When we talk about theme parks, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype around record-breaking coasters, extreme thrills, and adrenaline-fueled experiences. And yes — the UK is lucky to have some brilliant ones.
But there’s one crucial part of the theme park experience that often gets overlooked — and sometimes even disrespected — in fan circles and park planning alike: family rides.
It’s time we admitted the truth: family rides are the heart of great parks, and they deserve far more respect at major UK parks than they currently get.
Here’s why.
Thrills Are Temporary — Memories Last
Sure, a 200-foot drop on a coaster will leave your heart pounding, but think about the theme park memories that actually stick with people for life.
It’s riding a gentle boat ride with your kids for the first time. It’s spinning around in a teacup, laughing uncontrollably. It’s the moment you see a child’s face light up on a small, silly train ride that’s pure magic to them.
Family rides create the moments parks are built on — the ones people treasure long after they’ve stopped screaming on rollercoasters.
Parks that invest heavily in good family rides are investing in generational loyalty. Thrillseekers might come and go, but families will keep returning if the experience is right.
They Keep Parks Balanced (and Accessible)
Not everyone wants — or can handle — extreme rides. Whether it’s due to age, fear, accessibility issues, or simply personal preference, a huge chunk of any park’s guests are looking for experiences everyone can enjoy together.
Without a strong lineup of family rides, parks risk alienating huge parts of their audience. Worse, they risk becoming “one-note” experiences that burn people out after a few hours.
Family rides provide essential breathing space. They allow mixed-age groups to stay together, older guests to participate, and younger visitors to feel included — without splitting the group between thrill-seekers and “those left waiting on the benches.”
Some of the Best Storytelling Happens on Family Rides
If you think family rides are just low-energy filler, think again.
Some of the most iconic and imaginative experiences at parks are family rides:
- Gangsta Granny: The Ride at Alton Towers mixes humor, storytelling, and clever effects for a genuinely fun experience.
- Room on the Broom at Chessington offers an enchanting, interactive journey through a beloved storybook.
- Flight of the Sky Lion at LEGOLAND Windsor shows how motion simulators can captivate both kids and adults when done with care.
These rides often deliver the best theming, immersion, and emotional connection — things that even the wildest roller coasters sometimes forget.
What Major UK Parks Should Do Next
If UK parks want to stay competitive with global giants, they need to:
- Invest in next-generation family rides with clever technology and immersive storytelling.
- Expand existing family areas with high-quality rides that parents actually want to ride too.
- Stop treating family rides as an afterthought — market them proudly as part of the park’s identity.
- Create rides that allow whole families to ride together, not split up.
Paultons Park, for example, shows what happens when you prioritise the family experience — and they’re winning loyal fans for it. There’s no reason major players like Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, and Chessington can’t do the same, even as they chase big thrills too.
In the end, family rides aren’t just important — they’re essential to what makes a theme park truly great.
If we want parks that aren’t just loud, fast, and forgettable, but places full of magic, laughter, and lifelong memories, then it’s time we all — parks, fans, and industry insiders alike — started giving family rides the respect they deserve.
Because without them, a theme park isn’t really a theme park at all.
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