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Disneyland Paris Virtual Queue: How to Meet Characters

How to make sure you manage to meet characters at Disneyland Paris.

June 25, 2025June 25, 2025

Which Disney Parks Attractions are Underrated?

We all love Disney’s signature rides, but which attractions at the Disney theme parks aren’t getting enough love? Here are mine!

June 21, 2025June 21, 2025

You Need to Visit Nigloland

At this point, it should be fairly apparent that one of my greatest joys in life is a good theme park. But more than that, I love a good weird theme park. Over the past…

January 8, 2025January 8, 2025

Spooky season is once more drawing to a close. As I write this, I’ve just packed away my ‘Graveyard Smash’ and ‘Pumpkin Chai’ candles and I’m gazing out upon my neighbour’s glistening Christmas lights -…

November 5, 2024November 5, 2024

Rating Everything at Alton Towers Scarefest 2024

I’m a relative newcomer to Scarefest at Alton Towers. My first visit was back in the strange old world that was 2020. In fact, it was my first ever scare event. Taking on The Attic,…

October 22, 2024October 22, 2024

Staying at LEGOLAND’s Newest Accommodation: LEGOLAND Woodland Village

LEGOLAND Woodland Village is a new for 2024 resort at LEGOLAND Windsor. Similar in style to the Enchanted Village at Alton Towers Resort, Woodland Village features two accommodation options: a lodge or a barrel. The…

September 8, 2024September 8, 2024

Let’s Talk D23 2024

So, you know when I say ‘D23’ I mean specifically the Horizons parks panel, right? That’s what we’re all here for! After more than a few disappointing years of parks panels and a promise of…

August 11, 2024August 12, 2024

Ranking the Theme Park Mascots

If there’s one thing that really makes a day at a theme park for me, it’s getting to meet a mascot. I know it’s a bit silly, but I find these brief encounters embody everything…

August 6, 2024August 6, 2024

Escaping Gotham City at Parque Warner Madrid

It feels a lifetime ago now since I was in sunny Spain, perhaps mostly due to the decided lack of any sunshine as I write this. In July. In the UK. I’ve already covered all…

July 30, 2024

All Aboard The Hype-ria Train!

There’s a new roller coaster at Thorpe Park. How bizarre it feels to finally say that! 12 long, long years after my beloved The Swarm debuted at my most-visited UK park, the skyline has not…

July 2, 2024

Catching The Wave at Drayton Manor

Hands up if you thought putting a sit-down train on Shockwave was the worst idea you’d ever heard! Yeah, me too. Shockwave was not a long roller coaster. Its layout didn’t offer anything particularly unique.…

May 12, 2024May 12, 2024

The Case Against Second Gates: Ferrari Land

What exactly is it that makes a theme park a theme park? Themed experiences, attractions… rides? It’s rides mostly, right? Sure, theme parks exist without them, most notably Puy du Fou who excel predominantly in…

May 6, 2024May 6, 2024

PortAventura: Cheap and Oh So Cheerful

PortAventura has been on my to-do list for right about forever. I can still remember my envy of the kids down the road who had been to ‘Woody Woodpecker Land’ as they called it. As…

April 24, 2024April 25, 2024

The Rebirth of Nemesis: Nemesis Reborn Opening Day

I love a good opening day. I’ve been to a few now, and despite all of my worst fears, they’ve never been nearly as chaotic as I imagined. In fact, before March 16th 2024, I’d…

March 28, 2024March 28, 2024

Disney Hotel Cheyenne: The Best Place to Stay at Disneyland Paris?

If you asked me which Disneyland Paris resort had the best theming, I might just say Cheyenne. Sure, other resorts may feel more real or grand, but Cheyenne? It’s just so much fun! (I say…

March 13, 2024March 13, 2024

Not Everything About Europa-Park Is Great

So, before we get into this, I want to make it clear that I am absolutely not here to be a hater. I love theme parks, love them. I promise I could have found a…

January 24, 2024January 25, 2024

Parc Saint Paul

Located an hour north of Parc Astérix, Parc Saint Paul has become a popular stop-off for enthusiasts, making the obligatory Toutatis pilgrimage. This is a small park aimed at families, with a large variety of…

January 18, 2024August 12, 2024

My 2023 Highlights

I’ve thought a lot about how to do an end-of-year post. A month-by-month run-down? Best and worst? But in the end, I’ve settled on pure joy. So, without further ado, here are the absolute highlights…

January 3, 2024August 12, 2024

A Phantom of the Opera VR Experience?

