Affordable UK theme park opens new Wizard of Oz themed land with ‘flying monkey' ride
Inside the theme park are two new rides and a new attraction that will bring to life the world of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion.
5
There's a new flying monkey ride in the Wizard of Oz land
5
The upside down house is set to be a hit with visitors
One of the new
There's also a photo opportunity to remember the experience.
One of the new rides is the Winged Monkeys which allows visitors to soar through the skies from the Royal Palace of Oz.
And the Munchkin Motors ride is a revamped vintage classic.
Read More on Theme Parks
With this ride, visitors can drive through the Land of Oz and try to spot much-loved characters along the way.
Julie Dalton, managing director of Gulliver's Theme Park Resorts said: 'The Land of Oz area at Gulliver's World in
There are five Gulliver's theme park locations across the UK and a new ride recently arrived at the Matlock Bath site.
The theme park in Matlock Bath has announced the addition of a new
Most read in Family
The ride that comes with a word of warning for visitors gives riders an incredible view of the park before suddenly plunging 15 metres.
Paulton's Park reveals first look at new £3.5million ride opening next month
5
There's even an Emerald Castle
5
Another new ride was recently added to the Matlock Bath site
Manufactured by SBF Visa, the ride is the latest addition to the park.
Hannah Marsden, resort manager at Gulliver's Kingdom, said: 'We are really excited by the reaction we have had to our new Tree Top Drop ride.
"It's definitely not one for the faint-hearted but the views are absolutely fantastic from the top looking down on the whole valley below so not to be missed!"
One of our Sun Travel writers recently visited Gulliver's Kingdom, and believes it's still one of the best.
She even went as far to say her family loves it more than
Milton Keynes is the favourite of her sites, particularly because they have the Dino & Farm Park.
She says that it's perfect for anyone not bothered about big name rides and is after theme park staples like a log flume and rollercoasters instead.
Another plus side is that families with small children can easily keep their little ones entertained, without having to walk for miles.
On the theme of parks, this abandoned English theme park is to reopen as an adventure attraction with rides and play zones.
And the
5
The Land of Oz is now at Gulliver's Theme Park in Warrington
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
08-08-2025
- Irish Times
Before Dorothy: Aunt Em origin story a fresh and vivid Wizard of Oz tribute
Before Dorothy Author : Hazel Gaynor ISBN-13 : 978-0008518714 Publisher : HarperFiction Guideline Price : £16.99 I love reading new fiction inspired by old fiction, but for the author there is danger as well as temptation in heading down an imaginative path first drawn by another writer. With Before Dorothy, Hazel Gaynor has made wise choices, both in her characters and their circumstances. The action of Before Dorothy begins in 1922, so the Kansas prairies Gaynor depicts are not that of L Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (published in 1900), but closer to the 1939 movie adaptation. By setting Before Dorothy before and during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s, the reader retains the visual cues from the film in this Aunt Em origin story. Baum's Aunt Em is a minor character, described as thin, gaunt and unsmiling, almost destroyed by the harsh reality of farming, whereas Gaynor has given Emily a complete history and a joyful and fully realised interior existence. The Emily of Before Dorothy is one of three sisters from an Irish immigrant family. She marries would-be farmer Henry Gale not long after her sister Annie marries his wealthy cousin, John. Several years later, John and Annie drown in a boating accident on Lake Michigan, and their orphaned child is given to Emily and Henry to raise: 'Dorothy had nothing and she now needed her Aunt Em to be everything.' Dorothy's fortune has gone too, for John Gale died bankrupt. READ MORE Gaynor's Kansas is a place where 'prosperity and ruin were as finely balanced as a circus performer on a high wire', and her descriptions – particularly of weather and nature – are so evocative you can almost feel the relentless heat and taste the dust. Wizard of Oz fans will enjoy this novel's many Easter eggs, including references to circus acts, a nasty neighbour, a toy lion and such knowing comments as Henry saying of John, 'I'm quite sure if you tapped his chest there would be an echo where his heart should be.' [ From the archive: There's no place like home: The Wizard of Oz, 80 years on Opens in new window ] This imaginative tribute is a fresh and vivid story of one woman's extraordinary adventure and the places that shape us. Even – perhaps especially – those that aren't home.
Irish Examiner
26-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
Book review: Familial bonds tested in harsh locale
Mentioned just a few times in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum, Dorothy's aunt, Emily Gale, is brought to life in this engrossing historical novel. She's one of three sisters whose family emigrated from Ireland to the US. Her heritage is very important to her, she plays the fiddle and sings Irish songs. As young women, Annie and Emily live together in Chicago — but a distance starts to develop when Annie marries John Gale, 'a man of capitalism and industry', and that strained relationship gets worse. Emily falls in love with John's cousin, who couldn't be more different — 'a man of community and nature'. She has always been attracted to the idea of moving to the prairies, influenced by her mother's fascination with a pamphlet written by the Irish priest Reverend Thomas Ambrose Butler entitled The State of Kansas and Irish Immigration. The first time she meets Henry, he talks about his plans to farm there and, while partly frightened at the thought of heading off into the unknown, she's also excited and prepared to face challenges. When she joins husband Henry in Kansas her immediate reaction is: 'The sense of isolation was unfamiliar and daunting, but it was thrilling.' Emily throws herself into the traditional lifestyle and the surroundings are idyllic when there is sufficient rain, but they are soon faced with the harsh reality of drought. When Emily receives news of the tragic death of Annie and her husband John, and has to make the trip to Chicago to collect her orphaned niece Dorothy, she is faced with another challenge. Will she succeed as a surrogate mother? During the 1920s, the American government encouraged people to buy plots and work the land. However, they used ill-informed farming practices including removing topsoil, so the 'unstoppable power of nature' created an unsustainable environment. Will we ever learn? Gaynor's descriptions of the power of nature and its effect on human health during the Dust Bowl years are truly frightening. 'Animals were falling sick and dying from dust fever, and prairie folk were dying from dust pneumonia caused by a layer of dust settling deep in their lungs … There was no colour there, no joy…' Into this depressing world arrives Adelaide Watson, an aviator, a colourful character who gives them hope by promising to bring them a rainmaker. Though fictional, she is a reminder of Amelia Earhart. There are wonderful descriptions of the freedom of flight. The author weaves historic people and events into her narrative as well as references to the original story and its characters. Integral are the silver shoes Dorothy inherits from her mother, which were changed to the famous red slippers in the film as they stood out better on the Yellow Brick Road. Emily is a well-rounded and likeable character, whose inner struggles and triumphs are eloquently revealed in her journal entries. The novel explores relationships between sisters, wives and husbands, and the real meaning of motherhood, as well as the importance of home. You do not need to have read the L Frank Baum novel or seen the film to enjoy this novel. It's moving and uplifting, and you will also learn a lot about the 1920s and 1930s in the US. Highly recommended.
