Complete Guide to Visiting Alton Towers

When you’re pondering of visiting Alton Towers, you’re in the appropriate place. We’ve put collectively this detailed information that will help you plan your go to to one of many UK’s best-known theme parks.

Alton Towers is situated in Staffordshire England and is at present the biggest and most visited theme park within the UK, that includes all kinds of rides and points of interest from youngsters’s rides to thrilling curler coasters. This information goes to cowl so much, and is predicated on our private experiences visiting Alton Towers.

We’ve visited Alton Towers a lot of instances, my first experiences had been as a young person and twenty-something outdated.  Most lately I visited with Jess and with associates who on the time of our go to had a three-year-old and a six-year-old.

My associates have additionally visited Alton Towers a number of instances, and we’re going to be incorporating their experiences and ideas of visiting Alton Towers into this information. So hopefully we can provide you some ideas from the views of younger single individuals, a married couple of their 30s and 40s, and of a household with younger children.

We’re going to undergo every little thing it is advisable to know to have an superior time at Alton Towers. Whereas most of you studying are most likely dwelling within the UK, a visit to Alton Towers can be a enjoyable expertise for worldwide guests as nicely!

We’ll cowl all of the rides and what to anticipate from each, recommendations on easy methods to benefit from your time and get essentially the most time truly using slightly than queuing, share our ideas on the Alton Towers lodging and eating, and hundreds extra.

Whether or not you might be visiting as a household, a pair, with associates, or by yourself, this information goes to offer you every little thing it is advisable to know to your Alton Towers go to. Let’s get began.

Alton Towers Overview & Historical past

Alton Towers (technically referred to as Alton Towers Resort) is the most-visited amusement park within the UK. It’s additionally greater than a theme park, because it additionally has a collection of inns, a water park, a spa, and a mini-golf course.

The theme park is discovered on a big property which was as soon as the house of the Earls of Shrewsbury and was owned by the Talbot household from 1412 till 1924. Additionally they owned the close by Alton Castle which dates again to the eleventh century.

The mansion home on the Alton Property, which largely dates to the 18th century, remains to be there, though it’s in a ruined situation. There’s additionally a big lake and landscaped gardens on web site.

Alton Towers has been open to the general public in a roundabout way because the nineteenth century, when guests had been capable of pay to tour the gardens. Points of interest had been added all through the twentieth century together with a boating lake, mannequin railway, and chairlift. My mom remembers visiting Alton Towers throughout her childhood within the Sixties and having a beautiful day trip.

So when you find yourself visiting right here you might be on the grounds of what was for hundreds of years the massive property and residential of the Earls of Shrewsbury. The magnificent ruins of the house and among the outbuildings and follies, in addition to the landscaped backyard are nonetheless there. You possibly can nonetheless stroll via elements of the gardens.

In some locations you’d don’t know you might be in the course of an amusement park because it seems like you might be in a park or forest. A really distinctive and British setting for a theme park!

The theme park as it’s identified right now, with thrill rides and everlasting points of interest, actually began in 1973. As we speak, Alton Towers is operated by the Tussauds Group, who additionally function places together with Thorpe Park, Madame Tussauds London, and the London Eye.

As we speak, the theme park is among the most well-known and in style theme parks within the UK, with one thing to supply everybody from children to adults alike.

It has had a lot of spectacular journey accomplishments, together with the world’s first dive coaster, the world’s first “flying” rollercoaster, the curler coaster with essentially the most inversions on the planet, and Europe’s first inverted rollercoaster.

There’s an enormous quantity to see and do at Alton Towers, greater than sufficient to fill two or three days even. That stated, you possibly can undoubtedly do so much with simply at some point at Alton Towers should you plan correctly.

 

The best way to Get to Alton Towers

Alton Towers is within the county of Staffordshire close to the village of Alton in England. The handle is Farley Ln, Alton, Stoke-on-Trent ST10 4DB.

It’s basically between Manchester (44 miles drive to the north) and Birmingham (47 miles drive south).

Listed below are the principle choices for attending to Alton Towers:

 

Driving to and Parking at Alton Towers

The best technique to get to Alton Towers is unquestionably to drive. It’s pretty near each the M1 and the M6 motorways, though the final stretch is on smaller roads.

When driving, after leaving the motorway we suggest following the brown “Alton Towers” indicators slightly than your sat-nav or GPS.

It’s because the agricultural location of the park implies that there are a variety of small nation lanes across the park. The brown indicators will hold you on the bigger roads which can often be faster.

 

Parking at Alton Towers

There’s a variety of on-site parking obtainable, and stewards will often direct you to the closest automobile park as you arrive. This does rely upon how busy the day is and what time you arrive.

There’s a payment to park at Alton Towers, relying on the place you park, which is as follows:

• £7 for a day in the usual parking, 15-25 minutes’ stroll from the principle entrance
• £19 for a day in categorical parking, 1-3 minutes away from the principle entrance

There are additionally methods you will get free parking at Alton Towers.

• Lodge friends staying in a single day within the resort can park within the designated lodge carpark, after which both enter the park from the lodge visitor entrance (close to the Galactica journey and Rollercoaster Restaurant) or take the monorail to the park entrance.
• Visitors staying at CBeebies lodge can park without cost within the Specific Car parking zone
• Holders of Gold, Platinum or Premium Merlin passes can park without cost in commonplace parking. They’ll improve to Specific parking for £12.

Parking will be booked online in advance here. That is obligatory for Specific Parking, aside from CBeebies friends, who should present lodge affirmation on arrival.

You can even usually add automobile parking to your buy when shopping for your theme park entry tickets.

 

Public Transport to Alton Towers

Alton Towers is in a comparatively rural location, so while it’s doable to achieve the resort by public transport it’ll contain some good planning.

The closest prepare station is in Uttoxeter, which is 10 miles from the station. From right here you possibly can take a bus to Alton Towers. The X41, operated by D&G Bus, runs from Uttoxeter to Alton Towers Resort. You possibly can see the schedule here.

You can even take a taxi from Uttoxeter prepare station, which is a few 20-minute drive from Alton Towers.

Different comparatively shut prepare stations are Stoke on Trent (15 miles from Alton Towers) and Derby (25 miles from Alton Towers). Nonetheless, you’ll need to take a taxi from each of those places to achieve the resort.

You possibly can e book taxis on-line prematurely here.

In case you are counting on public transit, you would possibly wish to take into account arising the night time earlier than and taking the D*G bus or a taxi from a close-by prepare or bus station to an Alton Towers Resort lodge.

Then you possibly can stroll from any of the resort’s inns to the park within the morning (or take the Monorail) with no need to depend on a taxi or public transit to get round.

 

Alton Towers Opening Dates and Occasions

Alton Towers is open seasonally in addition to for sure holidays and faculty breaks. It’s usually open from March via to November. Exterior of this time the resort has particular themed opening instances, usually for the Christmas interval and likewise for varsity half phrases.

When it comes to opening hours, the park usually has the next opening hours:

• Theme Park opens at 9am (rides open at 10am).
• Theme Park closes at 6pm throughout peak instances and on weekends, and at 4pm on off-peak days.

It’s essential to notice that the closing time is the time that the journey queues shut. If in case you have joined a queue earlier than theme park closing time, it is possible for you to to complete queuing and full your journey even after closing time.

You possibly can examine the newest opening dates and hours for Alton Towers online here.

