In September 2007, Pleasure Beach, Blackpool was judged to be the joint fifth best amusement park in the world. Another feather in the parks’ cap, it was voted to be the second best seaside park in the world. You will find Pleasure Beach is included as a playable scenario in the theme park game Rollercoaster Tycoon. It is the highest ranked European park.

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool attracts about 6 million visitors each year which is joint with Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida, which also attracts 6 million visitors each year. Only 10 parks worldwide beat this attendance figure. 6 million being approximately 1/10th of the UK’s population.

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool has a mixture of traditional wooden rides, modern steel roller-coasters and small family rides. It also has highly advanced thrill rides along with classic, older rides still in their original working order. The older rides have been there for generations. The other major attractions include shows and productions which are suitable for the whole family. The park also has ice shows which include Eclipse and Hot Ice hosted at the Pleasure Beach Arena.

The roller coasters at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool are some of the best in Europe with the Pepsi Max Big One being the second tallest roller coaster in Europe, the highest point being 235 feet (72 m) above sea level and 213 feet from the floor. This coaster reaches speeds of up to 87 mph (140 km/h). It has a drop of 205 feet (62.5 m) and the entire length is 5,497 feet (1,675.5 m). When the Pepsi Max Big One first opened in May 1994, it was the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster in the world and was built at a cost of £12 m.

The Big Dipper Roller Coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, first opened in 1923 and was extended in 1936. This is a traditional wooden roller coaster and very much a classic with roller coaster enthusiasts. In 1998 Richard Rodriguez set a world record by riding the Big Dipper for 1000 hours. It has a maximum height of 60 feet (18.3 m) and a maximum speed of 50 mph (80.5 km/h). 3 trains holding 20 people career around 3,300 feet of track with a 50 foot drop and a maximum G force of 3.7.

Another roller coaster classic at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, is the Grand National roller coaster. A wooden racing roller coaster which was opened in 1935. There are only three types of this roller coaster in existence in the world and the only one in Europe. This one was lucky, however, as it was almost destroyed by fire in 2004. Standing at 62 feet (18.9 m) high and 3300 feet (1,006.4 m) long, it has an uneven number of turns so that racing riders will exit from different stations. The Grand National has a maximum speed of 40 mph (64.4 km/h).

As great as it may be having older rides at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, there has to come a time when more up-to-date rides are introduced. And they were. The newest ride, which opened in May 2007, is the Infusion and is the first inverted roller coaster to be suspended entirely over water. At a cost of £8 million pounds, Infusion has received an overwhelming amount of hype. It has even gained its very own website at www.rideinfusion.com. The directors believe this ride will attract well over the current 6 million guest numbers. The Infusion stands 109 feet (33.2 m) high and has a track length of 2,260 ft (688.8 m) with a top speed of 49.7 mph (80 km/h) with varying twists, helixs and loops.

One of the last Wild Mouse wooden roller coasters is housed at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool. Opened in 1958, the park’s Wild Mouse coaster is held in very high regard as being one of the finest and extreme examples of a coaster of this type. Filled with “near miss” turns which result in extremely high lateral G-forces throwing the riders against their seats and each other, Wild Mouse has an overall length of 1,266 feet (385.9 m) packed into a small area. It reaches speeds of up to 35 mph (56.3 km/h).

As with all great amusement and theme parks, Pleasure Beach, Blackpool has many rides for the smaller person. The park has an enormous array of rides, which are by far too many to mention in just a single article.

Eating and refreshment is not a problem at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool because there are over 35 restaurants and cafes, not to mention a pub and a hotel.

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool is free to enter, but of course, the rides have to be paid for and a wristband scheme is in operation. Costing about £25 each, these will allow you unlimited rides. If you buy the wristbands online, they are cheaper, but you must book at least 12 hours in advance. You can purchase individual ride tickets, but some rides require more than one ticket. Height restrictions are in place at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool.

