The thrill of it

From scream-inducing rollercoasters to toddler-friendly character rides, visiting a theme park is one of the highlights of the summer. Here’s our ultimate guide of what to expect at some of the UK’s favourite parks.

Thorpe Park Resort, Surrey

While there are some rides for younger children, Thorpe Park is best suited for adrenalin junkies with 30 exhilarating rides, such as the horror-themed SAW – The Ride, which plunges you through a 100ft vertical drop, and Stealth, the UK’s fastest launch rollercoaster, which takes you from 0-80 miles per hour in 1.8 seconds. Towering over the park at 236ft, Hyperia has been dubbed the UK’s tallest, fastest and most weightless coaster; while the UK’s first winged roller coaster, The Swarm, reaches speeds of 60mph and features terrifying near-miss elements. Try it if you dare. Not to be missed is Tidal Wave, a super-soaking 85ft plunge water ride and the UK’s first VR dark ride Derren Brown’s Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon, which blends virtual reality with thrilling physical effects. Hands up – who’s on bag duty?Thorpepark.com

LEGOLAND^®, Windsor Resort, Berkshire

Aimed at three to 12-year-olds, Legoland Windsor is a wholesome, family-friendly celebration from the creators of the iconic Danish brick. Kids can enjoy a range of immersive activities, such as learning how to drive at the City Driving School and soaring through the sky onboard The Dragon. There are also live shows, adventure golf and seasonal events to watch out for. This year, the iconic Miniland – where recreations of some of the world’s famous landmarks (such as Big Ben, the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower) can be found – has been given a partial makeover. The London area of the attraction has been rebuilt, with experts using one million LEGO® bricks to build London’s beloved structures including City Hall, 122 Leadenhall Street (The Cheese Grater) and 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin).
Legoland.co.uk

Paulton’s Park, New Forest, Hampshire

Every toddlers’ favourite destination, Paulton’s Park is home to Peppa Pig World – a universe filled with rainbow-coloured, fun-fuelled rides, such as Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride and Grampy Rabbit’s Sailing Club. Covering 140 acres, the park has more than 80 rides and attractions, including the Western-themed Tornado Springs, Wild Lands, Critter Creek, and Lost Kingdom, which welcomed the mini-flume Splash Lagoon last year. New for 2025 is the Ghostly Manor (opened on 17 May), a spooky ride with interactive gameplay, ghostly storytelling and a few bone-chilling tricks up its sleeves, suitable for all ages.
Paultonspark.co.uk

Diggerland Kent

For kids (and adults) that just want to get behind the wheel, there’s no better place than Diggerland, the construction-themed amusement park where you can ride, drive, and operate real diggers and dumpers. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025 (it’s also since expanded to Durham and West Yorkshire), highlights include operating a full-sized digger, causing havoc with quad bikes and driving a police vehicle around a 400m course. Little ones can operate a mini JCB and drive a mini Land Rover. Seat belts at the ready…
Diggerland.com

Alton Towers, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

The biggest theme park in the UK is known for its hair-raising rides, including Oblivion, the world’s first vertical-drop rollercoaster, and Nemesis Reborn, a 716m-long rollercoaster which reaches a top speed of 50mph and which was revamped last year. Alton Towers is also known for consistently introducing new rides for thrill-seekers and this year is no exception. For those who dare, the new Toxicator topspin ride is the highest of its kind, towering at 78ft, thanks to its 16ft elevated platform. Giving a high-intensity experience, it is surrounded by green-lit, spurting fountains and is the only topspin ride in the world to be elevated above ground level, meaning that your loved ones (who are, no doubt, holding the bags) can watch the entire experience from underneath.
Altontowers.com

Chessington World of Adventures, Surrey 

With tons on offer for everyone and too much to do in one day, it’s a good job Chessington has a range of overnight accommodation on site. Luckily, the theme park is on the doorstep for Surrey residents, so you can make the most of long summer days spent exploring the park, the adjacent zoo and Sea Life Aquarium.
The 40+ rides are split across a variety of themed worlds, such as World of Jumanji (based on the film franchise), Forbidden Kingdom and Wild Woods. The best thing is that there’s enough to cater for all ages – from the Gruffalo River Ride Adventure for tots to the Dragon’s Fury rollercoaster for teens.
Chessington.com

Dreamland, Margate, Kent

The retro seaside attraction is one of the oldest theme parks in the UK and this year it marks its 105 year anniversary as an amusement park and 10 years since it reopened. This summer sees the return of the classic Log Flume attraction (last seen in the park in 2016) which will join other popular rides, such as the giant Big Wheel, Pirate Ship, Dodgems and Rock ‘N’ Roller rollercoaster. Retro lovers can boogie their way around the Roller Disco, enjoy arcade amusements as well as free screenings from the giant Scenic Stage Screen, which will include family-friendly films and vintage cartoons.
Dreamland.co.uk