Irish Independent
23-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Worth the hype? Ember Locke's hip London aparthotel sizzles with character – and gives you the chance of a lie-in
Locke aparthotels have gone from strength to strength since launching in London in 2016. They tap into a burgeoning home-from-home trend that allows visitors the freedom to faff in the privacy of their own fancy self-catering, serviced flat – so you don't have to rush down to a communal breakfast if you're aching for a lie-in. The brand made its Irish debut in 2020 with Zanzibar Locke, followed by Beckett Locke in 2021, both in Dublin. Instagram and millennial- friendly, Locke has received a glowing word of mouth for its communal caffeine and cocktail areas – ideal for digital nomads and brainstorming sessions, as well as for good old-fashioned people-watching. Imposter syndrome? If I'd worried I might be too old, at 48, for such a hip-spot, I was gladly mistaken. On arrival at Ember Locke in Kensington, we met a stylish white-haired Australian lady, probably in her 60s, struggling to lug her luggage up the external stairs. My friend and I gave her a hand into the yellow and pink lobby (bold colours, plush curtains, blonde wood coffee-bar area) of which Dorothy and Don Draper would surely approve. This leads to a brighter, orangery vibe at the back, a maximalist bar and various co-working and leisure seating in between. Weekly activities were listed above the elevator (Boxfit, yoga), and outside, my bird-nerd heart soared at the nesting boxes and bug hotels in a garden of mature trees, and appreciated the tented gazebo for curated outdoor 'happenings' and casual lollings. I'll fit right into this Victorian-era mansion block, I thought. And so I did. Suite dreams – or stuff of nightmares? When I was 21, I stayed in a hostel in New York City – where, in lieu of a knife, my pal and I used a Virgin Atlantic shoehorn (weirdly included in our complimentary inflight kit) to spread peanut butter on to a bagel. No such improvisation required in my top-floor one-bed open-plan suite. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Ember Locke's ergonomic kitchenettes are stocked with crockery, cutlery, glassware, exceedingly tasty/bougie teabags, high-end white goods, and Ecover detergent. There was also an ironing board and iron cunningly tucked into the back of a lozenge-shaped full-size mirror. The stylishly curvaceous clothing rail proved a nuisance though, allowing only a handful of coat-hangered tops before each one fell off. (Can hotels please bring back wardrobes with doors? Utilitarian chic has its place, but sometimes going back into the actual closet is a good thing.) But, oh, what a wonderful colour scheme. The ruddy embrace of terracotta, blush, orange and mustard tones, with forest-green kitchen units and fringed lampshades were a welcome change to the 50 shades of greige of so many 'contemporary' hotels. The cute dual-aspect, steep-roof nook was inset with a very comfortable king-size bed, and a graphic-print bedspread complemented a patterned feature wall. My friend's eight-year-old was equally smitten with her added single bed on to which morning sunshine streamed through the skylight, while the aforementioned teabags were ceremoniously steeping. The room's warm hues were in stark contrast to the nippy air-conditioning and mostly tepid water in the bathroom. I notified front desk who sent a plumber, but there was no improvement. Perhaps I should've just jumped the bathroom queue ahead of my two roomies who had better luck. I hadn't seen my dear friend and her daughter since February 2020 – mere weeks before lockdown, and just before they were moving to Hong Kong, so there was much to catch up on as we sat at the bar for snacks and sips. Sadly, our chinwag was stunted by a young staffer variously piddling about with glassware and boxes of ice cubes while we were clearly itching to order. Twice. Food is served at Ember Locke but we hot-footed it to the Irani-Indian stunner Dishoom one evening, and ordered a Deliveroo (Baba Ghanouj restaurant) to the property on night two, as the little one was desperate to watch A Very Important Football Match while stuffing our faces in the privacy of our own 'home'. Conclusion Despite a few niggles, I'd definitely stay at Ember Locke again. Firstly, you've the whole of London on your doorstep, with Earl's Court Tube station 10 minutes' away on foot. We walked to the National History Museum in 20 minutes and took the Tube to Kew Gardens in Wimbledon, around 30 minutes' west. Secondly, the eclectic decor is a real sight for drab eyes. Also, my suite was quiet, and its eaves aspect both quirky and familiar, rather like a theatre or film set. So, it really wasn't too far off from making my hotlist. Ember Locke, Kensington, London. Rooms from £220.
