Latest news with #Drakon
BBC News
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Paulton's Park announces new £12m Viking-themed world
A Hampshire theme park has announced plans for a £12m Viking-themed world due to open next Saturday, family-owned Paultons Park in Ower also opened new £3.5m indoor dark ride Ghostly Realm of the Vikings, is the attraction's largest investment to date and is aimed at families with older children and teenagers, said Paulton' will include two new rides - Drakon, the park's first inverting rollercoaster, and Vild Swing, which will swirl riders 39ft (12m) in the air. Paulton's Park first opened on 17 May 1983 and is owned and run by the Mancey family, who bought the site of the manor house, its gardens, parkland and lake, which was designed by Capability Brown, at auction in will also see the retheming of the Cobra ride into a bobsled adventure, which will be renamed Raven, and a themed high-capacity restaurant and new playground for younger park also confirmed another major thrill ride would be added to Valgard in 2027, saying only that it would be a "water-related experience". James Mancey, Paulton's deputy managing director, said: "We are thrilled to share our plans for our largest and boldest investment to date, and on the day that we welcomed guests into our brand-new Ghostly Manor."As an independent, family-owned theme park, we're incredibly proud of the investments we make to deliver the very best guest experience."He said the new rides would be "bigger and better than ever before".The park, which spans 140 acres (57 hectares) in the New Forest, is also home to Peppa Pig World, which opened in 2011. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Huge UK theme park reveals £12 million expansion for 2026
One of Britain's favourite theme parks has announced a major expansion is in the pipeline for next year. Paultons Park, which sits on 65 acres on the New Forest's edge in Hampshire, will open a brand new £12million themed world, Valgard - Realm of the Vikings, in 2026. The park, already a hit with younger children thanks to Peppa Pig World, today also cut the ribbon on its latest attraction, Ghostly Manor - a £3.5 million ghoulish interactive gameplay ride. News of the latest developments at the park will see it likely rival some of the nation's biggest theme parks - including Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park - for visitors next summer. Viking-themed Valgard is Paultons' biggest investment in a new themed area to date and is aimed at teens and older children. The biggest crowd-pleaser at Valgard is likely to be Drakon, a high-octane thrill ride with a vertical lift hill and two twists that take riders upside down. Elsewhere, there's also set to be a Vild Swing, which will whirl those brave enough to ride it 12 metres in the air - and one of the park's most famous rides, Cobra, is also set for a makeover. Cobra will be transformed into a bobsled adventure named Raven, with plans afoot to create a playground aimed at younger children in the village too. A Viking village, with shops and dining, will transport theme park goers back to the historical period when Scandinavia's famous Norse warriors lived. And the Hampshire theme park also teased the prospect of another ride in Valgard in 2027, suggesting that it might be a water-based attraction. From today though, visitors are likely to be clamouring to have a go on Ghostly Manor, which welcomed the first thrillseekers on board this morning. The indoor ride offers five minutes of game play plus pre-show surprises and is described as a tour of a 'family-friendly supernatural world'. Those who enter Ghost Manor will journey through the home of paranormal investigator, Dr Kinley - with plenty of things going bump in the night. Riders board four-seater carriages and get their own Phantom Phaser to try and capture the eerie apparitions they encounter. James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, said the park was delighted to be able to announce a double whammy of news - and explained more about what theme park fans can expect in 2026. He said: 'Valgard promises an immersive, atmospheric, and action-packed experience for families and has been specifically designed to grow with our fans. 'The introduction of inversions and a vertical lift hill on Drakon certainly up the adrenaline levels at Paultons Park, but staying true to our roots, we haven't forgotten about the little ones and there is something for all of the family in our new Viking village.' Day entry for the park is £45, with children under a metre going free. It's been a month of announcements in the world of theme parks, with Walt Disney revealing plans to open a Disney theme park in United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi. The park, in collaboration with regional developer Miral Group, will be its first major new theme park in nearly a decade and its first in the Middle East. The planned Disney waterfront resort will be located on Yas Island, a popular tourist destination that is home to other family-friendly attractions, including Warner Bros World Yas Island, SeaWorld Yas Island and Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi. The city of Abu Dhabi has a population of about 2.5 million, but Yas Island recorded more than 34 million visits in 2023, a 38% rise compared to the year before, Miral has said. 'We've always been interested in this part of the world - to bring our Disney stories to new, younger fans,' Disney's Experiences unit Chairman Josh D´Amaro told Reuters, adding, 'Abu Dhabi was an ideal location for us.' Miral, the Abu Dhabi-based leisure and entertainment group responsible for developing Yas Island, will finance, build and operate the resort. The creative and technical professionals who design Disney's theme parks, known as Imagineers, will lead creative design and provide operational oversight. The U.S. entertainment company will earn royalties based on the park's revenue, according to a regulatory filing. The Disney park 'will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati - an oasis of extraordinary Disney entertainment that is at the crossroads of the world,' Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. Disney said the park will be the 'most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio' and the concept art shows how far it may go to cast a powerful spell. The concept art was deliberately blurry in order to keep fans guessing about what will be in it - but one landmark that stuck out was the centre-piece castle, with a similar style to Elsa's ice palace from Frozen.
Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Paultons Park unveils new £12m Viking-themed land with a first for UK parks
Paultons Park in Hampshire has unveiled its new £3.5m dark ride, Ghostly Manor, as it also looks ahead to the addition of a new £12m themed-world which opens to the public in 2026 Paultons Park in Hampshire has pulled the wraps off its spooky new £3.5 million dark ride, Ghostly Manor, which opened its doors to the public on May 17. But that's not all - they've also spilled the beans on a whopping £12 million themed-world that's in the pipeline. Valgard – Realm of the Vikings is set to be Paultons Park's biggest splurge yet and is squarely aimed at families with older kids and teens. The Viking-themed extravaganza, due to open in spring 2026, will be home to Paultons Park's first-ever inverting rollercoaster. 'Drakon' promises to be the park's most adrenaline-pumping ride yet, boasting a vertical lift hill and two twists that'll flip riders head over heels. Valgard will also play host to a brand-new Vild Swing that'll send thrill-seekers spinning 12 metres into the air. The Vild Swing will make Paultons Park the first UK theme park to install a thrilling swing by ART Engineering. But it's not just about the new rides. Valgard will also see the Cobra, a much-loved classic at Paultons Park, reimagined as a bobsled adventure. The ride will take on a new identity as Raven, adding to the immersive Viking village experience. Valgard will also feature a themed restaurant with plenty of seats and a new playground for the little ones to explore. While keeping their cards close to their chest, Paultons Park did let slip that another major thrill ride is on the horizon for Valgard in 2027, hinting at a splashy water-based experience. Paultons Park is set to take its visitors on an epic Viking adventure with the introduction of Valgard – Realm of the Vikings, adding to its trove of over 80 rides and attractions spanning six themed worlds. Valgard joins the ranks alongside the Midwestern America-themed Tornado Springs, renowned for its exhilarating 'Cyclonator' and the twisting 'Storm Chaser' coaster, as well as dinosaur-themed haven — Lost Kingdom. James Mancey, deputy managing director at Paultons Park, said: "We are thrilled to share our plans for our largest and boldest investment to date, and on the day that we welcomed guests into our brand-new Ghostly Manor. As an independent, family-owned theme park, we're incredibly proud of the investments we make to deliver the very best guest experience. We've opened two brand-new rides in the last two years and with the build of Valgard firmly underway, we're excited to open a further three, bigger-and-better-than-ever-before rides, between now and summer 2027." Mancey also expressed his excitement over the new additions, adding: "Valgard promises an immersive, atmospheric, and action-packed experience for families and has been specifically designed to grow with our fans. The introduction of inversions and a vertical lift hill on Drakon certainly ups the adrenaline levels at Paultons Park, but staying true to our roots, we haven't forgotten about the little ones and there is something for all of the family in our new Viking village." Ghostly Manor, the latest indoor ride sensation, has upped the ante at Paultons Park with its five minutes of gameplay and an extra dose of pre-show excitement, adding to the park's already stellar roster of over 70 rides and attractions. Ghostly Manor's interactive gameplay is suited for thrill-seekers aged five and up, with those aged eight and older allowed to ride unaccompanied. As soon as guests step into the queue for Ghostly Manor, they'll encounter all sorts of spectral sights and haunted objects while navigating the abode of the famed ghost hunter, Dr Kinley. Riders hop into four-seater carriages and are equipped with their very own Phantom Phaser. The nifty gadget lets them snag sneaky spectres and troublesome phantoms. The ride is a feast for the senses, featuring cutting-edge haptic interactive tech and LED lights on the handheld Phaser, enhancing the experience across eight digitally decked-out scenes. At the journey's end, each ghost hunter's score is tallied, crowning the most skilled spirit snatcher. James added: "We have worked with the very best technical and theming experts in the attractions business to create Ghostly Manor. Our teams and partners have done a remarkable job at creating our very own haunted house, brimming with entertaining paranormal activity. Ghostly Manor really does look like it's always been part of Paultons Park, and I'm sure it's going to be an enormous hit with our guests."