For particular occasions park hours do change so you will need to examine what they’re earlier than visiting. Additionally through the vacation and particular opening durations, some sections of the park is probably not absolutely open so you’ll want to examine which rides and points of interest are open.

Observe that the Alton Towers Waterpark and Extraordinary Golf mini golf are subsequent to however separate from the park and function with totally different hours.

The Alton Towers Waterpark (situated within the Splash Landings lodge) is open the vast majority of the yr.

The Extraordinary Golf course (subsequent to the Splash Landings lodge) can be open the vast majority of the yr, and is usually open fairly late into the night. Lodge friends usually obtain a complimentary spherical of mini-golf as a part of their keep.

Observe that each the above points of interest will be visited individually from the theme park and also you don’t want a theme half ticket for these points of interest, that are charged individually.

 

The best way to Get Round Alton Towers

The primary method most individuals get round at Alton Towers is on foot. The park is pretty unfold out, however there are footpaths in every single place.

One factor to concentrate on is that there will not be a variety of indicators or maps across the park, they usually additionally now not supply paper park maps. As a substitute, you might be anticipated to make use of the mobile app.

That is truly a fairly respectable cellular app, and the map a part of it has inbuilt navigation. It even enables you to keep away from steps. Nonetheless, it may be a battery drain, so we’d recommend bringing a USB battery pack like this to keep away from working out of juice midway via the day.

Observe that these visiting in wheelchairs and people with mobility points ought to try the accessibility data for the park here.

There are two further choices for getting round Alton Towers. These are the Monorail and the Skyride.

 

Alton Towers Monorail

The Alton Towers Monorail runs from the principle park entrance to the resort space. It’s additionally near among the automobile parks. This solely has two stops, one close to the inns and extra distant parking heaps, and one on the most important entrance to the theme park.

Use of the Monorail is free for all park friends. It could actually undoubtedly be a fast technique to get from the resort and among the automobile parks to the principle theme park entrance, nonetheless there are some caveats.

On busy days, and particularly within the mornings and evenings, the monorail will get very busy. Queuing instances can exceed 40 minutes. Provided that it’s a few 15 – 20 minute stroll from the Monorail station to the principle theme park entrance, whether it is significantly busy it’s usually faster to simply stroll.

Moreover, Alton Tower Resort lodge friends are eligible to enter the park from a park entrance close to the inns. That is simply previous the Monorail station, and brings you into the park subsequent to Galactica.

We might undoubtedly suggest lodge friends who have already got their park tickets think about using this entrance slightly than take the Monorail if there’s a lengthy wait.

 

Alton Towers Skyride

The Alton Towers Skyride is a gondola model cable automobile journey which gives transport across the park.

There are three stations, one close to the principle park entrance on Towers Avenue, one close to the Blade journey within the Forbidden Valley, and one within the Darkish Forest close to Rita.

The Skyride is unquestionably helpful for getting throughout the Gardens when travelling between the Forbidden Valley and the Darkish Forest as in any other case there are numerous steps up and down should you take essentially the most direct route.

The Skyride is free to all park friends. Nonetheless, in our expertise it tends to be closed for upkeep pretty often and in reality the Skyride is closed for the rest of 2023.

 

Alton Towers Map

This can be a picture of the map in Alton Towers in 2023. Nonetheless, we’d suggest utilizing the map within the Alton Towers app.

Confusingly, the map within the app is inverted in comparison with the bodily maps on indicators within the park. On the bodily maps, the doorway is on the backside, within the app it’s on the high (as it’s geographically).

So simply hold this in thoughts if cross referencing between the maps within the park and the map within the app, because it’s straightforward to get confused (as we all know from private expertise)!

 

Alton Towers Ticket Data

We’ll now undergo the principle ticket varieties obtainable for Alton Towers in addition to how a lot they value and the place to purchase them.

Pricing info is right as of August 2023, however costs can range so do examine the newest costs online here.

 

How A lot Are Alton Towers Tickets?

Alton Towers ticket pricing varies relying on whether or not you buy prematurely or on the day.

Pricing additionally varies relying on the date, with peak dates usually costing a bit extra. Peak dates are usually throughout vacation durations in addition to at weekends.

At present, pricing is as follows:

• £34 – £39 for a 1-day pass for ages 3 and up (£68 on the day)
• £46 – £51 for a 2-day pass for ages 3 and up (£80 on the day)
• £29 for a parent and toddler pass. Toddlers are outlined as being below 5, and a further below 5 will be added for £5. This go is barely obtainable on weekdays exterior of vacation durations.
• Free for these below 3 and carers

There are additionally occasional promotional costs and gross sales on the web site, which you can see here.

The pricing for in-person purchases will be twice as costly as shopping for on-line, so we extremely suggest buying online to save cash!

 

Low cost Alton Towers Tickets

There will not be that some ways to get discounted tickets for Alton Towers, though some choices do exist.

When you don’t qualify for a reduction, then the easiest way to save cash on Alton Towers is to buy tickets in advance from the official web site as this can be a lot cheaper than shopping for tickets on the day.

You can even save by visiting on a weekday exterior of vacation durations as these have a tendency to supply the bottom costs.

 

The place to Purchase Alton Towers Tickets

The 2 most important choices for buying Alton Towers tickets are both online on the official website here or in-person on the resort.

We might extremely suggest shopping for on-line as the costs are considerably decrease and then you definitely additionally don’t want to attend within the ticket strains.

 

Passes Which Embrace Alton Towers

There are two most important passes which embrace entry to Alton Towers. These are finest should you both plan on visiting Alton Towers a number of instances a yr, or should you plan on visiting the opposite included points of interest. The passes are as follows:

• Alton Towers Annual Pass. This provides yearlong entry to Alton Towers (with some peak date exclusions) in addition to reductions on food and drinks and different advantages. Out there from £99 for a yr.
• Merlin Annual Pass. This go provides entry to all the principle Merlin points of interest within the UK, together with Alton Towers, The London Eye, SEA LIFE centres, Chessington World of Adventures and extra. Begins from £99.

The Alton Towers go can undoubtedly be price it should you plan on visiting Alton Towers a number of instances in a yr (at the very least three I might recommend), though you’ll want to examine which dates are excluded earlier than buying.

The Merlin Annual go is sensible should you stay within the UK and plan on spending your yr visiting the Merlin points of interest across the UK. There are a variety of these (see full record here), however you’ll undoubtedly wish to examine which days you possibly can go to prior to buying.

In case you are solely planning on visiting Alton Towers as soon as or possibly twice in a yr, then a regular ticket will possible supply one of the best worth.

 

Alton Towers Fastrack Passes

One technique to doubtlessly improve your Alton Towers expertise is to put money into a Fastrack pass.

A Fastrack go provides you entry to a particular Fastrack line for a lot of rides which has precedence boarding, and which may considerably lower your queuing time.

In our expertise, on a really busy day the place commonplace journey queue instances will be 1 – 2 hours, the Fastrack line shall be between 3 and half-hour.

This can after all rely upon what number of Fastrack passes have been offered and the way busy the park is, however in our expertise on a busy day a Fastrack go can considerably lower queue instances and allow you to spend extra time using and fewer time queuing.