(Or: The Phantom of the Opera is here, inside my eyes) Well, it’s time for another short post I absolutely did not plan to write, but I just couldn’t resist talking a little about my…

December 16, 2023December 16, 2023

Beautifully Unhinged: Halloween at Bellewaerde

With just four rollercoasters, only one of which manages to achieve ‘Extreme’ status on RCDB, Bellewaerde might not be a park to catch the eye of coaster enthusiasts. Located in Ypres, Belgium, just under a…

November 22, 2023November 22, 2023

Disney Davy Crockett Ranch

Disney Davy Crockett Ranch is the cheapest of the official Disney accommodations available at Disneyland Paris. Located a short drive from the rest of the resort with no transportation provided, Davy Crockett also has the…

November 12, 2023November 16, 2023

Spooky Season Round-Up 2023

As pumpkins pile up on the compost heap, and fairy lights begin to twinkle, it’s time to admit that spooky season 2023 is well and truly over. The most chaotic time of year has not…

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023

Platypuses and Pumpkins at Hallowed Peak – The Lunar Festival

Phantom Peak opened in London back in August 2022, which means I’ve been planning to visit this attraction for approximately 14 months. Finally, with the launch of Hallowed Peak: The Lunar Festival for this year’s…

October 23, 2023October 23, 2023

The Best and Worst Attractions at Every Disney Park I’ve Visited

Wow, what a snappy title! Well, I wish I could have left it at ‘every Disney park’, but sadly I’ve only visited the western parks so far, with Hong Kong, Shanghai and, most of all,…

September 27, 2023January 3, 2024

Discussing Everything Announced at Destination D23 2023

I’m a Disney Adult. There I said it. Let’s be honest, we all knew that, didn’t we? I’ve still got a few precious days left on my Disneyland Paris annual pass. My walls are adorned…

September 10, 2023September 11, 2023

(Finally) Entering Valhalla at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

It’s over four months since the gates to Valhalla opened once more for brave adventurers, and last month I was lucky enough to finally enter the gates myself! After years of hearing nothing but effusive…

August 21, 2023August 24, 2023

Together on the Nautilus: A Disney Dash

When I planned a grand total of 34 hours in France, the mission was simple: renew my annual pass. This was all well and good until the week before I was set to depart, when…

August 4, 2023August 4, 2023

A Brief Viking Adventure at Jorvik

Sometimes, I visit an attraction with absolutely zero intention of writing about it, but it turns out to be so excellent that I just don’t have a choice. Jorvik Viking Centre was one of these…

June 25, 2023June 25, 2023

USA 2022 Day 14: Six Flags Great Adventure

Well, we made it to day 14! The final full day of our USA trip, and the last one I’ll be writing about (unless anyone really wants to read about me lying in bed until…

June 16, 2023June 16, 2023

USA 2022 Day 13: Hersheypark

Located in Hershey, Pennsylvania – a mere 400 miles from Cedar Point, our previous day’s park – is one of the most comprehensive rollercoaster collections in the United States, and it just so happens to…

May 25, 2023May 25, 2023

Entering the World of Jumanji

The World of Jumanji has arrived at Chessington World of Adventures! The largest single investment in Chessington’s history has seen the addition of three new rides in a gorgeously themed area, and I was honoured…

May 18, 2023May 18, 2023

The Magic of Tivoli Gardens

In the early 1950s, Walt Disney took a trip to Copenhagen. He was in the early planning stages of an amusement enterprise, and where better to gain inspiration than one of the oldest amusement parks…

May 2, 2023May 2, 2023

Toutatis Opening Day!

I’ve only attended one rollercoaster opening day before, Storm Chaser at Paultons Park. I went into that day expecting chaos. Pulling in to a services close to the park for a full refresh and stock…

April 10, 2023April 10, 2023

USA 2022 Days 11 & 12: Cedar Point

I’ve been to Cedar Point. A sentence I never dreamed I’d be able to write, but here we are. I’ve actually visited America’s Roller Coast. And what a place it is. Way back in the…

March 29, 2023March 29, 2023

The Curse at Alton Manor: Duel, who?

