Gulliver's World

Last updated

Gulliver's World Theme Park Resort
Gulliver's World Theme Park Resort Logo.png
Gulliver's World Tree Top Swings Ride.jpg
LocationGulliver's World Resort, Warrington, Cheshire, England
Coordinates 53°24′22″N2°37′05″W / 53.406°N 2.618°W / 53.406; -2.618
StatusOperating
Opened1989;35 years ago (1989)
Operated byGulliver's Theme Parks
SloganGiant Adventures for Families
Operating seasonSelected dates across the year
Website www.gulliversworldresort.co.uk

Gulliver's World is a theme park located in Warrington, England, loosely based on the world of Lilliput from Gulliver's Travels. It consists of the themed areas Land, Gully Town, and Safari Kingdom. The park's attractions were designed for children between the ages of 2 and 13. Splash Zone and Blast Arena are two indoor attractions located next to the main theme park. A hotel opened on the site in 2012.

Contents

Gulliver's World has sister parks at Matlock Bath (Gulliver's Kingdom), Milton Keynes (Gulliver's Land) and Rotherham (Gulliver's Valley).

History

Gulliver's World was opened in 1989 and is the second Gulliver's theme park to be built in the UK, with the first being Gulliver's Kingdom located in Matlock Bath. The park has expanded since then with additional attractions, bigger rides and with the opening of The Gulliver's Hotel to provide short breaks. Gulliver's have focused specifically on families with younger children across their four theme parks.

Significant rides at the park include The Antelope, Desperado drop and Apache Falls. Play areas are provided both indoors and outdoors for younger children.

In 2002 the indie rock band The Strokes visited the park and rode on a number of attractions. Footage from their day at the park was included in their 2004 tour film The Strokes: In Transit. [1] [2]

Incidents

On 13 July 2002, a 15-year-old girl with Down's syndrome fell 30 feet (9 m) from a Ferris wheel. She was taken to hospital, and died two days later from her injuries. [3] The park were fined a total of £80,000 for failing to ensure a person's safety, and not carrying out risk assessments. [4]

On 15 September 2018, The Crazy Train rollercoaster broke down after 2 wheels fell off during the ride, leaving 21 people trapped on the ride 50 feet above the ground for three hours. No one was injured. [5]

Rides and attractions

Gulliver's World has many rides.

Roller Coasters

The Antelope Rollercoaster The Antelope .jpg
The Antelope Rollercoaster
NameYearOperational StatusManufacturerDescription
Antelope1995OperatingAllott and LomaxA Figure Eight Wooden Coaster.
Wriggler2013Operating Pinfari Standard Wacky Worm-type coaster. It was relocated from Camelot Theme Park after its closure, where it was known as Caterpillar Capers.
Grand Prix Racers2023OperatingSBF Visa GroupA family roller-coaster in the new "Gears" area.

Water Rides

Togo Tower Ride Togo Tower .jpg
Togo Tower Ride
NameOpenedManufacturerDescription
Adventure Canyon2001Gulliver'sLazy River-style boat ride.
Alpine Log Flume1989Big Country MotioneeringA Log Flume.
Apache Falls2016Gulliver'sA River Rapids ride.
Togo Tower2017Gulliver'sA set of Dinghy Waterslides.

Tracked Rides

NameOpenedManufacturerDescription
Dino Safari Tours2003ZamperlaTracked convoy ride with a Dinosaur theme.
Gilly's Princess Ride2014Gulliver'sA tracked dark ride.
Gully Grand Prix2013Gulliver'sRacing themed dark ride.
Gulliver's Railroad1989Big Country MotioneeringNarrow Gauge Railway.
Temple Raider2000I.E. ParkTemple themed Dark Ride.
Tractor Ride2007SBF Visa GroupTractor themed track ride.
Veteran Cars1989SBF Visa Group / Supercar LeisureA Classic Car ride.

