Saturday 16th May saw Paultons Park open their brand new area, Valgard: Realm of the Vikings, featuring the park’s first inverting rollercoaster, Drakon, and lots more. The third annual ‘Theme Park Super Fans Day’ was also scheduled for the same day, with Attraction Source lucky enough to be amongst those invited to attend. So join us as we round-up everything from one of the most exciting days in the park’s history!
Having first been teased two years ago and then officially announced this time 12 months ago, the opening day of Valgard: Realm of the Vikings has been much anticipated. In recognition of the significance of opening the new area, Paultons Park held an opening ceremony for a new addition for the first time. With crowds gathered outside the main entrance to the area, at 9:30am a group of Vikings performed an energetic routine that incorporated acrobatics and fire-dancing, accompanied by various pyrotechnics which created a spectacular opening moment. The show was performed again periodically throughout both Saturday and Sunday of opening weekend, and is planned to be retained throughout the May half term. A baby dragon named Magma, a call-back to the family drop tower which departed the park last year as part of the redevelopment of the area into Valgard, was also greeting guests.
Of course the first point of call for many was Drakon, Paultons Park’s new Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter Coaster. Drakon’s striking red track and vertical lift hill are visible on approach to Valgard, past Water Kingdom and The Sky Swinger, with the queue line entrance located just inside the area’s main entrance, on the left. The imposing queue line entrance portal stands alongside Drakon’s station and maintenance building, which is itself a dominant feature in the area. The portal is a fully themed structure, with Drakon’s logo realised in a giant, 3D form. The first part of the exterior queue line is at ground-level, snaking through a landscaped environment that features theming features in the form of archery targets and straw dummies, presumably used by those preparing to battle Drakon, alongside themed lighting and wooden barrels and crates. However, the exterior queue line did strangely seem to be lacking audio on opening day. Guests then ascend a flight of stairs, from which great views of Drakon’s layout are available, to an elevated walkway which runs alongside the exterior of the building and leads guests into a short interior section of queue line. Following this is a room which features a pre-show video which prepares guests for a potential battle with Drakon, before guests then find themselves in the station.
The station has a pair of airgates which allow for single-loading into one of the three trains, which each feature two rows. Shelves for baggage are available on the opposite side of the station to which guests load – although Paultons Park have developed a custom baggage system, the doors were not in place on opening day with it understood this was as a result of them being a recurring source of technical issues. The trains feature Gerstlauer’s newer Over The Shoulder Restraints (OTSR) design, which are less restrictive than the original design seen on rides such as SAW – The Ride at Thorpe Park and The Smiler at Alton Towers. The park have previously noted that OTSR were chosen over lap bars, due to this being deemed more appropriate for their family audience.
Dispatch of a train triggers a synchronised lighting and audio sequence that portrays the arrival of Drakon in both the station load area and in the area where the train completes a U-turn in order to arrive at the base of the lift hill. This interior area features theming, timed smoke effects as the train passes by, and notably a dragon animatronic overhead. Remarkably, Drakon features the world’s first sheep-powered lift hill, with Valbaa putting in a shift in their wheel located at the base of the lift, which is timed to rotate as the train climbs to the top of the 75.5ft tall structure.
Upon reaching the crest of the lift hill, the train descends a classic Euro-Fighter beyond vertical drop, before rising up again into a twisted top hat which takes guests under then up and over the track of Raven, the area’s second rollercoaster. The short but punchy layout then has the train traversing a dive loop, Paultons Park’s first rollercoaster inversion, followed by a twisted airtime hill, turnaround and finally a unique stall element (the park’s second inversion). The ride area is extensively landscaped, and also features some additional theming elements, most notably some encampments below the stall where lighting and smoke effects are utilised to give the sense that they are burning. Upon returning to the station, guests exit the train from the opposite side to which they boarded and descend a flight of stairs in order to explore the rest of Valgard, passing beneath the coaster’s first drop and by the ride photo kiosk.