Adventure Island, which used to be known as Peter Pan’s Playground, has been growing and thriving since it was bought back in 1976. A major turning point in the history of the park was the construction of the east side in 1995 which now houses Rage and Beelzee Bob’s Trail. Rage is one of four roller coasters in the park.

The first roller coaster to be constructed at Adventure Island was The Green Scream in the late 90s. The Green Scream is described as a very good all round family ride. With quite a long train, 20 cars seating 2 people to a car, the front car is a fibreglass crocodile which represents the parks mascot Snappy, and the last car is the tail.

Opening in 2000 at Adventure Island, the second roller coaster, the Barnstormer has one of the best helix curves on a mini coaster. Although half the length of The Green Scream, the Barnstormer is of the same design and has a fibreglass pilot at the front car and a dog at the back with propellors mounted at each end of the train.

Mighty Mini Mega opened in 2003 at Adventure Island and has six cars seating four people, two at the front and two at the back, totalling 24 riders. A very intense ride, although somewhat short. It has a helix towards the end and a very sharp brake run with fast deceleration. Designed specifically with space in mind and quite compact, the designers have used the space to a maximum.

The fourth roller coaster at Adventure Island is Rage. The newest and most expensive at the park, (opened Februrary 2007), Rage is the first coaster of this kind in the UK. It stands 75ft high, has a 97 degree drop, a vertical hill lift, a vertical loop and a Zero G Roll, not to mention the other elements and tight turns. An exhilarating ride which pleases the thrill seekers. Also, Rage is a dominating sight on the Southend seafront with vivid colors and a magnet which attracts guests to the park.

Adventure Island also has 28 other rides, which include: (for the mini riders up to 1m tall) - Magic Monsters; American Whip; Lighthouse Slip; Big Wheel; Choo Choo Train; Goldmine; Crooked House; Jungle Express; Blackbeard’s All at Sea; Jumping Jolly Roger’s; Sea Serpent; Viking Boats; Flying Jumbos; Beelzee Bob’s Trail. For the Junior Riders between 1m and 1.2m tall - Sk8borda; The Dragon; Cow Jump; Drop ‘n’ Smile; Fireball; Pharoah’s Fury. For the older children at 1.2m and over - Archelon; Ramba Zamba; Skydrop; Dragon’s Claw; Scorpion; Tidal Wave Green; Tidal Wave Blue; Vortex. Something for everyone.

There are plenty of “refuelling stations” at Adventure Island. Jungle Jive Cafe serving burgers and chicken meals; Adventure Island Food Bar; Pizzas of Eight; Traditional Fish and Chips; Candy Cottage and Fudge Factory; Desert Island; Candy Floss Box; Hot Dogs and Burgers; Roberto’s Coffee Continental.

Southend-on-Sea is a short drive from London and easily accessible by train and is a great day out by the seaside with a great little adventure park close at hand. For details of prices and opening times see Adventure Island.

Legoland Windsor has 10 themed areas which are predominantly targeted for the 2 to 12 year age range, but no age groups are barred. In fact, the park has won numerous awards for its dedication to giving young children fun and laughter. These include the “Best UK Attraction for Children”, given by Yandell Publishing and, more recently, the “Best Family Visitor Attraction” by Tommy’s Parent Friendly Awards.

Legoland Windsor is the UK’s third most popular paid for tourist attraction with 1.3 million visitors annually. One of the most popular locations at the park is the Miniland, an area that with the aid of 40 million Lego blocks has recreated scenes from various cities in Europe.

The ten themed areas at Legoland Windsor are: 1. The Beginning; 2. Imagination Centre; 3. Miniland; 4. Duplo Land; 5. Traffic; 6. LEGO City; 7. Land of the Vikings (New for 2007); 8. Wild Woods; 9. Knights Kingdom; 10. Adventure Land. The parks slogan is Heroes Wanted.

