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A family theme park near a seaside town with more than 30 attractions and tickets starting from £16, has been named the UK’s best for this year, but not everyone has heard of it

With the warm summer days a distant memory, thoughts are turning to how we can spend our time when the weather isn’t dependent. Theme parks are a great option, with any worries about the weather quickly vanishing as you whizz around an exhilarating ride or venture around the colourful site packed with attractions.

The UK is brimming with entertaining and family-friendly theme parks, whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or want a day out that’s suitable for all ages. While we’ve all heard of Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Legoland, they’ve been pipped to the post by a lesser-known attraction for the title of the UK’s best theme park.

Pleasurewood Hills near Lowestoft in Suffolk was crowned ‘Theme Park of the Year’ for under 1 million visitors, in this year’s UK Theme Park Awards, presented by AttractionTickets.com. Located near the Suffolk coast between Corton and Gunton, the biggest theme park in East Anglia has 30 fun-packed rides and attractions across its 59-acre site, from family favourites to thrill-seeking ventures.

Some highlights include the park’s wild mouse roller coaster, Marble Madness, the Jolly Roger, a stomach-churning drop tower, and the water flume ride, Water Fun Factory. But that’s just the start of their offerings, with plenty more rides that are suitable for all ages.

There’s Woody’s Wheel to savour the coastal vistas, the Flying Elephants, the pirate ship, Shiver me Timbers, the small coast, the Egg-Spress and Wavebreaker, and an exciting waterslide down a winding course. In addition, visitors can watch a sealion or colourful bird show, before visiting the indoor soft play area, Woody’s Cub House, take a drive in a safari car, and ride the carousel or Woodland Express.

Elsewhere, Pleasurewood Hills’ flagship roller coaster is the towering Wipeout, which stands more than 130ft high and whizzes guests around its twisting, turning, looping, and rolling track, before reversing on itself for the “ultimate backwards thrill”. However, it’s currently closed after it broke down over the summer, leaving riders stuck on board for up to three hours, with it expected to reopen by the end of October.

Following this, one of the theme park owners, Freddy Stokes, said their ‘Theme Park of the Year’ award had not been something “we were expecting to win”. The UK Theme Park Awards were based on public votes held prior to the issues with the Wipeout ride.

Pleasurewood Hills is open from 10am until 4pm on Saturday and Sunday during off-peak seasons, and additionally opens Monday to Friday during the October half-term, with opening times varying. However, you don’t have long to visit as the theme park will close for the season on Sunday, 1 November, with an opening date for 2027 yet to be confirmed.

Online tickets for the Suffolk theme park start from £16 per person, while they can also be purchased on the door from £29 per person. For more information, visit the Pleasurewood Hills website.

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WHAT’S better than an annual trip to the theme park? Several trips, of course.

If your family is a big fan of rollercoasters, there are some brilliant value annual passes for parks across the UK that offer HUGE savings for repeat trips.

But which one should you go for? Instead of having to research them all yourself, we have gathered the annual pass prices for the most popular theme parks in the UK.

So here’s all the attraction passes you could get, and how many times you’d need to return to your favourite attractions to get your money’s worth.

Merlin Annual Pass

Starting off with probably the most famous annual pass in the UK, the Merlin Annual Pass gets you access to more than 20 attractions.

These include Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Legoland Windsor, Cadbury World, Windsor Castle, Legoland Discovery Centres and much more.

An essential pass costs from £139 per year and allows members 339 days of access to Merlin’s top attractions.

For £239, you can get a Gold pass which also gets you free parking and 20 per cent off shopping and dining.

The Platinum Pass is then £299 per year, giving you all that plus four free bring a friend passes each year, one free fast track per visit and free Coke Freestyle cup & refills.

Tickets for Alton Towers alone start from £32 per person when booked in advance online, while Warwick Castle tickets cost from £25.38 online, so if you’re planning on doing several Merlin attractions each year there are big savings to be had.

To make the most of the £139 annual pass, you’d need to go to just four or five attractions across the entire year.

For example, if you booked Alton Towers (£32), Warwick Castle (£25.38), Thorpe Park (£32), Cadbury World (£18) and Legoland Windsor (£32) once each across the year, you’d make up the price of the pass.

Alton Towers

Alton Towers is the UK’s largest theme park with several thrill coasters.

There’s a CBeebies Land as well, ideal for younger children with themed rides and live shows.

The theme park also has its own waterpark with a tropical splash area.

You can stay onsite at the main Alton Towers Hotel, the CBeebies Land Hotel, Splash Landings Hotel, themed Woodland Lodges or at Stargazing Pods.

An annual pass costs £64, while day tickets start from £32 per person when booked in advance online,

You’d need to visit just twice across the year to get your money’s worth.

Thorpe Park

Surrey’s Thorpe Park is often considered the UK’s main thrill-seeker theme park.

The theme park itself sits on an island and has a number of record-breaking rides.

For example, you can head on Hyperia, which is the UK’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster, and in the autumn, the theme park is well-known for its Fright Nights.

The Thorpe Park Annual Pass costs £64 per person and allows you access to the park across 189 days over 12 months, as well as access to the Fright Nights.

Thorpe Park one-day tickets start at £32 per person when booked in advance online

Passes are only required for guests over 1.2metres tall.

Again, you’d need to visit just twice across the year to make the pass worthwhile.

Legoland

Legoland Windsor is aimed at families with kids aged between two and 12 years old.

You’ll find miniature worlds made out of bricks and family-friendly coasters, plus plenty of Lego building opportunities.

The Legoland Annual Pass costs £64 per person and allows you access to the park across 236 days, over 12 months. Day tickets start from around £34 when booked online.

Passes are only required for guests 90cm and over, and after two visits you’d have made your money back.

Crealy

Crealy theme park in Devon has a number of different annual passes.

The theme park is the largest in Devon with more than 60 rides and attractions including rollercoasters.

The cheapest is £99 per person, per year – which you can pay in one go or you can pay a £30 deposit, then £6.90 a month on direct debit for an annual pass (costing £112.80 total).

This annual pass gets you unlimited entry to the theme park, a 10 per cent discount across food and drink as well as in the shops and exclusive viewings of Crealy events.

The next level up is the Gold Pass at £120, which gets the same perks but you will get 15 per cent off food and drink, 30 per cent of entry for family or friends and 20 per cent off glamping and camping breaks at the park.

Get a Platinum Pass for £170 and you’ll get 20 per cent off food and drink, 50 per cent off entry for family and friends, 50 per cent off glamping and camping stay and even a free two-night camping break.

One-day tickets for Crealy Theme Park & Resort cost around £24 per person when you book online.

You’d therefore need to visit five times at least across the year to make the pass worthwhile.

Woodlands

Woodlands Theme Park, also in Devon, is home to massive indoor play areas including soft play, water coasters and a toboggan run.

There’s also a number of barns with farm animals in.

The annual pass, costing £110 per person over 1.1 metres and £86 for those under that height, includes unlimited free access to Woodlands Family Theme Park with outdoor rides, indoor soft play, an eight-acre zoo farm, and falconry.

You’ll also get 15 per cent off at the gift shop, 10 per cent off food and drink and 20 per cent off camping stays.

One-day tickets cost £29.75 for adults and kids over 110cm, and £21.95 for kids.

