waterpark

THE UK’s biggest indoor tropical waterpark is about to get even better.

The new owners of the enormous attraction in Staffordshire have promised ‘upgrades’ and ‘grand plans’ coming as soon as next month.

Waterworld Aqua Park in Stoke-on-Trent is known for its thrilling slides, pools, and best of all, being 30C even in winter.

Earlier this year, Waterworld Leisure Limited and Waterworld Leisure Group Limited was bought in a multi-million pound sale by a European company, Looping Group.

Waterworld’s managing director Wayne Goodall said: “Recent years have seen big changes at the resort, and we are all excited about this new phase. With the new owners, we will bring experience, quality and security to the next level.

“Waterworld itself has already had a total overhaul of its Water’s Edge Restaurant, focusing on a new, high-quality menu and a reorganised, speed-of-service system to give our guests more time in the pool and less time queuing for their lunch.

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“There are significant upgrade plans for the pool hall installations this November too and guests will start to see lots of improvements for themselves, very quickly, and grander plans are also in the pipeline.”

Waterworld has 30 different rides and attractions including Thunderbolt, the UK’s first trap door drop waterslide, of course there’s a main pool and river rapids too.

The Space Bowl is another popular one, where visitors are thrown around a “UFO” before ending up in the splash pool beneath.

Other rides include Nucleus – a water rollercoaster – as well as Stormchaser and Cyclone.

It’s not all about pools though as The Waterworld Leisure Resort also has Adventure Mini Golf with two 18-hole, tiki-themed mini golf courses, and M Club Spa and gym.

In 2024, £13million was spent on behind-the-scenes upgrades to the waterpark.

The year before in 2023, one of the new additions was the £250,000 immersive play village.

Inside the Adventure Mini Village is its own mini Staffordshire Barge, The Old Vic Theatre and kids can even create their own pottery in the Kiln.

There’s also a post office, vets, doctors, farm shop, construction site and ice cream van.

A restaurant, cafe and gift shop are also of course on-site, and an outdoor pool which will reopen in spring.

The Waterworld site isn’t the only one owned by Looping Group – it acquired Drayton Manor in August 2020 and West Midlands Safari Park in 2018.

Currently, Waterworld is offering tickets to the water park for £19.99 (up until November 3, 2025).

To make the most of your visit, you can get one visit to Waterworld Aqua Park and one visit to West Midlands Safari Park for £35pp.

The offer is called the Splash ‘N’ Safari Ticket and is available to buy up until February 1, 2026.

Other combination tickets include the Waterworld and Adventure Mini Golf Combo ticket.

This is valid for a one single admission to Waterworld and one round of 18 holes at Adventure Mini Golf for £30pp.

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One writer visited the ‘world’s best waterpark’ just three hours from the UK and it’s like being on another planet.

Plus, here are three of the UK’s biggest indoor waterparks with tropical climates and heated infinity pools.

OCTOBER half term is right around the corner and if you’re looking for a last minute holiday to entertain the kids, this hotel is for you.

It has eight pools, plenty of slides, a kids club and daily mini disco, families will never be bored.

Globales Playa Estepona sits on the Costa del Sol, and it’s the biggest waterpark hotel in the region.

Scattered across the hotel are eight swimming pools, three of which are made for children.

There’s also daily entertainment like the aqua gym, aqua sports and organised competitions.

Other activities include tennis and beach volleyball, there’s an on-site gym for guests – or if you want to relax take a stroll around the gardens.

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There’s lots to see as the hotel site is across 40,000 square feet.

If guests want to escape the hotel there’s a free shuttle bus to Puerto Banús, a luxury marina and resort town in Marbella.

As for food and drink, the hotel has a main buffet restaurant which serves up breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Mostly the food is Mediterranean-style, but there are other international options too.

There’s also the Terrace Bar and poolside bar for drinks and snacks, and the Beach Club is where guests can enjoy al fresco dining.

There are plenty of room choices from Double for single use without balcony, to Double without balcony, Superior Double with or without a balcony and Premium Doubles.

Each room features a bathroom, satellite TV, Wi-Fi service, air conditioning and comfortable beds

The hotel is just half an hour away from Marbella which is not just the place to go for a party.

Marbella has lovely beaches like Nagüeles Beach, Cabopino Beach and Fontanilla Beach which is known as a popular family-friendly option.

