This park is tucked away in Pembrokeshire, South Wales and so many enthusiasts have yet to give this place a try but despite its comparatively low profile it is well worth a visit. Oakwood does not have as many attractions as some destinations and is essentially a small collection of rides in the rolling hills with little theming but it is a pleasant place to spend a day and has very reasonable entrance fees. Continue reading
This is the park which has won the Golden Ticket award for best amusement park 15 years running and is the dream destination of all coaster enthusiasts. As you approach Cedar Point you immediately know why this is this case as a mass of brightly coloured track appears before you standing on a peninsula of land jutting into Lake Eerie near Sandusky, Ohio. The setting on the shores of the lake, the sheer enormity of the park and the number of thrill rides on offer make Cedar Point the place to be and if you love rides you simply have to pay this place a visit. Continue reading
Everyone has their own tastes in rides and so ask anyone to make a top ten list and it will be just that little bit different from any other. Some people love steel coasters others can’t resist the air time on a wooden construction and for others speed is all. As for me, well my favourite ride on the planet is Maverick at Cedar Point, an Intamin masterpiece that may not be your personal top of the pops but cannot fail to impress. Continue reading
Thorpe Park is situated between Staines and Chertsey just south of Heathrow Airport. It is park that has gone all out for adult thrills of late with most of the newest attractions being unsuitable for children. In addition some of the older rides which were child friendly have been removed making this park attractive to the thrill seeker but a bit of a disaster for families and youngsters under 1.4m tall. Thorpe Park is constructed on an island in the middle of a man-made lake and so has a picturesque setting which is sadly not matched by the general upkeep and appearance of the attractions which is largely poor and shabby. Continue reading
Drayton Manor G-Force 2 ride
Drayton Manor is located a few minutes from the M42 and M6 Toll motorways close to Tamworth in Staffordshire. Like Chessington World of Adventures the park offers a variety of rides and attractions together with several animal exhibits. Whilst there are plenty of attractions on offer and certainly enough to fill a day there are few really memorable things for adults and the park is not particularly attractive. Continue reading
A theme park situated close to London and just a couple of minutes from the M25 should attract plenty of customers but outside of the school holidays Chessington’s visitor number are generally low and it is not hard to see why. This is a park marketed primarily to families and the rides are mainly geared towards children. Many of the offerings have been features of the park for a long time and are looking tired, dated and have rather outstayed their welcome but there have been some recent improvements and the animal exhibits are largely excellent making this place a good destination for animal lovers of all ages. Continue reading
Feeding the Giraffes at the Zufari
The newest attraction at Chessington World of Adventures is Zufari a jeep ride through some freshly developed landscape housing various African animals. The ride has obviously been inspired the Kilimanjaro Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida but it doesn’t take Einstein to guess that it is on a slightly less dramatic scale! The question is does the inclusion of a safari experience in the depths of Surrey work? Continue reading
Sally at the controls of Canada Creek railway
Being a woman of a certain age my eyesight is not what is was and this was the cause of much hilarity amongst my delightful friends when I worked at a local theme park. When running any of the various rides and attractions it was necessary to record how many guests passed through each hour and for that you need a watch. The trouble was that my eyesight was so dodgy in poor light that I quite often couldn’t see the digital display on my cheap watch leading me to frequently ask my colleagues for the time. My propensity to do this resulted in me becoming the butt of many jokes and the victim of some ridiculous pranks. Continue reading