Friday, 09 April 2021 18:00

The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley will remain closed in 2021

Lightwater Valley has confirmed that Europe's longest roller coaster The Ultimate will remain closed for the 2021 season.

The Ultimate was the park's signature ride and provided a thrilling 1.5 mile cocktail of speed, cornering and airtime. Unique amongst modern day attractions, it remains the longest roller coaster in Europe with a ride time approaching six minutes.

As we previously reported, in 2021 Lightwater Valley in Yorkshire is set to adapt its offer to visitors, repositioning itself to appeal exclusively to families with younger children.

A range of new rides and attractions will be introduced, specifically for the under 10s, whilst most of the more thrilling rides will be removed.

The park is investing in new experiences including a new Safari Zone, which will include rides such as Monkey DropConvoy TrucksElephant Flight and Savannah Express, which will allow families to spot life-sized creatures hidden in the wilderness.

Other additions include Kangaroo Jump and Hot Air Balloons, plus new to the park’s offering in 2021 is Treetop Trails – formerly Treetop Nets – which will now be included as part of the admission price.

As well as these new rides and attractions, many of the park’s young family favourites will be staying, including the Little Dipper and Lady Bird roller coasters, Splash Falls and many more, plus indoor and outdoor play areas, special events and entertainment, once restrictions allow.

Rides and attractions removed:

  • Apollo
  • Raptor Attack
  • Eagle’s Claw
  • Black Pearl 
  • River Rapids

Colin Bowes, Park Manager, said:

“We believe this new approach is best suited for the majority of our audience and will offer something new and exciting for young families across the region. As a result of this re-focusing, a number of the rides which are only suitable for older visitors will be replaced.

We understand the retirement of several of our older rides will be disappointing to some of our thrill seeking visitors, however we believe strongly that by re-calibrating the visitor experience to more fully encompass younger children and families we will be able to offer an exciting, new series of fun adventures and entertainments.”

The new park map shows the full extent of the changes:

2021

2019

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