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UK’s Top 10 Theme Parks

By August 9, 2024 Article

The UK’s top 10 theme parks for kids, ranked in new study!

The study by Outdoor Toys has looked at multiple factors such as number of rides, food outlets, average hotel costs and trip advisor ratings to unveil which UK theme park is the best for kids.

The UK’s top 10 theme parks for children:

Rank

Theme park name

Location

Average hotel cost*

Child Ticket Price

No. of food outlets

No. of rides

Annual searches**

Tripadvisor rating /5

% of ‘excellent’ reviews

Park score /10

1

Drayton Manor

Tamworth, Staffordshire

£67

£27.50

11

47

2,267,500

4.0

44.37%

7.29

2

Paultons Theme Park

Hampshire

£94

£43.50

12

39

1,476,500

4.5

70.51%

6.86

3

Sundown Adventureland

Nottinghamshire

£84

£24.00

3

42

495,200

4.5

62.83%

6.29

4

Fantasy Island

Ingoldmells, Skegness

£80

£15.99

8

38

469,100

4.0

39.72%

6.07

5

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Blackpool

£82

£28.00

5

38

2,244,500

4.0

48.35%

5.86

6

Alton Towers

Stoke on Trent

£96

£29.00

6

42

7,221,000

4.0

40.80%

5.79

7

BeWILDerwood Cheshire

Cheshire

£95

£22.50

1

24

627,500

4.5

66.28%

5.43

8

Woodlands Family Theme Park

Devon

£100

£18.70

5

42

251,200

4.0

45.24%

5.21

9

Lightwater Valley

Ripon, North Yorkshire

£104

£26.50

9

42

694,800

3.5

37.02%

4.86

9

LEGOLAND Windsor

Windsor, Berkshire

£142

£19.00

11

47

2,290,500

3.0

23.83%

4.86

10

Thorpe Park

Surrey

£124

£29.00

21

26

4,880,000

3.5

33.80%

4.36

10

Gulliver’s Land

Milton Keynes

£75

£28.00

8

30

549,100

3.5

29.38%

4.36

*Cost of a 3-star hotel in the nearest town/city

**July 2023-June 2024

Drayton Manor, Staffordshire is crowned the UK’s best theme parks for kids, with a park score of 7.29/10. Spanning over 180 acres, the former manor in Drayton Bassett offers the most rides of any children’s theme park in the UK, at 47 rides. There are also 11 food outlets at the park. In Staffordshire, the average price of a three-star hotel is £67 per night, the most affordable stay amongst all the UK’s theme parks. With over 2.2 million searches for the park in the last twelve months, it is also one of the most popular, and costs £27.50 for a child ticket.

Paultons Theme Park, Hampshire ranks, earning a park score of 6.86/10. Home of Peppa Pig World, the park’s popularity is evident, with a 4 out of 5 star Tripadvisor rating and 1 in 7 visitors (70.51%) deeming it ‘excellent’. Paultons theme park is slightly more expensive, with hotel stays in Hampshire averaging £94 per night and child tickets priced at £43.50. Despite this, the park features 39 exciting rides and 12 food outlets, offering plenty of fun and delicious options for the whole family.

Sundown Adventureland, Nottinghamshire is the UK’s third best theme park for children, boasting a park score of 6.29/10. Featuring 42 rides and 3 food outlets, this park offers a great value day out perfect for young families. Here, local hotel stays average £84 per night and child tickets cost £24.00, making a trip to this park slightly more affordable than others. Its charm is evident, with nearly 500,000 annual searches and an impressive Tripadvisor rating of 4.5 out of 5, with 1 in 6 (62%) of visitors rating it ‘excellent.’

Further Findings:

  • Alton Towers Resort in Stoke-on-Trent is by far one of the most famous theme parks in the UK, with 7.2 million searches in the last year.

  • Thorpe Park in the village of Thorpe, Surrey, offers the best range of eateries, with 21 across the theme park.

  • Adventure Island in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, is our top pick for the best theme parks for toddlers, scoring 8.17/10. It boasts 38 rides, including the Crooked House, Kiddi Coaster and train rides. Children admission to Adventure Island is free of charge, at a pay as you play rate.

You can find the full research here:  https://www.outdoortoys.com/blogs/campaigns/uk-best-theme-parks

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