Funland Hayling Island facts for kids
Funland, taken from the beach
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| Location | Hayling Island, Portsmouth, England |
|---|---|
| Status | Open |
| Opened | 1984 |
| Owner | Marshall Hill |
| Slogan | Family fun for over 70 years |
| Operating season | January to Late October (Opening Times vary) Late November to Late December (for the Winter Wonderland Event) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 18 |
| Roller coasters | 1 |
| Water rides | 2 |
Funland Hayling Island is a fun amusement park located on Hayling Island, close to Portsmouth, England. It's a great place for families to enjoy a day out!
This park has 18 different rides, a big arcade with lots of games, and even a pirate-themed golf course. You can also grab a bite to eat at Diane’s Diner or let younger kids play in the special play area. Funland feels like a classic funfair, with many rides that travel to different parks. Some rides have even come from other amusement parks to find a new home here.
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A Look Back: Funland's History
Funland amusement park first opened its gates in 1984. It was built on the same spot where a much older holiday camp, called Butlins, used to be. The land has a long history of fun, dating back to the 1930s!
In 1977, the Hill family, who had been running attractions on the land since the 1940s, took full ownership. They built the park we know today. They even reused some signs from another nearby arcade that was also called Funland. The Hill family has kept the park running for three generations, and today, Marshall Hill is in charge.
New Rides in the 2000s
The early 2000s brought many exciting new rides to Funland. In 2003, the park added "Tornado," a thrilling frisbee ride, along with a "Breakdance" ride and "Cannibal Pots," a fun teacups ride. Sadly, the park's old Pirate Ship was removed that year.
But don't worry, a bigger and better Pirate Ship called "Galleon" arrived in 2004! In 2005, Funland got a new roller coaster called "Klondike Gold Mine." A tall "Drop Tower" ride was also finally added after a couple of years of planning.
In 2006, "Blizzard Falls," a second, smaller log flume, opened in what used to be a car park. The "Tornado" frisbee ride was replaced with an upgraded version, "Tornado 2," in 2007.
A big change happened in 2008 when Funland bought several rides from Drayton Manor park. These included the "Super Dragon" roller coaster, "Whirlycopters," "Frog Hopper," and "Samba Balloons." At the end of that year, both the "Galleon" and a smaller "Junior Pirate Ship" were sold. A "Plane Ride" was added in 2009.
Funland in the 2010s
No new rides arrived in 2010, and "Tornado 2" was sold. In 2011 and 2012, a spinning "Speed Flip" ride was at the park.
The 2013 season saw the addition of a "Miami Extreme" ride. In 2014, a "Twister" ride called "Cyclone" joined the park, replacing the "Breakdancer." The "Toy Town Express" train ride was also removed that year.
Two new rides came in 2015: a pirate-ship-themed "Galleon" ride and "Jurassic Safari," a car ride that replaced the "Toy Town Express." To fit the new dinosaur theme, "Blizzard Falls" log flume was renamed "Dino Falls."
In 2016, a new roller coaster, "Runaway Mine Train," replaced the "Klondike Gold Mine." A new "Snake Helter-Skelter" slide was also added. The "Super Dragon" coaster returned after a makeover, becoming "Funlandosarus" with a cool dinosaur theme. The "Woody Coaster" was removed at the end of 2016.
Two more rides opened in 2017: "Neptune's Fury," a spinning "Tilt-A-Whirl" ride, and a "Mini Paratrooper." The "Mini Paratrooper" was later replaced by a beautiful "Carousel" from Sweden. The tall "Drop Tower" was removed after not operating for a while.
A "Crazy Caterpillar" ride was added in 2018. No new rides came in 2019, and the "Super Dragon" (Funlandasarus) was sold after that season.
Funland in the 2020s
In 2020, Funland welcomed a "Flying Elephants" ride and a "Viking" boat ride, both from Sweden.
In 2021, a new "Ghost Train" called "Destination Z" opened, adding a spooky adventure to the park.
