Universal Orlando Volcano Bay in Orlando in Florida, Area 47 in Austria and Thermas dos Laranjais in Brazil made the rankings, but so did two UK excellent UK waterparks
Sandcastle is the largest indoor waterpark in the UK
Two of the best waterparks in the world are in the UK.
With most waterparks set to reopen for the year this month, AttractionTickets.com has compiled a ranking of the best across Europe and the Americas.
Leading the global ranking with a 23/30 score is Universal Orlando Volcano Bay in Orlando, Florida, earning top marks for its high adrenaline rides, and the variety of its attractions. Close behind in second place is Thermas dos Laranjais in Brazil, with a score of 21/30, home to some of the world’s most daring and record-breaking slides. Rounding out the top three is Area 47 in Austria, which is known for its unique blend of high-thrill slides and relaxation.
Alongside these world-renowned waterparks are some locally-loved spots. The pick of the UK bunch is Sandcastle Waterpark. The Blackpool aquazone is indoors, with 18 water slides, including real eye-catchers such as the world’s longest indoor roller coaster water slide, the Master Blaster, and the first vertical indoor drop slide, the Sidewinder.
The future looks intriguing for the UK’s largest waterpark. It is getting a £500,000 makeover, to be unveiled just in time for the Easter break. The waterpark celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and this long-running attraction is popular with guests year-round since it’s consistently heated at 28C. So, even if you’re not heading off somewhere sunny this Easter, you can still enjoy a tropical atmosphere.
Sandcastle Waterpark is set on the seaside town’s iconic promenade, close to the Pleasure Beach and South Pier. It boasts 18 slides, including both white-knuckle rides and gentler options for the kids. One of its main attractions is the Master Blaster, famous for being the UK’s longest indoor water rollercoaster.
The waterpark’s improvement plans include refurbishing its changing village and adding lockers with digital PIN codes for enhanced security. The rides will be repainted, and a new audio system is being installed.
Sandcastle has a whole host of great reviews online. One happy customer recently wrote on Tripadvisor: “Visited for the first time at the weekend for my son’s 8th birthday. I initially thought it was expensive for a water park, however, it was well worth the money! It was rather busy but I didn’t queue for more than 10 minutes for some slides. The place was clean and lots of staff around.”
Another added: “What an amazing day. My grandson has additional needs, and Sandcastles went above and beyond to accommodate us. It really made our day, it was a second visit and both times they have been so considerate and I can’t rate them highly enough. 100 out 10 sandcastles! Thank you.”
Coming in just behind Sandcastle on the AttractionTickets rankings is Alton Towers Waterpark. Previously known as Cariba Creek, it has a tropical lagoon theme. The park has multiple slides to ride, with Master Blaster propelling riders at high speed.
Oliver Brendon, CEO of AttractionTickets.com, said: “With waterparks reopening and excitement building amongst aqua fanatics, we set out to compile a list of the best waterparks for all members of the family. By combining our expert insight with online review sentiment, we identified the top waterpark destinations around the world that deliver family-friendly fun and heart-dropping thrills.
The results show that the most successful waterparks are those that put innovation and the guest experience at the forefront. That’s why parks like Beach Park, Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay and Area 47 remain at the very top of the list.”
- Universal Orlando Volcano Bay
- Thermas dos Laranjais
- AREA 47 – Tirol
- Beach Park and Aqualand
- Siam Park
- O’Gliss Park
- Aquatica
- Aqualandia
- Slide & Splash
- Caribe Bay
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon
- Rulantica
- Aquafan
- Sandcastle Waterpark
- Alton Towers Waterpark