What does Bart say? | Theme Parks • Fairs • Attractions

Names like Dino Chase, Cyclonator, or Farmyard Flyer probably don’t mean much to you, but Ghostly Manor, Drakon, and Storm Chaser might sound a bit more familiar. These are some of the newest rides at Paultons Park, a theme park located in the south of England that is incredibly popular in the UK, but barely gets any attention on the European mainland. Which is honestly quite surprising, especially since it’s practically just across the channel. Over the last few years, the park has been opening one great attraction after another, keeping up a crazy pace of expansions. They even opened a brand-new, highly anticipated themed land in 2026 named Valgard. Having heard plenty of people in the community describe it as ‘the Toverland of England’ because of its insane level of theming and detailing, I just had to go and see it with my own eyes. Ever since my trip to the UK back in 2024, Paultons Park has been high on my radar, and with the opening of Valgard, it’s the perfect time to finally experience the park for myself.

Paultons Park is located relatively close to Southampton and is incredibly easy to reach by public transport, so don’t let the location put you off at all. If you’re planning a theme park trip without a car, this is exactly what you want. During my journey, I visited all the parks using public transport, and Paultons Park was by far the most stress-free and seamless one to get to. No hassle with expensive taxis or unreliable connections. From Southampton Central, a direct bus costs just a few pounds and takes less than half an hour to drop you literally right outside the main entrance. It really couldn’t be any easier.

The anticipation really started building as the bus turned onto the road leading to Paultons Park. It’s a long, sweeping approach where I fully expected to catch a glimpse of the massive coasters peeking over the treeline, but honestly, nothing could be further from the truth. The rides are completely hidden away in the landscape, only revealing themselves the exact moment you pull into the parking lot, which actually makes for a pretty cool surprise effect. Once you arrive, you can’t miss the massive Paultons Park logo, where an enthusiastic staff member is ready to snap your photo. Personally, I think it’s a clever move; it instantly gets you into that hyped theme park energy, and you walk away with a great souvenir without breaking the bank.

The entrance itself, on the other hand, is nothing to write home about. If you had shown me a picture of it and told me it was the entrance to a local shopping mall, I would have totally believed you. Granted, with the Efteling as my home park, I’m incredibly spoiled when it comes to grand, breathtaking entrances that instantly transport you to another world. But knowing what Paultons Park has to offer further inside in terms of world-class theming, the underwhelming exterior didn’t really bother me at all. It actually shows that the park prioritizes its budget perfectly, choosing to invest heavily in the immersive guest experience inside rather than pouring tons of money into a facade you only look at for a few minutes when you arrive and leave.

Discovering Valgard: Paultons’ brand-new viking themed land:
Once inside, the atmosphere changed instantly—and thankfully, for once, that wasn’t due to the unpredictable British weather. You literally step off a concrete plaza and straight into a beautifully lush, green environment. The prospect of scoring no less than eight new coaster credits in one of England’s most highly themed parks definitely helped boost the excitement too. Navigating a completely new park is always a bit of a guessing game at first, but luckily, my companions were Paultons veterans—it’s their home park, in fact! While the massive crowds of families with young children immediately veered left toward Peppa Pig World, we confidently headed the opposite way, straight toward Valgard: the park’s brand-new Viking-themed land. Having been officially open for less than three weeks when I visited, I was genuinely blown away from the very first second.

I had been closely following the Making-of Valgard: Realm of the Vikings series on the official Paultons Park YouTube channel, so I already had a pretty good idea of what to expect. But once you actually stand before those massive entrance gates and see the logo right beside you, you really have to pinch yourself. Everything is significantly larger and more impressive than I anticipated. Considering Paultons Park whipped this entire area up in barely 18 months, it’s absolutely surreal. Every single square inch of land has been utilized and themed to perfection. From the brilliantly chosen landscaping to the smallest props that bring the area to life, there is a surprise waiting around every corner—and that’s before even mentioning the rides themselves.

