Oakwood Theme Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Oakwood Theme Park

Previously known as Oakwood Leisure Park Oakwood Coaster Country
Location	Oakwood Theme Park, Canaston Bridge, Narberth, Wales
Coordinates	51°46′41″N 4°48′25″W / 51.778°N 4.807°W / 51.778; -4.807
Status	Open
Opened	14 April 1987; 37 years ago (1987-04-14)
Owner	Aspro Parks
Slogan	Wales' Biggest Family Day Out
Operating season	Late March / Early April to Early November
Attractions
Total	30
Roller coasters	5
Water rides	4
Other rides	17

Oakwood Theme Park (formerly Oakwood Leisure Park, Oakwood Coaster Country & Oakwood Park) is a theme park in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Oakwood opened in the late 1980s as a very small family park with BMXs, a wooden fort, a 3D-style cinema experience show, go-karts and a water chute ride. The park later incorporated four large thrill rides: Megafobia (1996), Vertigo (1997), Drenched (2002, as Hydro) and Speed (2006) which was a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster with a 97-degree drop. It was the first Euro-Fighter in the United Kingdom and was at that time the steepest roller coaster in the UK . The 85-foot-tall (26 m) CCI-built wooden roller coaster "Megafobia" was rated by enthusiasts soon after its installation as amongst the best in Europe. In 2016 it celebrated 20 years at Oakwood.

History

Until March 2008, Oakwood Leisure Ltd. was owned and developed by the McNamara family, Pembrokeshire farmland owners who diversified into the leisure industry in 1987 after the introduction of milk quotas. The park took twelve months to research.

Oakwood Park Railway

A 15 in (381 mm) gauge narrow gauge railway operates on site at Oakwood. The railway, which is well established, is not listed amongst the park's rides and attractions, but forms part of the operational infrastructure, providing a transport link between the theme park and the car park. Travelling on the railway is included in the cost of the park admission ticket. Until 2016, the railway was operated by four diesel locomotives; two were American-style (though British-built) steam outline engines, and the others were a standard diesel outline locomotive and a diesel railcar. Since 2016 only one non-themed diesel locomotive is being used, the other three locomotives having been retired. Open 20-seater "Severn Lamb" type toast rack carriages are used in warm weather, with enclosed 20-seater former Liverpool Garden Festival coaches used year-round.

Development into Theme Park (1996–2008)

Following an increase in visitor numbers after the arrival of the Snake River Falls water coaster in 1994, the management decided to pursue the development of the park into a more 'thrilling' theme park. In 1996, the park received a wooden roller coaster from the American firm of Custom Coasters International. Built at a cost of £1.7m, Megafobia allowed the park to reach 500,000 visitors in one season for the first time. In 1996 Oakwood also began an annual After Dark event, with late-night opening, fireworks, entertainment and discounted evening entry. Several major additions would follow in the coming years: Vertigo, a sky swing, in 1997, Bounce, a shoot and drop tower, in 1999, Hydro (later Drenched) in 2002 and Speed: No Limits in 2006.

New Era for Oakwood (2009– )

Following the change of hands to Aspro Ocio S.A in March 2008, Oakwood Theme Park has seen a range of changes, in particular to staffing, with restructuring of both seasonal and permanent staff levels in line with market conditions.

In February 2010, a new logo was premiered on the front page of Oakwood's new leaflet and Facebook page. The new image was the first logo for the park to change the initial 'train stop' shape around the name (a shape that was used on the original Megafobia logo). There is now a blue corkscrew section of a coaster with the words Oakwood and Theme Park in a box underneath.

In late 2012, the park announced that it was starting a five-year investment plan.

In 2013, Kidz World was redeveloped into Neverland. The park added a number of rides, including Skull Rock, Crocodile Coaster, Neverland Chase, Jolly Roger, Aerodrome, London Taxi Ride, Tink's Flying School (Formally Plane Crazy), Journey to Neverland and the Lost Boy Adventure. The park also relocated some of the children's rides to the old Plane Crazy site and created Circus Land.