 

Fastrack Cross Variations at Alton Towers

There are totally different variations of the Fastrack passes, as follows:

• Particular person Fastrack tickets for particular rides. These will be purchased on the day via the Alton Towers app.
• Fastrack Bronze Pass – means that you can be part of the Fastrack line as soon as for 4 rides: Congo River Rapids​, The Curse at Alton Manor​, Runaway Mine Prepare, and Spinball Whizzer
• Fastrack Silver Pass – means that you can be part of the Fastrack line as soon as for six rides: Wicker Man​, Oblivion, Rita, TH13TEEN​, The Smiler, and Galactica
• Fastrack Gold Pass – means that you can be part of the Fastrack line as soon as for fourteen rides: Wicker Man​, Oblivion​, Rita, TH13TEEN​, The Smiler, Galactica, Spinball​ Whizzer, Gangsta Granny,​ The Curse at Alton Manor, Hex,​ Marauders Mayhem​, Battle Galleons​, Rapids​ and Runaway Mine Prepare
• Fastrack Platinum Pass – means that you can be part of the Fastrack line as many instances as you want for the next rides: Wicker Man, Oblivion, Rita, TH13TEEN​, The Smiler​, Galactica​, Spinball​ Whizzer, Gangsta Granny​, The Curse at Alton Manor, HEX​, Marauders Mayhem​, Battle Galleons​, Rapids​ and Runaway Mine Prepare

Apart from the person Fasttrack tickets, all the opposite passes will be purchased prematurely on-line, in individual on the park from the customer support workplace, or via the Alton Towers app.

Observe that Fastrack Passes can promote out, so if that is one thing you might be certain you wish to put money into to your go to, we suggest shopping for them on-line prematurely of your go to on the official site here.

 

Fastrack Cross Pricing at Alton Towers

The pricing for the passes is as follows. Observe that this doesn’t embrace park entry, so you’ll nonetheless want a park entry ticket to entry the park.

Fastrack is legitimate for a selected day, so if you’re visiting Alton Towers throughout a number of days and need Fastrack on all of them, you’ll need to purchase a go for every day you go to.

 

How Fastrack Works at Alton Towers

With all of the Fastrack passes the method is sort of easy. When you could have a Fastrack go, no matter kind it’s, as an alternative of becoming a member of the common line, be part of the Fastrack line. This shall be clearly signposted. Observe it isn’t the identical because the Trip Entry line (that is for holders of Ride Access Pass tickets solely).

Relying on the journey, somebody will examine your Fastrack ticket once you enter the queue or once you get to the journey boarding space, so have it prepared. They may usually scan the barcode on the go to validate it.

Relying on the go you could have, the way it works will range barely.

With the person Fastrack go, purchased on a per-ride foundation, that is solely good for one journey on one attraction.

With the Bronze, Silver and Gold passes these entitle you to at least one Fastrack per attraction. So you possibly can journey all of the rides included on the go utilizing the Fastrack as soon as. If you wish to journey a journey once more, you’ll have to be part of the common queue or purchase a person Fastrack ticket for that journey.

You possibly can share these passes in a bunch, so if one individual desires to do one journey and one other individual desires to do a unique journey, this could be a good choice.

For the platinum go, this can be utilized for as many Fastrack rides as you need on the included rides, however it could solely be utilized by one individual.

On a latest go to to Alton Towers on a really busy faculty journey day in July we invested in 4 Gold Passes. This undoubtedly saved us a variety of time, and meant that we had been all capable of journey all 13 rides working that day (Hex was closed).

Provided that queue instances for the preferred rides had been over 2 hours at some factors on the day we visited, that will undoubtedly not have been doable with out the Fastrack. For us, queue instances on the day diverse between 1 minute and half-hour with our Fastrack.

When you’re questioning if Fastrack passes are price it to your go to, see the often requested questions part on the finish of this information the place we go into our ideas on Fastrack in additional element.

 

Rides at Alton Towers

We’ll now undergo all of the rides at Alton Towers and what you possibly can anticipate from every journey. There are a variety of various kinds of journey at Alton Towers.

Everybody likes various kinds of journey. For instance, I want rides with a drop and am much less eager on being spun round. Jess loves being spun round however doesn’t like being dropped! On our latest go to, one of many children hated scary rides, while the opposite child was typically fantastic with them.

On this part we’ll define the principle options of every journey. I’ll additionally embrace an concept of how scary the journey is and the way thrilling the journey is.

For the scare issue, this refers as to whether the journey has components that may make you bounce or which is perhaps much less appropriate for youthful riders. In fact, it will range by particular person.

For the fun issue, this refers to how thrilling the journey is. So if the journey spins you round, drops you, or inverts you, I’m going to offer {that a} larger thrill issue than a extra sedate journey expertise. Once more, these scores are very subjective as everybody finds various things thrilling.

This could aid you resolve which rides to go for and which rides you would possibly wish to keep away from, relying on the kind of journey you want. We’ll additionally present our ideas on the journey expertise.

Observe that this part might comprise journey spoilers so if you wish to be shocked on the rides you would possibly wish to skip it.

For this part the rides are grouped collectively by which space of the park they’re in. See extra concerning the areas of the park within the part of this information on park areas, which matches into extra element on theming.

 

Forbidden Valley Rides

A post-apocalyptic themed space with a mixture of household pleasant and high-end thrill rides. Rides are as follows:

 

Galactica

Galactica is a flying rollercoaster which debuted at Alton Towers in 2002, though again then it was referred to as Air. It was rebranded to Galactica in 2016, though the journey expertise stays the identical.

Galactica is unquestionably a enjoyable thrill curler coaster. After you board, the seats truly rotate 90 levels so you might be basically dangling below the coaster rail, trying down on the flooring. This allows you to do your finest flying impression, therefore the identify flying rollercoaster.

The journey itself is sort of high-octane as you whizz across the observe, experiencing as much as 3.5G. It additionally inverts you twice, and will be pretty disorienting, though nothing to match to Smiler.

Personally I do take pleasure in Galactica though I’m not an enormous fan of being inverted and spun round so it’s not my favorite journey at Alton Towers. It’s undoubtedly thrilling although, and really helpful for these of you who like high-speed coasters.

One tip – if you’re staying within the inns on-site, there’s an unique lodge visitor entrance which brings you in proper subsequent to Galactica. So if this journey is a precedence, you will get right here earlier than the vast majority of different riders arrive and get on shortly, even with no Fastrack go.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Silver, Gold & Platinum
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 5/5
Trip kind: Flying Rollercoaster
Trip size: 1 minute 40 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 1.4m

 

Nemesis Sub-Terra

To not be confused with the at present closed Nemesis journey, Nemesis Sub-Terra is a darkish drop journey themed across the mysterious Phalanx and Nemesis Creature. It initially opened in 2012, however closed in 2015, and reopened in 2023.

The journey has you getting into a darkened space with a small group the place you might be given some backstory and directions from a Phalanx operative.

After a brief video, you enter an elevator and are transported right down to a room the place everyone seems to be strapped into chairs round a central podium containing a mysterious alien egg.

As soon as everyone seems to be secured, the expertise continues. There’s enjoyable lighting and results, as inevitably the alien breaks free and “assaults” the viewers. There’s an ideal drop (sure, I screamed), and enjoyable results all through together with water, prodding ,and leg tickling.

After the drop, it’s important to “escape” the journey via a scary carry and a small maze earlier than bursting again out into the true world.

General, it’s a enjoyable journey expertise with just a few totally different elements which is a bit totally different to many of the different rides. When you don’t just like the considered a scary journey, being trapped in a carry, or are claustrophobic, it is perhaps one to skip.