As soon as you take your first steps into Valgard, the eyes of Drakon are already burning into your back. With a wait time of just five minutes, I had no choice but to make this my very first credit of the day. If you read my blogs often, you know I’m usually no fan of the Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter. However, a credit is a credit, so I pushed my ‘Euro-Fighter anxiety’ aside and climbed aboard. And wow, what a smooth, surprisingly great ride! Of course, it’s still a Gerstlauer—you almost never get them completely rattle-free—but Drakon is the ultimate proof that this manufacturer definitely still has it. And that stall? Incredible! Hanging upside down only lasts a few seconds in reality, but it feels like you’re floating for much longer. It was a pretty bold move for Paultons Park to install this model, since it’s their very first coaster with inversions, but Drakon fits the park perfectly: thrilling, highly accessible for families, and the layout is just long enough without becoming too intense.

To stick with Gerstlauer, Raven (formerly known as Cobra) couldn’t be left behind either. This is a Gerstlauer Bobsled coaster which, unlike the Euro-Fighter, I can always thoroughly enjoy. What makes it extra special now is how seamlessly it has been integrated into the new area. If your timing is right, the two trains fly past each other perfectly, giving you a really cool near-miss interaction with Drakon that makes your ride on Raven even more thrilling. You can clearly tell that Paultons Park pours serious care into their themed environments, rather than just slapping a new coat of paint on an old ride. Although it was my first visit, comparing photos of the former, fairly basic station layout to the incredibly detailed Viking structure they’ve built now makes it clear they should be immensely proud of this transformation. It’s a masterclass in how to breathe brand-new life into an existing coaster, and it’s a lesson from which many larger theme parks could definitely learn a thing or two.

Beyond the major coaster highlights, the rest of Valgard is packed with details that make the area feel like a living, breathing Viking village, with the beautifully themed Feasting Hall serving as its centerpiece. Far from your standard, uninspired theme park cafeteria, this indoor haven offers a surprisingly extensive menu with plenty of high-quality options, making it the ultimate spot to relax and recharge your batteries like a true Norse warrior. Once you step back outside, that immersive energy continues right away with the UK’s very first Vild Swing. If you need a quick break from the coaster madness but still want some unique thrills, this flat ride is an absolute must-do; as you soar through the air, its strategic positioning offers a brilliant dual-sided perspective, sweeping your view from the detailed rooftops of Valgard one moment to a sneaky glimpse of the towering dinosaurs over in Lost Kingdom the next.

It honestly feels like a complete, top-tier land already, but the most exciting part is that Paultons Park is far from finished. Right next to The Feasting Hall, construction work is taking place for their next massive project: Serpent’s Curse. Slated for a 2027 opening, this MACK Rides water coaster is set to be their own answer to Europa-Park’s iconic Poseidon. They are clearly not playing around here; Valgard is an absolute triumph on its own, but adding a major water ride into the mix—which will officially be the very first water coaster in the UK—is going to take this entire side of the park to a whole new level.

From fierce vikings to the past in Lost Kingdom:
In recent years, Paultons Park has focused heavily on developing fully immersive themed lands, which is exactly why I mentioned earlier in this article that it truly is the Toverland of England. They seem to churn out one masterful area after another, and exactly ten years ago—back in 2016—Lost Kingdom opened its gates. Even though I’m personally not the biggest fan of prehistoric dinosaur themes, Paultons Park simply did a magnificent job here. Just like in Valgard, you are surrounded by an abundance of lush greenery, but here it has had a decade to mature. The trees and shrubs have grown beautifully dense, wrapping around the tracks and pathways to create a genuine jungle atmosphere. Thanks to this impressive landscaping and an incredible eye for detail, the park completely sucks you into the experience, regardless of how you feel about dinosaurs.

When you’re visiting a new theme park as a credit hunter, there’s a sort of unwritten rule: you try to lock in all the credits as fast as possible, allowing you to stroll through the rest of your day with peace of mind. Rain or shine, those coasters need to be ridden. With the notoriously unpredictable British weather and the constant threat of rides closing due to a sudden downpour, I had no choice but to strike immediately and secure the credits in Lost Kingdom. I started by racking up laps on Velociraptor, a surprisingly punchy Vekoma Family Boomerang, and the family-friendly Dino Chase. While queuing for these, the rain started coming down quite heavily. Luckily, I’m not made of sugar, and a decent rain jacket gets you pretty far. However, my front-row ride on Flight of the Pterosaur is one I won’t forget anytime soon. This Vekoma Suspended Family Coaster is beautifully smooth and offers a great sense of freedom, but exactly as our train dispatched from the station, the heavens completely opened up. Trust me: flying through the air at high speed while raindrops pelt your face like solid hailstones is absolutely no joke!

