In this Summer Special of Skip the Queue, guest host and attractions industry journalist Owen Ralph is joined by three theme park operators for a closer look at their new offerings for 2026.

Lawrence Mancey discusses Paultons Park’s £12 million themed area Valgard, the largest ever investment at the UK park, also home to Peppa Pig World. He explains how the viking theme was a ‘no-brainer’, why the family-run park likes creating its own IP, and also tells us about Paultons’ embryonic holiday park plans.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s James Cox highlights the famous park’s new £8.7 million Aviktas thrill ride and its long-running Hot Ice show. He also explains how the team is trying to revitalise neglected areas of the seaside site and why its operating season is longer than most other British parks.

Finally, Hogne Høstmælingen from Hunderfossen in Norway – celebrating its 40th anniversary this season – tell us about the Lillehammer park’s troll roots and much more. We hear how an IP first introduced in 2014 has spawned three attractions including a rollercoaster, Thea Award-winning simulator experience and the new dark ride Rally Flåklypa.

Topics Discussed

Developing a new themed area
Working with intellectual properties
Increasing Paultons’ appeal to older kids
The flexibility of lodge accommodation Vs a hotel
Choosing a new thrill and where to site it
Revitalising a forgotten corner of Blackpool Pleasure Beach
How an eye-catching ride can be an ‘attraction’ even to those that don’t ride it
Live entertainment and its role in broadening a park’s offering
Squeezing a dark ride into a remarkably small building
How Hunderfossen invested in a movie to extend an IP’s life
A unique troll-themed dining experience
An enchanting winter park offer

Show references:

Guest host:

Owen Ralph

International Editor, Kirmes & Park International

Regular contributor, Blooloop/World’s Fair

Lawrence Mancey

Marketing and Technology Director, Paultons Park, UK

James Cox

Director of Marketing, Sales and PR, Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort, UK

Hogne Høstmælingen

General Manager, Hunderfossen, Norway

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Credits:

Written by Owen Ralph

Edited by Steve Folland

Produced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwisle (Plaster)

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