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. Its selling point was all in those trains, those stand-up trains. Whilst they may not have been comfortable, they were […]

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 shows, but even Ghibli Park in Japan is adding rides. So, how many rides do you need for a theme […]

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 2020 rolled around, it finally seemed as though I’d be meeting the main Woodpecker himself. Scoring an incredible ‘hotel roulette’ […]

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 not actually been to an opening day where I’d ended up in an excessive queue line. But, of course, that […]

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 all this as an unashamed fan of the brash over-the-top theming at Disney’s All Star and Art of Animation resorts.) […]

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 better way to spend 67 of my days last year if I didn’t. This means it’s even more bizarre and […]

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 rides for smaller guests, as well as many, many play areas. With the gate price a very reasonable €28, we […]

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 of my 2023 season, the very best of the rides and parks I’ve experienced! And it was one heck of […]

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 experience with YULLBE Go at Europa Park! I apologise in advance for the lack of photos here, as my phone […]

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 two-hour drive from the Eurotunnel, there are certainly better options nearby if thrilling rollercoasters are your main draw to a […]