In summary
Thorpe Park, located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Stains-upon-Thames in Surrey, offers more than 25 rides and attractions, from recording-breaking rollercoasters to thrilling immersive experiences and great water rides. And it's just an hour from London.
Is this the best UK theme park for thrill-seeking tweens and teens?
It seems like only yesterday I was boarding Grandpa Pig's Little Train at Peppa Pig World in Paulton's Park with my toddler son Odhran or waving up at him as he rode the cycle monorail with his dad at Flamingo Land.
There's a whole childhood tied up in happy memories of family days out and short breaks at theme parks across the country, and within that, a host of milestones reached - first theme park, first rollercoaster, first log flume, first big thrill ride....
Recently, on a first visit to Thorpe Park, Odhran, now aged 10 and 1.4m tall (the height at which theme park fun really begins) made another theme park memory by ticking first time on an 'upside down' rollercoaster off his list.
He'd been building up to this for a while, after queuing up and then changing his mind about riding Oziris - an inverted rollercoaster at Parc Astérix , on a trip to France earlier this year. Odhran's a fan of thrill rides and had already rode the park's high-speed giant wooden coaster - Tonnerre 2 Zeus, and he'd been on the frighteningly flaming immersive ride Wicker Man at Alton Towers . But an inverted rollercoaster took the fear factor a step further.
However, as we pulled into the car park at Thorpe Park on a Sunday at the end of August, Odhran clapped eyes on the backdrop of tall and looping metal tracks and said 'I'm excited to go on my first upside down rollercoaster today.'
But later, as we reached the top queue for Nemesis Inferno, I thought I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes and wondered if he'd turn around and tell me he'd changed his mind. Luckily we had fast tracks so any last minute change of heart wouldn't have cost 40 minutes of queuing.
We were positioned in the front row - usually a most coveted position for thrill-seekers. But this looked a little too daunting for a first time experience on an inverted coaster. So, two people in the stall next to us agreed to swap places.
As we climbed into our seats and pulled down the safety harness, our legs dangling freely. I felt a rush of nervous excitement, while next to me Odhran seemed chilled. Then we were off! Nemesis Inferno is Thorpe Park's only inverted rollercoaster (where the carriages hang below the track and your legs swing freely), and it's a thrilling ride as you spin, dive and swoop around 750 metres of twisted steel track, at speeds of up to 50mph. When it came to a stop, we lifted the buckle on our safety harnesses. Odhran looked elated and said, 'That was incredible! Can we go on again?'
We also rode on Colossus - the world's first 10-loop roller coaster. At 98ft tall, the narrow steel track sends you diving into an underground trench, and takes you upside down in giant loops and corkscrew rolls.
Another highlight for Odhran was SAW - The Ride, the world's first movie-themed rollercoaster. Avoid swinging blades and a floor of spikes before plummeting towards the ground with almost no view of the track in front of you. Odhran says SAW was his favourite ride at Thorpe Park - he's still talking about the terrifying character Billy the Puppet on his tricycle.
Hyperia is Thorpe Parks latest record-breaking rollercoaster, making its mark as the tallest (236ft) and fastest (81mph) rollercoaster in the UK. It also boasts Europe's tallest loop (168ft). This ride towers above the park's skyline. I've be on some of the most intense rides in the UK, such as Nemesis and The Smiler at Alton Towers , so I couldn't wait to try out Hyperia. I gripped the sides of my lap bar as we made the steady incline before a breathtaking first plummet. The ride twists and turns and there's a feeling of weightlessness, like you're flying. It was a bit of a rough ride and I don't like getting rattled around. I prefer a smoother thrill ride like Mandrill Mayhem at Chessington or Toutatis at Parc Astérix. But it's an adrenaline filled experience and a ride you'll definitely want to conquer on a visit to Thorpe Park.
What is there for younger kids at Thorpe Park?
