Fantasy Island Theme Park

Many years ago – probably about a decade now – my mother took my older brothers and me on holiday to Lincolnshire. We had a lovely time, despite the mostly pretty gloomy weather, and managed to pack a lot in to the few days we spent there. However, there was one thing we didn’t do: something which we children have never forgotten. While navigating for my mother on a car journey to the beach, one of my brothers spotted a theme park on the map. We begged and begged to go, and unsurprisingly our pleading was met with a firm negative response. Let's be honest: how many parents really want to spend the day accompanying their over-excited children on nauseating rides?

Two summers ago, however, my brothers and I decided to go there as grown-ups. Call us bitter, but, one decade on, we were desperate to see what we’d missed out on back then. We drove three hours (it should have been two but we got frightfully lost on the way) to Fantasy Island Theme Park in Ingoldmells, and really made the most of our £20 wristbands.

Getting there

As I just mentioned, we arrived at the theme park by car. Parking was no problem: there were plenty of spaces, and it wasn’t too ridiculously expensive. If you’ve not got a vehicle to hand, your best bet is to get a train to Skegness railway station, then a bus from there to the park.

Wristbands

We booked our wristbands online in advance, and I’d definitely recommend that you do the same. You’ll save 10%, and you’ll get to skip the queues once you arrive. There is also the option to pay for each ride as you go, but if you’re planning on spending the whole day here, go for a wristband: things add up pretty quickly, and this way you’ll get unlimited rides.

Rides

We must have looked ridiculous – three tall adults amidst crowds of tiny children – but our excessive height didn’t seem to be too much of a problem when it came to our general enjoyment of the theme park’s rides.

Indoor rides

We started our day off in the indoor area, with the Balloon Ride. This was actually pleasantly slow-moving, and we enjoyed bobbing up and down as we did a few circuits through the air. Next up was the much more rapid Mystical Dragon Mountain flume. We took it turns to navigate our floats down the dark water slide, and were glad to be given head lamps to make the claustrophobia a bit more bearable!

Our final ride inside was Jungle Adventure, a very child-friendly amusement, which involved climbing onto animal-shaped seats, and being propelled round a jungle-themed track. My brothers loved this one (perhaps because they were amused by the bewildered look of the man operating it, when three grown-ups jumped onboard); I found it sweet, but not overly entertaining.

Outdoor rides

Then the fun really began! The outdoor rides were mostly designed for the more mature park-goers. The Log Flume was our first port of call. We had to queue for about twenty minutes, but it was well worth it: not only was this ride exhilarating, but also we got absolutely soaked, which was not a bad thing considering the boiling hot weather. Next up were the Dodgems, which were the same as any standard bumper cars, although slightly more difficult to steer.

After this, we tried out the Volcano, which was one of my favourite amusements in the park. We were shot two hundred feet upwards at what I believe was seventy miles per hour, and goodness me did it make our stomachs flip! From the top, we had an amazing view over the surrounding caravan parks and glistening blue sea.

Roller coasters

Also outside, we decided to try out Fantasy Island’s two roller coasters: the Millennium, and the Odyssey. The first was a pretty typical ride, with a few loops and sudden drops, but the second was something else! I’d never been on a suspended roller coaster before that day, and the Odyssey was certainly a thrilling one to start with. We shot round the track so fast that I could hardly see what was going on, and my head must have banged against the cushioned headrest at least fifty times. This was probably the ride we went on the most times, and I’m not sure it ever got less terrifying!

Other entertainment

When we’d shrieked to our hearts’ content, we decided to have a quick wander round the park’s other areas: the huge market, and the arcades room. Both were impressively equipped – in fact, I believe that the former was the largest market in Europe, open every day of the week – but I can’t say that we spent much time or money in either place.

Refreshments

Finally, we tucked into some food – I’d advise doing this towards the end of your visit, to avoid any nasty situations on rollercoasters! We each enjoyed a burger, then bought some sticks of rock (5 for £1!) from a nearby sweet shop. The food wasn’t world-class, but it was certainly cheap.

Would I recommend this place?

I definitely would recommend Fantasy Island Theme Park, if you’re looking for somewhere in Lincolshire to enjoy a fun family day out. (I’m not sure, however, that it was worth driving hours to get there, but at least we finally lived out our childhood dreams!) There are loads of great rides for children and adults alike, and you’ll definitely be able to get your money’s worth out of each wristband. Have a wonderful time if you do end up visiting this place, and send your stomach my commiserations!