As an adult, you’d need to visit four times across the year to make the pass worthwhile, and the same amount of visits to make the kids pass worthwhile.

Drayton Manor

Drayton Manor in Staffordshire is ideal for families with kids aged four to 12.

The rides are tamer, with a Thomas Land including Thomas the Tank Engine himself and a Viking-themed area with spinning and rocking rides like the Thor Zampa Disco.

Drayton Manor has three different passes.

The cheapest is the Silver Annual Pass, which costs £75 per person (£45 per child aged two to three-years old) or you can pay for annual pass monthly, costing £35 for the first month then £5 a month for 11 months (£90 total).

This pass gets you unlimited visits to the park, 10 per cent off food and drink as well as the shop, free mini golf, 10 per cent off hotel bed and breakfast, 20 tickets for £20 for family and friends and discounts on photos.

The £99 annual pass (£65 per child aged two to three-years old) gets you all of the above, but discounts are 20 per cent on food and drink and the shop.

And last but not least is the ultimate pass costing £249 per person over the age of three (under this age no pass is needed).

With this pass you get all of the above, but also unlimited visits to West Midlands Safari Park and Waterworld, as well as discounts at each of those attractions.

Drayton Manor one-day tickets start at £25.80 for visitors aged 12 and over, and £14 for children aged 2 to 12 when booked online.

You’d need to visit three times across the year to make the annual pass worthwhile (four times for under three-year-olds).

The Big Sheep

The Big Sheep in North Devon has farm experiences as well as rides and live shows.

Season tickets for The Big Sheep cost £50 per person.

You then pay £1 each time you visit if you book online, or £2 at the door.

The pass includes a member’s day where you can bring a guest for free, discounts on events, a 10 per cent discount on food and drink, as well as a 10 per cent discount in the shop.

One-day tickets for the Big Sheep in North Devon start from £14.95 for adults and children over three feet tall when booked online.

You’d need to visit at least four times to make the annual pass worth it.

Gulliver’s World

There are a number of Gulliver’s World theme parks across the UK including Warrington, Matlock Bath, Milton Keynes and near Sheffield.

Each park is slightly different, with themed zones and attractions aimed at kids under the age of 13.

The parks often host events too such as Fright Fiesta for Halloween and the winter Land of Lights lantern festival.

For £99, you can get a 12 month pass allowing unlimited entry to all Gulliver’s Theme Parks (Warrington, Matlock Bath, Milton Keynes & Rother Valley).

You’ll also get entry to Gulliver’s Dinosaur & Farm Park in Milton Keynes, plus discounts on short breaks.

One-day tickets for Gulliver’s World Theme Park Resort cost £28 when booked as an online advance ticket.

You’d need to visit four times across the year to make your money back on the pass.

Flamingo Land

Flamingo Land Resort in North Yorkshire spans across 375 acres and features a zoo as well as rides.

For example, there’s Velocity, the UK’s first motorbike launch coaster.

You can also head to a Peter Rabbit Adventure area, ideal for younger kids.

An annual pass costs £199 to Flamingo Land and gets you unlimited access year round to the theme park and zoo.

Flamingo Land one-day tickets start from £46 per person when booked in advance.

You’d need to visit five times to make your money back on the annual pass.

Pleasure Beach Resort

Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool sits right by the seafront and is more than 125 years old.

Inside the park, there are a range of attractions including thrill rollercoasters.

There’s also a Nickelodeon Land, which has themed rides including Wallace and Gromit Thrill-o-matic.

The Platinum Annual Pass at Blackpool Pleasure Beach costs £125 per person and gives you unlimited entry for a full year.

But what makes it even better is that, included in the price, you get free entry to seven theme parks across Europe, including Efteling, Europa Park, Liseberg, PortAventura World, Emerald Park, Tripsdrill and Isla Magica.

All you need to do is show the Pleasure Beach Resort Platinum Pass Card when you arrive.

You are allowed one free entry to each attraction per pass holder, per year.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach one-day tickets start from around £30 to £34 when booked in advance online.

You’d need to visit between four and five times to make your money back on the annual pass.

Paultons

Paultons Park in Hampshire is spread across 140 acres and is home to more than 70 rides and attractions, including the official home of Peppa Pig.

The theme park has a number of different annual passes, but the cheapest is the Essential Pass which costs £172.

With this pass you get unlimited off-peak visits over 12 months.

And at the end of the year, if you renew, it will set you back £153.

The Star Pass costs £225 and gets you unlimited off-peak visits including some weekends (renewal would cost £203.50).

The Premium Pass costs £290 and gets you unlimited access to the park at any time, as well as discounts on food and drink and in the shop (renewal would cost £262).

Paultons Park one-day tickets start from £46.75 per person when booked in advance, and kids under 1m are free, so paying visitors would need to go at least four times to make the annual pass worthwhile.

Pleasurewood Hills

Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, Suffolk, is home to more than 35 rides and attractions, as well as live shows.

The park’s main thrill ride is Wipeout, which boasts six inversions.

A Standard Season Pass for unlimited access all season, but with some blackout dates (dates where you cannot attend the park – usually during peak season) costs £79.

Alternatively, you can get a Premium Season Pass, which gets you unlimited visits all season as well as exclusive perks and discounts such as 50 per cent off entry for family and friends and free parking for £99.

One-day tickets for Pleasurewood Hills start from £16.41 per person when booked online.

You’d need to visit at least five times across the year to make the most of the £79 annual pass.

Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington World of Adventures, about 12 miles from central London, is home to more than 40 rides across a number of themed lands.

And next year, the park is set to open a new Minecraft World, which will be the world’s first Minecraft-themed land.

A Chessington Annual Pass allows visitors access to the park across 339 days, costing £64.

Passes are only needed for guests 90cm and over.

Chessington one-day tickets start from £32 online in advance.

Visit the park twice to make your money back on the annual pass.

Lightwater Valley

Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park in North Yorkshire is ideal for families with younger children, with safari-styled areas, pirate-themed rides and classic fairground favourites.

A seasonal pass costs £89 and includes unlimited entry throughout the park’s open days, including special events and Bank Holidays.

One-day tickets for Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park cost between £22.00 and £27.00 when booked online.

You’d need to visit between four and five times across the year to make the pass worth it.

M&D’s

M&D’s Scotland’s Theme Park is Scotland’s largest theme park and is in North Lanarkshire.

The park has more than 40 rides and attractions to explore, including rollercoasters and children’s adventures such as a sky trail and Scotland’s only indoor tropical rainforest.

A season pass to the theme park costs £75 and allows you unlimited access to the park when it is open.

You will also get other offers like discounts on food and drink and a day where you can bring a friend for free.

M&D’s Scotland’s Theme Park offers free entry with ride all day wristbands costing from £20.13.

Visit four times across the year to be quids in.

THE UK’s best theme parks have been announced and coming out on top is a little-known seaside spot.

Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft, Suffolk has been named the best theme park in the UK for under one million visitors by the UK Theme Park Awards 2026.

More than 260,000 members of the public voted on the awards that included 36 theme parks.

Pleasurewood Hills is a 59-acre coastal theme park that originally opened back in 1983 and today has more than 35 rides and attractions.

The biggest ride at the park is Wipeout, which stretches nearly 40 metres into the air and has six inversions.

