As part of its new Best Value Theme Park Report, the personal finance experts at money.co.uk have created a list of the UK’s best value theme parks, based on the cost of a family ticket and the extra attractions included in the price for those that don’t enjoy hitting the roller coasters.  So if you’d much rather visit a zoo, watch a show or take a walk around some picturesque gardens, then check out our list of UK theme parks that can give you the best of both:

Drayton Manor Theme Park, Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire England – Family Ticket  £116

The 180-acre Drayton Manor Theme Park is set on the grounds of the former Drayton Manor and has everything you could need for a fun family day out. Visit the red pandas, kangaroos and monkeys at the zoo or the more prehistoric friends on the Dino Trail. Enjoy the Discover Thomas Exhibition and take in one of the live shows or try out your golfing skills at Crazy Golf. There’s also a variety of play areas for younger children to enjoy, including Emily’s Indoor Play Area, Spencer’s Outdoor Activity Park and Tidal Towers Play Park. 

Flamingo Land Resort, Kirby Misperton, North Yorkshire, England – Family Ticket £125.00

The Flamingo Land Resort has a variety of activities for both adults and children to enjoy. The 140-species zoo has every animal you could imagine; with zebras and lions to hippos and (of course) flamingos – plus you can even watch a sea lion show.

Get a little closer to some of the animals by visiting Children’s Planet, where regular hosted talks and animal handling sessions take place. You can also enjoy the CBeebies-animated Peter Rabbit Adventure that has meet and greets with Peter Rabbit and adventure trails for your children to take part in. If watching pirates battle it out in dramatic fight scenes is more your idea of fun, then make sure you don’t miss the Pirates of Zanzibar show.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool’s South Shore, Lancashire, England – Family Ticket £129.99

Blackpool Pleasure Beach, famously known for the Big One, recognises that not everyone is looking for that adrenaline rush. The park usually offers a non-riders pass, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic these are currently on hold and only riders’ passes are available. So what’s there to do for a non-rider to get the most out of your money? There’s a Team Nick Stage in Nickelodeon Land, where your children can meet and greet characters like Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob Square Pants, and even have a photograph taken.

There’s also the Chinese Puzzle Maze that lets you explore winding walkways that take you past a variety of rides and water features or hop on board the Pleasure Beach Express for a train journey around the park. 

Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Chessington, Greater London, England – Family Ticket £135.99

Chessington World of Adventures Resort has something for everyone to enjoy. Explore up to 1,000 incredible animals at the zoo from lions and Gorillas to short-clawed otters, or even visit the sharks at the Sea Life Centre. 

You can enjoy music, dancing and an appearance from The Gruffalo at the Mane Stage that hosts The Wiiiild Adventure Show or meet and greets with your favourite characters. There’s also a variety of moving showings that take place throughout the day and plenty of playgrounds to explore including Canopy Capers with a bouncy ropewalk and the Dragon’s Playhouse. 

Paultons Park, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England – Family Ticket £147

Paultons Park doesn’t disappoint when it comes to catering for those that don’t favour a roller coaster. From meet and greets with Peppa Pig and George to visiting the living animals like giant tortoises and exotic birds – there are endless activities to enjoy. Step inside the Lost Kingdom where you’ll meet a range of dinosaurs from the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Argentinosaurus to Triceratops and more. There’s also a Junkyard Junction adventure playground for you to let off some steam or the Water Kingdom that has jets, giant tipping buckets and fountains. 

Alton Towers, Staffordshire, England – Family Ticket £155.99

Alton Towers, renowned as a ‘haven for fun and adventure’ as they put it themselves, has a variety of attractions to explore and plenty on offer for the non-riders. Visit CBeebies Land where you can watch a variety of shows from the Teletubbies Big Band Show to Mr Bloom’s Allotment or The Furcherster Hotel. The Sharkbait Reef, Sea Life Centre, is also a great place to explore 300 unique fish, including stingrays and sharks. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the theme park for an hour, you can also wander the Historic Alton Towers Gardens. 

Legoland Windsor Resort, Windsor, Berkshire, England – Family Ticket £156

Legoland has so many activities and attractions to offer that even roller coaster fanatics might ditch the rides for a while!

Explore Miniland and its model scenes of Europe and the USA, featuring their famous landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and Times Square. You can also visit Creature Creation and build your own mythical creature to take pride of place on the model ‘Lego Mythical. The park is also home to Lego Studios 4D, where you can grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the immersive movie experience. There’s also a Lego Games Zone filled with PS4 consoles to play Lego games or head to the Model Making Studio to find out what it takes to become a model maker and watch them in action. 

Thorpe Park Resort, Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England – Family Ticket £199.99

Thorpe Park Resort not only caters to the thrill-seeking, ride lovers but for the roller coaster phobics too – making it the perfect theme park for a family day out. Relax on Amity Beach or explore the water park’s pool and slides. Sit back and enjoy a movie experience at the Angry Birds 4D Cinema that has rumbling chairs to immerse you into the film. The Black Mirror Experience is a great attraction to visit if you’re up for a challenge and fancy navigating out of a sensory-defying maze. There’s also a range of shops to indulge in some spending including; a Megastore, Ghost Train Shop and an angry birds store Flock n Shop.