Overall, Drakon provides a welcome step-up in thrills for Paultons Park, with the coaster’s 1.25m minimum height restriction enabling younger guests to get their first taste of going upside down on a rollercoaster. Many who rode on opening day remarked on its smoothness around the layout, so hopefully this will be maintained under the long term care of Paultons Park. Although there isn’t anything especially notable about the hardware, the ride is an incredibly well-presented package, with it clear that consideration has been given to every aspect which ultimately elevates the experience into what is arguably the UK’s most well-rounded family-thrill coaster experience.
Valgard’s second rollercoaster is Raven. The ride has been completely overhauled from its former life as Cobra, which opened at Paultons Park 20 years ago as a standout attraction at the time, being the only Gerstlauer Bobsled Coaster in the UK and making an impression due to its visibility from most areas of the park. However, as the park began to evolve, there was a consensus of this area of the park not being up to standard with the newer areas, such as Lost Kingdom and Tornado Springs. The ride’s integration into Valgard has therefore given the park the opportunity to significantly enhance the themed experience, to the extent that it now almost seems brand new.
Similar to Drakon, Raven’s entrance portal features a grand archway veiled in intricate detailing. Although situated in the same location as before, from the patterns on the structure, including the bold, 3D lettering displaying the name of the ride, to the animatronic ravens perched on top, this is a stark transformation from the somewhat forgettable entrance of Cobra. The ride restrictions board is adjacent to this entrance, with the minimum height requirement of 1.1m shown as you begin to climb a shallow ramp up to the indoor queue line, which follows a short section of themed exterior queue line. The interior queue line and station building has perhaps seen the most impressive transformation out of anything. Although the same structure has been retained underneath, wooden cladding has been utilised to reimagine the building both internally and externally, alongside the addition of windows to the wall next to the first section of the interior queue. The high ceiling adds a lot of depth to the space, which features candles and ravens (a mix of static and animated models)t, alongside plenty of similar patterns to those seen on the entrance portal. There has also been the addition of theming into pockets within the interior queue line, such as a large dining table to the left as you enter, with plenty of wooden barrels around also – a staple of Valgard. As you continue through the queue line, other theming elements include banners and Viking murals, all contributing to a much better presented experience.
Following the queue line, you board onto the comfortable, refurbished cars on Raven. The previous Cobra livery has shedded its skin, now sporting a new golden, red, and brown colour scheme, including a logo on the front and rear. Nonetheless, one of the cobra faces from the front of the trains has been incorporated into a shield that can be seen on a wall at the end of the ride, as the train returns to the station.
The core coaster experience is of course unchanged, although there is a new colour scheme for the track and supports, with the track changing from blue to dark green and the supports being burgundy as opposed to its previous light blue, being far more in-keeping with the area. Upon dispatching underneath a row of hanging bags, you ascend the 54ft lift hill on the repainted track. Whilst the ride layout remains the same, the first enhancement comes from how Drakon’s lift hill, first drop and subsequent top hat have been positioned relative to Raven, seeing Drakon rise through the centre of Raven’s first drop. This creates a near-miss which is especially satisfying if trains for both Raven and Drakon are timed so as to ‘interact’ with one another – we were able to time this perfectly for our first ride, waving to the riders on Drakon as we continued down into the first drop! Additionally, the helix elements throughout the ride have had giant birdhouses incorporated into their centres, creating another opportunity for near misses as you wrap around them. The final notable change is within the tunnel that is incorporated into the ride’s airtime hill finale, where a giant raven is located overhead featuring glowing red eyes and a timed smoke effect. The exit to the ride places you straight back into the heart of Valgard, featuring a refurbished plaza that offers plenty of seating to watch your friends on Raven and the nearby former Snake Pit food kiosk rethemed into the Doughtnut Forge.
