Top Roller Coasters at UK Theme Parks: Ultimate Thrill Ride Guide

The Big One is located at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in North West England. Formerly known as the Pepsi Max Big One, this large steel roller coaster once held the record for being the tallest roller coaster in the world. The Big One remains the tallest roller coaster in the UK.   The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach When The Big Read more…

The Cú Chulainn Coaster is located at Emerald Park in Ashbourne, County Meath, Ireland. The £8.5m ride, manufactured by The Gravity Group, opened on 6 June 2015. The wooden roller coaster was part of a €26 million investment at Emerald Park (named Tayto Park at the time), which also included 7 other new attractions for the 2015 season.   The Read more…

The Odyssey is located at Fantasy Island in Lincolnshire. Formerly known as The Jubilee Odyssey, this large inverted steel roller coaster was originally planned to be 265 foot tall, which would have made it the tallest Inverted Coaster in the world. Unfortunately, these plans were scrapped due to complaints from local residents, limiting the height of the ride to 167 Read more…

The Smiler is located at Alton Towers Resort in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside. The Smiler is the world’s first and only 14-loop roller coaster. When viewed from off the ride, The Smiler’s batwing element resembles the Smiler logo. The roller coaster’s twisting track combines the world-beating 14 inversions with a speed of 85kph.   The Smiler at Alton Towers Resort The Read more…

The Swarm is located at Thorpe Park in Surrey. The £20m Thrill Ride is the UK’s first and only Roller Coaster of this type, referred to as a Wing Coaster. The Swarm tells the story of an alien attack on London, featuring excellent ride theming and interaction with the ride elements.   The Swarm at Thorpe Park The Swarm is Read more…

The Ultimate was Lightwater Valley Theme Park in North Yorkshire’s signature ride. The £5m Thrill Ride which opened in 1991 held the World Record until 1999 for being the Longest Roller Coaster in the World.   The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley Theme Park At a length of 7442ft, The Ultimate was the longest roller coaster in the world, when it Read more…

The Walking Dead: The Ride is located at Thorpe Park in Surrey. The attraction is the world’s first roller coaster themed around the global TV phenomenon ‘The Walking Dead’, with numerous hidden props. On weekends and peak days, actors may lurk in the corridors and occasionally they may also ride with guests.   The Walking Dead: The Ride at Thorpe Read more…

The Wave is located at Drayton Manor in Staffordshire. The £4m Thrill Ride previously was the UK’s first and only Standup Roller Coaster. It was also the only stand-up roller coaster with a zero-gravity roll ever made.   The Wave at Drayton Manor When this rollercoaster first opened in 1994 under the name of Shockwave it was Europe’s only stand-up Read more…

Vampire is located at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in the beautiful Surrey countryside, it is the only Arrow Dynamics suspended roller coaster left outside of North America. During the 2001 season, Vampire was closed whilst it was modified to use new trains manufactured by Vekoma.   Vampire at Chessington World of Adventures Resort When the Vampire roller coaster was Read more…

Velocity is located at Flamingo Land Resort in North Yorkshire. The high-speed thrill ride uses a hydraulic launch to accelerate riders from 0-60mph in just 2.8 seconds, before racing through over 2000 feet of hairpin turns, dramatic inclines and spine-tingling falls.   Velocity at Flamingo Land Velocity is the UK’s first and only motorbike launch coaster. Accelerating from 0-60mph in Read more…

Wicker Man is located at Alton Towers Resort in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside. The £16m ride has set several milestones among wooden roller coasters, including the first to be built in the UK in over 20 years, the last one being Megafobia at Oakwood Theme Park in Wales. Wicker Man was also the first to incorporate fire. Initially codenamed “Secret Weapon Read more…

Wipeout is located at Pleasurewood Hills in Suffolk. The Boomerang style Roller Coaster is the only ride of this type still operating in the UK following the Boomerang ride at Pleasure Island in Cleethorpes being moved to China when the Theme Park closed at the end of the 2016 season.   Wipeout at Pleasurewood Hills Wipeout previously operated as The Read more…