Obviously the rides at Legoland Windsor are not very extreme, although some of the smaller children would disagree with this, for instance the Jungle Coaster which is the fastest ride in all the park reaching 60km/h and having a 16 metre drop. There are minimum heights at this park. Children under 1.3m must be accompanied by an adult on some of the rides.

As always at a theme park, there are plenty of places to eat. Legoland Windsor is no different. There is an extensive range of food choices around the park and around the park are Carts and Stands for people wanting a quick snack. Some of the places to eat are: Cinnabon Bakery, Pitstop Cafe, Sweet Shop, Papa Moles Ice Cream and Coffee Shop, Pasta Patch, Fish and Chips, Baguette Bar, Burger Ranch, The Big Restaurant, Ice Cream and Donuts, Crossed Ribs BBQ, Knights Table Rotisserie and the Jungle Cafe.

Among the gift shops at Legoland Windsor, is the Lego Big Shop. This is the largest Lego store in the UK with the biggest selection of Lego toys. Inside the shop is a life-size statue of Harry Potter and Haggrid and are made entirely out of Lego.

There is never a dull moment at Legoland Windsor. Throughout the season, there are fairytale shows which will enthrall the youngsters and enchant the adults. At the Duplo Theatre, the very colorful Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk fairytales are staged. During the high season a third show is The Princess and the Pea. Spellbreaker 4D is a new medieval adventure film with stunning 3D special effects and nerve-sizzling physical 4D effects which takes you right to the heart of the adventure where the hero rescues the princess and battles the evil Wizard and his Skeleton Army. There is a live action show - Johnny Thunder in the Secret of Scorpion Palace. Plenty of high dives, fast paced action sequences and exciting jet-ski races around Lego City Harbour. Plenty of audience participation.

All in all, a wonderful day out for the younger children and even with the height restrictions, which are very low anyway, there are plenty of rides to suit even the smallest of children. It is refreshing to be able to take the very young to a theme park without having to worry about them not being able to go on the more popular rides. As I said, it is predominantly for the 2 to 12 age range. Details of prices and opening times can be found by going to Legoland Windsor.

With the season in full swing, you will be able to make this year an exciting year by purchasing a Merlin Annual Pass for unlimited entry.

The 30 acre man-made boating lake was one of the first features to be opened in 1921. The Water Chute was built in 1926 and underwent major renovation in 2002 and is the oldest working ride in the United Kingdom. The narrow-guage railway which runs around the lake is another very popular attraction. Today, however, Wicksteed Park has many amusement rides which aren’t quite so historical.

The attractions are divided into four themed areas:- 1. The Playground Area which is open all year round, is free to use and is one of the largest playgrounds in Europe; 2. The Fairground Area with rides for the younger children and which also houses the Amusement Arcade; 3. The Lakeside Area which is predominantly for the water-themed rides such as the Bumper Boats; 4. The Arena Area which has the larger rides including the Racing Cars.

Unlike many other theme parks, Wicksteed Park is free to enter and tickets can be purchased for individual rides, or, a wristband can be purchased for unlimited access to most of the rides.

As well as the usual and expected fast foods, Wicksteed Park also has a diverse range of foods ranging from 3 or 4 course meals to sandwiches and baguettes. There are also international food outlets, such as Little Italy; French Cuisine; New York, New York; British Bulldog and a Cornish Pasty Shop. All across the site are situated cafes and bistros.

Some of the larger rides at Wicksteed Park include the Roller Coaster which was built and installed in 1992. A chain is used to pull the coaster train to the highest part of the structure and gravity then takes over to rapidly descend at 30mph negotiating the twists and turns. The passengers experience a severe deceleration during the braking process upon arrival at the station. The riders love it.

In 1997, Wicksteed Park had the Racing Cars installed. 200cc Honda 2 stroke engined racing cars with a maximum speed of 15 mph and is a very popular attraction with all ages as the drivers are allowed to navigate their way around the racing track. The Racing Cars replaced the old Go-Karts.

