Where is your local park and how often do you visit?

[AaronWaugh]

Hi guys. With all of us being into theme parks, I’m sure most of us know where our nearest theme park is, or our “local park” so to speak. Whether you visit it often or it’s somewhere you don’t really pay much attention to, we all have one. With this in mind, I’d be really interested to know; where is your local park and how often do you visit? Do you pay a lot of attention to your home park, or is it somewhere that you largely ignore?

Personally, I live in Gloucestershire in the UK, so I’m in the no man’s land of major theme parks better known as the South West of England. As such, my answer might be a tad more complicated than for those of you who are lucky enough to have a major park close by!

My answer honestly depends on how you classify “local park”:

• If you’re going with “the operating place closest to my home that has an RCDB file”, then the honour goes to Symonds Yat Leisure Park in Whitchurch, Herefordshire, which apparently once housed a Zamperla Powered Coaster (https://rcdb.com/6389.htm). This park is just 10 miles due north of my house as the crow flies, and I can reach it in a 15 mile, or just over 30 minute, drive. I’ve never been, and I honestly debate whether it’s still “operating” in the sense that RCDB thinks it is seeing as it’s now mostly a caravan park, although there is still a hedge maze and butterfly house around there. Incidentally, I passed near this park a lot in my driving lessons, as Whitchurch was just off the dual carriageway used by my test centre, and I even did a parallel park in a lay-by very close to it in one of my driving tests!
• If you’re going with “the operating park closest to my home with somewhat of a selection of permanent rides”, then I’d probably give that honour to Brean Theme Park in Somerset (https://rcdb.com/4862.htm), which is 34 miles due southwest of my house as the crow flies, and I can reach it in a 52 mile, or roughly 1 hour, drive. I’ve only been to Brean once, and it took me until last year to get there. I wouldn’t call it an overly major park, and I wouldn’t say that any of the rides are the sort of thing you’d want to go to for anything other than to tick off the creds, if I’m being honest; all 3 of the credits were one-and-dones, for me, and now I’ve ticked them off, I don’t feel any desire to revisit Brean unless they build a new ride of some note.
• If you’re going with “the semi-major operating park closest to my home”, I’d probably give the honour to Drayton Manor in Tamworth, Staffordshire (https://rcdb.com/4803.htm), which is 73 miles due northeast of my house as the crow flies, and I can reach it in a 93 mile, or roughly 1h 45m, drive. Paultons Park in Romsey, Hampshire (https://rcdb.com/4819.htm) is 5 miles closer as the crow flies, but awkward road layouts mean that it takes 116 miles, and a good 2 hours, to drive to. Drayton was actually the first park I ever visited back in 2008, but only I’ve been to Drayton on three separate occasions altogether, in 2008, 2018 and 2022 respectively. A fourth visit is planned for later this year to go and check out Gold Rush. Drayton isn’t a bad park by any means, and I do always enjoy my visits there, but it’s not somewhere I feel massively compelled to return to regularly in the absence of new major investment as it’s increasingly not overly targeted towards my demographic. The park is certainly prospering at the moment, however, and I look forward to seeing what its future holds!

It’s interesting to me that my “local” parks are not places I’ve visited all that much. Drayton is my most visited of the lot, but even that doesn’t stack up very highly in the visit count compared to other parks I’ve been to; my most visited UK park by some margin is Alton Towers, which I’ve spent 43 days in cumulatively and is not exactly local, at a good 2.5 hour, 120 mile drive away!

But I’d be really interested to know; where is your local park, and how often do you visit?

six flags over Georgia!! I visit at least a couple of times a year.

 

[Underthisduvet]

This is a really old thread but enjoyed reading.Is nice to discover old topics like this
My nearest park was Flambards until it closed for good.I do feel some sadness about that.Drayton Manor also unofficially felt like a local park as I have family who live that way.I think I have been to Drayton about four or five times.Am pleased I got to experience Shockwave as a standup but am a little gutted I never got to ride Apocalypse,it was added after my last visit!
Flambards for me was a special park although I didn't fully appreciate it until later.Flambards may not have had the thrill rides but it had a lot of character.The Victorian village was beautiful,like a land all of its own.So much care and attention to detail went into creating it.I know it is part of a show somewhere else now but can't imagine anyone else doing it justice.Britain in the Blitz was great too.My cousin and I also used to love the vertical drop slides in another part of park and the science area.The Hornet roller coaster too was a good family Coaster

 

[Eggroll]

Six Flags New England is my home park, it's about an hour and a half away from me. I just got a premier pass during the Labor Day sale this year and have visited once, planning on going again this weekend. Realistically I see myself going around 8 times a year. I'm also pretty similarly close to Canobie Lake Park which I'll visit once a year just because they only have 3 coasters, one of which is a kiddie ride, but I like Canobie's selection of flat rides better than Six Flags' and they have some nice live entertainment and that park is just beautiful. Both parks are good in their own ways, but Six Flags NE has more for me to enjoy on frequent repeat visits I think.

 

[Flash Shift]

Drayton Manor is my closest, probably about a half hour away from me driving. I did use to live a bit closer growing up though. I've also got Alton Towers about an hour away, mostly on winding roads.

I've done both parks a lot - Drayton was a yearly or more occurence as a teenager, but I went only once in the past 15 or so years and haven't been back for a long time. Looking to do that now with all the changes.

I've done Alton Towers twice in 3 years, gonna give it a miss for a bit now unless they build a new coaster.

On one hand I should feel blessed, on the other I am jealous of all the Londoners who get to be able to easy fly literally anywhere to go on coasters without it being a massive faff. Birmingham Airport isn't that far few me either, but it's more limited than the London ones.

Going to update this since I moved house last time I posted.

I'm a bit further away now. According to Google maps, both Alton Towers and Drayton Manor are around 41 miles away, but Drayton would be quicker to get to by about half an hour. I can't be sure though, I haven't been to either park since I moved. Probably won't for a bit, I don't have a pressing need to visit either. Alton Towers is going downhill and becoming less appealing with the extra distance, while Drayton Manor isn't impressive enough to make me want to repeatedly return these days. It seems like a mistake for a coaster enthusiast to move further away from basically everywhere except for Wales, but it has its upsides.

 

[Bowser]

Our nearest (in journey time anyway) is Adventure Island in Southend. I'd say we visit about 5 or 6 times a year. It's a nice option to have as a last minute park knowing there are almost never long queues, certainly not at the start of the day so can pop down for a few hours if the weather is good.

Technically i think Thorpe Park is virtually the same distance (both 30 miles) but its typically a much longer journey due to the M25.

Universal will be a similar distance so looking forward to that becoming our local park of sorts!

 

[VonRolland]

Alton Towers, maybe once a year