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Best Theme Park in the UK??

andrus said:
Martyn B said:
andrus said:
It's just that Alton is set really far away and hard to get to
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So one of your reasons for Thorpe being a better theme park is that Alton is hard to get to...?
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Yes, I don't think location should be ignored as a factor. When I visited both Alton and Thorpe last year I only got to spend 6 hours at Alton due to it's bad location (takes forever to get there with public transportation) while I spent 10 hours at Thorpe which I think was one of the major contributing factors to why I had a better time at Thorpe :)
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I can understand 6 hours being an issue with Alton, but 10 hours at Thorpe is like 10 hours of Chinese water torture. I'm usually ready to slit my wrists after about an hour at Thorpe. It's just so "meh".

A theme park is about everything, not just how many rides you can cram into the day (IMO). A theme park is about having a day where you enjoy yourself, taking yourself away from the norm (and getting in a few rides while you're at it).

Busch Williamsburg doesn't have a great number of rides, but it's just a superb place to hang around and enjoy being removed from the world. Alton is along the same line. Thorpe? It's like a shopping mall... Crowded, bland and doesn't really offer anything you can't find elsewhere...
 
Alton Towers without doubt. Even if we no longer get free parking.

I heard an interview of somebody who wrote some books on Disney World say that Alton Towers is the closest to a 'Disney feel' park that he has ever been to. I think that pretty much sums it up.
 
alton towers for me too - just has a magical feeling matched by very few other parks.

however - I think some of the criticisms of thorpe are unjustified - their reliability has improved over the last seasson or two, and I've never seen any behaviour worse than a little queue jumping I always manage to have a fun day there.
 
Basically, but not, Alton Towers can (or can't) be at its best at worst. The reason if not being is because it contains but not, many attraction that do but don't. Thorpe Park similarly does but doesn't too however, it can but wont in its perceptual manor towards roller coasters but not.

So all in all, but not entirely, it can but wont (although it should) be Alton Towers as Best UK theme park. So that for me is but probably isn't, however most definitely is, the best park we have for me but you.
 
Alton Towers for many reasons.

1 - It's home to one of the world's greatest rollercoasters 'Nemesis'.

2- It's home to the world's first Dive Machine (or world's first vertical drop coaster to some extent...) 'Oblivion'.

3 - It's home to the world's first flyer (again to some extent, if you don't count the Dutchman's) 'Air'.

4 - It's a very contemporary and unique park, there's not many parks that contain 180 feet drops built below tree level?

5 - It's beautiful, the landscape is outstanding, I can't name another park that comes close in terms of such beautiful landscaping.

6 - Then there's Rita (sigh...) and Th13teen (sigh...) but the park overall is truly amazing!

I also give credit to Pleasure Beach for it's pure nostalgic factor, yes it's a giant fun fair, but holds some of the countries most treasured rollercoasters! Depends on what you prefer, pure-modern perfection or the old-fashioned way :)
 
JTRCBOY97 said:
Ritas theme is a bit, lousy but Th13teens theme is great in the queue line.
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It's not the theming that's the problem, I actually think Rita is one of the best looking coasters in the country, the trains, colour scheme, and simple little things such as the smooth Intamin tri-track, and the way it's travelling above peoples heads is great! It's just not exactly a very good ride, the launch is above average, the layout is awful, it can be very rough on some transitions (specifically the first banked turn), and when you look at Nemesis, Oblivion and AIR, Rita pales in comparison. It does the park little justice, as it simply doesn't live up to the 3 B&M's, there's nothing exactly special about Rita, there's plenty of launch coaster's out there, Alton Towers had a reputation for innovation and Rita is a major exception. Rita isn't a terrible ride, put it in a smaller park like Drayton Manor it will fit in great!

Don't get me started about Th13teen, I fear Alton Towers may gradually lose what was so special back in there golden years, if Thorpe can do something magical and kick up to shape, maybe we'll be seeing a new definate UK number one park.
 
If you want to go and keep on going on the extreme coasters then Thorpe is best.
If you want the whole park experience then Alton is best.
Alton is the winner for me. :wink:
 
I would have said alton towers before 2005 but ever since Rita they've skimped out on rides big time. 15 million on Thirteen? Oblivion cost 12 million and its miles better despite being just over a minute long. Altons focus still remains 'family orientated'..

Whereas thorpe park have bought a good selection of quality rides over the past decade and have more to come..
 
^ Really? I think Alton has improved a lot since 2004 (which was its worst year IMO). You may argue that Rita and Thirteen are crap, which is justified, but a launched coaster at Alton couldn't be much else due to all the restrictions, and Thirteen does a good job of filling the gap between the Kiddie rides and the major rides. Of course, a lot of people (and what suprises me the most, a lot of enthusiasts) bought into the marketing and expected more.

Even though Ug Land was fab in its own way, nobody can say that Rita and Thirteen aren't a step-up from what was there before - a rough Vekoma clone and a few ghetto flats.

Then there's the Merry England revamp, which wasn't totally amazing but gave the area a new lease of life.

I'm not saying Alton is perfect, and it has lost some of its Magic, but then again I've been going since I was a kid so remember it being better than it probably was.

In 2004 the park was a dump, and in my opinion it feels more Disney-esque today than it has in a long time.
 
I actually think Rita is a quality ride, my post was supposed to indicate that Rita, in my opinion, was the park's last decent ride.

Oh, and agreed, Corkscrew was horrible to ride. A good classic though..
 
Alton, even though they are really pissing me off lately.

For such a massive corporation that has scrimped back on what they put back into the place (despite making so much) over the past 9 years is absolutley pathetic, and it annoys me that it still has the reputation it has despite being nowhere near the standard that it once was hitting.

Thorpe Park would be brilliant if they could nail the atmosphere and some family rides. It nails the atmosphere sometimes but not most of the time for me, and a good 'thrill' park has good thrill rides for everybody, not just those over 1.4m. Take a look at Cedar Point if you will.

Blackpool is getting ever closer for me. If it wasn't for Nickleodeon Land I would not be saying that at all, but they have shown commitment and investment and it really does offer something for everyone. I believe that, as a family, we enjoy Blackpool more than any other park in the country. Sure, at Chessington we can all do everything together, but at least Blackpool offers some thrills as well as a hell of a lot of decent family rides. This year, that's about to increase significantly obviously.

Lightwater Valley is a fantastic cheeky beast too. Not to the scale of these larger parks, but deserves a mention.
 
Alton Towers just cause it is sooo fun, but Thorpe park for scary rides, and Chessington for second place theming
 
Best Thrill Park: Thorpe Park
Best Family Park: Alton Towers
Best Kids Theme Park: Legoland Windsor
overall I cant decide between Alton Towers and Thorpe Park
 
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