Your Earliest Theme Park Memory

[Nicky Borrill]

My earliest theme park memory is from the 80's, I think, and strangely, it's not from Alton Towers or American Adventure!!!

I was extremely young, too young to go on most of the rides. It was a cold autumn day, freezing in fact, and my mum (who used to absolutely love theme parks before she was wheelchair bound and in her 70s, bless her ) had hired a minibus to take the family, and friends, to Blackpool illuminations. We had spent most of the day in the newly opened Sand Castles water park. From inside there you could see a log flume. I'm a bit hazy though, so I'm not sure if it was one at the Pleasure Beach, or a small one on or near the pier. But I remember thinking all day that it looked too high, and was terrifying. I just wanted to stay in the wave pool all day.

Anyway, others, including my mum, couldn't wait to get to the Pleasure Beach, for some early evening and late night fun. I remember the wind being so strong on the walk to the park that me and some of the other youngsters were using our coats behind our heads as parachutes.

Once we got to the park it was still so cold and windy. We spent most of the time doing indoor rides. The first ride I remember riding was River Caves. I know this, because I remember being terrified when somebody told me that it was 'like the log flume and had a drop at the end.' So I don't remember much of the indoor bit, as I spent most of it worrying about when the drop was going to come. But I do remember actually really enjoying the drop once it came to it.

I also remember really enjoying the Alice in Wonderland ride on the same trip. As well as another indoor ride, that I thought was a coaster, but apparently it wasn't. You could watch it from an indoor cafe, I seem to remember it being kind of gold mine themed... And I can't for the life of me remember what it was called, or find any record of it on any archives...

Anyway, I'm off to try and figure out what that ride was, sure somebody has told me before, but I've forgotten...

Oops, nearly forgot to say, that trip became an annual tradition into the late 90s, happy memories.

Edited to add: So it was 'Goldmine' apparently it's where W&G is now. Although I am 100% certain it could be viewed from the inside of a cafe / bar that shared the building, and I can't quite compute where that might be nowadays...

 

[Libby_Liz]

Most of my early memories of rides are from trips to Clarence Pier with my grandparents (I later learned that they met there), West Mids Safari Park and various Butlins holidays with my dad. I was always the one pushing to go to places with any form of ride, I wasn't picky really and I was probably that really annoying kid pestering for another go.

No idea where this was taken but that's me in the front back when I was blonde.



My first real memories of a 'proper' theme park are from Drayton Manor. My dad lived in Germany when I was growing up so we didn't see him often but when we did, without fail, I would try to get him to take us somewhere I could get my fix - much to my sister's dismay! Drayton Manor was about 45 mins away so it was an easy target. I vividly remember making a random suggestion to him one weekend that we go and to my surprise he agreed. I remember feeling so smug as he bought us wristbands and so excited for a day at the park and that would almost certainly involve curly fries for lunch (it did). I have loads of generic memories of various rides (the Buffalo cred, the fun house, some kind of awful parachute drop thing) but my standout memory of being excited for a cred was when I saw the artwork go up on the fencing for Shockwave when I was about 8, I remember walking through the park to the rapids and seeing the build site and being really confused and curious abut how a stand up roller coaster would work. I spent all year waiting for it to open, and probably even longer until I was tall enough to ride it and then when I finally did I pushed the 'seat' bit too far down and I was almost sitting anyway. Fail!

 

[TilenB]

My first time visiting a theme park was in late 1999 (I was about 2 and a half years old back then) when we went to Gardaland with my aunt and cousin. While I don't remember much of it, I kind of feel there's an image of a Coca-Cola sponsored mist machine just next to one of the big coasters ingrained somewhere in my memory. There's also a photo of all of us riding the log flume and according to my parents we also did Ortobruco Tour on that visit making that particular coaster my first ever cred.

I do remember a bit more from our second visit to the park in 2002. I was reportedly very quiet for the most part of our 5 hour-ish drive to Lake Garda, only asking about how much of the drive we had left when we were already some 20 minutes from our destination. My dad naturally said that we should be there any minute, which resulted in me asking the 'are we there, yet?' every other minute or so. I think the stuff I remember from our actual visit was mostly about riding my first inverting coaster - Magic Mountain and keeping my head down all the way from the top of the lift hill to the brakes and running around those water fountains like a possessed maniac. It was also fairly soon after my dad bought his first digital camera, so here's this photo of me riding the kiddie drop tower with my mum.

 

[Rachel]

Mini me at Thorpe Park (I’m the little girl in the red coat) . I don’t specifically remember this moment but I do vaguely remember eating doughnuts at some point during this day.

My first “solid” memory from a park however is wimping out of Depth Charge at the top when I was around 8 or 9.

 

[Boodangy]

Being a baby/toddler in the early 00's and getting scared by the demon face with glowing eyes that they for some reason have on the old kiddie carousel at my home park of Linnanmäki.