There are also other rides such as Cannonball Express, Marble Madness wild mouse coaster and the Jolly Rodger drop tower.

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The park introduced some new rides for this year, which include a Big Wheel, Starflyer and a spinning coaster.

If you don’t mind getting a little wet, head on the Water Fun Factory log flume as well.

Little kids aren’t left out either as there is a double-decker carousel, miniature railway and a classic theatre.

Tickets cost from £16 per person when bought online in advance and kids under 90cm go free – though it is worth noting that the park closes at the end of October for the season.

One person who visited the park this week, said in a review: “Park has had a massive regeneration, new rides and a general tidy up.

“Place has improved loads and the staff were all super cheerful and polite.”

Another visitor simply said: “Great value for the money.”

Freddy Stokes, Director at Pleasurewood Hills, said: “To have all the hard work that’s gone into Pleasurewood Hills over such a short period of time recognised by people from across our own industry is a massive achievement for the park and the whole team.

“We’ve always believed in what Pleasurewood Hills can be, but to receive an award like this in our first season really shows what can be achieved and, more importantly, where we can take the park from here.”

Paultons Park was named the country’s best theme park for more than one million visitors, on the other hand.

It is the second year in a row the much-loved family theme park has won the award.

And it also scooped up awards for the best new attraction, best large theme park for families, best theme park for toddlers, best Christmas event and best customer service.

Lawrence Mancey, Marketing & Technology Director at Paultons Park and winner of Theme Park Personality of the Year said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded 11 awards at the UK Theme Park Awards, and honoured to have been crowned Theme Park of the Year once again.

“These trophies are a reflection of the hard work of the whole Paultons Park team.

“We couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve achieved over the past year; from the teams who brought Drakon and Valgard to life, to everyone across the park who works so hard to give families and toddlers unforgettable days out in Peppa Pig World and across the park.”

This is Galaxy Robot Park, a 16,500-square-meter venue that’s opened near Seoul in South Korea . The company behind the park says their aim is to bring artificial intelligence and robotics into the world of entertainment. The question is, can robots keep people coming back?

FANS are getting a sneak peak inside the new Harry Potter theme park at Warner Bros. World.

Potterheads will be able to immerse themselves into the world of Hogwarts within three magical lands.

In a teaser video, Warner Bros. has revealed what awaits fans in its upcoming Harry Potter theme park in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

The caption read: “It’s official! Hogwarts Castle, Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest are coming to @wbworldyasisland, Abu Dhabi. BackToHogwarts.”

For fans of the series, it’s believed that Mr Weasley’s car – the Ford Anglia – will form part of the new attraction.

Reports suggest that the ride will simulate scenes from the franchise when it soars over the English countryside.

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It could follow the Hogwarts Express steam train, battle the Whomping Willow and face the giant spiders in the Forbidden Forest.

Previous reports suggest it will have its own Diagon Alley and Hogwarts castle.

According to Gulf News, the project is estimated to cost somewhere between $545 million and $816 million (£600million).

The Yas Island Theme Park first announced that it was adding a Harry Potter-themed land in 2022 and it’s expected to open in 2029.

The Harry Potter development will be the first of its kind in the Middle East.

The Harry Potter land will be entirely indoors so it can be used throughout the year – even in the summertime when temperatures soar above 45C.

With it being indoors, visitors can expect some immersive-looking scenery from the world of Harry Potter.

The land is part of the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi which is the world’s second largest indoor theme park which has a total of 29 rides.

Currently it has six themed lands such as Bedrock where visitors can explore the Flintstones Bedrock River Adventure.

Gotham City is home to Batman and the Joker attractions, Metropolis has DC characters, Cartoon Junction has rides inspired by Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo.

Other themed areas include Dynamite Gulch and Warner Bros. Plaza.

IF YOU are heading away this autumn, you might want to check if there are any attraction closures before you travel.

The autumn brings a number of seasonal closures but this year there will also be a number of permanent closures at popular attractions.

Other attractions will be coming back, but you’ll need to wait a while.

So here are all the closures – temporary or permanent – you need to be aware of:

Disneyland Paris

On September 7, Crush’s Coaster will close at Disneyland Paris through to summer 2027 for its biggest modernisation in two decades.

Across the nine- month closure, all track sensors will be replaced and other parts of the ride will be refurbished.

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The inside dark visuals will also be upgraded.

Peter Pan’s flight is also currently closed until September 19.

Pirate’s Beach is currently closed and will be until October 23 for a safety inspection as well as replacement of the ground padding.

Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups will be closed between September 21 and October 2 to repaint the floor.

La Tanière du Dragon will close on October 5 until the middle of the month for servicing.

Europa Park

Euro-Mir at Europa Park will be permanently closed towards the end of 2026 to make room for a new coaster.

There are also a number of water coasters at the park which will continue to operate weather permitting but usually close for the season in November.

Efteling

Efteling is open year-round so closes rides for maintenance at different times.

For example, Python will be closed between September 7 and 9 to inspect the track.

Sirocco will be closed between September 14 and 18 for servicing.

Baron 1898 will close between October 5 and 9 for cable tensioning and brake checks.

Danse Macabre will have a slightly longer closure period between October 26 and November 6 to calibrate the ride and work on the audio visuals.

Max & Mortiz will close between October 26 and 30 for vehicle maintenance.

Gondoletta will close across the same dates for cable inspection and canal cleaning.

Droomvlucht will close for a longer period between November 9 and December 4 for an overhaul of the animatronics as well as the lighting and track systems.

Halve Maen will close between November 9 and 11 to work on the braking mechanics.

And finally, Joris en de Draak will close between November 30 and December 18 for structural inspections.

Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park will shut down for the season in early November following Fright Nights until late March 2027, excluding some seasonal events.

Rumba Rapids at the park had already retired earlier this year, after 39 years.

Other UK theme parks

Drayton Manor will close on November 1 for the season, as will Chessington World of Adventures, excluding some seasonal events.

Alton Towers will then follow on November 8, after Scarefest, excluding some seasonal events.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach will then shift to weekend-only openings from November 28.

Waterparks

Caribe Aquatic Park at PortAventura World in Spain will close on September 21 for the season until late May 2027.

The outdoor parts of Rulantica at Europa Park in Germany will close in late September, with the entire indoor water world will then shut for the season in mid-November.

Aquafan in Italy will close in mid-September for the season and Caneva Aquapark also in Italy will then close in late September.

Disney‘s Typhoon Lagoon water park will temporarily close for its annual refurbishment on September 9 but a reopening date has not yet been announced.

A HISTORIC ride at one of the UK’s top theme parks is set to reopen.

Blackpool‘s Pleasure Beach Resort has confirmed that its River Caves ride will reopen after a period of “reimagination”.

The classic water ride first opened in 1905 and is much-loved by families visiting the theme park.

Amanda Jean Thompson OBE, the managing director of Pleasure Beach Resort said: “Hopefully the River Caves will be reopening next year.

“One of the reasons why we had to close when we closed, is because we were hemorrhaging so much water from the ride.

“First of all we’ve got to find where all the leaks are.

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“That’s what we are working on right now.”

She then added details about how the ride will change, commenting: “What I can tell you is what will remain – the Egyptian scene will remain but it and the Angkor Wat scene, which is so integral to Aviktas will remain, but rethemed and redone.