Included on Fastrack: No Fastrack obtainable
Scare issue: 5/5
Thrill issue: 3/5
Trip kind: Darkish journey / walk-through / drop
Trip size: 8- 10 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 1.4m
Different Notes: Because of the drop chairs, this journey has fairly restrictive measurement necessities.

 

The Blade

Discovered close to Galactica and Nemesis within the Forbidden Valley, The Blade is the oldest journey at Alton Towers, relationship from 1980.

Regardless of its age, that is nonetheless a extremely popular and actually enjoyable journey for these of you who like airtime in a journey. It’s additionally one of many extra thrilling rides for youthful guests as the peak restrict is comparatively low in comparison with different rides.

The Blade is mainly an enormous seated swing that appears like a ship, which is why this sort of journey is named a Pirate Ship. Passengers sit in rows of 5 dealing with the centre, and the journey swings backwards and forwards, getting larger and better because it goes.

On the very peak of the journey, should you sit on the very ends of the ship, it virtually feels vertical (okay, it’s truly 75 levels, however once you’re on the journey you’re unlikely to be measuring angles).

There’s an ideal sensation of airtime on this journey, and it’s undoubtedly not for these of you who don’t like that dropping sensation! Nonetheless, it’s a good journey should you don’t like spinning as there’s no spinning or inversion. Even Jess was capable of take pleasure in this one.

On a latest go to to Alton Towers we rode the Blade 4 instances simply because the park was opening. We had stayed within the lodge the night time earlier than and got here right here simply because it opened. Regardless of it being a busy day, the primary half hour or so had only a few riders, and at one level there have been solely 8 individuals on the entire journey.

It was an actual hit with the youthful members of our group and it was one of many extra thrilling rides that we might all do collectively. Together with the Runaway Mine Prepare, this was the favorite household pleasant thrill journey we did in Alton Towers.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 3/5
Trip kind: Pirate Ship
Trip size: 1 minute 30 seconds
Trip peak restriction:1m (1.3m should journey with an grownup)

 

X-Sector Rides

House to among the most excessive rides within the park, all with a 1.4m peak restriction. Themed like a secret authorities check facility.

This incorporates two everlasting rides, Smilar and Oblivion, in addition to two carnival model rides, Spinjam and Twistatron. I’m simply going to cowl the everlasting rides on this part.

 

The Smiler

Opened in 2013, at time of writing The Smiler holds the world file for essentially the most inversions (basicaly what number of instances you might be the other way up) on a curler coaster at fourteen.

The Smiler is unquestionably some of the thrilling rides at Alton Towers, and likewise one of many extra in style rides. Every time we go to, it at all times appears to have among the longest queue instances.

The journey itself is sort of a marvel of building. It takes up a comparatively tiny footprint, with each stretch of observe seemingly involving a twist, a flip, or a drop.

When it comes to the expertise, this journey undoubtedly delivers. It’s quick, thrilling, and it spins you round so much. I’m not an enormous fan of rides that invert me, however I did get a thrill from this journey, even when my head was spinning for some time afterwards!

I additionally favored all of the theming all through, with a repetitive sound observe that will get in your head and plenty of flashing lights and colours. It’s all designed to disorient, and it undoubtedly succeeds.

The one draw back of the rollercoaster is that resulting from its severely advanced design, it does appear to close down fairly often. This may be very irritating, particularly should you’ve spent a variety of time queuing just for it to shut with no warning.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Silver, Gold & Platinum
Scare issue: 1/5
Thrill issue: 5/5
Trip kind: Curler coaster
Trip size: ~ 3 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 1.4m
Different Notes: Trip early or late within the day to skip the lengthy queues or take into account Fastrack. That is additionally one of many solely rides to have a single-rider lane which could be a lot sooner.

 

Oblivion

Oblivion was the world’s first dive rollercoaster when it opened in 1998. This design of rollercoaster provides mainly a 90-degree drop from a big peak, providing a sensation of free fall.

The journey expertise is sort of easy. The vehicles are fairly extensive however solely two rows deep. You get taken to the highest of the observe and pause for an exciting second over the drop.

You then freefall down 55 metres (180 ft), with the fun being heightened because the automobile plunges right into a darkish tunnel below the bottom. It then swoops round and is over.

Personally, I’m a giant fan of drops so it shouldn’t come as a shock that that is certainly one of my favorite rides in Alton Towers, regardless of the comparatively quick journey time. Jess, who doesn’t like drops, is unquestionably much less satisfied by Oblivion and skipped it!

This can be a nice rollercoaster should you don’t like being inverted or thrown round an excessive amount of. It’s not an ideal choice should you’re significantly afraid of heights or hate the feeling of free fall.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Silver, Gold & Platinum
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 5/5
Trip kind: Dive Rollercoaster
Trip size: 1 minute 15 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 1.4 m

 

Darkish Forest Rides

Themed as a haunted woodland, this space of the park is house to 2 thrill rides that are:

 

Rita

When you love velocity and g-force, then Rita is probably going the curler coaster for you. Launched in 2005, this curler coaster is the quickest journey within the park, topping out at 61.1 miles per hour.

It’s additionally the one with the very best G-forces, which go as much as 4.7G.

The primary thrill of Rita is the launch. The journey is themed like a drag racer, with barely panicked voice over offering an air of anticipation as you get able to go.

Then, like a drag racer does, you speed up in a short time in a straight line. How shortly? Properly, you get to the utmost velocity of 61.1 mph in round 2.5 seconds, which actually feels very fast once you launch!

After the preliminary thrill of the launch, the journey then banks round some pretty sharp corners and likewise provides you a sense of weightlessness as you crest a few hills.

This journey is unquestionably going to be good for these of you who don’t like being fully inverted as there are not any inversions.

Nonetheless the velocity of the journey implies that the g-forces are fairly excessive at 4.7G, so you’ll want to hold your head firmly braced again towards the headrest as in any other case it could really feel like fairly a tough journey!

The opposite draw back to this journey is that it’s one of many shortest rides within the park, lasting round 25 seconds. So if there’s a very lengthy queue and also you don’t have a Fastrack go then you definitely would possibly wish to return when it isn’t so busy.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Silver, Gold & Platinum
Scare issue: 1/5
Thrill issue: 4/5
Trip kind: Accelerator Rollercoaster
Trip size: 25 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 1.4m

 

TH13TEEN

TH13TEEN (or 13, for simpler spelling and studying) was one other world-first rollercoaster when it debuted at Alton Towers in 2010.

When you’ve not accomplished this journey earlier than and don’t know something about it, the twist is sort of fascinating and value maintaining as a shock. Nonetheless, should you don’t like surprises and wish to know what lies in retailer, learn on.

13 is discovered within the Darkish Forest space of Alton Towers, and is themed to be a little bit of a spooky journey. The journey itself is what’s often called a drop rollercoaster.

The journey begins with you entering into commonplace curler coaster carts that are just like the Runaway Mine prepare. Passengers sit two by two. 

The prepare units off and drops a little bit round a curve earlier than climbing the principle carry hill. From right here there are fairly just a few enjoyable airtime hills and banked turns, which make for a extremely pleasing journey. It’s significantly enjoyable should you don’t like an excessive amount of spinning round like me, however do like the feeling of airtime.

About half method via the journey the prepare all of a sudden enters a darkish tunnel and the doorways shut behind you. That is the place the shock takes place. Ghosts gentle up and air blows at you, and the prepare and observe actually drop out from beneath you.