Since the British weather had already ensured I was walking around soaked to the bone anyway, I figured I might as well lean into it. I decided to jump straight onto Splash Lagoon, one of those mini log flumes that have been popping up in family parks a lot lately. While the layout looks completely innocent from the sidelines, it’s genuinely surprising how much water you actually catch on that drop. At that point, a little extra water didn’t really matter to me anymore anyway. Looking around through the drizzle, you can tell the area still packs plenty of life outside of the coasters, with family rides like the spinning Boulder Dash keeping the crowds entertained. But with my clothes already thoroughly drenched, I preferred to keep moving and hopped right into Dinosaur Tour. This relaxing jeep ride past large animatronic dinosaurs was the perfect, laid-back way to catch my breath and dry off just a little bit, while beautifully guiding us on our way toward the next major themed land: Tornado Springs!

From the past to hunting storms in Tornado Springs:
One of the themed lands I was most eager to explore beforehand was Tornado Springs. When I started researching Paultons Park after my 2024 UK trip, this area immediately popped up, and I was instantly blown away. Although I hadn’t actually visited the park during that 2024 journey, looking it up afterward immediately sparked my enthusiasm. It wasn’t even necessarily because of the ride lineup, but purely due to the insanely high level of theming. For a park that was completely unknown to me at the time, it instantly made me want to plan a return to England just to see this. You don’t see the classic American Route 66 theme very often in European parks, and that unique atmosphere really appeals to me. I’ve never actually been to America myself, let alone know a whole lot about it, and that’s exactly what intrigues me about this place: it’s the unfamiliar that somehow feels incredibly familiar.

The absolute eyecatcher of the area is, without a doubt, Storm Chaser. Paultons Park did a fantastic job here by fully integrating the coaster into the land, rather than just placing it next to it. The layout weaves right through the heart of the town, swooping over pathways and diving past buildings, which gives the entire area incredible energy. The station is designed as an atmospheric, vintage American garage packed with nostalgic details, old tools, and oil drums, while the trains themselves look like rugged storm-chasing vehicles. Although Tornado Springs would have looked even better if the British weather hadn’t shown its worst side, those bright yellow supports of Storm Chaser cutting through the gloomy, grey clouds still looked incredibly striking. It truly popped.

Now, I have to be honest: Gerstlauer Euro-Fighters aren’t my favorite coasters, but generally, I’m even less of a fan of a MACK Spinning Coaster. Not because they are bad rides—on the contrary, for a five-year-old coaster, Storm Chaser was surprisingly smooth. It’s purely due to the spinning, unpredictable movements the train can make. Obviously, that’s exactly what a spinning coaster is supposed to do, but lately, it’s just not really my thing anymore. But hey, a credit is a credit, and Storm Chaser simply couldn’t be skipped. Did I come out looking as yellow as the coaster’s supports? (Get it? Haha!) Well, not quite, but I must admit I needed a brief moment to recover after that ride.

Tornado Springs is absolutely packed with easter eggs referencing the devastating storm that once raged through the town. If you look closely, you’ll spot them everywhere. Props are scattered all over the place, and it’s not just inanimate objects that fell victim to the severe weather; various (farm) animals have also ended up in the strangest locations. Imagine a tractor crashed halfway into a roof, laundry caught meters high in the treetops, or street signs and lampposts blown completely crooked. Even the facades of the shops and restaurants show some serious ‘storm damage’ here and there. It’s exactly these witty, minor details that complete the land; they ensure you constantly discover something new and showcase just how much effort went into bringing this American town to life. But now, the real question remains: is all this destryuction the result of a past disaster, or is it caused by the only storm still raging in the area today… the Cyclonator?