Flat/Other Rides

NameOpenedManufacturerDescription
Dodgems1989SoliStandard Bumper Cars ride.
Flight of the Pteranodon2003ZamperlaKite Flyer ride.
Galleons1989Modern ProductsRoundabout ride.
Hatchery2000'sMozer RidesA Crazy Daisy ride.
Ladybird Ride1990sModern ProductsA ladybird-themed Roundabout ride.
Mad Hatter's Tea Party1993I.E. ParkStandard Teacups attraction.
Pirate Ship1995ZamperlaStandard Pirate Ship attraction.
Pirate's Cove2011ZamperlaPirate themed Disk'O ride.
Safari Swings2006SBF Visa GroupStandard Chair-O-Plane ride.
Toy-town Ride1993Gulliver'sanimals that go in circles

Former

NameOpenedClosedManufacturerDescription
Aladdin's Circus Ride20022011SartoriA Junior Railway.
Balloon Ride19962016SBF Visa GroupA Balloon-themed Ferris Wheel.
Barrel Ride19922017Gulliver'sJunior Teacups ride. Was relocated to Gulliver's Valley in preparation for its 2020 opening following removal.
Chair-O-Plane1995N/ASBF Visa GroupStandard Chair-O-Plane ride. Has gone through various owners in the UK fairground circuit since then.
Crazy Train20152018PinfariSit Down Coaster. It was purchased from Codonas Amusement Park in 2015 and was completely dismantled for the 2019 season following an incident. The park later sold the coaster to Pleasureland Southport for the 2021 season.
Cycle Monorail19942009Sharand EngineeringStandard Cycle Monorail ride. Was scrapped following its removal.
Fire Brigade20072014ZamperlaStandard Fire Brigade ride. Placed in Storage following its removal and was later relocated to Gulliver's Valley in preparation for its 2020 opening.
Flying Elephants20022013I.E. ParkStandard Flying Elephants ride. Placed in Storage following its removal and was later relocated to Gulliver's Valley in preparation for its 2020 opening.
Giant Slide19902006Harry Steer EngineeringStandard Slide ride. Was scrapped following removal.
Leonard's Flying Raft20032019ZamperlaA Junior Miami ride. Was relocated to Gulliver's Valley in preparation for its 2020 opening.
Joker20072021Moser RidesA Junior Drop Tower. Sold to Blackgang Chine and relocated to the park for the 2022 season.
Music ExpressN/A2013SBF Visa GroupRoundabout ride. Placed in Storage following its removal and was later relocated to Gulliver's Valley in preparation for its 2020 opening.
Runaway Mine Carts20062019ZamperlaMini Wild Mouse ride, similar to its bigger alternative Wild Mine Ride. Was relocated to Gulliver's Valley in preparation for its 2020 opening.
Runaway Train19892003Big Country MotioneeringSmall Family Coaster. It was soon sold to private owners who sat the coaster at Tir Prince Fun Park for the 2004 season, and later travelled through the Asian fairground circuit before returning to the UK at Billing Aquadrome since 2013.
Runaway Mine Train20042005ZamperlaSteel Family Coaster with theming. It was sold to The American Adventure Theme Park for the 2006 season and following the park's closure it was sold to Flamingo Land in 2007.
Wild Mine Ride19992015L&T SystemsWild Mouse Coaster with minecart cars. Sold to Funland Hayling Island for the 2016 season.

The Gulliver's Hotel Warrington

Opened in 2012, the Gulliver's Hotel forms part of Gulliver's World Resort. Accommodation is primarily designed for families, with relevant facilities and attractions nearby. Accommodation types include:

Themed rooms include the Swizzels Sweetie Suite and NERF Zone Suite.

The Gulliver's Hotel The Gulliver's Hotel.jpg
The Gulliver's Hotel

Designed around a woodland theme, selected suites have a balcony area and all have en-suite facilities.

Splash Zone

Gulliver's World has expanded to include additional indoor attractions that are available throughout the year. Splash Zone is their first major indoor venue on the site, consisting of multiple water based features such as slides and sprays. There are sessions on selected term time dates that are just for pre-school children. These 'Splash Tots' sessions have been introduced in recent years due to the high demand from parents with toddlers.

In summer 2017 Splash Zone was relaunched with 6 additional waterslides.

In 2020 the Splash Zone was closed due to the pandemic. The Splash Zone has remained closed throughout the 2020 season and has not re-opened since 2020.

