Schooldays.ie - Ireland's Online Resource for Parents & Teachers

Parenting & Education in Ireland

Schooldays.ie - Ireland's Online Resource for Parents & Teachers

Parenting & Education

× Home Parents Associations About Us
.
Log in Register Forgot password? ×

Halloween Mid Term Getaways: UK theme parks



Looking for the best place to go for an exciting week-long family holiday for the Halloween break? Look no further, here is Schooldays.ie’s breakdown of the top five theme parks in the UK this Autumn.

Whether you’re looking for a week-long break, or just a few days away from home, the UK is a great option for families with kids. While you won’t be guaranteed sunny days and warm weather, flight time from Dublin to most UK airports is around an hour, meaning less travelling and less stress! Irish Ferries and Stenaline also offer up to 16 daily ferry crossings from Ireland to Britain, giving you even more options for getting there if you want to take the car.

The UK is home to a huge number of fantastic theme parks, with many of them holding special events to keep kids entertained during the Halloween midterm break.

Why go to a Theme Park?

Theme parks are a great option for a fantastic day out for the whole family, with lots of rides and attractions for kids (and adults!) of all ages. Lots of theme parks offer two-day or week-long passes, for short and long trips. With most of the top theme parks offering package deals on local hotels and ticket prices, a theme park family holiday doesn’t have to break the budget.

Buying tickets online in advance will dramatically reduce the price you pay for admission, so make sure to check out the theme park website for online ticket deals.

Here are our top 5 UK theme park picks:

Pleasure Beach, Blackpool


Pleasure Beach was recently voted the UK’s number one theme park by Tripadvisor, taking into account value for money, customer experience and overall satisfaction with the park. With over 100 rides, attractions and spectacular shows, Pleasure Beach is a fantastic place for a fun, family day out. The kids will love Nickelodeon Land, where they may catch a glimpse of some of their favourite TV characters!

Legoland, Windsor


Legoland is an exciting theme park designed for children aged 2-12. The park contains over 55 lego themed interactive rides, live shows and workshops as well as lots of fantastic lego models to delight visitors of all ages. This October, Legoland have planned a special Halloween event, ‘Brick or Treat’ with lots of special Halloween themed activities. Special spooky puppet shows and Lego pumpkin workshops will delight kids on their Halloween break. ‘Brick or Treat’ runs from 14th October - 31st October.

Alton Towers, Alton

Alton Tower’s is the UK’s most popular theme park for families taking short breaks away. The park offers a huge range of rides, attractions, restaurants and hotels as well as a waterpark and spa. Alton towers boasts rides and attractions catering for all ages, from the worlds first 14 looping roller coaster to an ‘In the Night Garden’ magical boat ride. Scarefest is a Halloween themed event taking place in the park from 8th - 10th, 15th - 31st October guaranteeing lots of Halloween themed fun for all the family.


Drayton Manor Park, Tamworth


Drayton Manor Park is set in 280 acres of lakes and parkland. From water rides to roller coasters, the park has something that everyone will enjoy. Thomas land is a Thomas The Tank Engine themed area, designed especially for younger children. On top of that, the park also contains a zoo, with over 100 species of animals from all over the world!

Thorpe Park, Chertsey

Just 20 miles from Central London, Thorpe Park is the perfect location for a day of family fun outside of the city. With lots of roller coasters, water rides and swimming pools, there's lots to do at Thorpe Park. The park is geared towards a teenage/young adult audience and so, is an option for families with slightly older kids. Angry Birds Land is a newly opened area in the park, themed on the extremely popular video game franchise. With lots to do and see, Thorpe Park provides a fantastic family fun day out.

;