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2024 Theme Park Trip Plans

Matt N

Matt N

TS Member
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Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
Hi guys. Now 2024 is finally upon us, I thought it might be a nice time to discuss what theme park trip plans we have for the upcoming year. So, what parks are you guys thinking of visiting this year?

I'll get the ball rolling with some of my provisional trip plans for the year.

Nothing at all is set in stone at the moment, but some of my provisional plans for the year are as follows…
Highly Probable
  • PortAventura World - The big thing for this year will be my first ever trip to PortAventura World in Spain, a resort I’ve wanted to visit for many years! PortAventura Park and Ferrari Land both look like beautiful, well-themed parks with lots to do, and I’m excited for a number of headline attractions at PortAventura World. I’m most notably excited for Shambhala, a coaster that has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember, but I’m also really looking forward to Red Force and some of the other draws at PortAventura!
  • Alton Towers - I don’t think there’s ever any doubt around me visiting Alton Towers at some point during the year. It’s the park I’ve visited the most by far, and a year without a visit to Alton frankly wouldn’t feel complete at this point! I’m particularly anticipating my visit to Alton Towers next year because we’re finally seeing the return of Nemesis; I can’t wait to get back on this after a whole season of closure! After a highly successful first visit in March 2023, my grandad has also expressed great keenness to return to Alton Towers with us this season; he’s excitedly said to me about how he’s “saving up [his] Tesco vouchers for a ride on Nemesis”, and he seems really keen to return to the park, particularly to ride Nemesis for the first time!
  • Thorpe Park - Similarly to Alton Towers, I don’t think there was ever much doubt around me going to Thorpe Park at some point in 2024. And there’s no way I’m missing out on Thorpe this year, what with the opening of Hyperia, a ride that I’m incredibly excited for! I’m not sure when in the year I’ll go, but I’ll definitely try and get to Thorpe at least once, possibly twice, during 2024!
  • Drayton Manor - With the park constructing an intriguing new Intamin coaster for 2024, as well as revamping Shockwave, I’ll certainly try and get to Drayton Manor at some point during the year. I might try and do a solo train trip to the park like I did in 2022, or if the option is available to me by the summer, I guess I could drive there.
Maybe
  • Legoland Windsor - I was initially not planning to go back to Legoland for Minifigure Speedway, as I didn’t think my parents would want to return there and I’m not entirely sure that I have the front to walk into Legoland as a solo adult visitor. However, my parents seemed more open to the idea of going back to Legoland than I’d anticipated when we were discussing the UK’s new rides for 2024, so perhaps the +2 of Minifigure Speedway will be on the cards for me after all?
  • Oakwood Theme Park - I’ve been quite keen to return to Oakwood ever since Megafobia reopened from its big retrack. I’ve heard brilliant things about Megafobia post-retrack, and I always thought that a retracked Megafobia had potential. My dad was on about me and him going down to the area together so that he could play Tenby golf course and I could visit Oakwood, but that seems to have gone quiet, so I’m putting Oakwood into the “maybe” pile.
  • Blackpool Pleasure Beach - I’ve been on about doing my first ever solo overnight trip to Blackpool on the train for a year or two now. Maybe 2024 will finally be the year? I am probably due a return to Blackpool seeing as I haven’t been since 2019, so it would be nice to go back. However, I must say that as much as I like Blackpool, it perhaps isn’t as much of an imminent draw as other parks in the UK in 2024 seeing as there’s been pretty much nothing new since I last went.
Those are some of my current trip ideas… based on previous years, though, I don’t know whether this is actually an entirely correct or exhaustive list of what I’ll do in 2024! It is certainly open to change at this point… my trips in 2022 and 2023 certainly ended up quite different to my initial predictions!

But I'd be really intrigued to know; what are some of your 2024 theme park trip plans?
 
I definitely want to visit parks a lot more after not really paying them much attention the past few years; now that I can drive, it'll be much easier to just pop somewhere for a day. Primarily going to visit outside of school holidays as well because that makes things so much quieter and cheaper. Didn't do Chessington last year as Jumanji opened just as the park was getting busy, and then after the summer I got busy with work, so I haven't had the chance to check out Mandrill Mayhem. Thorpe obviously will be visited quite a bit as Hyperia does look obscene. As for Towers - it really depends how good their iron is. One visit last year was abysmal, the other excellent; such a roll of the dice which is frustrating.

