When you think of classic theme park icons, what comes to mind is probably along the lines of old-timey streets leading to enchanting fairytale castles, pirate ships hinting at elaborate adventures, and runaway trains coursing through some kind of mountainous or rocky terrain. Sure, these towering mountains weren’t exactly created by Mother Nature, but theContinue reading “Coasting Through the Hills- the best almost-mountain coasters across the world”
View post to subscribe to site newsletter.
The UK is home to some incredible family theme parks and attractions, offering tame thrills and immersive adventures for all ages. But the theme park scene here isn’t just for young families- there are some parks that offer themed lands that are a lot darker than you’d expect from a park with a Cbeebies LandContinue reading “X-Sector: a history of the sinister side of UK theme parks”
In the 1990s and 2000s, few rides summed up the iconic Universal Studios experience like the classic opening day attraction Jaws. One of the first attractions a guest would see as they entered the park, Jaws combined exhilarating thrills with immersive theming and of course the very real possibility of getting soaked (it was aContinue reading “Jaws: the thrilling history of an iconic Universal attraction”
Let’s face it- there is a LOT of negative stuff going on in the world at the moment, and something we could all use right now is the promise of a bright, joyful future full of innovation and hope. When EPCOT Center opened to the public on the 1st October 1982, it let us experienceContinue reading “Horizons- The Dark Ride of Dreams”
Lush fields, enchanting gardens and sapphire seas likely aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of theme parks, but among the thrills and spills of all your favourite rides and attractions, you can find some incredible landscapes and architecture in some parks. So today lets take a break from the rollercoasters,Continue reading “Thrills and Views- the most picturesque theme parks around the world”
Sitting on the edge of the Blackgang’s cliffs for over 175 years, Blackgang Chine is one of the Isle of Wight’s only theme parks, and a far cry from the hustle and bustle of larger, newer parks like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park. Here you can take a stroll through your favourite fairytales, pay aContinue reading “Blackgang Chine: A little park on a collapsing cliff”
Amusement/theme parks have been entertaining families and thrillseekers for generations, evolving over the years to feature newer, smoother and better themed attractions. But some of these parks we know and love today are older than you’d expect- some even date back to the 1840s! Many of the world’s oldest theme parks elaborate histories with remnantsContinue reading “Magic and History: The oldest theme parks around the world”
If you read our previous post on Disney rides and attractions that were designed but never built, you’ll know that many attractions go through a few different drafts of an idea before finally building something. Parks outside of Disney (and maybe Universal) don’t do this as much, generally speaking, but it does still happen fromContinue reading “Rides That Never Left The Drawing Board- Part 2 (Non-Disney)”
They’re some of the most well-known rides in the theme park industry, loved by much of the general public but hated by enthusiasts. The first Vekoma SLC, or Suspended Looping Coaster opened at Walibi Holland in 1994, and since then the Dutch ride manufacturer has continued to build SLCs, up until 2017 when the lastContinue reading “The Vekoma SLC- cloneable success or painful failure?”
November 1945 was the beginning of something incredible for the amusement park industry, which then was practically non-existent, other than a few regional parks temporarily closed (that sounds all too familiar!) due to the Second World War. In a small workshop in Northern California, engineers Karl Bacon and Ed Morgan began a machine shop, andContinue reading “Arrow Masterpieces from Around The World”
Coaster Dreamers