Rainy Day at a Theme Park? The Parks and Rides That Keep You Indoors

When the Forecast Turns

You booked the tickets weeks ago, the children have talked about nothing else, and the forecast says rain all day. In Britain that's not bad luck, it's a normal part of planning a theme park visit.

A wet day doesn't have to be a lost day. Some parks have far more under cover than others, and the indoor rides that suit a small child are not the same as the ones that suit a ten-year-old. This guide uses our ride data to show where the indoor rides are, which of them your child can actually go on, and how to make the most of a wet day.

Which UK Parks Have the Most Indoor Rides

Across the UK parks in our directory, 182 of the 1146 rides and attractions are indoors. They're not spread evenly. Here are the parks with the most:

A few notes on reading the table.

"Indoor" counts everything under a roof, not only rides. Soft play, mirror mazes, shows and exhibitions count, and at a couple of venues, such as The Grand Pier in Somerset, our list includes cafés, shops and arcades too. That's useful to know on a wet day, but it means a high count isn't always a high count of rides.

Some venues are almost entirely indoors. Babylon Park London in Camden is underground, and all 11 of its 11 attractions in our data are indoors. It's a much smaller day out than a big theme park, but the weather simply doesn't matter.

The big parks have indoor rides, but they're a small share. Alton Towers has 11 indoor attractions out of 37, including dark rides such as Hex - The Legend of the Towers and Gangsta Granny: The Ride. That's a good number for a wet morning, but most of the park is still outdoors.

Family parks with lots of soft play do well. Twinlakes Park has 12 indoor attractions, several of them soft play areas, and Crealy Adventure Park in Devon has 10.

Indoor Rides for Younger Children

For a younger child, the question isn't how many rides are indoors, it's how many indoor rides they can go on. This table ranks UK parks by indoor rides open to a 100cm child, counting rides they can board with an adult:

The order shifts a little once height comes into it. Indoor coasters and thrill rides drop out, and parks whose indoor offer is soft play, gentle dark rides and shows hold their place. If your child is shorter than 100cm, open the park page and enter their height for an exact count.

Dark rides any height can go on

Dark rides are the rainy-day classic: indoors, seated, and often open to the smallest children. These are the UK indoor dark rides in our data with no minimum height, or that a child of any height can ride with an adult:

Where only the "Alone" column has a height, a child of any height can ride with an adult until they reach it. Dashes in both columns mean the park sets no height requirement. Familiar names include In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride at Alton Towers, The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure at Chessington, and LEGO NINJAGO The Ride at LEGOLAND Windsor.

Indoor rides that open between 80cm and 100cm

The next group needs a little height. These are UK indoor rides whose lowest way in is between 80cm and 100cm:

This is where indoor dodgems, more dark rides and a few family rides appear, such as George's Dinosaur Adventure at Paultons Park (85cm with an adult). Our guide to UK rides under 100cm covers the outdoor options too, for when the rain stops.

Indoor rides for older children

Taller children aren't left out. Several UK parks keep big rides under cover, from TH13TEEN at Alton Towers (120cm) to SAW - The Ride at Thorpe Park (140cm):

France: Science Parks and Classic Dark Rides

In France the indoor leaders are a different kind of park.

Vulcania, the volcano park in the Auvergne, has 20 of its 25 attractions indoors in our data, a mix of dark rides, shows and exhibitions (plus its restaurants and shop). Futuroscope near Poitiers is similar, with many of its simulator rides and shows under cover.

Disneyland Paris has a long list of indoor dark rides with no height requirement, which makes it one of the better parks for a wet day with small children:

Our French parks guide for young children covers the rest of the French line-up by height.

Spain: Mostly Outdoors, with a Few Covered Rides

Spanish parks are built for sunshine, and most of their attractions are outdoors: 20 of the 620 rides and attractions in our Spanish data are indoors. These are the parks with the most under cover:

Tibidabo, on the hill above Barcelona, has 8 indoor attractions out of 30, and several suit the smallest children. Castell dels Contes, a dark ride, takes any height with a companion (alone from 120cm), the Museu d'Autòmats takes any height with a companion (alone from 90cm), and Marionetarium, the puppet theatre, has no height rule. Embruixabruixes, another dark ride, is from 100cm with a companion (alone from 120cm). The operator says it may change hours or close the grounds in bad weather, so check before you go.

