This is the very first post of what will become many posts on Mark’s Parks. My aim for this site is to create a blog that shares useful information if you’re planning trips to theme parks (especially across Europe), bring you the latest updates on developments for parks across the UK and Europe (and occasionally beyond) and also share my reviews of parks and rides.
I’ve always loved theme parks from an early age and spent much of my childhood going to UK parks with my parents and was lucky enough to even visit (sadly, now closed parks) such as American Adventure and Camelot in their heyday alongside visiting the classic parks that continue to exist to this day such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington.
Over the last few years I’ve found opportunities to visit parks slightly further afield and whilst I did make it to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando back in 2016, parks in Europe are much easier to reach from the UK, are much more affordable and offer some incredible experiences.
I have toyed with joining the likes of Theme Park Worldwide and Lifts Hills and Thrills in creating a YouTube channel, after all, I am used to creating video content for my tech channel Mark’s Tech Vlogs, however, vlogging in public is a whole other world and I wanted to keep my trips to parks as things I enjoy without the pressure of trying to create content.
With that in mind, whilst lining up to get on the incredible Silver Star at Europa Park recently I decided I’d start a blog instead where I could share a lot of the content I’d want to share on Youtube but without the pressure of having to create content during days out.
So here we are!
So, what can you expect here?
When it comes to visiting theme parks, especially those across Europe, travel can be a bit daunting. I often plan my trips and work out the easiest and most affordable way to visit parks and, after doing some of those journeys myself have knowledge that would be useful for those making similar trips.
On this blog I’ll be sharing that, starting with an in-depth guide to getting to Europa Park in Germany from the UK using public transports. I’ll be breaking down the costs and everything you need to know (stay tuned for that post!).
I’ll also be posting travel guides from my previous trips including Energylandia in Poland, Movie Park and Phantasialand in Germany and a few more!
In the world of theme parks things develop quickly and I’ll be sharing the latest news and rumours from parks here too. This will often be based around UK parks as their the ones I know best but there is a lot to cover including the recent announcements from Chessington World of Adventure, the mystery surrounding Thorpe Park’s hints that Amity Beach could be gone soon and whether Blackpool Pleasure Beach will get the giant gyro-swing their rumoured to be getting!
And let’s not forget that Universal Studios in Bedford is looking increasingly more likely and that’s going to have a big impact on the UK theme park landscape.
Finally I’ll be sharing reviews and guides of theme parks and rides including tips on when the best time to visit is, things you should look out for and whether rides and attractions are really worth the hype…am I the only one who doesn’t have Ride to Happiness on their top 5 coasters?!!!
You can even expect some dives into the archives as I look back at some of the attractions we’ve lost across the UK over the years.
Alongside that, as a self-confessed nerd I’ll also be sharing tips on some of the essential tech I take to parks with me!
So, welcome to the site and I hope you’ll find my posts helpful. You can check out all blog posts here.
I’ll always keep comments on for any questions and comments but if you don’t want to post a public comment you can always drop me an email or reach out on social media!
This blog is a hobby project and run completely free. If you've found anything helpful then why not...
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It’s not been a great few years to Alton Towers with budget cuts, terrible ride availability and the introduction of staggered opening hours and it seems this is set to continue. In their first Winter Update posted on their blog yesterday Alton Towers announced the permanent removal of The Blade and 2 other attractions. Read […]
Just under 3 years ago on a Christmas market trip to Krakow I sat on a train and saw an advert for Energylandia, a theme park I had never heard of…by the end of that evening I’d booked tickets! I have since revisited and in this blog I’ll share how to go about getting to […]
Germany is full of theme parks and home to some of the best parks in Europe including Europa Park, Phantasialand, Movie Park, Hansa Park, Holiday Park and Heide Park however, these parks are quite spread out across the country. Two parks that are situated relatively close to each other are Phantasialand and Movie Park. In […]
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