The Splash Zone building remains on the site as of 2024. The waterslides and splash areas are still housed inside the building. There is still logos and branding placed around the Splash Zone building.

Splash Zone Warrington Splash Zone Warrington.jpg
Splash Zone Warrington

Blast Arena

Designed for children aged 6 and over, this indoor attraction has been a popular choice for birthday parties and group visits in Warrington. The Blast Arena provides participants with a chance to gain experience in the target range and then enter the main NERF Arena. NERF Blasters, goggles and target vest are provided for each session. There are two more NERF Zone venues operated by Gulliver's Theme Parks, they are located at Gulliver's Land Resort and Gulliver's Kingdom Resort.

NERF Zone NERF Zone Milton Keynes .jpg
NERF Zone

RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre

The Gulliver's World site was once part of the RAF Burtonwood air base. The official RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre was established and built on the theme park so that visitors could explore the history of the site in further detail. The centre features various collections including RAF memorabilia alongside numerous displays.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water park</span> Amusement park that features pools with water play areas

A water park is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other barefoot environments. Modern water parks may also be equipped with some type of artificial surfing or bodyboarding environment, such as a wave pool or flowrider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alton Towers</span> British theme park

Alton Towers Resort is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, mini golf and hotel complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada's Wonderland</span> Amusement park in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

Canada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a 330-acre (130 ha) amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Great-West Life Assurance Company, it was the first major theme park in Canada and remains the country's largest. Cedar Fair purchased the park from Paramount Parks in 2006, and they have owned and operated the park since then. In 2019, it was the most-visited seasonal amusement park in North America with an estimated 3.9 million guests. The park still retains this record, with an estimated 3.8 million guests in 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six Flags Darien Lake</span> Amusement park in Darien, New York

Six Flags Darien Lake is a 1,200-acre (4.86 km2) amusement park and resort located in Darien, New York, off of Interstate 90 between Buffalo and Rochester. Six Flags Darien Lake features a theme park, water park, campground and lodging. It is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Six Flags.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Burtonwood</span> Former air force base in Cheshire, England

Royal Air Force Burtonwood is a former Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces base that was located in Burtonwood, 2 miles (3.2 km) Northwest of Warrington in Cheshire, England. The base was opened in 1940 in response to World War II by the RAF and in 1942 it was transferred to the United States of America for war operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorpe Park</span> Resort Theme Park

Thorpe Park, formerly also known as Thorpe Park Resort, is a theme park located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Central London. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and includes rides, themed cabins, live events and Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster. In 2019, Thorpe Park was the UK's third most visited theme park, behind Alton Towers and Legoland Windsor. However, in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the park only had a 125-day operation season, along with limited capacity, leading to massively reduced visitor numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legoland Windsor Resort</span> Lego theme park in Windsor, Berkshire, England

Legoland Windsor Resort, styled and also known as Legoland Windsor, is a theme park and resort in Windsor, Berkshire in England, themed around the Lego brand. The park opened on 17 March 1996 and is currently operated by Merlin Entertainments. The park's attractions consist of a mixture of Lego-themed rides, models, and building workshops targeted at children between three and twelve.

Southport Pleasureland is an amusement park located in Southport, Merseyside, England. The park originally operated from 1913 to 2006 as Pleasureland Theme Park under the ownership of the Blackpool Pleasure Beach company. In 2007, the park re-opened under the ownership of Norman Wallis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rother Valley Country Park</span> Country park in South Yorkshire, England

The Rother Valley Country Park is a country park in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, close to Rotherham's border with Sheffield and Derbyshire. It covers 3 square kilometres and has four artificial lakes, recreational activities and nature reserves. The majority of the park is on land that was open cast for coal, with the main excavation sites filled by the artificial lakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulliver's Kingdom</span> Theme park in Derbyshire, England