Hoping to head back to Phantasialand too, as I haven't been to a proper park abroad since pre-covid (Prater doesn't really count, does it?). Haven't seen Fly in person and think it's about time that changed.
 
This year I've got so many hopeful plans!

- Thorpe Park & Alton Towers I'd love to get to at the beginning of the season for obvious reasons; if there happens to be a Hyperia meet... I'm a 99% yes 😂 Would likely tie Drayton & BPB into an AT trip too as it's about 5hrs to get there so may as well visit them all. It'd be nice to spend a bit more time at Thorpe if possible but I don't have any theme park friends & my long-suffering family have a limit on the amount of moral support/time/patience they are able to invest in my interest per year (definitely exceeding that with the bigger trips already!) so we will see as I'm too anxious to go alone 😂🤣

- Paultons is my 'home park' so no doubt I'll be there for the opening of the new water ride with my youngest & a few times thereafter as it's such a lovely park.

- Planning a big trip to Germany in the Summer. Visiting some WW2 sites as well as finally heading to Europa & Phantasialand... possibly tie Toverland in too if it works out. I've wanted to visit the German parks for as long as I've known of them 🤩

With all the plans outside of the UK, it's almost certain Legoland & Chessy will unfortunately be neglected in 2024.
 
The only definitive I have is Alton during the Easter Hols with my 5yo. We took him last yr and he had a great time but we didn’t do as much as I’d have liked, so going to cut the dead weight (sorry wife and 2yo) and hopefully get more stuff packed in.

The lad needs an 8cm growth spurt to measure up for Spinball and Thirteen mind.

——————

Potential Oakwood visit if I manage to insert my in a project at work which would take me there, too.

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Always a chance of BPB too, due to proximity.
 
I want to buy a bigger house, so any foreign trip costing £1000's will be off the cards sadly. I'll be entering my second year of my apprenticeship come May and I paid dearly with the time I lost going away last year so most of my holidays for the next 2 years plus be writing assignments. So it'll be little local things this year. Back to the Future the Musical is booked for a couple of weeks time and I'm going to make sure my Cineworld pass takes a good hammering.

However, baby girl has now finally hit 1.4. She reached it just before season close and this opens up a whole new world to us as a family as there's so many coasters she's been staring at for years that she can finally ride. As a parent, this really is magical. It's like experiencing them yourself for the first time again but through the eyes of your baby.

If it wasn't for Nemesis reopening and I didn't have a free trip following the way they treated us at Scarefest, I wouldn't bother with Towers. It's grotty, you can't ride the monorail, and I can't even enjoy a burger and chips there anymore. It's also going to feel empty and souless once again with all those empty flat ride sites. Even though it won't be the same with it's new gloss black military theme that I dislike intently, the new Nemesis will be intriguing none the less, and man have I missed it. Maybe a quick off peak solo trip early season and a family beano up later in the year.

Thorpe will be a must with Brake Run opening. I can't wait to ride it. Baby girl will also love riding all the coasters for the first time.

Drayton will be a must as well for the new Shockwave and new Intamin. I may book us in to a Premier Inn and do it on the way up to Flamingo Land as that's been on my list for years. I've never visited before as I'm just never up that part of the country as it's a good 4 hours away from home. But a 2 day trip with Drayton on the way up may work.

On the maybe pile is Oakwood as I do really like Speed and Megaphobia.

Sadly, I doubt Paultons will be on the cards as my little 'uns will be wanting 1.4 thrills. But maybe next year. Even though it's less that 2 hours away, no boomerang or flying theatre will endear Legoland to me. Neither will a winged shuttle coaster make up for the misery of visiting Chessington. If I do bother with either, maybe a half day in each with a discovery pass. I can't see a reason to go back up to Blackpool this year either.
 
Nothing is really set in stone yet but I’ll definitely be going to Towers, Thorpe and Drayton for their new coasters.

Still need to get to Chessington to ride Mandrill. Didn’t visit at all last season for multiple reasons.

Legoland is a possibility with it being on the Merlin pass, although we only went once last year and it was a disappointing visit which is what put me off travelling all that way again.

