CHANGES have been made at one of the region’s most popular theme parks to widen the appeal to younger thrill-seekers.
Lightwater Valley has been rebranded and is now called Lightwater Valley Family Adventure Park.
It is fair to say some will be a little sad to learn it no longer has some of the bigger rides it is known for.
The Ultimate, once the world’s longest roller coaster, no longer rattles around the 30-year-old, one-and-a-half mile track.
Gone too is the Raptor Attack, which was once The Rat, the stomach-churning Twister, the Wild River Rapids, the Apollo swing ride and the Black Pearl pirate ship.
But there is still plenty to do at the North Yorkshire site and several new attractions aimed at younger audience as the park seeks to reinvent itself.
Lightwater Valley was founded in 1969 by Robert Staveley, father of Newcastle United’s new owner, Amanda, and has been a popular for families and schools for decades.
It has changed hands several times over the years and last year the park was sold to The Brighton Pier Group for £5 million.
The new season started last month so The Northern Echo sent Joseph and Rosa Galena, who are nine and 11, along to get their thoughts on the new look site.
They were both transfixed by the amusement arcade near the entrance which mixes the old and new with classic fairground coin pushers alongside state-of-the-art Virtual Reality experiences.
You have to pay more for these but they are great and allow you feel the thrill of riding in a runaway mine cart and riding a flying bike through a rocky ravine.
From there Rosa and Joseph ran to Splash Falls, three sky high water slides that you have to ride in pairs in a small boat.
They loved this and spent a good hour running up the stairs for another go before they built up the courage to go on the number one, the steepest of the three.
Next up was tummy turning Flying Cutlass pirate ship before they headed to the Ladybird roller coaster, which is the perfect ride for pre-teens.
Joseph said: “There are lots of rides for little children but also bigger ones, teenagers and adults.
"I would say it is even more fun than it was because you don't have to wait for your parents while they go on the really scary rides.
"Also, the queues are much smaller now."
The new Hall of Mirrors was a giggle but the blasting music at the Dodgems and the Twist and Turn proved a little too much so they skipped those.
Dragons Drop, formerly known as Trauma Tower, proved as much fun as ever, with the little ones gasping as they are winched up high above the park before plummeting back to the ground.
The Skyrider, a traditional chair swing ride, has previously been a bit too scary but this time both Rosa and Joseph had a go.
Again, and again, and again.
Rosa said: “I loved all of the rides we went on but I did not go on the Eagles Claw, which almost goes upside down, because it looks very scary.
“Some of the rides have loud music and I don’t like it being too loud so I would prefer it if they did not have that.
“My favourite part was Splash Falls. It is really good fun.
“There is definitely still enough there for people to enjoy.”
Read more: Kids give verdict on the Plotters' Forest at Raby Castle
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