“There will be new scenes of new travels and all different areas of where my grandparents travelled to and my parents travelled to.

“The River Caves are basically the story of where my grandparents travelled to in the close period of the park.

“I think the Blue Grotto may stay because I particularly like that area.”

She joked: “The rest will be new and remains top secret for now, because I keep changing my mind.”

“Will definitely be in the Far East for one section and Latin America for another section.”

“The boats are being done now, and one is currently being redesigned now – we are making them smaller and much more comfortable.”

It comes after visits photographed staff working on the ride the week including refitting wheels before the rides final drop.

River Caves closed back in early 2024 due to technical complications.

Since, little details have been shared about whether the ride would reopen and when.

She also confirmed there’s a new ice show in the making as well.

A POPULAR UK theme park will reopen today after being forced to close due to flooding.

The owners issued a statement on social media yesterday stating that it needed to shut to ensure the “safety of its customers”.

Drayton Manor Resort has now said it will open as usual today between 10.30am and 6pm – although it has warned not all of its rides may be open depending on conditions.

Today, Dayton Manor said on social media: “We’re open today and operating as normal.”

It continued: “As always, ride availability can be affected by weather or operational requirements, so we recommend checking our ride availability page before visiting for the latest updates.”

Yesterday, the theme park was closed due to heavy downpours and thunderstorms caused flooding in the area.

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Floods swamped Birmingham and the West Midlands on Wednesday night.

Locals reported their cars having been stranded and homes were inundated with flood water.

A statement on the theme park’s Facebook said on Thursday: “Due to adverse weather and flooding, Drayton Manor Resort will be closed today.

“We know many of you were looking forward to visiting, and we’re very sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience this causes.

“There’s no need to contact us at this stage. We’ll be in touch with affected guests shortly with information on how to rearrange your visit for another date.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding while we make alternative arrangements. We look forward to welcoming you to Drayton Manor soon.”

Drayton Manor, located in Tamworth in Staffordshire, is considered to be the best-value park in the country.

It has over 50 rides and attractions, and is home to Europe’s only Thomas the Tank Engine Land and a 15-acre zoo.

In 2024, Drayton Manor opened its new Wild West themed world called Frontier Falls.

It opened in July 2024 with a new rollercoaster called Gold Rush where visitors are whisked away in a runaway mining cart.

It’s the first rollercoaster in the UK to feature a backward launch into an outdoor gravity track.

The roller coaster has a two-minute ride time, with Drayton Manor claiming it to be the longest track length for a family coaster in the country.

JUST a few hours away from the UK is one country that’s quickly becoming the go-to destination for theme parks.

There are already over 30 across the country and three new ones have been given the go-ahead.

The country in question is France where it has just been announced that three new theme parks will be built at the cost of €6bn (£5.13bn).

Little has been revealed about them so far, but one will be manga-themed and is inspired by the popular Japanese franchise Dragon Ball Z.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the development would be “extraordinary” and would create a “new global destination,” adding: Nothing like this has been seen since Disneyland Paris.”

Construction of the new parks could take years, so in the meantime, here are some of the best ones across France for you to enjoy.

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Puy Du Fou

Unlike most theme parks, Puy Du Fou doesn’t actually have any rides – but don’t rule it out.

It’s the second most visited theme park in France and takes visitors through history with live shows and re-enactments.

Visitors can also stroll through immersive villages taking them back in time and see romantic evening shows across a lake.

The theme park has six hotels and even a campsite with cosy family lodges. Tickets to the park start from £40.

Parc Asterix

Parc Astérix is a theme park in Plailly based on the famous comic book series Astérix the Gaul, with over 50 attractions across six themed worlds like the Roman Empire, Greece and the Vikings.

The biggest ride is called Toutatis which is a multi-launch coaster at 167 feet tall and a top speed of 66.5mph.

The Egypt Zone reopened in April this year after a revamp with a water raft ride called The Descent of the Nile and The Flight of Ibis, where visitors swoop over the water garden.

In 2028, the park will open a new British-themed land called Londinium. Tickets here start from £36.

Futuroscope

Futuroscope is as the name suggests a futuristic theme park that this year was named 15th on Blooloop’s best theme parks in Europe.

It has over 40 attractions at the park, three shows and three on-site hotels – it also has an immersive indoor waterpark which opened in 2024.

One of the best ones is Tornado Chasers where visitors can ride into a tornado on a rotating platform, with the world’s largest indoor LED screen.

It’s suitable for toddlers too who can sit on little electric cars and enjoy a small floating log ride and Waterworks play area. Tickets start from £31.

Disneyland Paris

Of course, Disneyland Paris needs a mention being one of the most popular theme parks in Europe.

The biggest and most famous rollercoaster is Big Thunder Mountain in Frontierland.

Of course this year marked the opening of Disney’s newest land, the World of Frozen with a boat ride through Arendelle, meet-and-greets with Olaf, Elsa and Ana as well as a live show.

This is part of the newly transformed Disney Adventure World home to worlds inspired by Marvel and Pixar.

And no visit is complete without seeing the spectacular fireworks and Cascade of Lights show. Tickets to both parks start from £82.

Festyland

Just outside of Caen is Festyland which has 30 rides from high thrills to ones all the family can enjoy.

A new rollercoaster called Valkyrie opened in April – it takes riders “to the heart of Norse mythology” with top speeds of 40mph.

There’s also a drop tower, swinging ship and spinning disk ride – family-friendly attractions at the theme park include carousels, a play area and little race cars.

Tickets start from £21.43.

Vulcania

Vulcania is a unique theme park where volcanoes are the heart, or core, of it all.

There are rollercoasters like Namazu which stands at 52.5 feet tall, covers 584 metres of track and reaches speeds of 42.8mph.

Other rides, like the Abyss Explore, are where visitors can explore underwater volcanoes – others reveal what they look like from above.

The evening light show is not to be missed, and make sure to pop into the planetarium as it’s the biggest in the country. Tickets start from £24.

Terra Botanica

A theme park all about plants might sound odd, but it makes for a great day out.

Terra Botanica is surrounded by greenery and has around 500,000 plants from around the world.

It doesn’t have any classic rollercoaster rides, but it does have treetop trails suspended high up in the air, boat and miniature train rides.

One ride allows visitors to explore the park from a bird’s eye view pedalling in a carriage shaped like a walnut shell.

Inside there are 4D adventures which make visitors feel like they’re in a jeep as they enter a dinosaur reserve.

Tickets start from £18.

A MAJOR UK theme park has been forced to close all day “due to adverse weather and flooding”.

Owners of the park have apologised for any disappointment caused by the decision, telling visitors “your safety comes first”.

Drayton Manor Resort will remain shut all day today after heavy downpours and thunderstorms caused significant flooding in the area.

Floods have swamped Birmingham and the West Midlands overnight, with locals reporting cars being “stranded” in flood water and homes being left inundated with water.

More rain is forecast to hit Birmingham and other cities throughout today, with a Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms continuing into the evening.

Customers have been advised not to contact staff at Drayton Manor at this stage, saying they would contact visitors at a later date to rearrange visits.

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A statement on the theme park’s Facebook said: “Due to adverse weather and flooding, Drayton Manor Resort will be closed today.

