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UK Trip Planning Question


ginzo

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So, I'm beginning to plan a *gasp* sightseeing trip to the UK for next summer. This is not going to be a coaster only trip. However, I'm damn sure going to hit the more important stuff.

 

So, what would be considered the essential UK parks to hit? So far I've come up with:

 

Alton Towers

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Chessington

Thorpe

Oakwood

 

I think Legoland will get thrown in because it's apparently included with the Merlin Entertainments Annual Pass, but it's not essential for me as I've done the California Legoland. Oakwood I added because I think I'll probably want to end up in Wales anyway.

 

Am I missing anything big? Easy credit runs? Etc. Any input, ideas, insults, etc. would be most appreciated.

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I'd consider Blackpool and Alton Towers the only truly essential parks.

 

The other parks on your list are worth a visit, but Alton and Blackpool are the two parks I would consider must do. I found those two parks to be in a different class as the rest of the UK parks.

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^If we are going to get nit picky - Alton Towers in the only essential park in the UK.

 

Blackpool - Steeplechase, Mild Mouse and great dark rides are the highlight of a park with a lot of mediocre coasters

 

Thorpe - Good coaster line-up for the UK, but too few flats to complement.

 

Chessington - Dragon's Fury is awesome and a fun shooting dark ride. The atmosphere is great but the flats are completely hit or miss after Billy's Whizzer.

 

Oakwood - OK coasters, some well run flats and an insanely hysterical dark ride.

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Yeah, Alton Towers does seem the nicest from my vantage point. However, the others seem worth a trip, especially Blackpool as I enjoy the random hodgepodge parks. I also try to not pass up on woodie credits where possible.

 

Are any of the on-property hotels (AT, Blackpool, etc.) worth it or should I just seek cheaper lodgings elsewhere? I believe AT has an early admission privilege for hotel guests, which might make me look closely at the AT resort as I'd only be spending one day at the park.

 

Thanks again, everyone!

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Can't think of any more must see parks here - we don't have many. If you are around london next summer, you might want to give the scenic railway at dreamland a look - it should be rebuilt by then. my only other suggestion is flamingoland for the SLC and the motorbike coaster.

 

I went to Drayton manor a couple of weeks ago and, if I were you, I would avoid it during august - our school summer holiday because the queue for anything is at least 1 hour all day.

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TPR stayed at Alton's Splash Landings and Blackpool's Big Blue Hotel. Both were very good (particularly the former, with its indoor waterpark and excellent theming), but a bit pricey, I would think.

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I'd say everything but Drayton are essential parks to visit.

 

Are any of the on-property hotels (AT, Blackpool, etc.) worth it or should I just seek cheaper lodgings elsewhere? I believe AT has an early admission privilege for hotel guests, which might make me look closely at the AT resort as I'd only be spending one day at the park.

 

If you are planning on getting the Merlin Pass then you will receive the early entry/free parking without needing to stay on-property. One thing to note is that if you are going to be in London for a few days the pass will also get you in to the London dungeons, Madam Tussauds wax museum, and the London Eye. I was over in the UK in April and the pass was well worth the money.

 

When it comes to places to stay in Blackpool there are plenty of small hotels and Bed & Breakfasts to choose from.

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We went to Blackpool earlier this year and stayed in the Big Blue Hotel i can highly recommend it. You also get the best view from your room window i've ever seen in a hotel!! I'm sure its too far out of your way but there's my local park Pleasurewood Hills worth a visit imo. Its about 160ish miles from Thorpe Park though.

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my local park Pleasurewood Hills worth a visit imo.

 

Unless you like being bumped around on a boomerang then there isnt anything special to see. Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach has a classic wooden coaster that might be worth a look though and theres a powered version of a virginia reel in Great Yarmouth as well.

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Sorry to bump this back up, but I noticed noone has mention Lightwater Valley, Flamingo Land, or Fantasy Island.

 

I believe all three are worth a trip to. Lightwater Valley has the Ultimate, and it's not too far from Flamingo Land, so if you were quick, you could probably squeeze them both in a day. Fantasy Island is an essential - As long as all their rides are working. Jubilee Odyssey is by far my favourite coaster in the UK, and they have a very impressive range of flats.

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The best prices for the park hotels is on the alton towers internet web site apparently, we are annual pass ticket holders and still got a better price on the internet, there are of course cheaper ways to stay butt he park hotels especially spach landings is fab! (we are staying there next week for the week)

 

Have a wonderful trip! I am just planning our florida tour so i know how exciting planning the trip is

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Yes. I'd say Lightwater Valley at least is as Essential as Alton Towers is.

 

Really? How??

 

Ultimate is interesting. But the rest of the park was totally forgettable.

 

I didn't mind Lightwater Valley, but I would never put it in the same class as Alton Towers.

 

Simply for The Ultimate. It's so unlike anything else you'd ever experience anywhere else in the world.

 

 

Alton is just your average run of the mill park in my eyes.

 

I mean, Nemesis is rubbish, Rita is ok at best, Air is good, but not brilliant, and Oblivion is fantastic.

 

But then, you can find parks in America with rides which are pretty similar, but then do everything better than their Alton Towers counterparts. Lightwater Valley and The Ultimate doesn't have that problem.

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Not only is Lightwater Valley a subpar park (and I enjoyed The Ultimate and rat Ride), but The Ultimate is not a coaster that the thread starter (Ginzo) would enjoy. He prefers smoother rides.

 

Nemesis is rubbish? That's quite an interesting perspective.

 

I guess you could consider Alton average if you don't enjoy: A great log flume (bathtubs), shooting dark ride, the best Mad House and a beautiful scenic garden to walk through on top of an above average coaster line-up.

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If you're visiting each park for one day then you might want to hook up with fastpasses. I'd only recommend then at Alton or Thorpe, where there's a lot to get done, especially in one day. I don't know how most american parks operate fast pass services, if they use a disney scheme then the british parks are quite different. Disney (Paris at least) uses a ticket recognizer to give one fast pass per ticket at a certain time for free. Alton and Thorpe do a deal where you pay something like $25 extra for one ride on everything with no time limit. These can quickly add up though, which is why I'd only recommend them if you're short on time.

 

PS. Stealth and Rita not included, they have separate fast pass tickets at a lower cost with only them included.

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Not only is Lightwater Valley a subpar park (and I enjoyed The Ultimate and rat Ride), but The Ultimate is not a coaster that the thread starter (Ginzo) would enjoy. He prefers smoother rides.

 

Nemesis is rubbish? That's quite an interesting perspective.

 

I guess you could consider Alton average if you don't enjoy: A great log flume (bathtubs), shooting dark ride, the best Mad House and a beautiful scenic garden to walk through on top of an above average coaster line-up.

 

Yeah, I'm going to be surprised if Alton Towers and Nemesis aren't my favorite UK park and coaster respectively. I'd be more interested in Rat Ride than the Ultimate because I do like Schwarzkopf.

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