With Raven, Paultons Park has undoubtedly set a high standard for how a park can transform a coaster into a fully themed experience. Whilst the coaster celebrates its 20th birthday in 2026, it still offers an incredibly smooth ride (which hopefully bodes well for its Gerstlauer counterpart, Drakon) and so with this overhaul it is easy to see it lasting another 20 years at the park!
Valgard isn’t all about the rollercoasters, however. Whilst Drakon was a notably thrilling addition, Paultons Park wanted to ensure the area would be suitable for all age demographics with the installation of a family flat ride known as Vild Swing, the UK’s first ART Engineering Wild Swing. The 0.95m height requirement allows for the entire family to ride and enjoy, making it a suitable addition to the park’s ride line-up.
The queue line entrance portal is located just opposite Drakon’s, once again entering beneath a fully themed structure displaying the ride name in 3D lettering amongst Viking shields and other detailed patterns consistent with the entrance signs seen on Drakon and Raven. The queue line itself is relatively short, but, given Paultons Park’s notoriously short queue times, this is unlikely to be an issue. The layout of the queue wraps around some gorgeous landscaping, with trolls jumping around the rockwork and planting found throughout, before looping back on itself to reach the batch point to board the ride.
The ride can accommodate 16 people per cycle, with the seating arrangement being 8 seats facing back-to-back. The seats themselves feature a simple lap bar restraint design to ensure comfort, especially for younger children. Once the ride cycle begins, the floor drops beneath you, and you start swinging backwards and forwards to gain some height before reaching 12m high at the peak. The ride car smoothly rocks backwards and forwards throughout to provide some tame yet unique sensations, offering some good views of the park throughout. Halfway through, the ride changes directions to ensure both sides can experience going forwards and backwards to add some variety. After a short while, the ride comes to a stop at the bottom, before disembarking back into the centre of Valgard.
It’s nice to see Paultons Park maintain their family approach whilst expanding into the thrill market, allowing for guests of all different ages to be able to appreciate Valgard. Whilst the ride itself doesn’t provide any intense forces or airtime, it has been designed to accommodate all of their visitors, providing a necessary break from rides which may be deemed too much for the younger crowds.
Speaking of breaks from rides, located just beyond the entrance of Vild Swing is the enormous new Feasting Hall, providing plenty of seating space both indoors and outdoors, and a variety of food options, making it the ideal location if you want to relax or grab a bite to eat. Up to this point, the majority of food and beverage options at Paultons Park consisted of takeaway food stalls with benches nearby to eat. The opening of Tornado Springs in 2021 brought along with it the Route 83 Diner, offering an indoor restaurant space, and now, following the opening of Valgard, they are continuing to expand their restaurant offerings, making strides to better the food quality alongside the variety of options available with the opening of the mighty Feasting Hall.
To the left from the main entrance are screens from which you can browse the menu and order food, with physical menus also available. Options include flame-grilled chicken, crispy fried favourites, and salad / cous cous bowls, with children’s, vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free options all featuring. Alongside the main meal options, guests can also indulge in sweet treats such as pancakes, sundaes, milkshakes, and the iconic drink of Valgard, Golden Apple Frost, which is undeniably delicious (although not as large as the imagery suggested).
Whilst the food itself is tasty, dining at the Feasting Hall isn’t just about the food. The interior is abundantly atmospheric, containing everything you could want from a themed restaurant. From themed thrones as chairs, Viking banners, chandeliers covered in candles, and even a Viking longship located in the centre for guests to enjoy their meals, alongside a grand rock fireplace resembling a Viking face, the park have left no stone unturned when designing this restaurant. It’s truly an immersive experience within itself that certainly should not be missed, even for just a peek inside.
