RideRater is an independent UK theme park news website founded on 10 June 2010. Our content is produced by volunteer writers, journalists, and editors.
Our primary objective is to deliver factual and impartial news from the United Kingdom’s theme park, amusement park, and travelling fair industries.
RideRater is independent of all parks, funfairs, their operators, and other websites. We are privately-funded and do not use advertising.
Editorial guidelines aid the consistency and style of our articles. Our writing is designed to make sense to both the general public and enthusiasts.
RideRater provides coverage from across the UK. England and Wales currently contain theme parks that automatically fall within our ‘largest and thrill-based’ scope. Our policy also ensures coverage of the largest amusement park in both Scotland and Northern Ireland at all times. This ensures UK-wide representation. Our UK theme parks map outlines our current scope of theme and amusement parks across the country.
Given that the various forms of Merlin Annual Pass are held by many of our readers and followers, RideRater also provides major news concerning the passes, as well as their included UK attractions.
Article content and categories
We tend to focus on news concerning rides and attractions seen as ‘thrill’, ‘dark’, and sometimes ‘family’ in nature.
News
Factual new stories – both the good and bad. Articles can include coverage of accidents and serious malfunctions of rides and attractions, but this is subject to our guidelines to ensure fairness and consistency of reporting. Note that these articles aren’t always updated following a change of events, so make sure you have checked for later articles on the subject.
Reviews
Our opinion on new rides, attractions, events, media & arts releases, etc. Articles are accompanied by a star rating out of 5, which includes half-stars. These articles are naturally opinion-driven in nature. Our reviews are always written from a perspective the general public can expect should they choose to visit the attraction.
Features
Articles that contain the writer’s analysis; however, we attempt to produce fair, critical and balanced articles under this category. Ultimately any analysis includes opinion and interpretation. Therefore, factual information may not necessarily feature throughout. Features can however include purely information-based posts such as new restaurant menus. Some of our archive content falls into the category of features or opinion, but was automatically re-categorised as ‘news’ following a temporary pause in those categories in past years. Editorials were discontinued in 2022 following a policy review.
Announcements
Contain details of our competitions and award winners. Statements from the RideRater team will also appear under this category.
News sources
RideRater’s news sources are varied and widespread. We have contacts in the industry, and also conduct independent research and journalism. We also monitor other news providers, citing these as sources where their content has been drawn upon. Articles that are unattributed should be taken as being the product of RideRater’s own research, journalism, and independent determinations.
Right of reply
The right of reply exists to all organisations covered in our news articles; however, the burden of responsibility may fall to the affected party. Inclusion of responses is made at the discretion of the Editor(s). Also at the discretion of the Editor(s), a response may be proactively sought from an applicable party either before, or immediately after, publication of a news article. Where an approach has been made but not yet received, this will be stated within the article.
Sections of the website
Contact
RideRater welcomes correspondence from all those in the industry – including our readers – on anything regarding UK theme & amusement parks, funfairs, and rides. You can send us any questions, comments or feedback you have, as well as any news stories you have come across.
Credits
A list of people who have made valuable contributions to RideRater. If you would like to join them, get in touch.
Hall of Fame
The home of our various award winners since our founding in 2010.
Links
We share links with a select number of theme park websites, which usually forms part of mutual linking back to RideRater.
New Rides
Here we list the major new rides and attractions planned for the UK’s theme and amusement parks, as well as our projections of their opening timeframes. Opening dates are not confirmed unless specified.
Rumours
Nothing that appears on this page has been officially confirmed. It should however be noted that RideRater has a target for the majority of rumours posted to later emerge as accurate. Postings are made at the discretion of the Editor(s), and are based on various sources which cannot always be named.
UK Funfair Calendar
The United Kingdom has a number of major travelling fairs that are held around a similar time each year. Some of the largest annual funfairs and collections of rides are listed here.
UK Ride and Park Statistics
This page contains UK Top 5 rankings of various statistical categories of rides and theme parks.
UK Theme Parks Map
A visualiser of where the major UK theme parks are. It does not show every establishment describing itself as a theme or amusement park. Typically, only the largest and most-fitting with RideRater’s thrill-based scope are shown.
UK Top 50 Rides
Each year, RideRater compiles a list of its Top 50 non-travelling rides in the United Kingdom. While the list is based on ride experience, is also weighted by availability/reliability of the rides throughout the season.
RideRater name
The name RideRater comes from an early website concept, which was to create an interactive voting system where UK rides could be ranked by site visitors to give an indication of which are held in the highest regard by enthusiasts. This was an ambitious and time-consuming plan. The concept was dropped in favour of a news, features, and reviews website, but we retained the name RideRater to reflect our review content. Over 10 years later, we did however launch our annual list of the UK’s top rides in 2021.
Social media
RideRater has social media accounts on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Privacy
RideRater does not directly use cookies or other automated data collection systems that gather personally-attributable information. Google Analytics is used to monitor the performance and reach of our website. No personal information is viewed or stored by RideRater as part of this process.
If you use our contact form, the details you provide may be retained for the purposes of responding to you only. We will never pass on your details to another party.
Please contact us if you require any further information.
Disclaimer
The information contained on RideRater.co.uk (“this website”) and that relayed via RideRater’s various social media presences is for general information purposes only. Whilst we endeavour to ensure that all information posted is correct, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy; nor do we commit to ensuring that the website remains available, or that the material on this website is kept up to date.
RideRater is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within this website. Visitors who use this website and rely on any information do so at their own risk.
You must not use this website or its content in any way which is unlawful, illegal, fraudulent or harmful, or in connection with any unlawful, illegal, fraudulent or harmful purpose or activity.
RideRater respects journalists’ right to quote material published elsewhere, but copying and redistributing material in its entirety – particularly for commercial purposes and without credit – is not permitted.
We are not responsible the content of external – i.e. non RideRater.co.uk – links posted on this website.
The laws of England & Wales and, where applicable the wider United Kingdom, shall govern your use of this website and you hereby agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English – and where applicable UK – courts.
By using RideRater.co.uk, you accept this disclaimer in full. If you disagree with any part of the disclaimer, you should not use this website.
Page Updated: 14 July 2026