A week-long all-inclusive stay during half-term week in the hotel for a family of four in a Double Superior with Balcony costs €1,077.78 (£938.87) – which is £234.72pp.

To get to Globales Playa Estepona, Brits will have to fly to Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport.

TUI offers package holidays to Globales Playa Estepona over half term week which works out at £637.71pp (including flights).

October half term is still a great time for a break in Spain as temperatures reach highs of 23C.

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Here are the top waterpark hotels in Spain…

Magic Aqua Rock Gardens, Benidorm
Located in Benidorm, Costa Blanca, the Magic Aqua Rock Gardens Hotel, pictured above, is African-themed and less than a mile from the beach. The hotel boasts two outdoor pools, including a children’s freshwater pool with a waterfall and a tipping water bucket for the little ones. There’s also an aquapark featuring slides and kamikaze.

Magic Natura Animal, Water Park & Polynesian Lodge Resort, Benidorm
The resort is located in the Terra Natura animal park. Guests get unlimited access to the animal park and the Aqua Natura waterpark. Terra Natura’s anime park has a ‘zooimmersion’ concept, meaning you can interact with more than 1,000 animals, including tigers, rhinos, and elephants, without barriers blocking your view. The hotel features three outdoor pools, including one with a children’s section, with a tipping water bucket, jets and a whirlpool.

Golden Taurus Aquapark Resort, Costa Brava

The resort has four pools and two whirlpool baths, and guests have unlimited access to the neighbouring waterpark, which has flumes and racing slides. The hotel’s main restaurant offers a buffet with a mix of international dishes and Spanish specialities. There are also two pool bars, a snack bar and a cocktail lounge. A kids’ club is available daily, as well as evening entertainment for visitors of all ages.

For more waterparks in the UK, check out the country’s biggest indoor tropical waterpark where it’s always 30C.

Plus, the new £200million indoor waterpark arriving in the UK with 4-storey slides could open in 3 locations.

STACEY Solomon and her family are such big fans of the Regnum Carya hotel in Turkey, she’s gone as far to call it her ‘second home’.

And this year the star visited the Regnum The Crown – its sister hotel which opened its doors back in July.

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The hotel is in the Turkish seaside city of Antalya and it has got some very impressive facilities.

Beating the heat in Turkey can be solved by splashing about in the pool, and this resort has eight.

The resort has your regular outdoor pools as well as a salt-water pool, kids pools, and indoor ones too.

For kids, there’s a waterpark called Regnum Aquatlantis with flumes, slides, attractions like tipping buckets, a lazy river and wave pool.

For even more entertainment, there’s a cinema and playroom, and for the teens, there’s a tech lounge with gaming pods.

The hotel is ideally not that far from The Land of Legends theme park also known as “the Turkish Disneyland” either, in fact, it’s an 8 minute drive away.

There, visitors will find thrilling rollercoasters, a watercoaster and entertainment shows.

Back at the hotel, there’s a luxurious private Blue Flag beach with incredibly clear waters.

Along the white stretch of sand are four beach clubs, each scattered with sun umbrellas and loungers.

As for activities on the beach, guests can play volleyball, take part in yoga sessions, mini football and even sound healing.

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The fussiest of eaters won’t have a problem at the hotel either because there are plenty of dining options from the classic buffet to tapas.

There’s also Pan-Asian, Arabic, and Slavic restaurants too, and lots of snacks and meals at the beach clubs.

There’s an on-site spa too where guests can book massages, and relax in the sauna, steam room and even an ice fountain.

Another place for adults to relax is the rooftop which has an infinity pool, restaurant, bar, fitness club and private dining.

When it comes to rooms, there are plenty of options from spacious suites to family-rooms and even private villas – some of which even have personal butler service.

And while summer in the UK might be coming to a close, there is still plenty of time to lap up the sun in Turkey.

During October, there are highs of 26C, and even in December temperatures average out at around 16C.

In October, Brits can fly to Antalya from cities like Liverpool, Glasgow, Belfast, Manchester and London with one-way flights starting from £17.

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And take a look inside the farm shop that’s the ‘Harrods of the North’ and is loved by Molly-Mae – with forest lodges and hot tubs.

