Is your favourite top? The UK’s best theme parks revealed – with record-breaking rollercoasters and reimagined rides
THORPE Park has been named the country’s best theme park by the Great British public.
The UK Theme Park Awards took place last night, with the Surrey-based park bagging the top spot.
The awards were organised by ThemeParks-UK.com who publish independent consumer guides.
More than 360,000 votes were cast by the public and combined with scores from expert judges to rank the country’s best theme parks.
Awards were spread across 22 categories, including the Best New Attraction, the Best Theme Park for Families, the Best Seaside Park and the New Park of the Year.
Thorpe Park beat the likes of Alton Towers and Drayton Manor to be named the best in the country for 2024.
The Surrey-based theme park, which first opened to the public in 1979, also took first place for the best new attraction, Hyperia.
Hyperia opened to the public earlier this year, becoming the country’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster.
Standing at a whopping 236ft tall, the hypercoaster claims to be the UK’s highest, swiping the crown from Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s The Big One by just a few inches.
It also smashes coaster speed records, reaching break-neck speeds of 81mph.
Hyperia wasn’t the only new addition this year, with American-themed Big Easy Boulevard also opening this year.
The new area replaced the park’s Angry Birds land, which had been in place for ten years.
Big Easy Boulevard is based on New Orleans and has several rides, as well as a 4D cinema.
Detonator, a drop tower ride that sends people plummeting 100ft, remains in the area from the Angry Birds land – although it has been rebranded to fit in with its new surroundings.
Other rides at the theme park include Stealth, the UK’s fastest launch coaster, and Vortex, a giant pendulum that swings riders through the air.
Drayton Manor’s Gold Rush took second place as the best new attraction at a UK theme park, with Legoland’s Minifigure Speedway coming in at third.
OTHER AWARD WINNERS
Nemesis Reborn
Other winners of the night included Nemesis Reborn at Alton Towers, which was named the Best Reimagined Attraction.
Nemesis was first unleashed to the public in March 1994 and has become a favourite among thrill-seekers ever since.
However, it closed in November 2022 for retracking and for other changes to be made to the rollercoaster.
After undergoing the biggest overhaul in its 30-year history, the ride was renamed Nemesis Reborn.
You can read our world-first review of Nemesis Reborn here.
Paultons Park
Paultons Park bagged the top spot for the Best Theme Park for Families and Toddlers.
Paultons Park features more than 70 rides, including roller coasters, family rides, and attractions.
It is also known for being the home of Peppa Pig World, voted the No.1 theme park on TripAdvisor.
Guests will find Grampy Rabbit’s Sailing Club, The Queen’s Flying Coach, Grandpa Pig’s Little Train, and Peppa’s Big Balloon in the Peppa Pig World.
Kids can also enjoy play areas, as well as meet and greets with Peppa Pig and George Pig.
Peppa Pig World isn’t the only attraction at Paultons Park, as there’s also Tornado Spring, a world set in a midwest desert resort town in the 1950s.
Other themed worlds include the Lost Kingdom, Critter Creek, and Little Africa.
Drayton Manor
Drayton Manor topped the list as the UK’s Best Value Theme Park.
The park is already considered to be among the more affordable resorts in the UK, with UK Family Break previously describing it as “the ideal place for an unforgettable cheap family day out”.
Drayton Manor is home to more than 50 attractions, including Stormforce 10 River Rapids, Thor, Accelorator, Thomas and Percy’s Submarine Splash and The Bounty Pirate Ship.
Meanwhile, this new theme park with 25 attractions has opened in Europe – and flights are only £15.
And here are five European theme parks that are alternatives to Disneyland.
The Sun's review of Hyperia at Thorpe Park
The Sun’s Lee Bell visited Thorpe Park to try the new ride out. Here’s what he thought…
“I was able to ride the steel monster three times, experiencing its exhilarating speeds in the middle of the train, at the front and then, for my last (and best) ride, right at the back.
“First impressions: it’s unlike any other rollercoaster in the UK right now.”Not only for the obvious reason that it’s over double the height, but its focus on flinging riders out of their seats and experiencing ‘weightlessness’.
“It’s no surprise that the first drop is what really steals the show on this rollercoaster.
“While it’s the tallest in the country, it’s unique in that it twists riders 180 degrees while they plummet down a huge vertical drop right before reaching the ground at top speeds of over 80mph.
“The back row is easily the best place to experience this, since you’re catapulted over the crest of the drop at speed, and right into the drop with a free-fall-like feeling.
“It’s an incredible ride that will make you want to ride it again and again.”It’s certainly a coaster that can compete with some of the best in Europe and is easily, in my experience, the best the UK has to offer.”