Elsewhere in Spain, some theme parks have a few covered rides too. At PortAventura Park, Street Mission is from 90cm with an adult (alone from 120cm) and Templo del Fuego from 100cm with an adult (alone from 140cm). At Parque Warner Madrid, Hotel Embrujado is from 90cm with an adult (alone from 120cm), and the park's user guide asks for an adult for children under 10.

The UAE: Indoors Because of the Heat

In the UAE, indoor parks are the norm for a different reason: the heat. Across the UAE parks we cover, 194 of the 372 rides and attractions are indoors, far more than in the UK or France.

Several parks are indoors from end to end in our data, including IMG Worlds of Adventure, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Yas Island, Adventureland Sharjah and the snow parks, Ski Dubai and Snow Abu Dhabi. Others are mixed: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is mostly under its roof, but some of its rides, such as Flying Aces and Turbo Track, are outdoors, and Motiongate Dubai pairs indoor dark rides with outdoor coasters. The water parks are almost entirely outdoors.

The Dubai and Abu Dhabi height guide has more on which UAE parks suit each age.

Practical Tips for a Wet Day

Check before you set off. Look at the park's website or app on the morning for any weather notices. Outdoor rides can pause during lightning or high winds, so it's worth knowing how the park handles bad weather before you drive there.

Plan around the showers, not the whole day. British rain often comes and goes. Do the outdoor rides in the dry spells and save the indoor ones for the downpours, rather than heading straight inside and queueing with everyone else.

Expect the indoor rides to be busier. When it rains, everyone has the same idea. Go to the indoor ride you care most about early, or when a dry spell sends people back outside.

Remember the queue may be outdoors. A ride being indoors doesn't always mean the queue is. Take a hooded waterproof (Amazon) even if your plan is mostly indoor rides.

Pack for wet children. A spare set of socks and a change of clothes for each child, a waterproof phone pouch (Amazon), and ponchos (Amazon) for water rides. Wet feet ruin an afternoon faster than anything else.

Check soft play rules. Soft play areas often have their own age or height limits (many in our data have a maximum height) and may ask for socks. Check the board at the entrance.

Measure in the shoes they'll wear. Parks usually measure children with shoes on, and wellies have a different sole from trainers. If your child is close to a limit, measure them at home in whatever they'll wear on the day.

Use the "Indoor Only" Filter

Every park page on this site has a full ride list with an "Indoor only" filter. Tick it and the list shows only the rides and attractions under cover, with each one labelled "Indoor". Add your child's height first (the button at the top of every page) and every indoor ride gets a verdict for them, so on a wet morning you can see in seconds which indoor rides they can do.

If you're still choosing where to go, the planner compares parks by what your children can ride, and the tables above show which parks have the most under cover.

Frequently asked questions

Which UK theme park has the most indoor rides?

The table at the top of this guide ranks UK parks by indoor attractions, and it updates as our ride data changes. Bear in mind that the count includes soft play, shows and, at some venues, cafés, shops and arcades.

Are theme parks worth visiting in the rain?

Often, yes, if you pick a park with plenty under cover and plan around the showers. Check the park's website on the day for any weather closures.

Do theme park rides close in the rain?

Not always. Many rides keep running in light rain, but outdoor rides can pause during lightning or strong winds. Each park makes its own decisions, so check the park's website or ask at the ride.

What indoor rides can a toddler go on?

Dark rides with no height requirement, or that any height can ride with an adult, are the best bet. The dark rides table above lists them for UK parks, and soft play areas are usually indoors too.

Are the UAE theme parks indoors?

Many of them are. IMG Worlds of Adventure, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Yas Island, Adventureland Sharjah, Ski Dubai and Snow Abu Dhabi are indoor in our data. Ferrari World and Motiongate mix indoor and outdoor rides, and the water parks are almost entirely outdoors.

How do I see only the indoor rides at a park?

Open the park's page and tick "Indoor only" on the ride list. Add your child's height first and each indoor ride shows whether they can go on it.