I would love to get back to Paulton’s again but haven’t booked anything yet. Maybe over Easter or May half term. This one will probably be an over night stay.

My plans for this year feel a bit flat, considering this time last year I had just got back from Efteling and had a Florida trip in the summer to look forward to😂
 
This is the first time since 2015 I've not had any major theme park trips abroad in the works. I'm going to the Olympics in Paris this year but no creds will be involved.

I won't go empty handed though, I'd like to visit both Mingo Land and Oakwood as they are the two remaining UK parks that I really want to do. I'll be getting a MAP as well so I can do the Nemesis rebuild, Mandrill, Hyperia, the duelling coaster at LegoLand as well as a Paultons revisit.
 
My intentions are to continue with what I’ve been doing in the back half of 2023 and getting in lots of small weekend trips to various locations. At the moment, my general idea outside of Towers is:

- Phantasialand in mid-Jan (already booked)
- Paultons early or late Feb
- Thorpe at some point the week after Hyperia is meant to open, although if it’s not I won’t bother. Might do Legoland at the same time if the Zierer duelling coaster is also open. Plus usual ad hoc trips to Thorpe
- Emerald Park will be getting booked once there’s confirmation around the Vekoma STC opening, probably around May?
- GYPB and PWH June
- Mingo probably July

Beyond that I’m a bit unsure, but I’m planning to do some of the Benelux parks too (Efteling, Walibi Belgium/Holland, Toverland etc) on either a road trip or train adventure. Plus I’m also planning to get out to Poland again to do Legendia, and also get back to Energylandia for Sweet Valley and to try and hoover up the remaining creds I didn’t get on my last visit (plus more Zadra and Hyperion). Neither of these I have an idea of when yet.
 
Currently i have the following booked

Liseberg- end of may. first ever visit. 3 nights at their new onsite hotel. Great piece for the hotel I thought - £110 per night which includes breakfast. (£330 in total).

Orlando- August. 3 weeks. 9 nights at Universal Aventura and 11 nights at Disney Pop century. Debated not visiting seaworld/Busch gardens this time having been many times before and didn’t find the experience that great (especially Busch Gardens) when last went and the cost of tickets. however got two day tickets for £75 each during Black Friday so will visit prob 1 day at each and will get to hopefully try the new rides (pipeline, penguin trek, Serengeti flyer and phoenix rising and be good to get back on Iron Gwazi. )Having been lucky to visit many times no longer do full park days etc and as there for three weeks will be nipping in and out of the parks- ie morning in a park, hotel in afternoon for a break from the heat (and the usual August afternoon rain storm) and then back out to a park in the evening.
 
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The usual trips to Alton Towers.

Nothing planned yet, but hopefully we will be able to make the Thorpe Park and Blackpool TST events this year.

We have the TST March/April Europa Park trip to look forward to, and then go back in May with the whole family.

If Annabelle qualifies, we might be off to Ireland for a golf competition, so would be good to visit Emerald Park while we are over there.

We will probably go back to Paulton's in August when we visit Bournemouth, but in 2025 its going to need something new to get us back again, as Daisy has moved on from Peppa Pig now.

I have a few work trips planned to US next year, so will try and get to a park or two during these, although last year, the day we booked to go to Hollywood Studio for the Jollywood event, it got cancelled due to a thunderstorm and I did not manage any parks that trip.
 
Have been all over the USA last two years so this year will be fairly quiet.

Got Phantasialand this week and might do a couple of weekend Europe trips later in the year.

Basically I'm banking on Hyperia being really good.
 
Will head to Drayton, Legoland Windsor, and Thorpe when their new coasters open. Maybe in a perfect world get them all done in one trip and try and fit in a few other parks like Paultons.

Been putting off Emerald Park for years waiting for these two new coasters so will definitely be heading there as well.

Foreign trips, got two major trips planning at the moment with southern Germany, and Italy for Gardaland and Miribilandia (and the nearby parks).

Once those are completely arranged I'll be looking at what else I can fit in over the summer. Would also like to get back to Efteling when Danse Macabre opens.
 