“We know many of you were looking forward to visiting, and we’re very sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience this causes.

“There’s no need to contact us at this stage. We’ll be in touch with affected guests shortly with information on how to rearrange your visit for another date.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding while we make alternative arrangements. We look forward to welcoming you to Drayton Manor soon.”

Drayton Manor, located in Tamworth in Staffordshire, is considered to be the fourth-largest theme park in the country.

With over 50 rides and attractions, Drayton is home to Europe’s only Thomas the Tank Engine Land and a 15-acre zoo.

Bosses have not yet confirmed whether the park will reopen to visitors tomorrow or throughout the Bank Holiday weekend.

When you’re a Hollywood icon, everyone in town has a story about you. But with Dolly Parton, so do visitors of a 160-acre Tennessee theme park.

I waited for what felt like my entire life to see Dollywood. As a theme park journalist, it was the absolute summit of my professional bucket list — always close yet somehow out of reach. Pigeon Forge, Tenn., like many regional gems, thrives from its proximity to nearby towns but is a haul and a half to get to from Los Angeles. (Consider it no coincidence that Delta Airlines canceled our flight there on two separate occasions.)

My friends and I wore Dolly and Mickey Mouse T-shirts for the occasion.

(Carlye Wisel)

After a failed attempt in 2025, my crew of friends rallied to at long last make the successful pilgrimage to the country crooner’s compound earlier this spring. Once we checked into our Lincoln Logs rental cabin and reality hit that we’d actually made it — cowboy boots on the ground! — we realized all four of us were unusually clueless about what came next.

As Disney obsessives, my friends and I know theme parks, but had no barometer for what to expect from … a celebrity-themed one. Would it feel worn-down and somewhat sad? Would they smell the coastal elite media bias on us? Was the cinnamon bread actually that good?!

Of course, it was all perfect. Gloriously lush, vast and yet somehow deeply quaint, it was jarringly unexpected in the best of ways.

The 12,000-pound Dollywood Eagle is the mascot for the park’s winged roller-coaster, the Wild Eagle.

(Amy Harris / Invision / AP)

Mornings at Dollywood were spent wandering the now-relocated bald eagle sanctuary and crafting village, afternoons were spent riding black bears, coasters and log flumes. We watched candle-dipping artisans at work with wide eyes, heard the screaming whistle of the authentic steam locomotive train, and perused each room of the Dolly Parton Experience museum with glee. By the second day, one friend was walking arm-in-arm toward the cinnamon bread grist mill with its cashier. There was a palpable kindness that emanated throughout, as though every employee was working in her honor, whether performing in a show alongside her blood relatives or selling bedazzled tank tops.

The glorious cinnamon bread at Dollywood.

(Carlye Wisel)

Standing in front of the Grist Mill, a.k.a., the home of the cinnamon bread.

(Carlye Wisel)

And then there were the rides. As for enduring monuments, Elvis fanatics have Graceland, Beatles obsessives have Abbey Road, but Dolly? Dolly acolytes have a wooden-steel coaster so intense it can pop your boob right out of your bra. (In retrospect, my friend’s incident was a perfectly unintended homage to the busty star.)

With funnel cakes in the shape of her beloved butterfly and fashion exhibits with eye-popping heels and wigs, Dolly Parton’s theme park has history, entertainment, reverence. She was inviting us into her figurative and literal home — the tour bus she resided in for over a decade, with an overzealous guide to boot. In fact, most employees couldn’t wait to talk about Dolly, and neither could we. To be here is to be close to Dolly Parton, but to work here seems almost spiritual.

The Lightning Rod roller coaster is intense.

(Carlye Wisel)

At some point between the blacksmithery heat, second loaf of cinnamon bread and feeling my soul leave my body aboard a haunted coal mine coaster, it hit me that this simply will never happen again. The splintering of mass media, the confluence of a cultural icon whose priorities are so admirable — the zeitgeist will simply never again support someone so pure of heart. Who else could pull off an eponymous theme park without it feeling brazenly self-serving?

After all, Dollywood isn’t just a pile of rides in the Great Smoky Mountains. Rooted in authenticity, service and philanthropy, they’re honoring Appalachian culture by forging iron and blowing glass in their Craftsman’s Valley, while inviting you in to do the same. The Imagination Playhouse, a live musical staging of children’s books, promotes her literacy initiative and its work gifting hundreds of millions of free books. Even the property’s most expensive hotel room is a low-key fundraiser for the Dollywood Foundation. In the era of budget cuts, corporate consolidations and layoffs, it feels like a respite from the fiscally overwhelming sides of America’s other theme parks these days, but that’s always been its objective. Dolly’s original investment in Silver Dollar City, the park’s predecessor, was purely to give back to the community and support jobs in the area.

Dollywood’s Palace Theater has hosted iconic shows through the decades.

(Amy Harris / Invision / AP)

Until her death Tuesday at age 80, Dolly was the closest thing we had to a modern day Walt Disney mixed with Mr. Rogers’ kindness and Miss Piggy’s flair. A true Renaissance woman who pulled herself out of a state of poverty that for many seems unimaginable (until, of course, you overstay your welcome ogling the exhibit of her two-room Tennessee Mountain childhood home, which I obviously have).

Dolly Parton was a living testament to what’s important in life: treating others the way you want to be treated, while also looking hot as hell. How unbelievable it is to have been alive at the same time as such a remarkable woman, and to have a place we can forever visit to celebrate her.

All I can do after the end to such a historic run is to urge you: Don’t wait as long as I did to experience Dollywood’s magic firsthand. Make the pilgrimage. Go there and see it yourself, in her honor.

And maybe, just maybe, wear a more supportive bra on Lightning Rod.

Fans gathered at Dollywood after she died at the age of 80.

(Melissa Sue Gerrits / Getty Images)

LAST night the world was hit by the tragic news that western icon Dolly Parton has died aged 80 after a short battle with cancer.

While fans around the world mourn the 9 to 5 singer, bookings for the star’s theme park, Dollywood, have surged.

The theme park’s website went down yesterday after people rushed to the site shortly after the news of her death broke.

Dollywood spans 165 acres in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, boasts more than 50 rides, including rollercoasters like Big Bear Mountain and Mystery Mine.

There’s also Dollywood’s Splash Country – an outdoor waterpark.

Originally set to open on August 18 but now set to fully open on August 30, there will even be a new rollercoaster called NightFlight Expedition.

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The $50million (£36.7million) ride incorporates four thrilling experiences in one, with an indoor coaster section that takes riders over the Smokies at night, then there is a whitewater rafting excursion where riders head up and over a mountain ridge before plunging down into a lake.

The theme park also hosts events throughout the year including Run Dollywood, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival and Neon Lights at Splash Country.

Coming up, the theme park will host a new nighttime event called Harvey’s Boo Bash on October 16, 23 and 30.

The event is hosted by the park’s pumpkin character called Harvey.

There will be Great Pumpkin LumiNights too, every evening between September 14 and October 31.

Across a wider 10-year plan costing $500million (£336.7million), there are plans to add three new resorts which will make the park have five resorts overall.

There are also plans for a ‘unique experience’ that the park previously teased could be camping ‘Dolly style’.

By 2050, the destination aims to have all five resorts open, each with 300 hotel rooms and the outdoor resort as well.