The Paratrooper ride was installed at Wicksteed Park in 1982. It basically consists of a central supporting column with a rotating disk at the top with steel spokes. The cars are fitted to the end of the spokes. A hydraulic ram lifts the spokes and the riders are swung out to 45 degrees.

The Lakeside themed area of Wicksteed Park is home to the Water Chute, the Bumper Boats and the Nautic Jets among others.

The Fairground is sited at the top of Wicksteed Park and has traditional fairground rides such as a Roundabout, Mini-jets, Astroglide, Dodgems and the Chairoplanes. More up-to-date is the Rockin Rug and Wicky’s Inflatable.

As well as being a theme park, Wicksteed Park also has camping facilities, a fishing lake, orienteering courses, barbecue and picnic areas, an arboreteum and holds educational visits based on Key Stages 1-4 featuring a Nature Trail of a little over 2 kilometres with activity points along the way.

All in all, not a very big or extreme theme park, but it is certainly very popular with people from all over the UK who prefer to spend a relaxing day laughing rather than screaming. The Pavilion houses the “It’s Showtime” daytime musicals throughout the year. For more information go to Wicksteed Park.

Thorpe Park’s Colossus, until recently, held the record for being the world’s first roller coaster to feature 10 inversions - a Vertical Loop, Cobra Roll (with 2 inversions), 2 Corkscrews and 5 Inline Twists. A clone of Colossus was constructed at a park in China in 2006.

At the moment, Stealth is Europe’s tallest and fastest launched roller coaster. It is Thorpe Parks newest roller coaster and opened in 2006. An accelerator coaster which features a hydraulic 80 mph (128 km/h) launch up a 205 ft top hat incline with approximately 3gs. Upon the upgrade to Stealth 1.1, it now launches to 80mph in 1.9 seconds compared with the previous 80mph in 2.5 seconds.

Another record held by Thorpe Park is for Loggers Leap which is the tallest log flume in the UK. It lost this record for a while, but regained this record after its rival was removed from service.

The world’s only backwards in the dark roller coaster is X:/No Way Out. It opened in 1996 and was the first “Thrill Seeker” ride to be installed at Thorpe Park.

Like any good theme park, Thorpe Park is split up into eight distinctly themed areas. 1. Port Atlantis - a marine theme; 2. Lost City - Mayan Temple theme; 3. Calypso Quay - a calypso theme; 4. Canada Creek - themed around a Canadian Creek; 5. Amity Cove - a 1950s New-Hampshire fishing village theme; 6. Ranger County - themed around the “Thorpe Park Rangers” mascots; 7. Neptune’s Kingdom - the mythical Neptune theme; 8. Octopus’s Garden - small aquatic theme.

Because Thorpe Park was built on the site of a gravel pit, it was partially flooded to make a water theme park, hence the many water and marine-based themes. The Octopus’s Garden area is home of the small rides for the very young children.

Obviously, not everybody wants to experience extreme thrill rides and this is where Thorpe Park comes into its own. The park offers many rides that are for people who prefer to laugh rather than to scream on a ride. These are rides which the whole family can enjoy, but bear in mind, some of them require a minimum height. If you are concerned about the height of your child and not being able to go on the rides, there is a one-time height check available at the Gueset Services.

Eating and drinking is no problem at Thorpe Park. There are loads of places where you can enjoy meals and drinks that are suitable for all ages and tastes. There is an outdoor barbecue which serves char-grilled ribs, burgers, salads and jacket potatoes. There are hot dogs and nachos. Fresh hot donuts, ice cream, hot and cold drinks. Fish and chips. Juices. Mexican. And these are just a few of the many dishes available.

There are numerous facilities at Thorpe Park which will make the family outing even more pleasurable. There is a hire a Buggy facility for young children who are getting too tired to walk any more, there is a wheelchair hire facility for people wishing to borrow a wheelchair. There are also Shopping facilities where you can buy gifts.

Thorpe Park is one of my family’s favorites as it doesn’t involve too much travelling. For more information on the pricing and opening times check out Thorpe Park.

