I suppose I have to start this post off by calling it an advert, because during my most recent visit for the Paultons Park Theme Park Super Fans Day, we were given tickets to enter the park. However, if we’d gone there and had a terrible day, I’d absolutely tell you that too (anyone remember our trip to Drayton Manor YEARS ago?). So whilst the tickets were free, they haven’t paid for my opinion. But yes, I can confirm that right now…
Paultons Park is the UK’s BEST Theme Park
Now, I know that statement might send a LOT of theme park enthusiasts into a frothing, raging frenzy. There will be shouts of “BUT THEY HAVE NO INVERTING COASTERS!” or “THE RIDES AREN’T THRILLING ENOUGH!!1” etc. You have to remember an often forgotten thing in our community – theme parks aren’t made just for enthusiasts – we are a tiny proportion of the customer base. Ultimately, we’re often the ones screaming the loudest with our opinions, but in the grand scheme of things, our patronage to theme parks is very little. So, calm down a little, and listen to what I have to say.
To start with, getting into the park was a breeze. The entrance plaza is vast and welcoming. There’s a little coffee shop on the outside too, so if you’re waiting for friends and family you can grab a drink and something to eat. The staff at the turnstiles were friendly and engaging. While there are security checks, it doesn’t feel overbearing or threatening. Once through the turnstiles, you’ve got a gift shop to your left and the Wild Forest restaurant to your right. Straight ahead is the route into the park.
First Impressions
Walking into the park for the first time, you get a feel of what to expect. It’s beautifully presented, immaculately clean, and it’s really hard to describe, but it has such a positive vibe. It’s clear to the owners of Paultons that first impressions are very important, and they’ve nailed it. You’re not instantly being upsold something (I hope you’re listening, Merlin!); you just step into the park and feel positive and excited – as it should be. Once further in, you can see and appreciate the beautiful gardens. Again, everything is clearly meticulously looked after.
Ghostly Manor – New for 2025
Right by the entrance is the new ride for 2025 – Ghostly Manor. A ride I’d seen a lot about on social media – the whole construction has been documented and presented by Lawrence Mancey. Something that’s very rare in the UK theme park industry – it’s refreshing to see a ride build shared so openly. Usually, nerds have to resort to waving cameras over construction fences, flying drones overhead, or hassling staff for the latest scoop. Paultons did things differently by posting regular updates that built excitement but didn’t ruin the experience. I really hope they continue this for the developments coming in 2026 (more on that later!).
Ghostly Manor is a triumph – a fantastic dark ride that is thrilling and fun. It’s more “spoopy” than “spooky”. It feels like an old-school ghost train but uses cutting-edge technology. It reminded me a lot of Maus au Chocolat at Phantasialand. The use of screens and projection is a real positive – they can alter scenes if needed to keep the ride fresh, without spending a tonne of money.
The ride building and surrounding area are beautifully themed and definitely feel like you’re stepping into an old manor (satellite dish on the roof aside). The actual footprint of the building is relatively small, but the clever spinning Mack Rides system uses it all so well. It would be great to see more rides like this in the UK – dark rides are perfect for our climate. The more we have, the better.
No – It’s Not Just Peppa Pig World
I wish I had the time and capacity to go through every ride and themed area in this post in great nerdy detail – but I won’t, because it would be really dull. Something that’s really important to note is that Paultons Park isn’t just Peppa Pig World. A lot of people don’t seem to realise that Paultons is actually a lot more than the home of everyone’s favourite cartoon pig family. Whilst that area is large, wonderfully themed, and perfect for younger adventurers, Paultons is so much more than that.
If you’ve got tiny kids, then yes, you’ll spend a lot of time there, but around the whole park, you’ll find a vast selection of rides and attractions for them too. However, if you’ve got older kids, teenagers, or you’re an adult, there are some great rides as well.
Tornado Springs was a Statement of Intent
The Tornado Springs area of the park – home to Storm Chaser, Cyclonator, Farmyard Flyer, Buffalo Falls, Windmill Towers and plenty more – is the park’s newest area (Ghostly Manor aside). It felt like a big turning point in the history of Paultons Park. It is beautifully themed, very immersive, and the headline rides here – Storm Chaser and Cyclonator – are a little more grown-up than Paultons have installed before. They’re a family theme park that wants to entertain and thrill the whole family, not just the little ones – and that seems to be the plan going forward too.