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A new wave of family indoor water and adventure park hotels, that have been dubbed the ‘American Center Parcs’, are set to open in the UK for a fun-packed adventure

We’re all familiar with Center Parcs, the popular forest retreats dotted across the UK, offering a fun-packed getaway for families – but there could be a competitor on the way, offering a new indoor water and adventure park resort.

Great Wolf Lodge is essentially the US version of Center Parcs, with family accommodation, huge indoor waterparks with slides, various swimming pools, a wave machine and enough activities to keep the whole family entertained, from mini golf to arcade games.

With 23 locations across the United States and Canada, Great Wolf Lodge is now planning to expand to the UK with three resorts.

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The Telegraph reports that the North American brand, with the “largest family of indoor waterpark resorts,” is planning to build three lodges in Hampshire, Oxfordshire, and Derbyshire.

The overhaul of Great Wolf Lodge in the UK is said to bring a “world-class leisure facility to the region” while attracting tourists and providing “hundreds of job opportunities.”

According to the publication, construction for the first £200 million hotel complex has already begun and is being built on a former golf course in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

It will boast the famed adventure and waterpark, and offer family accommodation, along with various additional activities.

While there isn’t a planned opening date yet, it is thought that the new family getaway will boast similar features to the Great Wolf Lodge’s across the pond.

In America, it has what you’d expect to see at a family camp, with red cabin buildings, wooden structures, colourful interiors, grand fireplaces and even a mascot known as Wiley the Wolf.

Compared to the Subtropical Swimming Paradise at Center Parcs with its fake palm trees and cabanas, the waterparks at Great Wolf Lodge boast totem poles and wooden beams.

What’s more, it’s designed to be well-used during the colder months, with the temperature said to be set at around 29C in the indoor pools.

According to the Telegraph, a family of four can stay at Great Wolf Lodge for around £150 per night.

This isn’t too different from Center Parcs, which can charge around £659 for a family of four for four nights midweek and off-peak.

However, during peak times midweek, such as the October half-term, this could set a family back around £1,899.

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A mum of two tried out the UK’s biggest outdoor waterpark, and she was seriously impressed with what she found, calling it ‘the perfect family day out’ for her brood

The summer holidays are stretching ahead of us, and for parents across the UK prospect of keeping the kids entertained whilst they are off school can sometimes be pretty daunting.

Many families throughout the country are working to pretty tight budgets, so parents are often on the lookout for days out that won’t break the bank.

If you’re looking for a day out to remember with the whole family, then one mum-of-two has recommended paying the UK’s biggest waterpark a visit this summer – which promises fun for every age group.

Perched right by the stunning beach, Goodrington Sands, Splashdown Quaywest is a jewel in Devon’s crown as the largest outdoor waterpark in the country.

Mum of two, Chloe Sweet, posted about her family’s day out to the waterpark on her TikTok account, which boasts 113,000 followers.

She was seriously impressed with the range of what the waterpark offered, with something to keep children of every age entertained.

“There’s 18 waterslides in total,” Chloe explained in her video, “If you’re into that adrenaline buzz, it’s got some serious fast flumes for older children and adults, you’ve got the slides such as the devil’s drop, the screamer, Kamikaze, and much more that will test [your] nerves”.

However, the facilities and slides for younger children and toddlers left Chloe really impressed, with one area a major perk for young families.

“They have a dedicated section called Shipwreck Island, which is amazing for toddlers and little ones. There’s seven slides in this section, and it’s just the right height for toddlers.

“The water is all shallow, so you don’t have to stress, it’s like a big massive splash zone.”

Chloe added, “They have water sprinkling out all over and, of course, the big massive tipping bucket that soaks everyone every couple of minutes, the kids absolutely enjoyed themselves”.

The mum of two explained the different tickets you can get for the waterpark, which include two, three, and four-hour slots, as well as entire day passes.

The waterpark warns on their website that you cannot get tickets on the door for this attraction, so anyone interested in spending a day out there has to make sure they have booked their slot ahead.

Chloe added that there were good food offerings available at the waterpark, including things like burgers, but that her family opted to bring packed lunches – and there was plenty of space for them to enjoy their little picnic.

There’s also an ice cream stand, which families will definitely make the most of during a hot summer’s day, and Chloe advised that if you are planning on booking a two or three-hour slot, you should make the most of the day out by spending time at the beach next door as well.