Situated near Tamworth, Staffordshire, Drayton Manor Theme Park stands in an area of 280 acres and boasts 36 rides in total including 4 roller coasters and 3 water rides. In 2006 Drayton Manor received two prestigious awards, “Best UK Attraction” awarded by Group Leisure and “UK Attraction of the Year” awarded by Coach Tourism. Within the park is a 15 acre zoo which houses over 100 species of animals.

Drayton Manor are proud to be the first in the world for some of their rides, for instance, the Apocalypse is the world’s first stand-up tower drop ride and G Force was the world’s first X Car Coaster (apart from its prototype in Germany). Also, some of the rides are the only ones in Europe, for instance, Shockwave, which is Europe’s only stand-up roller coaster. They were also the leaders, in the UK, for having the first water ride to have a backwards drop. Coaster enthusiasts recommend Shockwave because of its zero-g roll, this in fact, makes Shockwave the only stand-up coaster in the world to have this inversion.

Drayton Manor has several theme areas which can be characterized as: Action Park - where the white knuckle rides are housed. Aerial Park, with aerial-based rides which create an airborne amosphere for the riders. Pirate Cove - where the swashbuckling rides are. Fisherman’s Wharf is based on a Cornish Fishing Village and holds the parks newest ride - The Bounty - a pirate ship ride, and finally, Robinson’s Land - where the brightly-colored smaller childrens rides are housed.

If you fancy a camping holiday at Drayton Manor, there is a 75 pitch camping and caravan site with on-site faclities such as toilets, showers, (for the disabled too), Elsen points and security. Not only are you situated on the park itself, but you are also close to a host of other local attractions and facilities.

A day at Drayton Manor is fun for all the family. Unfortunately, there are height restrictions on some of the rides, but the rides for the smaller children can also be white knuckled rides. Children over 1.4m can ride on all the rides. There are several rides which children under 1m must be accompanied by an adult. There are numerous places to eat and drink, so you will never need to go hungry.

The rides at Drayton Manor and the areas they are in:- Stormforce 10 is the parks most popular ride and situated in the Fisherman’s Wharf area. Included in this area are the Polperro Express Railway, Carousel, and the brand new The Bounty.

In the Action Park area of Drayton Manor is the Maelstrom, Chair Lift, Black Revolver, G-Force, Shockwave and Splash Canyon.

Drayton Manors Aerial Park is home to Apocalypse, Drayton Queen Boat, Sombrero, The Haunting, Big Wheel, Drunken Barrels, Wild West Shoot Out, Flying Dutchman, Buffalo Coaster and Pandemonium.

Pirate Cove is Drayton Manors swashbuckling pirate ride area and houses Excalibur - A Dragon’s Tail, Pirate Raft Ride, Jolly Buccaneer, Pirate Adventure, Jolly Roger and the Dodgems.

And for the smaller children at Drayton Manor, there is Robinson’s Land which has some big news happening in 2008. The rides in this area are: Cadbury’s Junior Pirate Ship, Vintage Cars, Arriva Crazy Bus, Frog Hopper, Whirly Wheel, Flying Jumbos, Ladybirds, Junior Carousel, Mini Balloons and Super Dragon Roller Coaster.

All in all, Drayton Manor has something for the whole family and is well worth a family day trip this summer. For opening times and prices check out Drayton Manor Home Page.

Chessington World of Adventures theme park has 26 rides, 4 of which are roller coasters and 2 water rides. Many of the rides are designed to suit all ages, but there are height restrictions on some rides, but these are very low compared to other theme parks.

The ten themed lands at Chessington World of Adventures are: 1. The Zoo; 2. Beanoland; 3. Forbidden Kingdom; 4. Land of the Dragon; 5. Market Square; 6. Mexicana; 7. Mystic East; 8. Pirates Cove; 9. Toytown; 10. Transylvania. Because each land has it’s own theming, it can also be called a World within the Adventure.

