Fantasy Island (UK amusement park) facts for kids
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| Location | Sea Lane, Ingoldmells, Skegness, Lincolnshire, England, Skegness, Lincolnshire, PE25 1RH England |
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| Coordinates | 53°11′29″N 0°20′52″E / 53.19139°N 0.34778°E |
| Status | Open- see website for details |
| Opened | 1993 |
| Owner | Mellors Group Events Previous Owner(s): Blue Anchor Leisure Conduit Leisure |
| Slogan | There's More To Discover at Fantasy Island |
| Operating season | March to November |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 31 |
| Roller coasters | 5 |
| Website | www.FantasyIslandResort.co.uk |
Fantasy Island is a fun amusement park located in Ingoldmells, on the East Coast of England. It opened in 1993 and is surrounded by many holiday parks. It's a great place for families to visit!
Contents
Park History and Changes
Fantasy Island officially opened its doors in 1995. Over the years, different companies have owned and managed the park.
In 2014, the park faced some financial challenges. However, it continued to operate while its money matters were sorted out.
The Mellors Group took over Fantasy Island in 2016. They had exciting plans to make the park even better. This included bringing back a ride called G-Force, which had been at the park before.
G-Force left the park again at the end of 2017. This made space for new and exciting attractions to be added in the following years.
At the start of the 2018 season, a ride called Amazing Confusion was removed after 15 years. It was replaced by new rides like Frisbee and Starflyer.
In March 2019, The Beast ride also left the park. It was replaced by AirMaxx 360 for that season. AirMaxx 360 then left the park at the end of August 2019.
Exciting Rides and Attractions
Fantasy Island has many thrilling rides for visitors to enjoy. Here are some of the most popular ones:
The Odyssey Roller Coaster
The Odyssey is a huge roller coaster that opened on May 23, 2002. It was named to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. This roller coaster is a "suspended looping" type, meaning your feet dangle as you go through loops and twists.
It has five inversions, which are parts of the track that turn you upside down. These include a loop, a cobra roll, a sidewinder, and a zero-g roll. The Odyssey stands at 167 feet (50.9 meters) tall. It is one of the tallest roller coasters in the UK.
The ride drops 141 feet (42.98 meters) and reaches speeds of up to 62 miles per hour. Riders experience a strong G-force of 4.8. The ride has one train that can carry 20 passengers at a time. In 2016, the Odyssey was repainted yellow with dark grey supports.
Millennium Roller Coaster
Millennium opened on May 22, 1999. It was the first roller coaster at Fantasy Island to turn riders upside down. The ride is 150 feet tall and has a loop that is 100 feet high.
It features three inversions: a loop, a sidewinder, and another loop. The ride reaches speeds of 55.9 miles per hour. To ride, you must be at least 1.2 meters tall. Children under 1.4 meters need an adult with them.
In 2018, Millennium was fully updated with a new look. The track is now purple with bright lime green supports. The waiting area was also re-themed with cool LED lights.
The Volcano Ride
The Volcano is a tall tower ride that has been at the park since 1998. It is an "S&S Space Shot" ride. You need to be at least 1.4 meters tall to ride it.
The ride shoots you 183 feet into the air at a fast speed of 50 miles per hour. The seats used to tilt as you launched upwards. The ride also makes a loud sound that can be heard from nearby areas.
Ice Mountain Coaster
Ice Mountain is a "spinning coaster" that arrived at the park in 2019. It is one of the shorter thrill rides. The ride is inside a large building that looks like a snowy, icy cave.
This ride was previously used at Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland. It replaced the park's older spinning coaster called 'Fantasy Mouse'. Ice Mountain is designed to be a dark, indoor ride with a fun ice theme.
Magical Seaquarium
The Magical Seaquarium opened in 1995, the same year as Fantasy Island. On this ride, you sit in a bamboo-themed boat and float along an artificial river.
As you travel, you see beautiful underwater scenes. These scenes include moving figures, special UV lighting, and a fast, upbeat soundtrack.
