When will the next new theme park open in the UK?

[T0M]

The last one was Fantasy Island in 1995 as I recall?

I'm talking about one of a reasonable size, at least that of Pleasure or Fantasy Island!

Probably not too likely in this recession but as we're coming out of it now, surely one is overdue? I imagine one in the north east would be quite successful, seems to be a big gap in the market between M&Ds in Scotland and Lightwater/Flamingo in North Yorkshire.

 

[ciallkennett]

I don't think the UK will see a "new" theme park for many years to come.

I can see this for many reasons: -

1) The dominance of Merlin Parks - they literally take millions of visitors a year, something that most other parks cannot compete with. Most people have heard of Thorpe, Alton, Chessie etc, but mention a Paultons or a M&Ds, and nobody has a clue. To get into that large scale market would be very difficult, even for the best of theme parks.

2) Recession - A somewhat shorter term problem, but who would want to start such a large businesses and investment in such insecure financial times? A fool.

3) The need for additional parks - I know us enthusiasts would love to see a new park open, but there are more than enough theme parks to satisfy the public. Opening up a new one is not exactly going to change the theme park business much at all, if any.

I think that instead of seeing new parks open, we will see rapid expansion of other parks. Paultons, for example, is one park that wants to expand and become a much more national rather than regional theme park. It has stability, history and investment to do this.

Flamingoland is a good example of how a relatively small park can develop well and expand in just a few years. I believe it will continue to expand further, possibly becoming a major competition for some Merlin parks in a few years time.

So, in short, not in the new few years, not for a long time.

 

[Ben]

Over the last decade or so there has been a *couple* of sort-of plans to build parks in this country, which have never happened.

The most prominent one is that one of the original plans for Parque Warner Madrid was that it was to be built near Rugby, next to where the M6 and M1 join. Which would be a perfect location for it. There's some large, flat fields that used to be used for radio masts that would have been perfect. Except they deceided on Madrid. And that worked out well for them... Now, I can't actually give you links or anything to prove this, so, you'll have to believe me, I know because my Dad is a civil engineer and he was working on the plans for it.

There was also plans for a sort of indoor water park mixing slides and rides, which had plans for a Mack Water Coaster around 2002-ish, but, this never happened either, can't remember why. Again, Dad was working on it.

So, to be honest with you, there ARE new parks that are in the pipeline every now and again, everyone just realises the UK does NOT need another new park so doesn't bother...

 

[kimahri]

I imagine one in the north east would be quite successful.

AYE LIKE!

 

[Mike]

The last one was Fantasy Island in 1995 as I recall

Legoland Windsor?
1996 according to Wikipedia, and I'm sure there must have been at least one random park somewhere that's opened since. Does anybody know when Old Macdonald's Farm in Brentwood opened, for instance?

There will be new parks open in time, but I think it's far more likely for a current small park to expand to accomodate a larger market. If it didn't have such limited space, I reckon somewhere like Adventure Island would be at least double the size as what it is now!

 

[Nic]

Yeah, depends what you count as a theme park. The last Diggerland park opened in 2007 (their West Yorkshire one in Castleford). The first one started 10 years ago in the car park of their offices, and they've now grown to 4 proper half decent parks.

 

[Ian]

Dickens World opened in 2007 and cost £62million of private money.

I honestly can't see anybody wanting to take a gamble and create a new park.

What I do think we'll see over the next few years is the development of existing small, off-radar parks and attractions.

 

[Xpress]

Only a gambler would take a chance and open up another theme park right now. Who knows? If they get a good solid foundation right away, and get a great assortment of rides, then it might be very successful.

It would have to be quite the opposite as Hard Rock Park, or as they now call it, "Freestyle Music Park", which last I checked hasn't been very successful.

 

[Nic]

Dickens World looks dreadful. I've not actually been in, granted. I have however seen and heard about a lot of promo (working for another attraction just up the road, Dad got to know a lot about it). At Christmas last year, they had a bunch of the animatronic figures in the cinema nextdoor, and they scared the crap out of me. As do the ones on the big clock thing out the front of it. There's a nice Chinese buffet next door though.

Thing is, as its vaguely educational, there will always be a market for school trips. Same goes for places like the Canterbury Tales Experience (which I was forced to troop round in yr7), and the Jorvik Viking Centre etc etc...

I agree that we'll probably see more investment at some of the smaller parks. I hope they don't then over-spend and put themselves out of business. Obviously there's Paultons and their latest development. Then there's the 'new' coaster at the Cornwall Crealy park. I'd also really like to see what Milky Way comes up with next. They've made some smart investments over the past few years (mainly the Zyklon and the Big Apple), and I get the feeling they're not done yet... It'd be quite nice to see them get a couple of flats. Mind you, they'd have to be suitably quirky to fit with the rest of the park. Their USP is also that the vast majority of the park is indoors and it'd also be a shame to detract from that. But yeah, like I say, it'd be nice to see what else they can come up with especially if it involves another trip to B&Q for some more blackboard paint and fairy lights! <3