Unlike other theme parks, Chessington World of Adventures has challenges. They call it the Chessington Challenge. You are invited to take part in daring and exciting challenges. Something you wouldn’t normally be able to do. Their slogan reflects this: Are You Cool Enough for the Chessington Challenge? There are some pretty cool challenges, if you are brave enough. For instance: Don’t spill a drop - A Flight of Fright on Vampire while holding a milkshake (completed shortly after the park closes, obviously it could get messy); Holding a 4 metre Burmese python weighing 45 kilos; Cleaning out the lion’s den and feeding Ashok; Feeding the penguins; Kissing the Seals. There are many more.

There are many shops, cafes and food outlets, so your day out at Chessington World of Adventures will not mean you going hungry or finding some suitable gift for friends or family. There are facilities in each themed area. Some of these include: Macdonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Cafe Nero, hot dogs, Chinese food, fresh hot donuts and many, many more.

There are four levels of adventure at Chessington World of Adventures, these are: 1. Mini Adventurers for tiny tots; 2. Junior Adventurers for the younger children; 3. Family Adventurers for all the family, except some height and size restrictions could apply. 4. Experienced Adventurers for the older adventurers. With the Mini Adventurers there are maximum heights as well as minimum heights.

To make your visit to Chessington World of Adventures special, it is well worth going to see one of the live shows at Chessington Zoo. These are designed for all the family. The daily events include: Animal Antics where you can learn all about the resident Macaws Brinsley and Mojo. The Penguin Presentation where you can see the penguins and their antics and of course the fun Sealion Shows. At the Market Square there is an events stage and you should check upon arrival to see what is being shown and the times of the show.

Here are some of the attractions in the “lands” at Chessington World of Adventures: Beanoland - A themed area based on the Beano Comic. For the younger children:- The Bash Street Bus; Dennis’s Madhouse. And for all the family:- Billy’s Whizzer (height restriction of a minimum of 1.2m); Roger the Dodger’s Dodgems (minimum height 0.9m; under 1.3m accompanied by an adult.

At the Forbidden Kingdom area of Chessington World of Adventures there are rides for the family as well as for older children. Tomb Blaster is where you are armed with a laser gun and blast the mummies and scarab beetles as you ride through the spooky maze to rid the tomb of its ancient curse. The Rameses Revenge is an awesome ride where you will get wet (great on a hot summer’s day).

Amongst other rides at the Land of the Dragons theme at Chessington World of Adventures is the Dragon’s Fury roller coaster which has you spinning round.This ride has a speed of 45 mph. It’s a very popular attraction.

Market Square is home to the Safari Skyway where you can see Chessington World of Adventures from a completely different angle.

For a wild journey through the mountains at the Mexicana themed area at Chessington World of Adventures, take the Runaway Train. While you are in this area, for children over 1.4m, visit the Rattlesnake roller coaster.

If you are seeking a boat ride with a difference, go to the Mystic East themed area. This is Chessington World of Adventures river cruise which winds and dips and falls. A thrilling finale is the exciting plunge.

All in all, Chessington World of Adventures is a theme park that has everything for the whole family. Not as extreme as some of the theme parks, but great fun nevertheless. To be in competition with the other big theme parks, Chessington has plans for more extreme rides in the future.

For prices and times of opening and details of how to get there visit Chessington World of Adventures.

First opened in 1980, Alton Towers Theme Park started off as little more than a fairground and has now grown into a world renowned theme park with some of the most innovative rides, live shows and many themes - Old MacDonalds Farm, Merrie England, Gloomy Wood, Forbidden Valley, Katanga Canyon, Ug Land, Adventure Land, Cred Street and the X-Sector. There is the Water Park, The Towers and the Gardens which cater for the more sedate among us.

Alton Towers Theme Park is a thrill-seeking world for kids, for adults and adrenalin seekers who enjoy white-knuckle experiences. Unfortunately, some of the rides have a height restriction, which means smaller children are unable to ride on some of the most popular big rides, although there are plenty of smaller rides that are just as suitable for the younger and smaller children to experience white knuckles.