Then the prepare takes off backwards and also you full the vast majority of the remainder of the observe in reverse.

That is certainly one of my favorite rides at Alton Towers, particularly the primary time I rode it once I had no concept what was going to occur.

The journey itself just isn’t massively scary when it comes to darkish components, though when it enters the “crypt” and the drop occurs there are some spooky components to concentrate on. That is over fairly shortly although, so it’s not precisely a full haunted home expertise! But when your children don’t like haunted homes, this half is perhaps scary.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, included on Silver, Gold and Platinum
Scare issue: 3/5
Thrill issue: 4/5
Trip kind: Rollercoaster
Trip size: 1 minute 40 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 1.2m

 

The Towers Rides

This a part of the park covers all of the rides discovered within the space of the unique home at Alton Towers. It’s a bit unfold out with no actual theme. Rides are as follows:

 

Spinball Whizzer

Spinball Whizzer is a rollercoaster which is designed to provide the expertise of being a pinball inside a pinball machine.

It’s basically a rollercoaster with the twist that the four-person carriage spins freely round because it races across the observe, so each journey is totally different.

It’s a reasonably thrilling journey with vertical sections of observe and plenty of dips and dives, however there are not any inversions. Regardless of not likely having fun with spinning rides I did truly fairly take pleasure in Spinball Whizzer.

It’s a comparatively clean journey (besides on the finish the place there could be a little bit of a janky second when the cart is aligned to face ahead once more for loading and unloading).

Spinball Whizzer was an actual hit with the six-year-old we visited Alton Towers with lately, in addition to with the adults within the group. The comparatively low journey peak requirement makes for a pleasant family-friendly rollercoaster for teenagers trying to department out into the larger thrill rides.

It’s technically a part of “The Towers” space, however is definitely situated very near CBeebies Land.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Bronze, Gold and Platinum
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 3/5
Trip kind: Spinning Rollercoaster
Trip size: 1 minute 15 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 1.2 m

 

Hex

Hex is a darkish theme journey primarily based on an precise native legend involving a chained up Oak tree, which is definitely a location not too removed from the park itself.

Provided that it’s primarily based on the proprietor of the unique Alton Towers property, it’s applicable that the journey is discovered throughout the ruins of Alton Towers.

Like the opposite darkish rides, Hex is unquestionably a journey that’s finest skilled as a shock. So if you wish to expertise it with no spoilers, now’s the time to skip to the subsequent journey.

The primary factor to concentrate on is that the journey will be disorienting, so if you’re vulnerable to movement illness it’s one to watch out of.

Nonetheless there’s no drop, inversions or actual spinning. The primary a part of the journey has you progressing on foot between rooms, watching an immersive story with numerous lighting, sounds and results.

The latter a part of the journey is seated with lapbars. You’ll transfer and tilt, with the impact vastly heightened by the intelligent design of the room and what’s basically an enormous optical phantasm. So it seems like you might be transferring and tilting much more than you truly are.

Hex is a enjoyable expertise however it’s a bit divisive in that individuals both appear to like it or hate it. We predict it’s totally different sufficient from the opposite rides to make it price visiting, and should you don’t really feel nice you possibly can at all times shut your eyes.

Observe that Hex is closed for the remainder of 2023.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Gold and Platinum
Scare issue: 5/5
Thrill issue: 2/5
Trip kind: Walkthrough darkish journey
Trip size: 5 minutes 25 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (1.2m should journey with an grownup)

 

Cuckoo Vehicles Driving College

Discovered subsequent to the David Walliams space of the park, Cuckoo Vehicles Driving College provides children the chance to study to drive their very personal Cuckoo Automotive.

A enjoyable observe is ready up with a spread of site visitors options, together with pedestrian crossings, site visitors alerts and even a bubble automobile wash. The vehicles are electrical, and the youngsters can steer them and make them cease or go along with a pedal.

The vehicles will not be on any form of observe, so the youngsters can select the place to drive them, similar to in an actual automobile. They’re fairly small and solely go 4km/h, and there are additionally marshals throughout the observe to maintain everybody protected and get the youngsters again on observe ought to they veer off target at any level (there’s no reverse on the vehicles).

Cuckoo Vehicles was an enormous hit with the youngsters we lately visited Alton Towers with. They’d actually end and run again spherical to affix the journey queue once more! So that is undoubtedly a child pleasant journey, so long as they meet the journey necessities.

The journey necessities for Cuckoo Vehicles are pretty particular, the youngsters should be at the very least 1 metre tall, 4 years or older, and below 1.4 metres.

So adults can’t take part on this one as that is for youthful children solely. However there may be loads of viewing house so you possibly can hold a detailed eye on your loved ones members as they study to drive.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Youngsters Driving Trip
Trip size: 4 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 1m minimal. Moreover, most of 1.4m and minimal of 4 years outdated.

 

Mutiny Bay Rides

A pirate themed a part of the park with primarily household pleasant rides, as follows:

 

Wicker Man

Opened in 2018, Wicker Man is among the latest rides at Alton Towers. When it opened it was notable as being the primary new wood rollercoaster to be opened within the UK for 22 years.

Because the identify suggests, the Wicker Man is themed across the Wicker Man movie, a horror film which dates from the Nineteen Seventies and which includes a big woven effigy of a person constructed from wooden which is ready fireplace to.

The rollercoaster can be constructed from wooden, and there’s a big effigy of a person that the journey passes via. There are additionally flame lighting and smoke results all through the journey which add to the themed expertise.

Talking of expertise, the journey begins with a preshow that features some video, gentle, and smoke results. This does have a little bit of a scare issue so is one thing to bear in mind if using with youthful youngsters. You then board the prepare, and from this level it’s a wood rollercoaster journey.

The journey expertise is sort of just like the Runaway Important prepare or 13, with dips, hills, and twists. There are not any inversions or loops or something like that, and the journey peak restriction of 1.2m makes it a household choice for a lot of children as nicely.

Wicker Man is discovered proper subsequent to Mutiny Bay, though it doesn’t comply with the pirate theming.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Silver, Gold and Platinum
Scare issue: 2/5
Thrill issue: 4/5
Trip kind: Rollercoaster
Trip size: 1 minute 50 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 1.2m

 

Marauders Mayhem

Proper within the coronary heart of Pirate Bay is the Marauders Mayhem journey, which is mainly a basic spinning tea cups journey.

This journey initially launched in 1987 as a tea cup journey, and was relaunched in 2008 with a pirate theme. So as an alternative of sitting in teacups you sit in barrels.

Apart from the theme, the journey expertise is similar as a typical teacups journey. As much as 6 individuals can sit in every barrel, with 4 units of three barrels organized across the journey. Every set rotates, the entire journey rotates, and every barrel can be made to rotate.

I feel it’s truthful to say that the Marauders Mayhem journey just isn’t ideally suited should you don’t like spinning rides. However should you do like spinning rides, that is undoubtedly one to go for. It’s a enjoyable household journey with a reasonably low peak restriction.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Gold and Platinum
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 3/5
Trip kind: Spinning teacups
Trip size: 2 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 1.1m (1.3 m should journey with an grownup)

 

Battle Galleons

When you like rides the place there’s a really strong likelihood of getting soaking moist, you’ll undoubtedly wish to head to the Battle Galleons journey at Alton Towers.