Gulliver's Kingdom is a theme park aimed at children aged 3-13 in the Derbyshire town of Matlock Bath, England. The park was founded in 1978 by Ray and Hilary Phillips as a model village, before later expanding to include a small train and some second hand rides. Gulliver's Kingdom is close to the site of the Victorian Switchback rollercoaster ride, after which the theme park's main rollercoaster was eventually named. In the early 1980s, a hotel and chalets were built. In 2017, the themed accommodation area was rebranded as the Explorers Retreat. The Philips Family still own Gulliver's Kingdom in the present day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phantasialand</span> Theme park in Brühl, Germany

Phantasialand is a theme park in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany that attracts approximately 2 million visitors annually. It was opened in 1967 by Gottlieb Löffelhardt and Richard Schmidt. Although starting as a family-oriented park, it has added thrill rides, especially in recent years. Following the example of Europa-Park, it has also decided to attract business customers, calling spring the slogan "Business to Pleasure".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park</span> Amusement park in Wisconsin

Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park Resort is a theme park and water park resort complex in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The resort is themed after Ancient Greece, particularly its mythology and gods, and is named after the mountain in Greece where those gods were said to live. Mt. Olympus features an indoor and outdoor water park and amusement park rides, and the complex includes dozens of motel buildings that were acquired by the resort in addition to its purpose-built hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legoland Deutschland Resort</span> Lego theme park in Bavaria, Germany

Legoland Deutschland Resort is a Legoland park located in Günzburg in southern Germany, roughly halfway from Munich to Stuttgart, which opened in 2002. It is 43.5 hectares in area, and it is one of the four most popular theme parks in Germany. The Miniland contains Lego reproductions of various German cities and rural landscapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulliver's Land</span> Theme park in Milton Keynes, England

Gulliver's Land is a children's theme park in Milton Keynes, England. It opened in 1999 and is the third park to be opened by Gulliver's.. The park has been designed especially for families. The Adventurers Village is now part of the resort, providing themed accommodation and short break packages. Gulliver's Land resort includes Splash Zone, Blast Arena, The SFEAR and Dinosaur and Farm Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Splash Works</span> Water park in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

Splash Works is a 20-acre (8.1 ha) water park located within the park boundaries of Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Entry is free with park admission. Splash Works is home to "Whitewater Bay", the largest outdoor wave pool in Canada, and is today home to 16 waterslides. Splash Works operates during the summer months of May through September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crealy Theme Park & Resort</span> Amusement park in England

Crealy Theme Park & Resort, formerly Crealy Adventure Park & Resort, is a family theme park in Southwest England with over 60 rides, attractions, live shows, animal attractions and Sooty Land. Just outside Exeter in over 100 acres of countryside, it also has a large lodge, campsites and variety of entertainment and sport facilities. The park opened in 1989.

Waterworld is a water park located in Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The park attracts 400,000 visitors per year. The park first opened in 1989 and is generally open year-round, but is closed for a few days of the week during term time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legoland Florida</span> Lego themed resort in Winter Haven, Florida

Legoland Florida Resort is a vacation destination in Winter Haven, Florida. The resort features the Legoland Florida theme park itself, the Legoland Water Park, three on-site accommodations and a separately-ticketed on-site park based on the British children's animated series Peppa Pig that opened on February 24, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackpool Pleasure Beach</span> Amusement park in England

Pleasure Beach Resort, formerly known as Blackpool Pleasure Beach, is an amusement park situated on Blackpool's South Shore, in the county of Lancashire, North West England. The park was founded in 1896 by A. W. G. Bean and his partner John Outhwaite. The current managing director is Amanda Thompson.

Gulliver's Valley is a theme park and resort located in Rotherham, England. Construction began in 2018 at a planned cost of £37 million. The first phase, costing £7.5 million, was due to open in spring 2020 but the opening was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The park officially opened on 11 July 2020.

References

  1. The Strokes: In Transit (Video 2004) ⭐ 8.2 | Documentary, Short . Retrieved 10 July 2024 via m.imdb.com.
  2. Alex Turner (30 December 2016). The Strokes - In Transit . Retrieved 10 July 2024 via YouTube.
  3. "Girl Dies after Fairground Fall". BBC. 15 July 2002. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
  4. "Fine For Safety Breach Theme Park". BBC. 22 November 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  5. "Gulliver's World: 21 trapped on rollercoaster". BBC News . 15 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.