Okay, I admit it, I am a fraud. Sure, this blog is titled coasterclaire (thank you so much for stopping by!), but I have a secret. Coasters are not even my first love. That would…

March 20, 2023March 21, 2023

The Lodges at ZSL London Zoo

Having seen ZSL London Zoo’s Lodges listed in many ‘best wildlife experiences in the UK’ lists, it seemed like the perfect birthday treat for my animal-loving partner. Neither of us had visited the world’s oldest…

March 6, 2023March 7, 2023

USA 2022 Day 10: Kings Island

After a surprisingly early finish at Holiday World, we arrived at our – very conveniently straight across the road from Kings Island – motel early evening. Though we had no further park plans for this…

February 23, 2023February 23, 2023

Walking in a Wintertraum Wonderland

Phantasialand, Germany I first visited Phantasialand just 7 months ago (at the time of writing) in June of 2022. The weather was gorgeous, with temperatures nearing 30 celcius, clear blue skies and long sunny days.…

February 1, 2023February 1, 2023

Christmas Magic at Drayton Manor

When it comes to UK theme park Christmas events, I can take them or leave them. With entertainment squarely aimed at children, and a limited ride line-up targeted at the same audience, they’re very much…

January 26, 2023

USA 2022 Day 9: Holiday World

Passing by the stunning Gateway Arch on our way out of St Louis, and Missouri, the time had come to begin the drive back East, travelling through Illinois on our way to Indiana, and our…

January 12, 2023January 13, 2023

Disney’s Sequoia Lodge

The last time I stayed in Disney’s Sequoia Lodge was November 2018. Back then it instantly became my favourite hotel stay ever, with its beautiful Christmas decorations, rustic charm and tranquil nature winning me over…

January 9, 2023January 9, 2023

My Top 10 Rollercoasters 2022

With 185 new rollercoasters ridden in 2022, what were my absolute favourites?

December 31, 2022December 31, 2022

The Ridiculous Wonder of Harmonious

EPCOT (as it’s now stylized) is in a period of flux. What had been planned to be a moment of rebirth, beginning with the renaming of the park’s lands and later bringing us whole new…

December 20, 2022December 20, 2022

Riding Orlando’s Latest, and Greatest, Rollercoasters

Mako, Hagrid’s, VelociCoaster… there were a lot of new coasters to try on this trip!

December 15, 2022December 15, 2022

Escaping the Raptors at Universal’s Great Movie Escape

When it was announced that Universal Orlando Resort’s newest attraction would be opening its doors whilst I was in town, I knew we’d have to give it a go! Universal’s Great Movie Escape is a…

December 10, 2022December 11, 2022

Is Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Worth It?

At Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, unless you’re brave enough to visit on the busiest week of the year, almost all festive entertainment is locked away behind a mile-high paywall. So, is it really worth…

December 6, 2022December 6, 2022

What Am I Most Excited About in Orlando?

I’m going to Orlando!!!!! As you can probably tell from the photo above, it’s been a little while. I still cannot believe I get to write this, but this week I’m flying back to Orlando…

November 19, 2022November 22, 2022

USA 2022 Day 8: Six Flags St Louis

Honestly, I might as well just call this blog ‘Mr Freeze & Justice League Were Good’. But for fear of messing up the series, let’s have a chat about our somewhat brief visit to Six…

November 12, 2022November 13, 2022

See You Later, Nemesis

Nemesis almost made me hate rollercoasters. As far as openings to love letters go, that sure wouldn’t get me a second date. But honestly, the first time I rode this beast, I began to think…

November 9, 2022

Spooky Season 2022: Night at the (Drayton) Manor

Right now, Drayton Manor is without a doubt one of the most exciting theme parks in the country. Having come back from the brink of closure just a few short years ago, we’ve seen the…

October 23, 2022October 25, 2022

Spooky Season 2022: Screamfest

After ripping the proverbial plaster off my fear of horrors and spooks with a visit to Tulleys at the start of the month, finding myself up in the Midlands with a spare evening could mean…

October 21, 2022October 25, 2022

USA 2022 Day 7: Silver Dollar City

I visited Silver Dollar City. I actually visited Silver Dollar City. Excuse me whilst I just sit here and stare at that sentence because oh my god. After stumbling upon a vlog a few years…

October 11, 2022October 11, 2022

Spooky Season 2022: My First Ever Visit to Tulleys Shocktober Fest

After a couple of years of visiting – and loving – the Halloween events across the Merlin parks, the time had definitely come for me to branch out and try my first non-theme park, dedicated…

October 7, 2022October 7, 2022

Spooky Season 2022: Fright Nights

Spooky season is back! Creeping slightly in to September this year (yesssss) spooky season has well and truly begun with the opening night of Thorpe Park’s fabulous Fright Nights. This is only my second year…

