Seaside theme park in the UK is home to Europe’s best water ride
A THEME park in the UK right by the beach is now home to a ride named the best in Europe.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s Valhalla won the accolade of Europe’s Best Water Ride in the 2024 European Star Awards.
The ride, which first opened in 2000, reopened last year after a £4million revamp which took four years.
Claiming to be the UK’s “wettest rollercoaster,” it won big at the annual awards ceremony.
It comes after it was also named the Best Water Ride in the World at the 2023 Golden Ticket Awards last year – for the seventh time.
The ride sees passengers board a longboat before being taken to Valhalla by Ivar the Viking.
The website states: “Brave the adventure as the rider embarks on a thrilling journey on the best water ride in the world, experience all the elements through state-of-the-art special effects and immersive storytelling.
“Those adventurous enough to ride will be rewarded with more than four minutes of high-speed action thrills including multiple dramatic drops and real fire as they complete half a mile journey seated in a Viking longboat.”
You can even buy merch from the ride, including hoodies, t shirts, socks, cups and belts.
The park’s director of operations Andy Hygate said: “Valhalla is an incredible ride, and after its £4 million re-imagining last season we know that guests travel from near and far to experience it.”
The theme park has won a number of other awards this year too.
It won the gold award in the Best Seaside Park category at the UK Theme Park awards, as well as a bronze award for Best Theme Park for Thrills.
And both Big Dipper and the Grand National were awarded Rollercoaster Landmark Plaques, the only two in the UK.
Also new this year are two new live-action “scare zones” during their Halloween events.
This includes the Alice in Wonderland-themed ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ and an unusual ‘Cabinet of Curiosities.’
Otherwise the theme park is now home to 10 rollercoasters and the country;’s only Nickelodeon land.
Having first opened in Blackpool in 1896, The Big One rollercoaster was once the world’s tallest rollercoaster.
It is now the UK’s second tallest and fastest ride, missing out to Thorpe Park’s new Hyperia, which opened this year.
One mum has revealed why Blackpool should be on your staycation bucket list.
And we’ve rounded up five coastal theme parks that have new rides and attractions this year.
What is it like to ride Valhalla?
The Sun’s Graeme Bryce recently tried Valhalla – here’s his verdict.
After four minutes of high-speed thrills on a Viking longboat, my family and I were absolutely DRENCHED.
I’ll certainly vouch for it being the wettest.
As we hurtled towards the finale, we passed through a fiery hell – nearly hot enough to melt our plastic ponchos – and even that couldn’t dry us out.
But fun? You better believe it.
Feeling a little soggy, we were relieved that The Boulevard Hotel was within walking, or squelching, distance of here.