The park which opened in 1986 has a 20-minute ride on the Dollywood Express steam train as well.

You can also stay at the park too, at either Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort & Spa or the HeartSong Lodge & Resort.

Day tickets to the theme park cost as little as $29.99 (£22) per person.

And if you do visit the theme park it is also worth exploring wider East Tennessee, as it was recently named one of the 14 “best places to go in the US in 2026” according to Conde Nast Traveller.

Dolly Parton was the last star in music everyone in America could agree on. Her brilliant career as a carefully-sculpted backwoods icon (one with unmatched insight into the human heart) told the nation stories it craved to hear about itself — songs about resilience and dignity under poverty and labor, how to hold conflicting feelings of devotion and loss. None of the canon of extras — the charmingly ramshackle Dollywood theme park, the purehearted children’s literacy initiatives, the rhinestone cowgirl aesthetics — would be possible without one of the most emotionally attuned, beautifully performed and broadly reaching catalogs in American music.

She is one of the finest singer-songwriters this country ever produced, and it’s inconceivable to sum up her catalog in just an LP’s worth of tunes. But Parton — the songwriter, the vocalist, the instrumentalist, the collaborator — only ever wanted to invite a listener in, wherever they arrive from. Here are 10 songs to start with.

Coat of Many Colors (1971)

The foundational text of Parton’s career, this 1971 single lovingly details her mother’s make-do resilience, stitching a fall coat from scraps of cloth in the spirit of a beloved Bible story. Its storytelling economy is just as crafty, finding splendor with humble tools, and distills Parton’s whole persona into one perfect song.

Touch Your Woman (1972)

You could spend tens of thousands on couple’s therapy and never get as good advice as “We can’t always both be right, we sometimes disagree / But you’ve got the right to speak your mind and it’s the same with me / When the anger’s at an end, and you want inside my arms again / All you have to do to make it right is just / Touch your woman.”

Jolene (1974)

Try to forget how ubiquitous this song is in pop culture, even though it’s been covered by Beyoncé (who laced her own domestic strife into a version), the White Stripes and Parton’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus. Listen to how eerie the thing actually is, how the harmonies capture the desperation, panic and preemptive grief of losing a love to someone whose appeal is undeniable. Nothing that haunted can ever be overplayed.

I Will Always Love You (1974)

Any songwriter should be so lucky — to have one of your hallmark tunes be lovingly swept out from under you and become one of the definitive ballads of pop music. Whitney Houston’s powerhouse version stands alone, but Dolly’s quieter, mournful ode to her collaboration with Porter Wagoner is the artful, formative sketch to a colossal mural.

The Bargain Store (1975)

Taking the themes of “Coat” in intimate new directions, there’s a pained, darker tang to lines like “Take these old, used memories from the past / And these broken dreams and plans that didn’t last / I’ll trade them for a future, I can’t use them anymore.” A perfect distillation of Parton’s themes and craftsmanship, where melancholy and resilience fight it out in the empty spaces.

Two Doors Down (1977)

One of Parton’s first forays into purer pop, this single has the stomp and shuffle of funk and could easily be retrofitted into disco DJ sets. Soul horns and synths liven the production up, but it all underlines how far her writing and vocal performances could travel through genres.

9 to 5 (1980)

The song that made Parton a true pop crossover, a movie star with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and an Oscar nominee. But don’t let the relatable career-girl pluck of the movie dilute the fact that this song is pissed off about capitalism, even as its hooks make the grind of working life more bearable.

Old Flames (Can’t Hold A Candle To You) (1980)

Dolly chose her covers carefully, but even she couldn’t have known how full-circle this would come around. A take on songwriter Pebe Sebert’s ballad that went to No. 1 on the country charts in 1980, Sebert’s daughter Kesha would eventually return the favor with a version decades later, two women who turned an act playing ditzy into resonant, affecting music.

To Know Him Is To Love Him (1987)

Parton’s pen and persona had no equals, but she was an enthusiastic collaborator as well, from her early partnership with Porter Wagoner up to her 2023 hard rock LP. She was at her best with the women of Trio, a supergroup with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, and this regal single of nascent, unrequited commitment is as lovely as they come.

Smoky Mountain Memories (Live – 1994)

Parton was a virtuoso at staying, if not apolitical, at least a neutral zone of relatability for conservatives and leftists alike, each of whom had ways to read their lives into her storytelling. A song like “Smoky Mountain Memories,” a gut-wrenching live rework of an earlier song, lent dignity to her family’s toil and loneliness, while raging against the circumstances that created it — “It takes all I’ve got to give what life demands / Oh, you go insane if you give into it.”

NOT ONE but three new theme parks have been given the go-ahead to open in Europe, which they claim could even rival Disney.

A deal between France and Saudi Arabia for three theme parks near Paris has been announced.

The project is expected to cost €6bn (£5.13bn) overall and will include a manga-themed park, inspired by the popular Japanese franchise Dragon Ball Z.

Little details have been revealed about the theme parks, but local media has reported that it could be built on the site of the former Mirapolis park in Val-d’Oise, which has been closed for 35 years.

The opening dates for the parks are not known yet, but they will be built near Cergy-Pontoise and expected to take years to construct.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the development would be “extraordinary” and would create a “new global destination”.

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He also said: “Nothing like this has been seen since Disneyland Paris.”

The project is thought to have transpired from a conversation between Macron and bin Salman about their love for Japanese comics.

It is expected to create around 22,000 jobs.

Despite no details being revealed about the new theme parks yet, it is believed that the Dragon Ball Z theme park could be based around the park of the same theme currently being built by Qiddiya in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Riyadh theme park is set to have seven zones including Turtle House, Capsule Corporation and Beerus’s Planet.

There is also set to be a 70-metre high rollercoaster running through the park.

Overall, the Riyadh theme park is expected to have 30 themed attractions, five of which are set to be next generation rides.

Guests will be able to stay in themed hotels as well, and there will be a number of restaurants at the park.

THREE fab theme parks, three unique experiences – which one will you pick?

From magical fairy-tale worlds to high-octane thrills and waterpark adventures, there’s something for every family.

Efteling, The Netherlands

Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley and her family fell for fairy-tale fun in Kaatsheuvel.

As we whizz past trolls swinging from trees and down to the sparkling rainforest floor, the kids are completely spellbound.

From this ride, Droomvlucht, we head back into daylight to find fairies twirling around the lawn, bubbles filling the air.

Efteling is the very definition of enchanting. From musical toadstools to talking bins that suck up litter through their mouths, we find ourselves staring in awe at all the quaint details.

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The Fairytale Forest brings much-loved stories to life through animatronics, and Poppy, seven, and Raffy, five, are delighted by a donkey that poos out gold coins when you pop in 50 cents.

But there are plenty of wilder attractions, too – wooden coaster Joris En De Draak feels way faster than 47mph as it swerves around corners, and Baron 1898 drops you into freefall for almost 40 metres.

Baby Switch cards mean husband Andy and I don’t need to queue twice for rides the kids are too short for, either.

Our best foodie finds in the park are the soft-serve ice creams, which cost less than £2, and hotdogs drenched in truffle mayo with parmesan and rocket, £5.50.

But it’s the Polles Keuken eatery that is unmissable, with its musical stove and huge pancakes – my favourite is stuffed with apple slices and topped with whipped goat’s cheese, candied walnuts and rocket, £15.