October 1, 2022October 7, 2022

Avengers Campus (Walt Disney Studios Park)

Opening back in July of this year, Avengers Campus was the first major expansion to come to Disneyland Paris in, well, a very long time. I’ve been visiting Europe’s most-visited tourist attraction regularly for five…

September 13, 2022September 23, 2022

USA 2022 Day 6: Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid

In our fifteen-day trip, there were only two days we didn’t spend at a theme park. One was our final travel day (we simply didn’t have the energy to get ourselves to Coney Island, plus…

September 8, 2022September 8, 2022

Goodbye Duel

Today is the 6th of September, which – if this mysterious sign is to be believed – marks the end of one of Alton Towers’ most iconic attractions, Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back. I’m…

September 6, 2022

USA 2022 Day 5: Dollywood & Pigeon Forge

Cinnamon Bread, Jurassic Jungles, Goats on a Roof… this was quite the bucket-list day.

August 28, 2022August 28, 2022

Thorpe Park Carnival

The best event Thorpe have done, outside of halloween?

August 21, 2022

USA 2022 Day 4: Carowinds

Carowinds was without a doubt, one of my most anticipated parks of the trip. I can’t really say why it had such a hold on me, maybe because I’ve heard lots of good things, or…

August 18, 2022August 18, 2022

USA 2022 Day 3: Kings Dominion

Just an hour’s drive from Busch Gardens Williamsburg lay our first Cedar Fair park of the trip: Kings Dominion. Home to my second most-feared coaster (after Kingda Ka, of course) as well as a brand-new…

August 5, 2022

Wake the Tiger: The UK’s Answer to Meow Wolf?

Immersive attractions seem to be having a moment right now, with announcements popping up every few weeks for predominantly London-based experiences featuring IPs such as ‘Tomb Blaster’ and ‘Arkham Asylum’ and I am very much…

July 31, 2022July 31, 2022

USA 2022 Day 2: Busch Gardens Williamsburg

After a… less than ideal start to the trip at Nickelodeon Universe, it was a relief that the next day we visited what would become one of my favourite theme parks: Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It…

July 22, 2022July 22, 2022

USA 2022 Day 1: Nickelodeon Universe (American Dream)

Hello hello hello, and welcome to my first-ever blog series! Over the next… wow this is going to take a lot of weeks… I’m going to be talking about the total madness that was my…

July 16, 2022July 16, 2022

Falling in Love With Phantasialand

I’m frankly at a loss for where I should start this blog post. How do I even begin to describe my first visit to Phantasialand? Magic. That’ll do. Pure magic, the sort that only a…

July 7, 2022July 15, 2022

Mini Blog: Lightning Rod

Normally I’d leave this until my blog about the park as a whole, but I’ve had a few people ask for my thoughts about Lightning Rod (thank you!) so thought I’d get them out there!…

June 23, 2022July 15, 2022

What Am I Anticipating Most on My First USA Theme Park Road Trip?

Over the next 15 days, accompanied by some of my favourite fellow nerds, I’ll be visiting 13 different theme parks (as well as the 10th tallest pyramid in the world, we all know what I’m…

June 17, 2022July 15, 2022

Walibi Belgium: Far More Than Kondaa

Until Kondaa opened, if you’d asked me about Walibi Belgium I wouldn’t have been able to offer much beyond ‘it’s not the one with the RMC’. In fact, on arriving at the park the only…

June 12, 2022July 15, 2022

Tonnerre 2 Zeus and the Redemption of Parc Asterix

Okay, I know this is a very dramatic title, but hear me out. My first visit to Parc Asterix took place in September 2021 and it was, erm… not great. I am very much a…

June 7, 2022July 15, 2022

Riding to Happiness at Plopsaland de Panne

I’m not the sort of person who believes everything happens for a reason, but when it comes to Plopsaland de Panne things worked out just about right. Originally, I was set to visit this park…

May 29, 2022July 16, 2022

Efteling: My New Favourite Theme Park?

