But my favourite one is not full of theming on a grand scale and has few ‘blow-your-mind’ rides like Thorpe’s flat ride line-up, it lies in the hills of Pembrokeshire, and it is known as Oakwood…
It’s hard to find yes, and it has an understated entrance, but it likes it like that, it’s a park that doesn’t need to promote itself to draw in punters, unlike Tussauds who have probably decided to add an Accelerator to Chessington in the future, it uses past visitors to tell friends how good it is and it works well…
When you get out of your car, the first thing that draws the attention of most people is the dominating shape of Hydro, yet it’s only the turn of it, but the size proves that Oakwood doesn’t lie back and let the kiddies run rampant. Moving into the park, and Hydro is joined by the arch of Vertigo, the sky-coaster, and moving further in, you eventually meet with the signature ride, Megaphobia, one of the best wooden coasters ever…FACT!
With these three main attractions, Megaphobia contains rides for the usual thrill-seeker, but it’s not the rides that make the park stand out, it’s the location and landscaping…
WHAT! I hear you cry, especially CF-Member c&r, probably about to complain that a Thorpe ‘fan-boy’ believes that it’s not only Megaphobia that makes Oakwood so good, but it truly isn’t the only great thing…
Considering I have two Tussauds parks nearby, we can use these as examples, where in Thorpe can you relax away from the froth of chavs? Where in Chessington can you do that, near the entrance on the fields, Oakwood has those fields, but several of varying sizes and the plus factor is that the rides are so damn quite you can sleep for a good hour during the summer days…
The sloping hill across from Megaphobia also helps all you budding directors to get great views of the drop, or indeed other rides as well… Plus, the other great thing is that Oakwood doesn’t use grabbers for extra revenue, unlike Tussauds, it only has ONE, count them, ONE main arcade, and the shops aren’t COMPLETELY full of rubbish tat items…
Yes the rides at Oakwood are great for the family, and there are those which will satisfy even the most harden of thrill-seekers, (yes I am commenting on the Pirate Ship so there), but remember, the rides make a park stand out, but the landscaping takes it to a whole new level…
Till next time CoasterForce…