 

[Heth]

My earliest theme park memories are the drop into the dragon's mouth on Dragon Falls and being scared by Terror Tomb (particularly the sarcophagus scene) at Chessington World of Adventures. It saddens me that both of these are only memories now as both have been removed.

 

[gavin]

While Rhyl Ocean Beach was hardly a theme park, it's that place.

We went a few times when I was a kid, so it's difficult to pin things down exactly, but earliest memories are standing next to the glass, watching the splashdown on the wooden thing (didn't ride it until I was a bit older) and some dark ride themed to the Faraway Tree books, which was probably totally s**t, but I adored it.

 

[Howie]

earliest memories are standing next to the glass, watching the splashdown on the wooden thing

The Water Chute! Loved that thing. Just think, when you were standing next to the glass, that could've been me riding it over and over again! Did you happen to see a thoroughly bored looking Welshman in brown flares standing nearby? That was probably my dad! Maybe, just maybe... we've already met?
Ok realistically, I suspect the age difference between us (if there is one, dunno how old you are) makes that highly unlikely, but, y'know... just think.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

View attachment 15420

Mini me at Thorpe Park (I’m the little girl in the red coat) . I don’t specifically remember this moment but I do vaguely remember eating doughnuts at some point during this day.

My first “solid” memory from a park however is wimping out of Depth Charge at the top when I was around 8 or 9.

No curly fries!!!!

BTW the link in your signature doesn't work. Is it a blog, I do enjoy a blog.

 

[JoshC.]

No curly fries!!!!

Judging by the background, that's from when Rocky Express was in Octopus Garden, and that doughnut place is now the Donut Factory.

The curly fries were very expensive and overrated anyway

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Judging by the background, that's from when Rocky Express was in Octopus Garden, and that doughnut place is now the Donut Factory.

The curly fries were very expensive and overrated anyway

I've never had them

It's a fun meme though.

 

[gavin]

The Water Chute! Loved that thing. Just think, when you were standing next to the glass, that could've been me riding it over and over again! Did you happen to see a thoroughly bored looking Welshman in brown flares standing nearby? That was probably my dad! Maybe, just maybe... we've already met?
Ok realistically, I suspect the age difference between us (if there is one, dunno how old you are) makes that highly unlikely, but, y'know... just think.

A bored-looking Welshman in brown trousers? Could've been any bloke in North Wales in the '80s.

I think I finally got on the water chute when I was about 7 or 8. It always looked so huge, but then again so did Jet Stream, the crappy Pinfari, back then.

I'll be 42 in a couple of months. Kill me.

 

[Howie]

A bored-looking Welshman in brown trousers? Could've been any bloke in North Wales in the '80s.

I think I finally got on the water chute when I was about 7 or 8. It always looked so huge, but then again so did Jet Stream, the crappy Pinfari, back then.

I'll be 42 in a couple of months. Kill me.

48 in April sooo... it's a stretch, but let's say you were watching the Water Chute at 5 or 6, and I was riding it aged 10 or 11 then... maybe?
There's a distinct possibility that Jet Stream was my very first cred. Certainly don't remember riding anything before that. It looked soooo big at the time.

 

[rob666]

About half a century ago, the Cyclone at Southport was the carrot, dangled in thin air, that was offered if I behaved well all day at our rented beach hut at Ainsdale, a two minute drive down the beach.
I found it difficult to behave well for more than a few minutes at a time, it was a real challenge.
If I started to get a bit moody, my sister would walk me down the beach and point to the coaster on the skyline, it usually did the trick.

Next, my first park model.
None of your computer virtual crap, Hot Wheels cars and track...the big new thing!
I made the Blackpool FunHouse and rides out of plasticine model clay in a shoebox, the Turnpike (now Grand Prix) out of Scalextric, and an old clockwork railway did the rough route of the Pleasure Beach Express.

No surprise that a couple of decades later, I was using coasters as a reward scheme for the group of kids in my care.
I had a nice few years being paid to take young people on coasters most weekends through the season, often doing Southport and the Cyclone, telling the tale from when I was a kid.

Fifty years of happy clappy freakery geekery that remains undiminished.

 

[Will]

So, my head is continuing to think mostly in pop-culture references, because the 'curly fries' chat simply sent my mind here...

And yeah, @Nicky Borrill - you're right about Goldmine. It was ****, but it went through the same cafe River Caves does.

Apparently, my friend who inspired this topic didn't go to a park until she was in her teens. I was a bit put out that she had nothing fun to contribute

 

[gavin]

48 in April sooo... it's a stretch, but let's say you were watching the Water Chute at 5 or 6, and I was riding it aged 10 or 11 then... maybe?
There's a distinct possibility that Jet Stream was my very first cred. Certainly don't remember riding anything before that. It looked soooo big at the time.