Rides at Funland
Here are some of the exciting rides you can find at Funland Hayling Island:
Rollercoasters
| Name | Year | Operational Status | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runaway Mine Train | 2016 | Operating | L & T Systems | This roller coaster spins like a wild mouse ride. It used to be at Gulliver's World. |
Dark Rides
| Name | Year | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destination Z | 2021 | A thrilling Ghost Train ride. You can find it inside an arcade building near the beach. |
Flat Rides
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyclone | 2015 | P.W.S | A classic Twister ride that spins you around. It became a permanent ride at Funland after being owned by other operators. |
| Dodgems | Unknown | Barbieri | Everyone loves these classic bumper cars! They are located inside the main Funland building. |
| Dragon's Breath | 2020 | Zierer | A Viking boat ride where the boats spin and go through water. It used to be called Viking Boats in 2020 and came from Liseberg. |
| Extreme | 2013 | Nottingham UK | A standard Miami ride that moves up and down. It used to be at Bayside Fun Park. |
| Flying Elephants | 2020 | Interlink | An elephant-themed ride where you can control how high your elephant flies. It also came from Liseberg. |
| Neptune's Fury | 2017 | Larson | A Tilt-A-Whirl ride with cool seashell-shaped cars. It used to be at Pleasure Island Family Theme Park. |
Water Rides
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dino Falls | 2006 | L&T Systems | A fun, small log flume ride with a dinosaur theme. It was built on part of the park's old car park. It was known as Blizzard Falls until 2015. |
| Flume of Doom | 1990's | Big Country Motioneering | A classic log flume ride with a big splashy drop at the end. It was known as Wild River and Beaver Creek Log Ride before its current name. |
Children's Rides and Attractions
| Name | Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Express | 1970 | Supercar | A small, fun mini train ride that spins in a circle. It was known as Trains until 2020. |
| Carousel | 2017 | Preston & Barbieri | A beautiful, modern version of a classic carousel. It came all the way from Liseberg in Sweden. |
| Crazy Caterpillar | 2018 | Zamperla | A small ride shaped like a caterpillar that rocks and tugs you around. |
| Galleon Ride | 2015 | Manorplan Leisure | A pirate ship-themed ride where you sit in "jets" that move around. It used to be at Twycross Zoo. |
| Jurassic Safari | 2015 | Zamperla | A car ride that takes you on an adventure through a dinosaur-themed area. |
| Pirates Adventure Golf | Unknown | Unknown | A fun miniature golf course where you can play among pirate-themed obstacles. |
| Ride on Bikes | 2016 | Unknown | A ride similar to bumper cars, but with bikes! |
| Samba Balloon | 2008 | Zamperla | A ride where you sit in colorful balloons that spin and lift into the air. It came from Drayton Manor. |
| Snake Helter-Skelter | 2016 | Zapfun | A tall, snake-themed slide that you can race down. It's also called Sid's Sizzling Snake Slide. |
Past Attractions
Over the years, many rides have come and gone at Funland. Here are a few notable ones that are no longer at the park:
| Name | Added | Removed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frog Hopper | 2008 | 2020 | A mini drop tower that used to be at Drayton Manor. |
| Super Dragon | 2008 | 2019 | A smaller roller coaster that was originally at Drayton Manor. It was even given a cool dinosaur theme and renamed Funlandasarus in 2016! |
| Cannibal Pots | 2003 | 2019 | A teacups ride that was moved to Fantasy Island in 2020. |
| The Sam FM Drop | 2005 | 2016 | A very tall 100-foot drop tower. It was later moved to Bulgaria. |
| Klondike Gold Mine | 2005 | 2015 | A roller coaster that came from Drayton Manor. |
| Zyclone | 1988 | 2004 | A roller coaster similar to one at Clarence Pier. It was later moved to a park in Bulgaria. |
| Wild Mouse | 1980 | 1988 | A steel wild mouse roller coaster that was originally at Clarence Pier in Portsmouth. |