This journey has you boarding a pirate ship which “sails” round part of the Alton Towers lake. The enjoyable half is that there are water cannons on board, which you’ll fireplace at different vessels, in addition to at anybody standing on the shore the place your boats go.

These water cannons are hand operated – you spin a wheel to make the water circulation.

You don’t must really feel too sorry for the parents on the shore although, as a result of they’ve entry to their very own watercannons. There are two variations on the shore – free ones the place you possibly can spin a wheel, and paid cannons. The paid cannons are undoubtedly extra highly effective, with 10 “pictures” per £1 once we visited.

This journey was in style with each adults and youngsters in our group however most likely not a great one for anybody not desirous to get moist.

Assuming there are different individuals taking part within the journey, there’s a really excessive likelihood you’ll get fairly moist on this journey. There are some drying rooms close by the place you possibly can pay round £5 to have some air blown at you, however this isn’t massively efficient in our expertise so most likely not well worth the cash.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Gold and Platinum
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Splash Battle
Trip size: 3 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (1.1 should journey with an grownup)

 

Heave Ho

When you or your children like the concept of the Blade however all of the dropping and peak looks as if a bit a lot, then you must undoubtedly try Heave Ho.

This pirate ship themed journey is discovered, as you would possibly guess, within the Mutiny Bay a part of Alton Towers.

The journey idea is mainly a pirate ship which rocks backwards and forwards on rails, however which additionally spins because it goes. The spinning just isn’t super-fast however it may be a bit disorienting, so should you aren’t a fan of rides which spin you would possibly wish to watch it first earlier than boarding.

This was a extremely in style journey with our household group on a latest go to. The youngsters actually liked it, and it’s additionally a great journey for viewers to observe from the sidelines and get good pictures.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: o/5
Thrill issue: 2/5
Trip kind: Rocking Tug
Trip size: 3 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)

 

Katanga Canyon Rides

Themed as an African village, this space of the park is house to the next two rides:

 

Congo River Rapids

The Alton Towers theme park doesn’t have a variety of water rides, however there are a few choices, certainly one of which is Congo River Rapids.

This has been getting park guests moist since 1986, and stays a preferred and comparatively household pleasant attraction to today.

The journey consists of enormous round rafts which seat round seven individuals. You begin the journey going up a shallow carry, and then you definitely float across the river rapids, elements of which have sections of uneven water.

There’s an affordable likelihood you’ll get moist on this journey, though it’s usually simply splashes of water slightly than a full-on dunking. So simply hold that in thoughts.

One very nice factor about this journey is that it’s comparatively lengthy by theme park requirements, at 6 minutes. With a minimal peak of 1.1m it’s additionally a great household pleasant choice for a lot of households.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 2/5
Trip kind: River Rapids
Trip size: 6 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 1.1m (1.3 m should journey with an grownup)
Different Notes: Simply remember that you just would possibly get moist

 

Runaway Mine Prepare

Runaway Mine Prepare is certainly one of my favorite family-friendly rollercoasters at Alton Towers. Jess isn’t an enormous fan of massive rollercoasters, however she actually likes Runaway Mine Prepare.

Because the identify suggests, the theme is a mine prepare which has, nicely, runaway. Riders board carriages seated in pairs, and the prepare has some fairly good drops and twists because it goes, even pulling a good bit of g-force. It additionally does the observe twice, which makes for a pleasant lengthy feeling journey.

There are not any inversions or something like that, but it surely’s undoubtedly a fairly thrilling journey, and some of the thrilling rides on the park with a low peak requirement.

We went on it with a 3 yr outdated and a six yr outdated they usually completely liked it. Simply be ready to affix the queue once more once you end if your loved ones likes it as a lot as ours did! We rode this one a number of instances over two days.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Bronze, Gold and Platinum.
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 3/5
Trip kind: Rollercoaster
Trip size: 1 minute 50 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)

 

Gloomy Wooden Rides

Gloomy Wooden is themed, because the identify suggests, round a darkish, possible haunted, forest. It has one journey:

 

The Curse at Alton Manor

The Curse at Alton Manor opened in 2023, making it one of many latest rides in Alton Towers. Nonetheless, it builds on an extended custom of haunted home rides, with the unique incarnation of this journey opened in the identical location all the best way again in 1992.

The journey tells the story of the long-deceased Emily Alton, who Alton Towers followers will acknowledge from earlier rides on this location. The story goes that Emily was by no means invited to the events her dad and mom held, and this aggravated her a lot that evil possessed her, cursing the home and all its occupants.

I suppose the ethical of the story right here is to ask your children to your events every so often.

Anyway, the journey itself has just a few elements. The queue is the place the story begins, winding via the woodland, with numerous graves and spooky sculptures.

You then enter the home, and stroll previous numerous set items with lights and sound results. Lastly, there’s a six-minute journey which takes you thru the considerably darkish and twisted world of Emily.

The journey is unquestionably darkish, and should you like darkish rides and haunted home model rides you’ll possible take pleasure in it. When you want rollercoaster thrills and spins , this most likely received’t be the journey for you as there aren’t any drops, inversions, or twists.

When it comes to being child pleasant, the journey is fairly scary with numerous darkish themes of demise and revenge. So while the journey peak restriction is pretty low, some children would possibly discover the content material slightly terrifying. The youngsters we had been with (age 3 and 6) hated this journey and located it too scary. The three-year-old wouldn’t get on the journey in any respect.

General, one to take a look at should you like darkish, haunted home kind rides. Personally, Jess and I didn’t actually prefer it as we by no means actually acquired the total story for the journey and it isn’t a thrill journey.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Bronze, Gold and Platinum
Scare issue: 4/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Darkish journey / haunted home
Trip size: 6 minutes 15 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)

 

The World of David Walliams Rides

This a part of the park focuses on the world created by the writer David Walliams. It’s a really family-friendly a part of the park, and many of the rides have low peak necessities. Rides are as follows:

 

Gangsta Granny the Trip

Opened in 2021, Gangsta Ganny the Trip is among the most important rides within the space of the park dedicated to the world created by author David Walliams.

The journey is mainly a carriage-based darkish journey with a variety of particular results that has you serving to the principle characters try to steal the Crown Jewels from Buckingham Palace.

Everybody in our group on a latest journey to Alton Towers loved this journey. The story is fascinating and fascinating for teenagers particularly, and the expertise is enjoyable for adults as nicely. There’s additionally fairly a little bit of humour all through the journey which ought to deliver a smile to your face.

It’s neither an exciting curler coaster nor a scary journey, however we predict it’s nicely price doing, even should you aren’t in any respect acquainted with the characters within the books. All of us loved it.

One factor to notice is that the theme of the journey does have characters stealing and committing a criminal offense which could not sit proper with all dad and mom with youthful youngsters.

Included on Fastrack: Sure, Gold and Platinum
Scare issue: 1/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Darkish journey
Trip size: 4 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (below 1.2m should journey with an grownup)
Different Notes: This journey has a reasonably low most rider per hour restrict, so queue instances will be longer than you would possibly anticipate

 

Raj’s Bouncy Backside Burp

Discovered within the David Walliams space of Alton Towers, Raj’s Bouncy Backside Burp is a bouncing drop journey designed for younger children. It’s just like the CBeebies Peter Rabbit Trip however the drops are a bit extra pronounced, making it a bit extra thrilling.

The drops are additionally accompanied by a fart primarily based soundtrack, and truthfully, what child doesn’t discover rest room humor hilarious? So this journey is unquestionably in style amongst children visiting the park.