Beyond the boundaries: discovering Paultons’ full variety:
Aside from the three major themed lands—Lost Kingdom, Tornado Springs, and Valgard—Paultons Park naturally has a lot more to offer, even if the focus elsewhere shifts heavily toward a younger demographic. In fact, one of the areas that truly put Paultons Park on the map is Peppa Pig World. For a dedicated credit hunter like myself, this themed land holds very little value, but you can’t deny the incredible production value here. The area is visually stunning, painted in bright pastel colors that make you feel like you’ve walked straight into the cartoon. It features some beautifully executed rides where young families can easily spend a few hours. Because it caters so specifically to the littlest of visitors, I just took a quick stroll through to soak up the joyful atmosphere without spending too much time there. Then again, leaving the area without meeting Peppa and George was simply out of the question, so I secretly snuck in a quick photo with them anyway ;)!

Before it was officially time to head for the exit, there was one specific attraction I absolutely wanted to experience: Ghostly Manor. This is a MACK Gameplay Theater, similar to Ed & Edda’s Grand Prix at Europa-Park, but in my opinion, this one looks a whole lot better. Ghostly Manor opened its doors in 2025 and is richly detailed both inside and out. Even outside in the queue, surrounded by eerie details and spooky decor, you are instantly drawn into the storyline, a feeling that only intensifies once you step indoors. A continuous pre-show sets the stage perfectly, getting you entirely ready to hunt down the ghosts haunting the manor.

An indoor attraction like this is never a punishment anyway, especially when the British weather is acting up. The concept is brilliant: you sit on a central, rotating platform that spins you from one massive screen to the next, entirely changing your surroundings in a split second. Before boarding and grabbing my blaster, I confidently bragged to the group: “I’m going to absolutely crush all of you!” Once the game started, however, it turned into total chaos. Lasers were flying everywhere, screens were flashing, and I completely lost my focus. Once we stepped back outside, reality proved painfully otherwise; the scoreboard didn’t lie, and I ended up with the absolute worst score of the entire group. While I usually manage an easy win back at Europa-Park, things didn’t go quite as planned here. Yet, despite my dramatic defeat, Ghostly Manor easily became one of my absolute favorite non-coaster attractions at Paultons Park. It’s highly interactive, fun for the whole family, and for someone like me who secretly hates losing, it’s the perfect ride to challenge your friends!

Paultons Park exceeded all expectations:
To be completely honest, before I started looking into Paultons Park after my 2024 UK trip, it wasn’t even on my radar. Before my visit, several people had already told me that the park’s quality, atmosphere, and theming were highly comparable to Toverland. Now that I’ve walked around there myself, I can only wholeheartedly agree; the continuous drive for quality and the eye for detail are identical in both parks. Paultons Park is growing incredibly fast, but it never loses sight of its foundation. You can feel in everything that this park is run with an immense amount of love, which is directly visible in the meticulous maintenance that takes place both during the winter season and throughout the year.

That level of professionalism also shines through in the park’s facilities and, above all, its incredible staff; even though the British weather was doing its absolute best to dampen the mood, the ride operators and employees were remarkably friendly, energetic, and genuinely looked like they were having a great time, which instantly gave the park a warm and welcoming vibe. This hospitality is seamlessly matched by the excellent food and beverage options, which are highly varied, of great quality, and offer plenty of cozy indoor and outdoor seating areas to escape the drizzle. Another massive plus—especially given the unpredictable English climate—is that most of the queues are excellently covered, meaning that even on a rainy day like the one I experienced, waiting in line is absolutely no punishment at all when you are standing dry and are continuously greeted by an enthusiastic team.

With the upcoming arrival of the spectacular water coaster Serpent’s Curse in 2027, Paultons Park proves they are absolutely not standing still. If they continue to develop at this impressive pace, they are looking at a fantastic future. For a coaster hunter, it’s already an ideal destination that you can thoroughly enjoy in a single day, while families with young children can easily fill two full days thanks to the massive lineup of attractions. Located relatively close to Southampton, Paultons Park is the perfect day trip if you’re staying in the area.

I might not have expected it beforehand, but this park is an absolute must-visit that belongs on everyone’s theme park bucket list! One thing is absolutely certain: as soon as the weather permits and Serpent’s Curse has officially opened, I am without a doubt returning to Paultons Park.

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