UK Parks

[Guest]

No comparison here cos I love the Disney Parks beyond anything else, but at Easter time we visited Drayton Manor Park and Zoo, it's a small park but has recently been revamped, it is clean and freshly painted and there is a large children's area with lots of rides for the smaller ones. Some of the bigger rides are very up to date. The zoo is clean and friendly, again quite small but we enjoyed our visit very much.

Jaime

[Guest]

WE WENT TO ALTON TOWERS ON THURSDAY HAD A BRILLIANT TIME QUES WERE VERY GOOD TO ESPECIALLY AS IT WAS UK SUMMER SHUTDOWN . HIGEST PEAK OF THE YEAR. ENJOYED THE PARK AND ITS BY FAR THE BEST IN THE UK BUT I AFRAID ITS STILL YEARS BEHIND EVERY PARK THE SUNSHINE STATE

[PoohBears#1fan]

Not sure I can really add much, but we have Tussauds passes and have every year since 1999 and we love em.

No the parks aren't as good as WDW but they're still great days out, we have hundreds of fabulous memories and have had a lot of quality family days out. I do really think that they're improving also with parentswitch etc. No it's nowhere near as organised as WDW and Universal but it's got a lot better over the last couple of years.

The fireworks at Alton Towers are fabulous, sadly the park is heaving when they're on so we just go for them and don't bother with the rides that day, but they're well worth seeing - this will be the first year we'll miss them (as we're in Florida when they're on).

I couldn't go a month, let alone a year without my theme park and coaster fix!

Enjoy them for what they are and try not to compare with something that's in such a different league.

[Guest]

The other problem the UK Parks have is things like this and this yes the american parks may have objection but nothing on the scale of this

[Scotty]

Well I never thought I would say this but I went to Loudon Castle in Ayrshire with a friend and our children yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. The queues were minimal, it was pretty clean by UK standards, the food was edible although they had run out of a few things by 1pm.
You cant compare it with WDW but I had expected to hate it and was pleasantly surprised.
We all got out £9 worth out of the rides.

[Posiesmum]

Slightly OT but we have just returned from our hols in France and visited the parc at Puy de Fou. Not really a theme park as such, as no rides, but several very well produced shows (Gladiators, Vikings, Jousting & Battles, Bird show etc etc) excellent "production values" and no expense spared! Very highly recommended and good well priced food too!

[Guest]

For the first time in years we are going to a theme park here in the UK on Aug13th.
We are going to Legoland-got the tickets with Tesco clubcard vouchers, I wouldn't pay the £80+ to get 2+ 2 entrance.
I can't say I'm really looking forward to it but we are going for the boys sake.
Last time I went to a theme park, there was just so much queuing with nothing to see or do while you are standing there, no decent food to be had and really quite dirty, especially the toilets.The worse thing for me though is the loud rowdy gangs, this really un-nerves me. I want a nice fun day out, not listen to other peoples foul language.
Obviously, you can't do a fair comparison with WDW, but I have seen rowdy south american teenagers in MK that have been kept in line very well with polite but firm CM's.
UK theme parks just seem to be rough compared with ones in other countries
JMHO
Lin xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Guest]

I like Alton Towers and think it does a good job. It's the same thing again, if you get it right and go when the park isn't as busy and there are more rides there than there are at the Disney parks. Islands of Adventure wins hands down though.

[Guest]

I went to Chessington (just down the road) a couple of months ago and I will NEVER, NEVER go again. It was dirty, rude staff etc, etc.

But, and a big but, dot cheap tickets for legoland, through DH work for Legoland. Decided to take DD (who's 2), she had a wonderful time, so we upgraded our tickets (originally £15) to Annual Passes for £17, been again since and DD enjoyed it even more, though I would say there isn't much for over 12's really, but this park is intend for children and not adults. Going back again end of August and again for the halloween speacial and for fireworks etc.

They had a really nice water play area with fountains and little pools of water for the children to play in and on a lovely hot day what could be better.

Yes I agree it's a expensive place to visit, but if you can get a deal go for it. A years worth of entrance for only £32 pounds (consider DD in under 3), who can bet that !

[Dizzy]

Well I cant compare Uk parks to WDW as we haven't been on our hols. yet. But can put in my twopennithworth on Alton Towers.

When I last went with my DS two years ago we really enjoyed it, I think because we both like the big rides, knew what we wanted to do and didn't have to think about ocuppying a 7 year old while we queued for rides that she couldn't do.

We went for my birthday last Thursday. First we got soaked while waiting to get in, okay you cant blame them for the weather but you can for the hour and a half it took us to get in. We then paid £5 each for waterproofs only for the sun to come out, again I dont blame them for the weather but it went through me having to pay £30 for waterproofs (I have packed them to take to Florida with us, I am blowed if I'm paying out again even if they have got Alton Towers on them). Got fast pass for Nemisis which meant we couldnt have one for Air so we queued for 45 minutes in scorching sunshine. DH wont go on the rides so DD and he sat and waited for us as there was nothing that she could go on by herself. Afterwards we queued for Ripsaw 'cos she really wanted to do that, after 20 minutes queueing the ride broke down. Went for the monorail to the other side of the park and found this wasn't working (it wasn't working last time I went either 2 years ago). So we hiked through the gardens. The one ride DS and myself really wanted to do was the Spinball Whizzer as it's new this had a 90 minute wait and no fastpass. Luckily this was around the area with the kiddies playground and rides so DD was happy while we queued. After queueing all that time and just getting to the front this ride also broke down. This was at 4.45 when the rides where closing at 5 so we didn't even have time to make it to another ride before they shut. We were told by one lady that it wasn't the first time that day the Whizzer had broke down. On one hand, I'm glad I didn't go on it if the ride is having this many problems (something actually came flying off of the ride, luckily not a car) but surely there shouldn't be this many faults with a ride, it should be perfected before being opened to the public. We could hear thunder rumbling in the distance and decided to get back to our cars but to top it all the monorail had broken down (we were rudely informed of this - or should I say had it barked at us- by a very surly worker). So we had a 20 minute walk back to the carpark to find that my friends car had been tampered with.

Add to all this, the bins overflowing before dinnertime, tables in the restaurants that had leftovers all over them as well as the floors and nobody clearing them up and gangs of youths spitting on people when they were on rides and pushing little kids out of the way and I'm sure you can see why my opinion of AT has taken a batterring.

The only good thing is that I found an excellent site for tickets to UK attractions. I only found them the night before, booked and printed out an evoucher to present the next day. It cost us £15 each instead of £28365tickets/attractio...416&HPID=zzaqz

We also complained to somebody about our day after and recieved vouchers to go back another time so it only cost us £7.50 in the end.

Sorry if I've offended anybody but just my honest opinion.

Roll on Florida

Dizzy