There aren’t many theme parks in Europe more deserving of ‘absolute bucket list park’ status than Efteling. A sprawling wonderland of rides, walk-throughs and shows lined with ridiculously (wonderously) themed bins, ATM’s, vending machines… well,…

May 21, 2022July 16, 2022

Jardin d’Acclimatation

In five years of regular visits to the French capital, I’d still not gotten around to visiting this small park in the centre of Paris. But this April, the time finally came to put that…

May 7, 2022July 16, 2022

My Top 5 Kiddie Coasters

Whilst these coasters may be designed to accommodate the smallest of riders, that doesn’t mean they can’t be a blast for seasoned guests too! If you’re an enthusiast like me, there’s a pretty high likelihood…

April 20, 2022July 16, 2022

Celebrating 30 Years of Disneyland Paris

After falling head over heels in love with Disneyland Paris in late 2017 – a whisker too late to attend the 25th celebrations – I promised myself I’d be there in person for the next…

April 17, 2022July 16, 2022

Les Quais de Lutèce

Sorry Disney’s Sequoia Lodge, you’re not my favourite hotel stay ever anymore. Until a few years ago, Parc Asterix was never really on my radar. A park themed to some comics I read as a…

April 11, 2022July 16, 2022

Five Ways Disneyland Resort Surprised Me

As a surprise to absolutely no one, I truly adored Disneyland Resort. Whilst we had a rocky first day, by lunchtime on day two I was totally enamoured with the original Magic Kingdom. But then…

April 3, 2022July 16, 2022

Riding Some of the World’s Scariest Rides at The Strat

At 1,149ft, the Stratosphere hotel in Las Vegas is the USA’s tallest freestanding observation tower. Of course, far more important to me – and probably to you if you’re reading a small themed entertainment blog…

March 29, 2022July 16, 2022

Knott’s Berry Farm

Back in February, the time finally came to visit my first regional park in the United States of America and what better place to start than ‘America’s First Theme Park’? There was a whole lot…

March 19, 2022July 16, 2022

Is Disneyland After Dark Worth It? Our Sweethearts Nite Experience

At $124 per person for a 4 hour event, Sweethearts Nite is by far the most expensive park event I’ve ever attended. Was it worth that heady price tag? Let’s start by looking at what…

March 13, 2022July 16, 2022

Meow Wolf: Omega Mart

As you may have guessed, I love me some themed entertainment. If I had my way, I’d be happily making my way around the world checking out every themed offering available. Alas, whilst I’m doing…

March 2, 2022July 16, 2022

WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

WEB SLINGERS is the newest ride at Disneyland Resort, having opened in Disney’s California Adventure back in 2021. Later this year, a clone of this ride will also debut at my beloved home resort, Disneyland…

February 15, 2022July 16, 2022

Universal Studios Hollywood

I was not expecting to be able to visit Universal Studios Hollywood on this trip, or any other this year, but in a lovely surprise we managed to wrap up everything else we wanted to…

February 7, 2022July 16, 2022

A Quick Dash into Adventuredome

I’M IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! Dear lord, I cannot stress enough how magical it feels to be back over the Atlantic in the land of peanut butter M&Ms and Baja Blast. And what…

January 24, 2022July 16, 2022

Ranking the Theme Parks I’ve Visited

As of January 2022, I have visited a grand total of 33 theme parks. Pretty entry-level numbers for a theme park enthusiast I know, but with what I really truly hope will be a year…

January 15, 2022July 16, 2022

Walking a Skunk at Chessington World of Adventures

Earlier this year, I was scrolling away through twitter (as I do far too often) when some photos of a giraffe being fed by hand appeared. These were from a VIP experience at CWOA, a…

January 7, 2022July 16, 2022

My Top 5 Theme Park Experiences of 2021

2021 is so very nearly over and whilst there’s been a lot of awful things happen this year (we don’t mention the months January – March ok), for me and the rest of the UK…

December 29, 2021July 16, 2022

Is Winters Tail Worth It Without Kids?

Given that I absolutely adore both Chessington World of Adventures and Christmas events it was inevitable that at some point I’d end up visiting Winter’s Tail. However, I’ve been putting it off for a while…

December 16, 2021July 16, 2022

Turning 28 at Paulton’s Celebration of Christmas

When I was a kid, the one thing I really wanted to do to celebrate my birthday was visit a theme park (in a surprise to no one). Sadly though, my birthday is mid-December and…

December 15, 2021July 16, 2022

The Incredible Entertainment of Disneyland Paris

Within the theme park community, there are many types of fan. Some enthusiasts care solely about the rides, some just soak up the atmosphere and then there are those that just live for everything from…

December 7, 2021July 16, 2022

Winter Wonderland 2021

Last Sunday, on a bright and chilly (read: 1°C) morning, I finally experienced Hyde Park Winter Wonderland for the first time! After 14 years of bringing festive fun and thrills to Central London, I was…

December 1, 2021July 16, 2022