Opened last year, Efteling Grand Hotel is home to gorgeous art-deco interiors and luxurious bedrooms that are the antithesis of the bright and brash themed rooms at some parks.

Chocolate coins are hidden in the coffee drawer, superb Zenology toiletries are in the bathroom and there’s a sweet elf night light built into the wardrobe.

We also get early access to some rides and use of the sauna, steam room and pretty pool with its blue and white checkerboard tiles and impressive water chandelier – although it’s not a place for swimming lengths!

Brasserie 7, with its cascading faux-flower displays, serves up quality breakfasts with fizz, as well as a delicious, albeit pricey, dinner.

The greatest thing, however, are the miming piccolos, bell boys and girls dressed in cute purple uniforms, who have us giggling through mealtimes with their comedy antics.

As the rain hits on our last day, we drop by the on-site theatre to catch illusion show Magicaluna, which is packed with stunning tricks.

It sums up the Efteling experience in its final line: “You’re never too old to wonder.” Yep, this park is magic.

Stays for up to six at Efteling Grand Hotel cost from £496 B&B, including two-day park access (Efteling.com).

Futuroscope, France

Acting Senior Designer Sasha Cunningham and her son enjoyed robot rides, tech storytelling and making a splash in Poitiers.

Strapped into the hand of a giant robotic arm with my eight-year-old son, we are thrust into the air, twisting, flipping and turning.

The robot’s movements synchronise with the pumping music and flashing lights on this Dance With Robots ride.

And as soon as we’re released, a beaming Oscar announces we have to do it again!

Made up of Futuroscope Xperiences and Aquascope water park, the resort is home to more than 40 attractions housed in geometric buildings.

We hop on a rollercoaster to Mars and even get swept into the eye of a tornado on a 5D adventure.

Brightly coloured playgrounds and beanbag chill-out zones line the paths, while the Futuropolis zone lets smaller ones operate their own rides.

After a morning of adrenalin rushes, we kick back in Europe’s largest 360-degree circular theatre for nature documentary Antarctica, listening to Benedict Cumberbatch’s narration on our headphones.

But it’s the Key To Dreams show that closes the park that’s our favourite, with its spectacular projections, lasers and 3D water effects.

Oscar’s mouth drops open once again as his bright-blue burger, £14, spirals down the rollercoaster tracks covering the ceiling and lands at our table.

We’re dining at Space Loop restaurant – advance booking is essential – where my pork mignon, £14.50, also arrives amazingly intact and we dive into meringue tart, £7, and candy-floss-topped sorbet, £3.50, for pud.

Just over the road is Hôtel Ecolodgee and our lakeside lodge.

Come morning, a basket with pastries, yoghurts, breads and juice is delivered to our door, and we arrive at neighbouring Aquascope for 9am to beat the crowds.

Each of the eight large indoor slides has its own theme – from sudden drops and light shows to the mega-twisty Spiral.

One of the most fun is Alien, where we’re flushed down a chute in a double ring, racing against another pair.

We also meet octopus Kraki, the star of Europe’s first aquatic cinema, before floating down a glowing lazy river.

Looking for a theme park that’s out of this world? This is it.

Stays for four at Hôtel Ecolodgee with two-day access to Futuroscope plus Aquascope tickets cost from £431 (Futuroscope.com).

Paultons Park, England

Our pick on home soil gets better each year, says Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley.

This place is consistently voted the UK’s fave theme park for good reason, and fun new zone Valgard: Realm Of The Vikings opened in May.

Climbing vertically up 75ft to then plunge down a 95-degree drop and be whizzed upside down makes Drakon the standout.

And while smart people pack budget-friendly picnics, the Feasting Hall does serve scrumptious chicken burgers, £11.95.

The best thing about Paultons is that an average-height seven year old can go on all the rides, and only a couple rule five year olds out.

We adore flying through the air on Flight Of The Pterosaur, hurtling backwards on Velociraptor and racing down Buffalo Falls in inflatable boats.

There’s also Peppa Pig World and a mini zoo with lemurs and flamingoes.

Close by is thatched gastropub The Potter’s Heron. Recently given a serious glow-up, it’s deceivingly huge and has a lively bar.

Bedrooms are decked out in rich colours and prints, bathrooms have rainfall showers and Bramley toiletries, and a Roberts Radio, coffee machine and home-made treats complete the package.

At dinner, highlights are a prawn and crayfish cocktail with paprika and lime mayo, £9.95, and signature pistachio soufflé, £8.95.

The kids’ chicken roulade stuffed with ham and gruyère, £7, is also a hit.

The next day, the Full English sets us up nicely for exploring the New Forest before our easy drive home.

Paultons Park day tickets cost from £43 per person over a metre tall (Paultonspark.co.uk). Family rooms at The Potter’s Heron cost from £199 per night (Pottersheronampfield.com).

SKIP the big rides and rollercoasters for one of the best family days out. The location? One of the UK’s best farm shop villages.

The complex in Cheshire is inside a 250-year-old barn conversion with a farm shop, play area, plenty of shops and even an on-site B&B.

Found in Middlewich, Hopley House is open seven days a week and is popular with families thanks to all it has to offer.

At the centre of Hopley House is its farm shop where visitors can pick up local produce from bread to pastries, meat, fruit and vegetables to cakes.

When it comes to drinks, there are wines, beers and spirits from local breweries and Il Gusto spirits which can be bottled and personalised on-site.

Outside are a selection of plants from shrubs to flowers

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The café is open seven days a week serving up cooked breakfasts, lunch, afternoon tea and kids meals.

There’s also a selection of homemade cakes and alcohol-like beers and boozy hot chocolates.

To entertain the kids, visitors can get competitive on the mini golf course found on-site which costs £5pp.

And children can burn some energy at the play area which has swings, a slide, rock wall and climbing frame.

If that isn’t enough, it even has its own shopping village.

One of the shops is AVM Furniture which sells a selection of antique, vintage and modern furniture as well as garden ornaments.

JO’S Accessories is a ladies’ boutique, there’s also The Crystal Boutique, SKULLS n’ MOR, E a pet shop and a reptile rescue sanctuary.

Families have raved about it, with one saying: “Absolutely perfect place for a large family to stay.”

Another added: “Me, my partner and my two children visited Hopley House last month….. to say we were impressed is an understatement!”

A third simply called it a “hidden gem”.

It also holds events throughout the year – at the moment it has a mini fairground is back with tea cups and a mini big wheel.

Visitors can also stay at Hopley House in one of its rooms which are found inside a converted barn.

Some of the rooms have original barn features, each with en suite or a private bathroom.

Guests can enjoy a cooked breakfast from the café or head to the farm shop for a homemade pizza.

Anyone staying overnight can also make use of a kitchen area which has a fridge and microwave.

Rooms start from £68 based on two people sharing or £42 for single occupancy.

One overnight guest said in a review: “Lovely stay at Hopley guest house, huge big room and the comfiest bed ever! The owner made us feel very welcome.

“My only regret is we didn’t book for longer.”

If you fancy another trip to the farm shop, check out the ‘Harrods of the North‘ that’s loved by Molly-Mae – with forest lodges and hot tubs.

A THEME park that has been left abandoned for a decade is set to reopen as a new attraction.

