, including Nemesis (Europe’s first inverted coaster), Oblivion (the world’s first vertical drop coaster) and Thirteen (the world’s first freefall drop coaster). These are worth a visit by themselves, but are accompanied by a variety of other rides such as the popular Congo River Rapids and Hex: The Legend of the Towers.
Two areas are set aside for kids’ rides – Old MacDonald’s Farmyard and Cloud Cuckoo Land. Both are almost large enough to be theme parks in themselves, and will keep little ones entertained for hours on end.
There are a number of other theme parks emerging as top venues for family days out in the UK market, such as Paultons Park and Lightwater Valley. Wherever you are in the country, a mixture of thrill rides and fun experiences is never far away.
Nick Sim covers theme park news, reviews and guides for his own website, Theme Park Tourist, where you can find a range of money-saving offers including Alton Towers deals.
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