Rhombus Rocket Coaster
Rhombus Rocket is a powered roller coaster that also opened with the park in 1995.
In 2007, the ride was updated with a new train, station, and track. For the 2019 season, it got another makeover. It now has brown supports and a gold track, along with a new train design. The station was also re-themed with new colors.
Magic Ride
New for 2018, Magic is a ride with twelve gondolas, each seating four people. These gondolas spin very fast, creating sudden twists and turns. The four arms holding the gondolas also move up and down like waves.
Turbulence Ride
Turbulence is a new ride for 2020. It is a "Starshape" model that used to be called Bling at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It was then moved to Skyline Park as Sky Jet.
In late 2019, Mellor's Group bought the ride and sent it to Fantasy Island. However, because of COVID-19, the park decided to wait until 2021 to build it.
Firebowl Ride
Firebowl is another new ride for the 2020 season. It is a "teacups" style ride, but with large vehicles shaped like giant pots. This ride used to be at Funland Hayling Island for almost 20 years before coming to Fantasy Island.
Starflyer Ride
Standing at 70 meters (229 feet) tall, Starflyer is a swing ride. It is currently the tallest ride in the park. This is the same Starflyer ride that was at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.
Past Rides and Attractions
Over the years, Fantasy Island has said goodbye to some rides to make space for new ones. Here are a few that are no longer at the park:
Absolutely Insane
Absolutely Insane opened in April 2004. It was a "Sky Sling" ride that launched riders 240 feet into the air at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. The ride was removed from the park in March 2010.
The Eye on the Coast
When The Eye on the Coast opened in 2004, it was Europe's tallest Ferris wheel. It stood at a huge 196 feet tall and had 40 gondolas, holding up to 240 passengers. The ride was only at the park for two years and was removed in 2006. It now travels as the Mellors Wheel.
Topsey Turvey
Topsey Turvey was a "Top Spin" ride that opened in 1995. It was located where the Sea Storm ride is now. It was sold in 1998 and moved to Pleasure Island, where it was called Terror Rack.
G-Force
G-Force was a "Giant Booster" ride. It was at the park in 2002 and 2003, then returned in 2016. It left again at the end of the 2017 season to make way for new attractions.
Fantasy Mouse
Fantasy Mouse was a "spinning coaster" that arrived at the park in 2000. In 2015, its orange and blue colors were changed to purple and green. At the end of the 2018 season, the ride was taken down to make space for the park's Halloween event.
The Beast
The Beast was a "Top Scan" ride that operated at the park from 2001 until March 31, 2019. It was known for its very long ride cycles, sometimes lasting 11 minutes! It has since been repainted and now operates in Saudi Arabia.
Air Maxx 360
Air Maxx 360 could seat 4 passengers and reached a height of 24 meters. Passengers could experience strong G-forces. It was a "Loop Fighter" ride that spun in random directions.
Frisbee
Frisbee opened in 2018. In 2020, Fantasy Island announced that it would not return for the 2020 season. It was replaced by the Firebowl ride.
Hula Kula (Super Bowl)
The Hula Kula, also known as Crazy Island, was a "Super Bowl" flat ride. The cars would spin like a waltzer, and the floor would also tilt. It was removed at the end of the 2002 season.
Amazing Confusion
Amazing Confusion was a very rare "Ultra Max" ride. It opened at Fantasy Island in 2003 and operated for 15 years. It was removed at the start of the 2018 season and replaced by Frisbee. Amazing Confusion would flip riders 360 degrees at a height of 75 feet.
How the Park Works
Entry to Fantasy Island is free! You can either pay for each ride using a special "iCard" or buy an "unlimited ride wristband" for the whole day. The iCard lets you add money to it, and each ride costs a different amount.
The park hosts many events throughout the year. These include Easter celebrations, chances to meet characters, beach parties, and special discount days. They also have a "Fear Island" event for Halloween and amazing firework displays.
Fantasy Island is also home to Europe's largest 7-day market. It also has the biggest family entertainment center on the East Coast of England.
Images for kids
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The Fantasy Island Theme Park