Pleasure Island Park in Cleethorpes closed back in 2016 but is now set to become a “Center Parcs-by-the-sea” style destination.

The £70million park is set to have 272 holiday lodges, as well as hotels, restaurants and shops.

There would also be a Lidl superstore at the site.

Spanning across 60 acres, just a short walk from Cleethorpes Beach, plans include two hotels including one with 148 rooms and a casino, a drive-thru coffee shop as well as a cycle-hire destination.

The abandoned theme park currently has a lake in the middle, which would be turned into an angler’s hub.

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Councillors previously said that the plans were “an effective use of the land” and would “contribute to the local economy and the vitality of the resort”, reports Grimsby Live.

In the latest update, councillors will decide on the plans “ideally as soon as possible”, according to a councillor.

However, only a few checks have been completed.

Planning was submitted back in 2023 but the process has been delayed due to environmental assessments needing to be carried out as well as legal challenges.

Little else is currently known in regards to the holiday park, such as when it would open if given the go-ahead.

The theme park opened back in 1993 and featured six themed areas including Africa, Kiddies Kingdom, Morocco, Old England, Spain and White Knuckle Valley.

Attractions included rollercoasters, a carousel and dodgems.

A lot of the rides were sold off in 2018, but most of the buildings remain abandoned on the site now.

In the surrounding area, visitors can head to Cleethorpes Beach which features a long stretch of golden sand as well as the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway.

DISNEY has confirmed all of the exciting new rides and cruises launching in the next few years.

The announcements were part of Disney’s huge annual D23 event, which talks all things Disney when it comes to films, TV shows and, of course, the theme parks.

The upcoming attraction openings include Disneyland Paris, Disney World and the Disney cruises.

From new dark rides and log flumes, to four new cruise ships and a UK-based stage show – here’s the rundown on all the top attraction announcements:

Disneyland Paris

A number of new announcements were made about Disneyland Paris and some of the park’s upcoming attractions.

Already in the works is a new Lion King-themed water attraction, with three drops including a 15.8metre plunge from Pride Rock.

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Along withDisney‘s first audio-animatronics figure of Scar, the ride will be at the centre of the first immersive world based on The Lion King.

The new land will sit next to the World of Frozen, transporting visitors to the African savanna.

Once completed, the zone will span 30,000sqm and have the log flume alongside a shop, restaurant and character experiences.

Next year, Wilderness Explorers Sky Swings will open, which will be the first attraction at Disneyland Paris inspired by the Up film.

The park will also retire the Star Wars themed Hyperspace Mountain and reimagine the attraction as Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune.

It first opened in 1995 based on Jules Verne’s novel “From the Earth to the Moon” before becoming Hyperspace Mountain in 2017.

The attraction is now set to revert back to its original theme, closing at the end of next year for a few months.

And last but not least, Disneyland Paris will also be getting a new daytime parade.

The parade will feature Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled and Coco and will launch in 2028.

It will be the first new parade at the park since 2017.

Disney World, Florida

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is set for several new attractions.

Excitingly, there will be a new Villains Land in Magic Kingdom, home to two major attractions including a Maleficent rollercoaster and a Magic Mirror dark ride.

The Maleficent rollercoaster will take visitors through an enchanted briar surrounding Maleficent’s mountaintop fortress, with yet-to-be-revealed “elements never attempted before.”

The other attraction – Magic Mirror – will be a dark ride with lots of Disney Villains.

Disney stated: “You’ll find the Magic Mirror where the Evil Queen keeps him in the catacombs beneath her pristine palace. After making your way to him, he’ll magically transport you into his mystical Mirror Realm to see things on the other side of the mirror. 

“There, in his ethereal realm, you’ll be transfixed by countless Disney Villains conjured in ways only the Magic Mirror can do. 

“A combination of special effects and physical set pieces will bring his Mirror Realm – and these iconic Villains – to life.”

Disney added: “ If you dare enter the forest of Villains Land, you may soon come across a Wishing Well that’s been torn asunder. 

“Under most circumstances, a Wishing Well would indicate pure and good energy at work, but something dark happened to this one.

“Once upon a time, someone made an evil wish here – a wish so evil it corrupted the stone and broke open the structure, spreading the Well’s poisoned magic throughout the forest.”

In addition to the two major attractions, there will be shops and restaurants.

Magic Kingdom will also be getting two Piston Peak rides in Frontierland, including Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along inspired by the “Diva of Demolition” from Cars 3.

The ride will feature a “huge school-bus-sized animatronic” who hosts a stampeding bash at her “wildest demolition derby yet”.

The other attraction will be Cars Ridge Run Rally, which will be a quest to find “the wildest racer in the wheelderness”.

The ride will go through scenes of America’s national parks, as well as a climb up Piston Peak itself before riders then plummet down toward a geyser field.

Over in the new land of Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom, there will be a new Indiana Jones Ride with audio-animatronics figures and an original storyline where  guests are transported into the world of the ancient Maya.

Called Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, riders will beneath under an  ancient temple ruin before heading off on their journey.

Also in Tropical Americas will be the new El Carrusel de los Animalitos - a carousel with 22 hand-carved animals inspired by Disney and Pixar stories.

Animal Kingdom will launch a new family-friendly Encanto Ride as well, called Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto.

When visitors enter the house, they’ll board a ride vehicle which will resemble the different pieces of furniture assembled by the power of Casita.

Inside, the space has been transformed into a rainforest with more than 50 animals and guests will travel through different rooms to see them all.

A part of Monstropolis will also open at the theme park next year, while work continues to build a “door coaster”.

The new attraction will be a show at the Glob Theatre called “Welcome to Monstropolis”, with the monsters in the show introducing visitors to Monstropolis.

There will be a new restaurant, Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, too while next door, will be the Monsters University Alumni Club.

There will be Harryhausen’s Restaurant too, where visitors can see the spot that was a part of Mike and Celia’s most unforgettable dates.

There will even be the famous sushi chef brought to life with a new audio-animatronics figure.

Forbidden Mountain in Animal Kingdom will also be upgraded with a new Yeti audio-animatronic.

Over in EPCOT, Spaceship Earth is getting an update with the storyline of the ride reimagined.

Disney cruises

Disney Believe will be Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship but will also be the final ship in the Wish class.

It will launch in late 2027 and inside passengers with a Moana-inspired Grand Hall, Tinker Bell on its bow and Woody and Buzz Lightyear on the stern.

Attractions on board the ship will feature Disney Animation’s Encanto, Frozen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Moana and The Little Mermaid.

As for the stern, guests will spot Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story.

Disney has also announced three new ships that will begin launching in 2029 – this will increase the cruise line fleet to 13 ships in total.

After Disney Believe – part of the Wish Class – launches next year, there will Disney Cruise Line will move on to a new ship class.

As part of this new class, there will be three ships that will be bigger than the classic ships but smaller than the newer ships.

Little other details have been revealed about the ships but Disney commented that “there are amazing opportunities to visit new places and reach brand new audiences than ever before”.

New West End show

Disney also confirmed that The Greatest Showman stage musical will open at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027.

The show will replace Disney’s Hercules, which is due to end on September 5.

It will feature all the original film anthems including ‘This Is Me’, ‘Rewrite the Stars’ and ‘A Million Dreams’.