Theming

Although the park claims to be a "theme park" the only themed area until 2013 was the small section of the park which now houses "Brer Rabbit's Burrow" and "Spooky 3D". (It is arguable that the park's former section for young children, Kidz World, formerly known as Play Town, is also themed.) This section of the park was formerly known as "Jake's Town" and featured a "wild-west" type theme. After the closure of "Nutty Jake's Goldmine", the area's main attraction, and the closure of an animatronic stage show also set to the "wild-west" theme, the area became known as "New Orleans". New Orleans featured a "ghost train" called Voodoo Mansion (2000) set in the original showbuilding for the animatronic stage show, and a children's "dark ride" known as "Brer Rabbit's Burrow" (2001). Both the voodoo religion and the children's character Brer Rabbit are associated with the deep south of America, the locality of the actual New Orleans. However, it is likely that the themes' connection (particularly that of Brer Rabbit) would have been lost on most members of the public due to its obscure nature.

Shortly after the construction of Voodoo Mansion, the ride was unexpectedly rebranded as "Spooky 3D" (2003). While some argue that the ride was closed due to lack of interest from the public; this is unlikely as the ride essentially remains in place under the re-branding of Spooky 3D. Others argue that the ride was closed for ulterior reasons, namely the ride's politically incorrect portrayal of the voodoo religion. It is to be noted that even aside from political correctness the voodoo religion remains a controversial subject matter. The New Orleans area was re-branded back to Wild West in 2012.

Summer 2013 brought a new development consisting of a Neverland theme, from Peter Pan which opened on 23 May 2013. As part of the redevelopment, some of the children's rides were relocated to form a second themed area called 'Circus Land', occupying the former 'Plane Crazy' area (aimed at children under 8).

In 2014, local chocolatiers Wickedly Welsh Chocolate set up a Willy Wonka themed chocolate bar in the park.

Seasonal and holiday operation

The face and atmosphere of Oakwood changes throughout the year, marking holidays and summer operation.

• Summer: In 1996, the same year Megafobia was opened, Oakwood launched its "after dark" late summer openings. The tradition continued until the 2008 season, before re-launching in 2011.
• Halloween: In 2000, Oakwood launched annual "eerie evenings" following the opening of Voodoo Mansion, but discontinued them a few years later. Oakwood then relaunched its Halloween event in 2008 during the day for the October half term. In 2011 Oakwood rethemed Brer Rabbit as Scare Rabbit's Hollow, suitable for ages 10+, and opened a horror maze (surcharge) at the nearby Oakwood Bowl site. For 2013, Oakwood launched its "Halloween Spooktacular" event, which was held over five days. The "Spooktacular" event included "Spooky Live" (Spooky 3D in the dark with a number of live actors), "Theatre of Nightmares" (a walk-through scare maze attraction with live actors and animals for ages 16+) and "The Ghost of Skull Rock" show, which was held in the new Neverland area for all ages and featured Captain Hook, Tinkerbell and The Lost Boys. The evening ended with a firework display in Neverland.
• Christmas: In 1995, Oakwood made a practice of opening the original children's area, Play Town, themed as a winter wonderland. In conjunction with this, the park held an annual Christmas pantomime in which minor celebrities would often undertake parts. Despite the relative popularity and success of the Christmas opening, the park decided to discontinue this venture.

Rides and attractions

Roller coasters

Coaster	Picture	Opened	Manufacturer	Description
Creepy Crawler		2017	Pinfari	Originally located at M&D's under various names. In 2017 it was moved to Oakwood as Flight of the Giant Peach as part of the new Dahl Land. In 2018 the theming was removed and it was renamed to Creepy Crawler
Crocodile Coaster		2013		A steel kiddie powered coaster originally located at Camelot Theme Park
Megafobia		1996	Custom Coasters International	A wooden roller coaster with a twister style layout
Speed: No Limits		2006	Gerstlauer	A Euro-Fighter that at one point held the record for the world's steepest roller coaster and was the UK's first roller coaster with a beyond vertical drop
Treetops Rollercoaster		1989	Zierer	A family steel roller coaster with a figure-eight layout

Past attractions

Takeover by Aspro Ocio A.S. (March 2008)

During the course of late 2007 local press in Pembrokeshire reported that Oakwood had been made the subject of a takeover bid

The park was sold to Aspro Ocio S.A. of Spain as of March 2008.

Images for kids

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  Megafobia

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  Speed's initial drop

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  Hydro