According to data from VIP Grinders, Adventure Island in Southend is the best value for money theme park attraction in the country, with a score of 65 out of 100.
The research analysed 47 popular theme parks across the UK to determine which provide visitors with the best experience for the most affordable price, using TripAdvisor, Google reviews and theme park websites.
The study factored in ticket prices, number of rides and attractions, review ratings, and the number of good value-related terms in customer reviews to create an overall score out of 100 for each park.
Telma Casaca, head of publishing at VIP Grinders, said: “It is interesting to see that the best value theme parks aren’t necessarily the most well-known.
“Most well-known parks like Thorpe Park and Legoland rank relatively poorly in overall value, suggesting that visitors may be paying a premium for the brand name rather than the actual experience.”
Adventure Island was found to have affordable day tickets at £25 and annual passes £40, plus a substantial offering of 33 rides.
The park also performed well in value perception, with 22 per cent of its TripAdvisor reviews mentioning value, one of the highest percentages in the study.
Ms Casaca added: “For families looking for a great day out whilst out on a budget, considering smaller parks like Adventure Island could offer better value than the more heavily advertised options.
“With day tickets under £20, these parks prove that a great day out doesn’t have to break the bank.”