The drop just isn’t so terrifying (it’s extra of a bounce actually), and Jess who doesn’t actually like drop rides didn’t thoughts this. Though accompanying a 3-year-old in hysterics on the sound results most likely helped!

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Bouncy drop
Trip size: 1 minute 45 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (below 1.1m should journey with an grownup)

 

Royal Carousel

Have you ever even been to a theme park should you haven’t ridden the carousel? Jess will surely argue no. It’s at all times a journey that we like to journey at the very least as soon as at any theme park, truthful, or carnival because it’s such a basic.

The Royal Carousel in Alton Towers is discovered within the David Walliams a part of the park, and options a lot of horses and carriages. A number of the horses go up and down (these with poles to the roof) and a few are static.

It has a royal theme, with a crown on high and a voiceover soundtrack to match. Positive, it’s not essentially the most thrilling journey within the park, but it surely’s enjoyable for teenagers and adults who love a little bit of theme park nostalgia.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Carousel
Trip size: 2 minutes
Trip peak restriction: no peak restriction however these below 1.3m should journey with an grownup

 

Flavio’s Fabulous Fandango

This carnival model tornado journey discovered within the David Walliam’s part of the park is nice for these of you who love being spun round. It’s truly certainly one of Jess’s favorite rides at Alton Towers as a result of she loves being spun round however doesn’t like being dropped.

The journey consists of twelve units of chairs that are in teams of 4. The teams of 4 spin collectively, after which all of the teams additionally spin round a central level. This ends in numerous spinning, which at factors can appear fairly quick as you whiz previous gondolas coming the other way.

It’s undoubtedly a variety of enjoyable. Simply remember that the minimal journey peak of 1.2m is a bit larger than many of the different rides on this space. I’d additionally add that that is technically a brief carnival model journey, however we’re included it because it’s themed and appears prone to keep.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 2/5
Trip kind: Tornado
Trip size: ~2 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 1.2m

 

CBeebies Land Rides

CBeebies Land is a extremely household pleasant a part of Alton Towers with rides, exhibits and actions designed to entertain youthful guests to the park. It has an enormous quantity of rides and actions. The primary rides are as follows:

 

Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop

Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop is a delicate drop model journey designed for youthful riders. The journey is themed round Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit character, with enjoyable sound results and music.

This journey is unquestionably not a loopy drop journey, it’s extra of a delicate drop and bounce. So even adults who don’t like drop rides will take pleasure in using this one with their children.

It’s most likely not a journey that thrill seekers are going to be heading for, however if you’re in Alton Towers with youthful members of the family you’ll undoubtedly wish to examine this one out.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Drop
Trip size: ~ 90 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (below 1.1m should journey with an grownup)

 

Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Trip

The Go Jetters Vroomster journey is one other enjoyable household journey. This one is themed across the Go Jetters, with journey individuals boarding their very personal Vroomster.

A Vroomster, for these of you not acquainted, is mainly a jet powered flying automobile. And the Alton Tower reproduction is fairly correct!

The journey consists of a lot of Vroomster vehicles, which may seat as much as 4 individuals, which rotate round a central pod. The vehicles are connected to the pod by a yellow arm, and the riders can management the peak of the automobile with a lever contained in the automobile. This provides the riders the impression of controlling their very personal flying automobile, which is fairly cool.

The journey just isn’t significantly quick, so while it does go spherical in circles, it’s about the identical velocity as a carousel so it shoudln’t make you dizzy. The up and down movement can be fairly light, so all in all it’s a fairly relaxed journey.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Aerial Roundabout
Trip size: 2 minutes
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (below 1.25m should journey with grownup)

 

Octonauts Rollercoaster Journey

Octonauts is a household targeted rollercoaster which is prone to be one of many first rollercoasters youthful guests to Alton Towers are going to expertise.

The rollercoaster, which is themed after The Octonauts present, provides most likely the gentlest rollercoaster expertise at Alton Towers. It’s a good start line for teenagers who meet the peak restrictions and wish to attempt a rollercoaster.

In the event that they like it, the Runaway Mine prepare has related journey necessities and is a little more thrilling, with a sooner journey and far higher drops and velocity.

Nonetheless, Octonauts is unquestionably a great starter coaster, with no inversions or significantly steep drops or curves.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Rollercoaster
Trip size: 2 minutes 30 seconds
Trip peak restriction: 0.9m (below 1.1m should journey with an grownup)

 

Get Set Go Treetop Journey

This journey in CBeebies Land takes you excessive above the timber (okay, 12 ft) in your very personal bug formed automobile. It’s a enjoyable journey for youthful children for certain and offers good views of CBeebies land.

It’s additionally good and stress-free for adults should you’re in search of a calming journey with no loopy thrills or scares.

One factor to concentrate on is that this journey is sort of in style and because it’s pretty sluggish transferring the queue can get fairly lengthy. Actually, of all of the rides on the park, this was the one the place we had the longest wait on a latest go to!

So attempt to time your go to for very first thing within the morning or afterward within the day. There are actions within the queue to maintain children busy, however they’ll solely go to this point.

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: o/5
Thrill issue: 1/5
Trip kind: Flat observe
Trip size: 4 minutes
Trip peak restriction: No minimal however below 1.1m should journey with an grownup.

 

Within the Evening Backyard Magical Boat Trip

This can be a in style water journey in CBeebies Land which has you boarding a ship for a magical tour across the Evening Backyard. The boat floats peacefully round a river, and while it’s a water journey you might be most unlikely to get moist.

This journey has you passing by most of the characters and scenes from the “Within the Evening Backyard” TV collection, together with the Tombliboos, Upsy Daisy and Iggle Piggle.

It’s a pleasant stress-free journey which ought to amuse youthful guests and be good and stress-free for adults. It’s additionally a comparatively lengthy journey at 6 minutes.

ncluded on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 0/5
Trip kind: Boat journey
Trip size: 6 minutes
Trip peak restriction: No peak restriction however these below 1m should journey with an grownup

 

Postman Pat Parcel Publish

Postman Pat has been a stalwart determine on youngsters’s tv because the Nineteen Eighties. I keep in mind watching him delivering mail across the Yorkshire Dales together with his trusty helper Jess the cat as a toddler, and youngsters right now nonetheless get to observe Pat on CBeebies.

Now, you can also expertise the lifetime of Pat on the Alton Towers Postman Pat Parcel Publish journey in CBeebies Land. This can be a flat journey on rails which has you boarding Pat’s signature pink put up van and go trundling round a course.

The van has numerous buttons on the dashboard, which you’ll press to make sure you ship the appropriate parcel to the appropriate individual, giving it a great factor of interactivity. There are additionally lights and a horn that you could management.

General this can be a enjoyable household expertise for youthful guests and particularly followers of Postman Pat. It’s on no account a thrill journey, however not every little thing must be!

Included on Fastrack: No
Scare issue: 0/5
Thrill issue: 0/5
Trip kind: Monitor Trip
Trip size: 2 minutes 45 seconds
Trip peak restriction: No peak restriction however these below 1.1m should journey with an grownup

 

 

Thrill Rides at Alton Towers

Now that we’ve coated all of the rides by space, we’ll record the rides divided into numerous classes. Beginning with thrill rides.