I visited Thorpe Park with my husband, Odhran, and our seven-year-old son Reuben, who is 1.2m tall. Reuben was desperate to go on one of the big rollercoasters but was sadly too little. Thankfully, there were other exciting attractions to keep him happy, and as a family, our favourite ride at Thorpe Park was Tidal Wave. This is one of Europe's tallest water rides, and plunges you 85ft into the water below. You will get drenched, but it's absolutely worth it! We had a great laugh on this super-soaking ride. We also enjoyed the excitement of spinning around on a raft on the high water ride, Storm Surge. But the queues for this were the biggest we'd seen all day (well over an hour). For a tamer water ride experience, there's Rumba Rapids.
Unfortunately, the thrill ride Zodiac wasn't on when we visited. But Reuben really enjoyed Quantum, a sweeping, soaring, magic carpet ride. And there were a few rides with lower minimum height restrictions, such as Flying Fish (minimum height 90cm), which was our first ride of the day at Thorpe Park and got things off to a fun start. This is a first-time coaster that's fun and fast. There was also Mr Monkey Banana Ride, a traditional swing ship (minimum height 90cm), and we had fun in the bumper cars (minimum height 110cm).
I'd come prepared with swim shorts and the weather was lovely, so the boys spent about 40 minutes having fun playing in the sand and the water at Amity Beach. I loved sitting back and listening to old school tunes, including everything from La Bamba and Beyond the Sea to Rhythm of the Rain by The Cascades, and Beach Boys' classics. Odhran and Reuben didn't want to queue up for Depth Charge water slides. Both of them enjoyed the 4D show at Sunset Cinema, and at the end of the day, we struggled to get the boys to leave the playground.
There isn't a whole lot for children under 1.2m to do at Thorpe Park. But children under this height go free. So, if you're bringing a smaller child along with older siblings, you've nothing to lose. Note: You must pre-book a free under 1.2m ticket online when you book paid tickets. On arrival, visit the Ticket Sales Building for a height check, and then you'll collect a barcode ticket.
What about food and drink?
There's a good variety of food on offer at Thorpe Park, from hot dogs, burgers, pizza and curries to veggies options, chicken and traditional fish and chips. Our food spend included delicious and generously portioned chicken, and falafel wraps, from Amity Kebabs, served with salad in a Greek-style flatbread with a sauce of choice. These cost £11.75 each. We also shared a bag of five sugar donuts, costing £8.50, and the boys had a Fanta slushy at £4.50 each. Ice lollies and ice-creams were priced from £2.60. There's also a Costa Coffee, and if you fancy a beer or another alcoholic drink, you can visit Camden Junction Bar or Calypso Bar.
How much does it cost?
Day tickets start from £33 per person. Kids under 1.2m visit for free. Thorpe Park short breaks cost from £62 per person. Packages include an overnight stay in the Thorpe Shark Cabins or a nearby hotel, two day theme park entry, buffet breakfast. Guest staying at the Thorpe Shark Cabins also get one hour Fastrack on the second day (excludes Hyperia), free car parking (worth £12) and 10% off snacks and merchandise in the park's shops.
Halloween at Thorpe Park: Fright Nights
This is one of the UK's most thrilling Halloween theme park events. Enjoy world-class rollercoasters after dark, face award-winning live-action scare mazes, and enjoy horror shows. This year, Lord of Darkness, Lucifer, takes control. Uncover his dark secrets, including the all-new Purgatory Town, where you'll face eerie encounters with the damned, each desperate to share their gruesome fate. Every resident has a tale to tell. Tickets cost from £36 per person. Fright Nights at Thorpe Park run on selected dates from 3rd October to 5th October, 10th to 12th October, and 16th October to 2nd November.
Take a Break's verdict
Reuben still has a way to go, but Odhran has transitioned into a new stage in his theme park journey, where he can get his kicks on the biggest, tallest and fastest rollercoasters, and Thorpe Park is the place to go if you want to experience those record-breaking rides. But, though he was too small for the big rollercoasters, there was still enough to make it a great day out for Reuben. The park itself feels quite compact, so it didn't feel like we were endlessly walking. We had an exhilarating day with lots of smiles. Keeping it in mind as a theme park best suited to tweens and teens 1.4m or above, we'd rate Thorpe Park a 4.5 out of 5.