Coming in 2026 – Valgard: Realm of the Vikings
The only area of the park that felt a little left behind is right on the boundary. It’s got Cobra – a fun Gerstlauer Bobsled ride – Edge (a pretty standard Zamperla Disc’O), and Magma (an SBF Visa Group drop tower). This area is next to get a significant upgrade (already underway) and will become Valgard: Realm of the Vikings in 2026. Edge is relocating outside the area, Magma is leaving (and off to another UK theme park).
Cobra is being rethemed as Raven, but even more excitingly, they’re getting a new rollercoaster called Drakon. Drakon is a Gerstlauer Eurofighter, similar to Rage at Southend, SAW at Thorpe Park, and The Smiler at Alton Towers. It’s designed to be interlinked with Raven and will feature a vertical lift hill – it’s going to be Paultons Park’s first ever inverted coaster. Once again, they’re slowly increasing the number of thrilling rides for older or braver guests. As well as this, they’re adding Vild Swing – a 12-metre-high Art Wild Swing. It’s like a smaller Huss Top Spin that doesn’t invert – so it should be fun for all the family.
The Food at Paultons Park Is Actually GOOD
With the flood of Aramark food into all the UK Merlin parks, the quality of food for us has rapidly decreased while the prices have skyrocketed. At a Merlin park, you’re effectively being served prison food at insane prices. Thankfully, Paultons have got the food and drink offering spot on. There’s a whole range of places to eat, serving different food. The prices are fair, and it’s actually good.
It’s really hard being vegetarian or vegan in a theme park, but Paultons actually seem to offer a good selection for us plant-based folks too. I don’t tend to eat much at a theme park – food and being thrown about on rides doesn’t really suit me – but every eatery we passed had a decent menu, plant-based options, and felt unique.
Bringing Your Own Food? No Problem!
For whatever reason, a lot of families don’t necessarily want to buy food at a theme park and will bring their own picnic. Many UK theme parks aren’t big fans of this and offer minimal seating for guests bringing lunch. Paultons had lots of benches and seats for you to take a load off and eat if you want to.
As someone who was once less mobile, seeing so many places to sit down was fantastic. I even saw someone actively cleaning them – I know that should be standard, but quite often, it isn’t.
General Cleanliness and Maintenance
Going to Paultons Park is eye-opening for many reasons, but one of the big ones is the general cleanliness and maintenance. It all just looks so good – we’re talking Disney levels of love and care. Everything looks spotless. You walk into the toilets and they don’t look like a scene from SAW. There’s no litter, mess or graffiti. The landscaping is excellent and well cared for. I didn’t even see a ride down – actually, no – Cyclonator had some downtime due to, erm, an unwell guest…
As well as caring about the environment in Paultons Park, they clearly care about the environment in general. They’ve invested heavily into solar power and battery storage. The once-empty roofs of rides and buildings are slowly gaining solar panels, which means that on a bright, sunny day, the entire Tornado Springs area can be powered by solar. It would be great to see other parks following Paultons’ lead!
Queues? What Are Those?
Paultons Park actually mention on their website that you don’t need Fastrack tickets because the queues are short – and I have to agree. Both times I’ve visited, the queue times have been tiny.
I am a real Fastrack Princess – I’ll happily stump up cash to get as many rides done as possible in a day. But I don’t think I waited more than 10 minutes for any ride – even the brand-new Ghostly Manor. The staff were absolutely flying with dispatches, keeping lines as short as possible. We could’ve lapped the park several times over – perfect!
Free Parking
Paultons Park don’t charge you to park your car. That’s becoming very rare – even smaller parks like Pleasurewood Hills charge for parking. Paultons Park, so far at least, do not – and it’s so refreshing. Chessington (a park that aims at the same demographic as Paultons) will charge you £12.50 to drive there now. Visiting a theme park isn’t cheap, and not having a car parking charge on top is a welcome relief.
Okay… There Is Something Paultons Park Could Do Better
I suppose I should mention something that did make me a teeny bit sad about my trip to Paultons Park – the merchandise. I really wanted to come away with a nice big Paultons Park mug, maybe a T-shirt too. However, I found the merch offering a little lacking. Most of the mugs were standard size, and the clothing selection wasn’t great (for adults at least!). If Paultons Park pushed the boat out a bit more with their merch – it would be perfect.
So yes, Paultons Park isn’t perfect, but right now, it is absolutely the BEST theme park in the UK.