She called Splashdown Quaywest the “perfect family day out,” and people in the comments seemed keen to try it out, with many asking for further details, and one user writing: “That’s awesome, looks like it’s abroad.” and another commenting: “Went Monday…I love it’.

A ONCE loved family destination has fallen into ruin with mice running around and mould growing on slides.

A TikToker revealed the eerie insides of the now abandoned waterpark in a haunting video.

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Footage shows the park in Northern Ireland fallen into ruin with mice seen running around where children and families once played.

The water slides that the attraction was once known for are now falling apart and covered in mould.

Left to rot when it was closed down in February 2020 the park has remained untouched since.

Haunting footage shows the once bright and vibrant attraction completely abandoned, dark and damp.

The facilities have all been left frozen in time with abandoned building explorers the only recent visitors.

It seems almost as if people left in a hurry with the park being nearly exactly as it was when it was open.

Social media users were left feeling nostalgic by the footage with many recalling fond memories of Waterworld.

The park has never been put on the market after it was suddenly closed more than five years ago.

TikToker Jaimie, who explores abandoned buildings for fun and shares footage with his followers, recently visited the park.

He has also explored several other abandoned sites across Ireland and has built a following from the videos of his explorations.

Unsettling footage of Waterworld shows a mouse darting across the bottom of an empty pool.

Video also shows clips of the sauna which looks eerily identical to how it did when the site was open.

Waterworld was also home to a bowling alley which was also left abandoned and frozen in time.

The lanes are left dim and unlit, abandoned exactly as they were five years ago.

Bowling balls still sit ready to be rolled having been left in the facility when it was emptied.

The entire facility was left dark with only the torches of the TikToker and his pal to light it.

The local council has been urged to focus on the sale of the abandoned site.

Social media users noted that the centre still looks to be in a semi decent condition.

Local councillors keep an eye on the abandoned leisure centre, asking for updates on the facility.

Jamie’s video received over 180,000 views on TikTok.

Most were left asking if the waterpark would ever open again with the eerie footage sparking a wave of nostalgia.

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A MASSIVE European waterpark has opened a new year-round outdoor pool – and it comes with a massive swim-up bar.

The outdoor pool Svømmepøl is n the Rulantica water world at Europa-Park Resort in Germany.

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It measures around 660sqm and sits inside a Nordic-style ‘volcanic landscape’.

The 32C heated pool is in the ‘Dynstrønd’ area of the park and is the largest open-air pool in Rulantica to date.

It also has several features including geysers, water mist and an infinity area.

In addition, there is a rock cave with bubbling water loungers and a discovery tour with mascot ‘Snorri’ – perfect for little ones.

There is a swim-up bar called ‘Svømme-Bar’ too – which seats 150 guests.

The pool is then surrounded by sun loungers and Nordic vegetation.

Visitors can also get to the outdoor swimming area from the indoor area.

Europa-Park’s owner, Ronald Mack, said: “With ‘Svømmepøl’, we are expanding Rulantica’s year-round offering with a spacious and fascinatingly designed outdoor pool that promises both relaxation and adventure.

“The numerous details and special features create an impressive bathing experience and once again set new standards in innovative water attractions,” reports EAP Magazine.

The pool even took an entire week to fill.

Rulantica first opened in 2019 and in total spans 32,600sqm with 14 themed zones based on Nordic legends including Rangnakor.

There are 50 slides and attractions in total, as well as a wave pool and two swim up bars.

There are a number of other experiences available at the waterpark including evening DJ sets and private relaxation booths and saunas.

Rulantica is operated by Europa-Park, which sits just next door to the waterpark.

There is even a free shuttle that runs between the two attractions.

Tickets to enter Rulantica cost £38.50 and tickets to enter Europa-Park cost £54.

Back in February, Europa-Park celebrated its 50th anniversary and with it, opened a new ride.

Featuring the park’s mice mascots Ed and Edda, the ride is a train journey with an interactive gaming element.

The ride is based on the upcoming film, ‘Grand Prix of Europe‘ – a cartoon film that stars Ed and Edda voiced by Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Gemma Arterton.

Visitors can ride on ‘Grand Prix EDventure’ with Ed and Edda’s racing crew and take a trip across Europe.

There was also a £75million indoor tropical waterpark that nearly opened in the UK.

Plus, the first look at huge new £200million indoor waterpark opening in the UK with aquadrome and adventure zone.

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