Some of the UK’s best-known family parks have opened major new attractions this year. Alton Towers has a Bluey rollercoaster, Chessington has built an entire PAW Patrol world, Paultons Park has added a Viking-themed area called Valgard and Kynren in County Durham has launched The Storied Lands, a brand new live-action show park.
Between them, the openings cover every age group, from toddlers taking their first rollercoaster ride to teenagers riding Paultons’ fastest coaster yet. Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Crealy have also added new rides this year, giving families a couple of extra options further afield.
With the summer holidays still running and October half term not far behind, there’s time to build a trip around any of these. Here’s what each one offers and what to know before you go.
Bluey the Ride Here Come the Grannies
Best for… toddlers and Bluey fans
Bluey the Ride at Alton Towers
Bluey the Ride – officially named: Bluey the Ride, Here Come The Grannies – opened in CBeebies Land this spring, on the site previously occupied by the Postman Pat ride.
It’s the world’s first rollercoaster based on the show and it’s built with toddlers in mind rather than thrill-seekers, with gentle dips and turns as riders join Bluey’s family for a run-in with the grannies. The minimum height is 90cm, so most two- and three-year-olds will be able to ride alongside older siblings.
Given the show’s popularity with under-fives, expect this to be one of the busiest new attractions in the park this summer, so arriving at opening time is worth doing if you can.
Top tip: Head there at opening time – with the show’s popularity, this is likely to be one of the busiest new attractions in the park this summer.
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Best for… young families wanting variety
World of PAW Patrol at Chessington
Chessington‘s new land is the UK’s first area dedicated to PAW Patrol and it’s built around four rides rather than one headline attraction. Chase’s Mountain Mission is a junior rollercoaster themed around a rescue mission, Skye’s Helicopter Heroes is a gentle aerial ride with views over Adventure Bay, Marshall’s Firetruck Rescue rocks and rolls through a fire engine adventure, and Zuma’s Hovercraft Adventure is billed as the UK’s first Drifter ride, spinning and swirling across water.
All four rides share a 90cm minimum height, with children under 1.1m to 1.2m needing an adult alongside them depending on the ride. There’s also a meet and greet area with Chase, Skye, Rubble and Marshall, plus a playzone for free play between rides.
Families staying over can book PAW Patrol themed hotel rooms, which come with early ride access and a new PAW Patrol rollercoaster is due to join the land later this year.
Top tip: Book one of the PAW Patrol themed hotel rooms – it comes with early ride access before the general park opens.
Best for… teens and thrill-seekers
Valgard, Realm of the Vikings at Paultons Park
Valgard opened in May next to the Lost Kingdom and is the most thrill-focused of the three new lands, aimed at older children, teens and parents who want a proper coaster fix.
Drakon is the headline ride, a vertical lift coaster with a beyond-vertical drop and inversions, and it comes with a 1.25m minimum height. Raven is a reimagined bobsled coaster with a 1.1m minimum and Vild Swing, described as the UK’s first ride of its kind, swings riders 12 metres into the air with a 95cm minimum height.
There’s also a Viking-themed playground for younger visitors who don’t meet the height requirements and a Feasting Hall serving Nordic-inspired food. All three rides are included in standard park admission, with no extra charge to enter Valgard and a new water ride called the Serpent’s Curse is planned to join the land in 2027.
Top tip: Check the height requirements before you go – Drakon’s 1.25m minimum is the highest of the three, so it’s worth having a backup plan for younger riders.
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Best for… show-lovers over queuers
Kynren, The Storied Lands in County Durham
Kynren, already known for its outdoor evening show An Epic Tale of England, has opened a new daytime park called The Storied Lands in Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
It’s billed as the UK’s first live-action show park, swapping traditional rides for five scheduled performances that families move between across the day, including Land of the Vikings, a warrior-themed show with combat and pyrotechnics, The Lost Feather, an aerial display involving more than 250 birds and Legend of the Wear, a stunt show staged on a lake.
There’s also a horseback show called The Trusty Steed and an interactive Victorian-themed maze called the Victorian Imaginariums.
Because the day runs on a show schedule rather than continuous rides, it suits families who want to build a day around watching rather than queuing, so it’s worth checking performance times in advance and planning your route between shows.
Top tip: Check performance times in advance and plan your route between shows, since the day runs on a fixed schedule rather than continuous ride access.
More new theme park rides in the UK for 2026
Blackpool Pleasure Beach opened Aviktas in May, a 138ft gyro swing that’s one of the tallest rides of its kind in the country.
Down in Devon, Crealy added Pirates’ Plummet, an 80ft drop tower, in April, with a spinning air race ride called Rotor due to open later in the summer.
Kynren – The Storied Lands
Planning a family theme park trip around the new rides in 2026
New attractions tend to draw the biggest crowds in their first season, so booking tickets and any nearby accommodation ahead of time is worth doing regardless of which park you choose.
It’s also worth matching the park to your children’s ages before you book. Alton Towers’ Bluey ride and Chessington’s PAW Patrol land are aimed at toddlers and younger children, while Paultons’ Valgard leans towards older kids and teens who want something faster.
Most parks list height and age restrictions for new rides on their websites, so it’s worth checking those against your children before you travel, particularly if you’re planning around one specific attraction.
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