Thorpe Park Resort
Staines Road, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 8PN
For readers with children who are thrill seekers (my own, aged 8 and 12 certainly fit this description), Thorpe Park provides a brilliant day out. With over 30 thrilling rides, attractions and live events to enjoy, and conveniently located just 10 miles from Greater London, this theme park has something for everyone, especially catering for those with a touch of the adrenalin junkie about them!
On the day of our visit we arrived early, just as the park opened. Parking is thankfully easy, with a car park large enough to accommodate even the busiest bank holiday. On receiving the park map, we discussed our plan of action and planned to fill our day with rides, rollercoasters and stomach churning fun! The sun was shining, and the kids were very excited.
There are many big rides at this resort to experience, most of which we managed to cover, but I will mention a few of the highlights.
Our first rollercoaster of the day was Colossus; one of Europe’s fastest and tallest rollercoasters, with enough twists and turns to get the adrenalin pumping. This set the pace for the day ahead! It is worth mentioning that, as you would expect on any high velocity ride, there are height restrictions, but these are clearly marked at the ride entrance as well as at other points around the park. Our 8 year old didn’t quite make the grade on this one- but there were other rides for younger children nearby to keep him and my wife happy whilst we waited in the queue.
I am a huge fan of water rides, and there are five here, including the super-soaking, Tidal Wave. We got drenched on this ride, and then again on the walkway exit (the kids then wanted to keep turning back into the tsunami as other riders hit the water!). If you visit on a cold day, you may want to pack a waterproof mac. The Rumba Rapids is an old favourite of mine, and is always exciting as you spin in a raft around a man-made river, hitting the rapids at points and getting sprayed in the process. Logger’s Leap – another favourite, is a traditional log flume, and in my opinion, one of the best in the UK. Storm Surge was a big hit with the kids. A spinning life raft takes you on a 64ft spiraling descent, as you try to keep out (or in if you are 12 years old) the line of water cannon fire!
My wife (and eldest son) braved her only big ride, Stealth, without me! This ride is an imposing sight - visible from all around the park with it’s iconic 200ft arch of steel. It propels you from 0 to 80 mph in 2 seconds. I think I heard her screams on the way round, and the picture was definitely one for the family scrapbook!
My favourite ride was The Swarm. The UK’s first winged rollercoaster spins 180 degrees and plunges 127ft into a series of near misses. The Swarm bursts through a billboard, narrowly missing the wing of a real jumbo and skims past a flaming fire truck. Riders fly at speeds of almost 100km/h and G forces of up to 4.5. We loved it; I cannot wait to go back on it - backwards next time! We really enjoyed SAW – The Ride, but as this is possibly the scariest ride, it is not for the feint hearted. It is the world’s first horror movie themed rollercoaster, and as keen as I was to find out what lay in store, I didn’t want to brave it alone!
Neptune’s Beach is a sandy beach with a huge paddling pool, fountains and slides –perfect for the summer and a great option if you need to take a break while the kids cool down.
The park feels large, but is easy to navigate. Huge electronic billboards helpfully tell you the latest queuing times for the most popular rides to help you get the most from your day. There are also various options to avoid the inevitable queues, including fast track passes, which you can purchase on the day. There are many options for food and drink, and of course, plenty of gift shops for treats, sweets and memorabilia.
I still don’t know what to make of the new I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here ‘ride’. It’s a little bonkers, rushed and apparently needs a little tweaking to improve the experience. We were laughing so much on exiting, with mild bemusement, that we actually got lost!
We met some visitors who had also enjoyed the prior evening in the relatively new onsite hotel, Thorpe Shark Hotel; perfect for those travelling from further afield. We didn’t go in, but it looked like fun. This is a guaranteed fun family day out, and a real treat for the kids. Our kids were absolutely raving about it, and spent the whole day asking when we could come back. My wife and I were impressed too, having not been to the park for over 15 years. The park is well-kept and maintained, and set in attractive landscaped grounds, making it a really great environment to enjoy the aforementioned thrills. Needless to say, you will return from your day completely exhausted, but full of memories.
Nearest train station is Staines – 32 minutes from London Waterloo, and a shuttle link between the station and the Resort runs every 12-15minutes. StandardDaypassesarefrom £24.99 online (on the day passes are £49.99); Annual passes, two-day tickets and Fasttrack tickets can be purchased. For further information visit: www.thorpepark.com.