While at Alton Towers Theme Park you will never need to go hungry. There are numerous places on the Park itself that cater for all tastes of food. Fresh Fish and Chips, Chicken and Ribs, Pizzas, Burgers, Fried Chicken, Pastries, Cakes, Coffee, Thick Shakes, Baked Potatoes, Waffles, Ice Cream, Barbecue, Donuts, Sandwiches, Fajitas, Nachos, Halal, Asian Cuisine, Hot Dogs, Salads. Not to mention a selection of Restaurants and Bars around the site.

Alton Towers Theme Park is noted for its extreme rides, which include Nemesis, Europe’s first inverted roller coaster in which people hang with their legs dangling from the floorless ride cars. Nemesis first opened in 1994 and was built in trenches to reduce its height above ground to comply with the planning restrictions which require builds below the tree line. Nemesis is claimed to be the most intense ride ever.

Also at Alton Towers Theme Park is Oblivion, the worlds first vertical drop roller coaster. Construction started on Oblivion in 1997 and first opened in 1998. It has a simple layout with a 180ft drop. Before the drop, the cars are held by brake for several seconds before plummeting into a dark tunnel followed by a 180 degrees banked turn. While the passengers are suspended waiting for the drop they can see the words “Don’t look down” on the ground thus adding to the atmosphere of the impending drop. Oblivion is featured in the PC Game RollerCoaster Tycoon.

Still very popular at Alton Towers Theme Park is the Corkscrew Roller Coaster. This is the oldest ride at the park and was the most publicized rollercoaster in the United Kingdom. This roller coaster has two inversions and many people find it a rough ride but still intense.

Air is the worlds first flying coaster. Riders find themselves suspended horizontally and facing down as though they are flying. Air cost Alton Towers £12 million and opened in 2002. After the riders have assumed their seats and the restraints are lowered, the mobile floor platform descends and you are asked to “Prepare for Air”. The car seats rotate 90 degrees forward leaving the passengers facing the ground. You are then told to “Assume the position….now fly!!” The ride begins and you are taken down 2,756 feet of track at a maximum speed of 46.6 mph (75 km/h) with a maximum G force of 3.5. Air is the only flying coaster to feature a half zero-g roll.

Rita - Queen of Speed is Alton Towers first launched roller coaster since Thunderlooper was removed in 1997. This ride is based on drag racing and you are launched from 0 to 100 kph in just 2.5 seconds and pulling 4.7gs into a banked turn. Rita was opened in 2005 and reaches a maximum height of 69 ft (21m) and careers around 2,100 feet of track.

Runaway Mine Train was reopened at Alton Towers in April 2007 after being closed for over 8 months due to a failure of a coupling. This ride usually runs for two circuits and gets quite intense, especially in the tunnel running alongside the River Rapids. Runaway Mine Train first opened in 1992 and cost Alton Towers £3 million.

There are many more rides at Alton Towers, some instense and some sedately rides. On a warm, sunny day, a visit to Water World is a must. Bear in mind though, you will get wet which all adds to the excitement of trying to position yourself where you think you won’t get wet……….

Because of the vast size of Alton Towers Theme Park it has been said that you won’t get round all of it in one day. There are two hotels on site (Alton Towers Hotel or Splash Landings Hotel) so you can rest overnight and be raring to go the next day to visit the places you have missed and to revisit the favorites.

Alton Towers opens its gates at 09.30 but the rides and attractions do not open until 10.00. Closing times vary throughout the season. Prices are cheaper if you book online, but if you do book online you must book at least 48 hours in advance of your visit. See Alton Towers Theme Park for prices.

All in all, a visit to this theme park is a must, but be prepared for long queues at the most popular rides. After a visit to Alton Towers be prepared to sleep well afterwards as it can be an exhausting day. I love it.