The addition of Valgard continues to raise the bar in terms of quality not only for Paultons Park, but for the entirety of the UK theme park industry. The attention to detail here is incredible, and you should absolutely take your time to explore and get completely engulfed in the theatrics and the storylines present within the area. A standout theming feature outside of the attractions includes a stunning Valgard emblem on a rock located between the Feasting Hall and Raven, with half of a Viking longboat as a backdrop that provides an excellent photo opportunity. Nearby you will also find Skald, a large, animatronic raven – although Skald remained silent on opening day, the incorporation of a speaker suggests that he will talk to guests in the future. From the magnificent Valgard entrance sign to the perfect variety of activities throughout, including a playground named The Orchard for little ones aged 3-10 years old to play in whilst larger members of the family take on the area’s rides, it’s easy to spend a long time in here without getting bored – a statement to how well-executed this concept has been, with Paultons Park putting their own spin on an otherwise generic theme.
In classic Paultons Park fashion, a presentation and Q&A session with Lawrence and James Mancey, the park’s owner-directors who were around in the park throughout the day, was held to celebrate and bring a close to the ‘Theme Park Super Fans Day’ event. During the presentation, the park covered their achievements over the last year, such as finally bringing 5G to the park for better network availability, alongside the full timeline and construction process for Valgard. The natural next step for them was to tell us all about what we can expect to come in the future, touching on the anticipated holiday village accommodation for which a planning application is anticipated to be submitted later this year, but of course, the main event was the announcement of their upcoming custom MACK Rides Water Coaster, Serpent’s Curse.
Rising in 2027, Serpent’s Curse will complete Valgard, being one of the park’s largest rides to date. The coaster will stand at 75.5ft tall and achieve a top speed of 44mph (the same as Drakon) whilst completing its 1,545ft layout, sending riders into the heart of the Viking realm for a mighty battle against the waters. During this, riders will experience twists and sweeping curves, including the first ‘top hat’ element on a Water Coaster in the world, before a dramatic plunge into the lake below for a final splashdown. With a 1.1m minimum height restriction, Serpent’s Curse will cater to families, older children, and thrill-seekers, bringing yet another ride perfect for the whole family to Paultons Park. It was confirmed that a retail unit is also due to be added alongside the photo kiosk for Serpent Curse, with the park in the process of expanding its merchandise offering – a range of items branded to the current Valgard rides are already available, including T shirts, stationery and magnets, with signs featuring the complete Valgard concept art (i.e. including Serpent’s Curse) going on sale on Sunday, following the announcement.
In addition to the opening of Serpent’s Curse, it was also announced that Seal Falls, the park’s existing junior mini log flume water ride, will also be re-themed as Little Serpents and relocated to the 2027 Valgard extension. Seal Falls opened at the park in 2002, and has remained ever since, with the park intending to prolong its presence by breathing new life into with its boats appropriately rethemed. The ride has no minimum height restriction – although children must be accompanied in line with the ride’s operating rules – making it suitable for small children aged 7 years and under.
Although Serpent’s Curse was not the best kept secret, with ground pins akin to those used by Mack Rides spotted back in 2025, the trademark being filed in April 2026, and yellow track being delivered to the park days before the event, it will be exciting to follow the construction of yet another roller coaster. With a lot of the footers already appearing complete, it doesn’t seem like it will be long until vertical construction commences. The location of this new roller coaster is ideally placed within the land so that guests can watch riders get soaked from the patio outside the Feasting Hall, providing beautiful views alongside an interactive element with a splash zone planned to be incorporated also.
If Paultons Park wasn’t already on your map, now is the time to get down and pay them a visit. Valgard: Realm of the Vikings is arguably the best example of a themed area in a UK theme park, and provides some welcome variety for the park specifically via an expansion into the thrill market and continuing to solidify their commitment to a promising future. The care put into not only Valgard but the entirety of the park, from the gardens to the other themed lands, is evident, resulting in the most pleasant atmosphere within a UK theme park. Thank you to the park for inviting us along for ‘Theme Park Super Fans Day’- always a memorable day due to the park being so welcoming and engaging with their fans. It will be just as exciting to attend the opening of Serpent’s Curse next year!
Have you visited Valgard: Realm of the Vikings yet? Are you excited to experience Serpent’s Curse, the UK’s first water coaster, next year? Let us know your thoughts via our social media channels.
