Codonas Amusement Park facts for kids
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| Location | Aberdeen, Scotland |
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| Coordinates | 57°9′4″N 2°4′39″W / 57.15111°N 2.07750°W |
| Opened | 1970 |
| Owner | Andrea,John & Alfred Codona |
| Slogan | "It's Scotland's Favourite!" |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 11 |
| Roller coasters | 1 |
| Website | http://www.codonas.com/ |
Codona's Amusement Park is a popular amusement park located in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Codona family started this park in 1970. Today, the third generation of the family manages it. You can find the park right next to Aberdeen Beach and Queens Links, close to the North Sea.
The Story of Codona's Park
The Codona family's history goes back to the 1790s. That's when Francesco Codoni came to Scotland from Italy. His family loved to perform. They worked in circuses all over Europe, but most of them stayed in Scotland.
During the 1800s, the Codona family toured Scotland. They entertained towns and cities with their amazing circus acts. Around 1840, some of the family went to the United States. Henry/Enrique Codona stayed there and helped create "The Flying Codonas." This was a famous trapeze act. They became international stars and even appeared in movies like Varieté (1925). The circus film The Greatest Show on Earth even mentioned the Codonas as a top circus family.
When the Industrial Revolution happened in the 1860s, the Codonas in Scotland bought new rides. These rides were powered by steam! They toured the country with these fun fairground attractions. Their business grew steadily.
In 1877, John Codona visited Aberdeen. Later, his sons, Alfred and Gordon, took over the family's "Pleasure Fairs" business. They ran it until 1960. Alfred then took charge of the beachfront amusement park. This park became the Codona's Amusement Park we know today. In the 1970s, fewer people visited, but the park stayed open. This was thanks to local people and UK holidaymakers.
Rides and Fun Attractions
Codona's Amusement Park has many exciting rides and attractions for everyone.
Amusement Park Rides
Roller Coasters
| Name | Maker | Opened | About the Ride |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Apple Coaster | Pinfari | 2003 | This is a small roller coaster perfect for kids. It has one train with six cars, so 24 riders can go at once. It opened in 2003 and the ride lasts about 2 minutes and 50 seconds. An Italian company called Pinfari made it. It has a common figure-eight layout, used on over 200 coasters worldwide. The ride used to be on the ground. Now it's on the roof of the Congo Restaurant! |
Other Rides
- The Big Wheel (Ferris wheel, opened in 2005)
- Scallywags Bumper Boats (a water boat ride, opened in 2019)
- The Galleon (a swinging ship ride, opened in 2009)
- Dead Man's Drop (a drop tower ride, opened in 2017)
- Codona's Waltzers
- Super Trucks
- Cups and Saucers
- Carousel
- Dodgems (bumper cars)
- Go Karts (opened in 2020)
Adventure Golf
Pirate Island Adventure Golf
This outdoor mini-golf course opened in March 2007. It has 18 holes. The pirate theme is everywhere, with cool special effects. There's even a 25-foot volcano and a pirate ship! It's known as one of Aberdeen's best attractions.
The Congo Adventure Golf
This indoor mini-golf course opened in March 2008. It was the first indoor adventure golf course in North East Scotland.
Sunset Boulevard Fun Zone
Smugglers Cove Adventure Play and Role Play Street
Smugglers Cove opened in 2013. It has a big adventure play area. There's also a restaurant here. Smugglers Cove expanded later. It added a kids' disco room and a fire station play area. There's also a new, bigger area for kids under three with a bouncy castle. The adventure play area has two sections: one for children under three and one for older kids.
Dino Safari
This simulator ride came from Canada. Eight people can ride at a time. It takes riders on an exciting trip! The theatre used to show other rides like The Haunted Mine. Since 2015, it only shows Dino Safari. The outside of the building is also decorated with a cool dinosaur theme.
Caesars Games Emporium
The Games Emporium has different areas for games. Some areas are for people aged 18 and over. These have many different fruit machines. You can win up to £500 on some of them! Other areas have fruit machines for the whole family to enjoy.
Restaurants
Sunset Boulevard has four restaurants.
- 'The Carousel Cafe' is in the theme park. It serves fast food. It opened in March 2015.
- The 'Congo Bar & Diner' is above 'Congo Adventure Golf'. It sells different kinds of food and drinks.
- The 'Sunset Diner & Bar' is next to the bowling alley. It sells similar food to the Congo Bar & Diner.
- The fourth restaurant opened in early 2013 inside the 'Smugglers Cove' play area. It got bigger in 2015.
Other Attractions
- 10-Pin Bowling
- American Pool
- Video Games Deck
- Cuba Pool Suites
- Play'N'Win
Other Things to Do
Codona's also has a small meeting room. It can hold up to 20 people. You can even rent the whole park for special events, day or night, for over two thousand people!
Park Mascots
In 2006, the park introduced Dodgem the Dog as its mascot. A student named Amy Cardno from Scotland designed Dodgem. She won a competition to create a mascot for the park. You can often see Dodgem the Dog walking around the park and even on some rides!
Later, another mascot was added: Candyfloss the dog.