Lots of Blackpool Pleasure Beach trips (season pass and I live 3 miles away), probably manage 5 or 6 Alton Towers trips too as that's close enough to day trip (although I much prefer a hotel the night before to save the early morning).

Further afield I'm thinking about a combined Thorpe/Chessington trip mid week in April, during term time. I've not been to Chessington since about 2012 so that means they have lots of (...okay one) new coasters for me to try. I might see if I can fit Legoland in to this trip too, not been there since the 1990s.

At some point I want to get back to Fantasy Island as every time I've been, Odyssey has been closed. This is a "maybe" as it's a long way to go for some old Vekomas.

I've got a solo America trip planned in June, 2 days at King's Island and 4 days at Cedar Point (one afternoon/evening, 2 full days, and a morning). Minimal travelling as I don't want to be too knackered with driving. As an Arrow fan, Cedar Point is basically a bucket list park. Both these will be new parks to me as the only park I've been to in America so far is Washington State Fair.

Following this, a CoasterBreaks trip covering some parks in Germany, Denmark and Sweden. All but two of these will be new to me (I visited Liseberg and Grona Lund last year).

Not currently planned but a possibility is a trip with a group to Energylandia in Poland (and maybe Legendia too), again these will be new parks for me.

Then nearer the end of the season I have a couple of days holiday saved up for midweek Fright Nights and Scarefest.
 
Several trips to Towers, EP in March/April (along with probable visits to Tripsdrill and Holiday Park), some of the other UK parks to hoover up unclaimed creds...We'll see what else happens.
 
2024 is definitely a year for theme park adventures! I'm excited to see PortAventura World and experience the thrill of Shambhala and Red Force. Alton Towers with the returning Nemesis is also calling my name, and who can resist the new Hyperia at Thorpe Park.
 
I should be going to Alton Towers once or twice this year. I will probably go to CWOA quite a few times, and Thorpe Park will definitely be visited on multiple occasions. Legoland Windsor is another park that I should be going to.
I am also going to Japan this summer, mainly for the Tokyo Disney Resort, but I may be visiting Fuji-Q Highland and Nagashima Spa Land as well.
 
My rough plan for this year:

(There will also be multiple trips to Thorpe as it’s not far from me).

March - Legoland and Thorpe (legoland is a bit of a spring tradition, it’s usually our first trip out when I come out of winter hibernation).

April - Towers (3 days)

May - Oakwood

June - Drayton and Blackpool

July - Towers

August - no Merlin parks as only have silver passes and difficult to get annual leave for a longer trip so will probably just have to make do with a day at Brean.
.
Sept - if finances allow, some parks in Europe, either a selection in Belgium (thinking possibly Plopsa, Toverland, Walibi B and one other) or Parc Asterix and Plopsa land de Panne. I’m itching to go to Parc Asterix and get on Toutatis, one child is desperate to go to Plopsa and get on Ride to Happiness.

If Europe trip doesn’t work out then I might head up north instead and do Flamingoland.

I like having it all planned out with something to look forward to every month. Roll on spring!
 
I haven't set anything in stone yet because of work and private stuff. It's a bit complicated this year. I talked with a friend to visit the netherlands for Walibi Holland and Toverland (at least; maybe Belgium as well). I hope we can do this trip this year.
I'll visit friends in Wien this autumn so I can add Wiener Prater. This one is kinda confirmed to happen.
I also want to revisit Phantasialand and Tripsdrill. I just don't know when.
 
PortAventura World sounds like a dream come true, particularly with the inclusion of Shambhala. Who can ignore the attraction of Alton Towers and Nemesis? The excitement from your grandfather brings more joy to the adventure. Thorpe Park and Hyperia sound like a perfect match, too.

For myself, I am considering a visit to Legoland Windsor because of the new Minifigure Speedway. Thinking about going alone to Blackpool Pleasure Beach seems like quite an adventure. Oakwood Theme Park's Megafobia retracking has piqued my interest as well.

Adaptability appears to be very important for planning visits to theme parks, so it will be curious to observe the developments over this year. Perhaps there might even be some surprising new activities added as time goes on. If you have plans to visit Spain, I'd suggest checking out https://gowithguide.com/spain they joined me during my trip there, and it was super helpful in finding cool spots and providing valuable insights.

Cheers 🍻
James
 
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