I'm fairly certain that mine was that powered mine train thing. It's certainly the first one I remember. If we're not counting powered coasters, then I think it was the big apple at Camelot. Jet Stream came a bit later.

 

[furie]

Edited to add: So it was 'Goldmine' apparently it's where W&G is now. Although I am 100% certain it could be viewed from the inside of a cafe / bar that shared the building, and I can't quite compute where that might be nowadays...

The Blue Lagoon Cafe (I think). It shared a viewing platform over Goldmine and Rive Caves. I think it's boarded off now - can't let customers have a peak at the rides for free!!! The cafe is on the top of the hill just above Ghost Train.

Wow, where do I start? I can't nail a single, clear theme park memory. I don't have any time in my brain that doesn't contain small roundabout rides or a water chute.

My Grandad (never rode rides) used to take us on days out when we stayed with him over holidays. He took us to Belle Vue (my sister fell in the penguin enclosure - she claims still to this day I pushed her.... probably did) and the Costa-Del-Scouse (The Holy Trinity of Prestatyn, Rhyl and Towyn. There were also annual "bus" trips (my Dad worked in the local bus depot, and they ran family trips out often) to Southport, Blackpool and Alton Towers.

I also used to spend a week in Kent at my Auntie's house in Maidstone.

This is all when I was very young, 1977-1979. My Grandad had a heart attack in about 1979 and couldn't drive any more and I have clear memories from 1980 onwards. I was born in 1973 to give some context.

So, I have always had clear memories of the Water Chute - riding it (couldn't tell you location), but definitely seeing it in three locations (Belle Vue, Rhyl and Blackpool after it was moved from Belle Vue).

I also have clear memories of being in Kent, and my Grandad asking us if we wanted to go to Margate or Folkestone. We picked Folkestone, and I have a clear memory of crying going on the Ghost Train there. Then wanting to go to Margate instead because it wasn't as a scary, and being denied. We went to the beach and played on Victorian Swing Boats instead (you know, the ones where you sit opposite each other and pull on a rope back and forth to build swinging momentum - they were still everywhere back then).

I definitely have good memories of Alton Towers pre-Corkscrew. The decision on where we'd go was always based on how good my sister and I had been. It went:

1. Good - Blackpool or Southport
2. Not very good - Wigan
3. Bad - Alton Towers

Alton Towers was just a tea-room and some ruins (I seem to remember being in better condition than they are now ). There was a mini-train, sea-lions, paddling pool (not allowed, we'd get wet), rowing boats (not allowed, upcharge), skycar (not allowed, too ****ing scary) and model railway exhibition (allowed, but only for two minutes until my sister got bored). Amazingly, my mum and dad avoided (every time) to go to the funfair area

I therefore have a very clear memory of the shock of them taking us, and it was a proper little theme park. They knew, but we thought we were being punished again

The next 12 years or so (1980 until I came to Stafford for uni) were annual trips to Blackpool and Alton with the bus company or schools, teenage trips on our own to Southport several times a year (about 45 minute train journey for us), more holidays in the Costa-Del-Scouse, and random trips to places like Camelot and Granada Studios. Basically, until I moved to 18 miles from Alton Towers, I had a proper little spoiled enthusiast life - then it all stopped

I have footage of Rhyl, but it was 1981/1982... Not much of the fair unfortunately:

 

[rob666]

Sorry to be Mr Pedant again, it was the Magnolia Cafe...the cave boats sailed through what is meant to be the Blue Grotto of Capri underneath.
Father Christmas now visits the cafe every year before Christmas.
My mum used to sit in there with a coffee and cake while my sis and I did the caves and Goldmine, which was indeed ****e.

 

[furie]

Sorry to be Mr Pedant again, it was the Magnolia Cafe...the cave boats sailed through what is meant to be the Blue Grotto of Capri underneath.
Father Christmas now visits the cafe every year before Christmas.
My mum used to sit in there with a coffee and cake while my sis and I did the caves and Goldmine, which was indeed ****e.

Not really, I wasn't sure. I knew it had a blue in it somewhere

 

[caffeine_demon]

I miss goldmine!

Anyway - My first memories are from Joyland and Pleasure beach in Gt yarmouth. The rude posters in the fun house, wondering if the giant with the club was going to hit me, and my dad, grandad and nan all telling me how they cried and wanted to get off on the lifthill of the roller coaster. I was nervous going up, but loved it anyway!

Can also remember going to WDW a year or 2 before Epcot opened, and realising that my mum really didn't like roller coasters when she screamed on space mountain.

A few years later, there was my first visit to Alton Towers - Mum and Dad had just told us we were going "somewhere", and a friend gave it away a few days before asking "So - is it thursday you're going to Alton towers??" - Did Black hole, corkscrew, the cresta run thing, 1001 knights and 4 man bob - what a day!