Mark's Parks

Theme Park News, guides, rumours and experiences from my travels across the UK and Europe.

15/10/2026

Storm Chaser POV | Paultons Park Tornado Springs 🌪️

Spinning coaster POV on Storm Chaser in Tornado Springs. Tornado Springs is themed really nicely and this was a solid ride to get some spins in.

How much spin did you get on yours? 👇

12/10/2026

Flight of the Pterosaur POV | Paultons Park Lost Kingdom 🦕

My favourite coaster at Paultons Park! Flight of the Pterosaur is a family suspended coaster in Lost Kingdom, and it flies through the trees and the dinos really nicely.

Is this underrated or is it just me? 👇

09/10/2026

Raven POV | Paultons Park Valgard 🖤

On-ride POV of Raven in Valgard at Paultons Park. This one surprised me. It's a really fun Gerstlauer coaster and the theming around it is top level.

Full first visit video is on the channel if you want my thoughts on the whole park.

Would you ride Raven or Drakon first? 👇

06/10/2026

Drakon Front Row POV | Paultons Park Valgard 🐉

Front row on Drakon, the big new coaster in Paultons Park's Valgard area. I had mixed feelings on this one: the layout is a lot of fun, but it's a bit rattly in places. Watch it and decide for yourself!

Back row POV coming soon, so subscribe so you don't miss it.

Have you ridden Drakon? Front or back? 👇

03/10/2026

My FIRST visit to Paultons Park… is it really the UK's best themed park? 🎢

Finally made it to Paultons Park for the first time and I get why it keeps winning awards 👀

Valgard is themed to a seriously high level. Raven was a really fun launch and Flight of the Pterosaur might have been my favourite coaster in the park. Cyclonator was the sleeper hit of the day, and Ghostly Manor is themed better than some of the big European parks 🙌

Drakon was mixed for me (fun layout, a bit rattly) but the staff were the friendliest I've ever come across.

Heads up if you're going: their loose articles policy is strict. Nothing in your pockets on the coasters, even zipped ones 📱🔑

Full POVs coming to the YouTube channel soon!

Have you been? What's your favourite ride there? 👇

18/09/2026

I was in the area so finally got to visit Paultons Park - whilst it’s very much a family park there was lots for me to enjoy and it’s no surprise they cleaned up at the UK Theme Park Awards…everything is really nicely themed, staff are really friendly and it’s landscaped to a Europa Park standard! Special shout out to Adam from UK Theme Parks who I bumped into at the park 😃

09/09/2026

Would you ride this? 👀🚡

This is the Sky Glider at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk — a 1967 ropeway that glides you right over the top of the Giant Dipper, one of the oldest wooden coasters in the world. No big drops, no loops, just you, a swinging gondola, and a straight-down view of the whole park and the Pacific Ocean.

It's giving "relaxing" and "why is there a gap under my feet" in equal measure 😅
Honestly one of those rides that looks scarier than it is (unless you don't love heights, in which case... good luck).

07/09/2026

POV: the best seat in the house for the Giant Dipper isn't on the coaster… it's above it. 🎢🚡

Rode the Sky Glider at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and got these views of the 102-year-old wooden coaster doing its thing, with the Pacific right behind it. Such a peaceful way to see the park after getting rattled around on the Giant Dipper itself!

If you're ever at the Boardwalk, don't skip this ride — it's slow, scenic, and honestly one of the most underrated attractions in the whole park.

05/09/2026

Moving on from Disney, the final park on our Californian trip was the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

This historic park had a fantastic atmosphere and a really fun mix of old and new attractions. The main reason to go (beyond it being the filming location of The Lost Boys) was for the Giant Dipper, a wooden coaster which is 102 years old.

The park have looked after this coaster beautifully and whilst it does ride like an old wooden coaster and will re-align every bone in your body it was great fun!

My other highlight was the historic chairlift which goes from one side to the other, it offered some great views of the coaster and the coast!

Parks

29/08/2026

Next up in the holiday spam is Disneyland California, the park Walt actually built!

This park exceeded expectations, there was so much to do and see, some great rides and even getting there for rope drop and leaving just after 10pm didn’t allow us to fit everything in!

The park was also beautifully themed and it’s certainly somewhere I want to go back to!

Personal highlights:
Star Wars - Rise of the Resistance - I don’t like Star Wars but this ride and it’s pre-shows were so well done and incredibly immersive…it’s one of the best dark rides I’ve ever done.

Matterhorn - A fantastic historic coaster

Jungle Cruise - A really run trip with a guide who made more puns than me!

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