When you’re in search of an inventory of the fun rides at Alton Towers, I’d recommend the next all classify:

• The Smiler
• Oblivion
• Galactica
• Rita
• TH13TEEN
• Wicker Man
• Spinball Whizzer
• Runaway Mine Prepare
• Marauders Mayhem
• The Blade

In fact, how thrilling you discover a journey shall be private choice, however we predict most individuals would discover the above rides pretty thrilling!

 

Rides for Toddlers and Youngsters at Alton Towers

When you’re visiting Alton Towers with youthful members of the family, you is perhaps questioning what one of the best rides for them are going to be.

For the overwhelming majority of rides, the principle factor just isn’t going to be the age of your youngster, however slightly their peak. That is undoubtedly one thing to concentrate on when you have youngsters of differing heights, as a few of them could possibly expertise rides that the others might not. This could result in difficult conditions, as nobody likes to be unnoticed!

It’s due to this fact a good suggestion to have an concept of which rides on the park are going to be appropriate for which members of your group and which aren’t. That method you may make a plan for which rides to take who to. The Alton Towers app and web site has a filter system so you possibly can present solely these rides that are going to be appropriate.

The final time we visited Alton Towers we had 4 adults, a 3-year outdated who was 1.1m and a 6-year outdated who was 1.25m. So this meant they couldn’t journey each journey collectively.

We dealt with this by sharing duties between the adults, and splitting the rides we rode collectively. This was made so much simpler with the Fastrack passes we had because it meant we weren’t away for very lengthy.

The excellent news is that there are additionally plenty of nice rides which can be appropriate for all ages and heights. We’d particularly suggest the next:

• Gangsta Granny the Trip
• Get Set Go Tree Prime Journey
• Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop
• Octonauts Rollercoaster Journey
• Postman Pat Parcel Publish
• Battle Galleons
• Cuckoo Vehicles Driving College

For barely taller and extra adventurous children, the next are sure to get their pulses going a bit extra:

• Blade (1m)
• Wicker Man (1.2m)
• Spinball Whizzer (1.2m)
• TH13TEEN (1.2m)
• Marauders Mayhem (1.1m)
• Congo River Rapids (1.1m)
• Heave Ho  (0.9m)
• Runaway Mine Prepare (0.9m)

The 2 extra scary rides (haunted home model) may additionally be appropriate for teenagers however truthfully that is going to be a private resolution as a guardian relying on the child. These are:

• Hex (0.9m)
• The Curse at Alton Manor (0.9m)

After we visited with a 3-year outdated and a 6-year outdated their journey highlights had been Runaway Mine Prepare, Blade, Octonauts, Get Set Go Tree Prime Journey, Cuckoo Vehicles Driving College, and Heave Ho. The 6-year-old additionally actually favored Spinball Whizzer, Marauders Mayhem, and Wicker Man.

Additionally they actually liked the interactive exhibits and experiences in CBeebies Land, in addition to enjoying the video games the place you possibly can win a toy like Hook-a-Duck.

Simply remember that the Hook-a-Duck and related video games will not be free. The temptation of an enormous toy is difficult to withstand although.

 

Trip Peak Necessities at Alton Towers

Right here’s a fast record of all of the rides at Alton Towers with their minimal journey heights, ordered from excessive to low.

Some rides even have a unique minimal peak if using with out an grownup, which is indicated in brackets if relevant.

Nearly all of rides with peak restrictions have a measurement stick subsequent to the journey entrance so you possibly can confirm riders’ heights. Whenever you get to the journey, employees will often examine heights if they’re not sure, so that you’ll wish to make sure everyone seems to be the appropriate peak to keep away from disappointment.

You can even get a bracelet which has the rider’s peak on it at among the rides to save lots of having to be measured a number of instances.

Right here’s an inventory of all of the rides which have a restriction, ordered from highest to lowest.

• Nemesis Sub-Terra – 1.4m
• The Smiler – 1.4m
• Oblivion – 1.4m
• Galactica – 1.4m
• Rita – 1.4m
• Spinball Whizzer – 1.2m
• TH13TEEN – 1.2m (most 1.96m)
• Wicker Man – 1.2m
• Marauders Mayhem – 1.1m (1.3m should journey with an grownup)
• Congo River Rapids – 1.1m (1.3m should journey with an grownup)
• The Blade – 1m (1.3m should journey with an grownup)
• Hex – 0.9m (1.2m should journey with an grownup)
• The Curse at Alton Manor – 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)
• Gangsta Granny The Trip – 0.9m (1.2m should journey with an grownup)
• Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop – 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)
• Battle Galleons – 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)
• Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Trip – 0.9m (1.25m should journey with an grownup)
• Octonauts Rollercoaster Journey – 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)
• Heave Ho – 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)
• Runaway Mine Prepare – 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)
• Raj’s Bouncy Backside Burp – 0.9m (1.1m should journey with an grownup)
• Royal Carousel – no peak restriction however these below 1.3m should journey with an grownup
• Postman Pat Parcel Publish – no peak restriction however these below 1.1m should journey with an grownup
• Within the Evening Backyard Magical Boat Trip – no peak restriction however these below 1m should journey with an grownup
• Cuckoo Vehicles – 1m. Moreover, most of 1.4m and minimal of 4 years outdated.

 

Areas at Alton Towers

Alton Towers is split into 11 areas. Every space is themed otherwise, with some areas extra targeted on high-octane thrill rides (like X-Sector) while others are extra aimed toward youthful households (comparable to CBeebies Land).

Right here’s an inventory of all of the areas at Alton Towers and the rides they comprise. When planning your day, it’s a good suggestion to try to do all of the rides you have an interest in in every space, to keep away from spending a variety of time strolling between places.

 

X-Sector

This part of the park incorporates among the extra excessive rides within the park, all of which have a minimal peak restriction of 1.4m. The rides are:

• Oblivion
• The Smiler
• Spinjam (non permanent carnival model journey)
• Twistatron (non permanent carnival model journey)

X-Sector is themed like a secret authorities testing facility, so anticipate plenty of metallic fencing and concrete.

 

Darkish Forest

This part of the park is house to 2 rides, each of which provide fast-paced thrills. These are:

The Darkish Forest space is themed as a type of haunted woodland. The thought is you possibly can solely escape by using the deserted drag racer Rita. I’m not fairly certain the way you get out should you’re below the 1.4m peak restriction for Rita.

 

Forbidden Valley

This space of the park has a lot of totally different rides which embrace some rides appropriate for smaller friends. That is the world of the park you enter should you come within the lodge visitor entrance.

Forbidden valley is the place you’ll discover the Blade, which is the oldest journey in Alton Towers, initially opening in 1980!

The rides in Forbidden Valley are:

• The Blade
• Galactica
• Nemesis Sub-Terra
• Funk n’Fly (non permanent carnival model journey)

Forbidden Valley has a post-apocalyptic theme, with hints of alien infestation all through linked to the Nemesis creature. Nemesis was a journey at Alton Towers till 2022, when it closed for refurbishment. It’s resulting from relaunch with a big overhaul in 2024.

 

Gloomy Wooden

Discovered between Katanga Canyon and Forbidden Valley, Gloomy Wooden solely incorporates one journey:

Nonetheless it does have a walkthrough themed footpath which is house to numerous statues, gravestones and different installations, titled Haunted Hole. A few of these make noises, together with telling jokes.

As you’d guess from the identify, the theme of the world is a haunted woodland.

 

Katanga Canyon

Katanga Canyon is the place you’ll discover the park’s oldest rollercoaster in addition to a water journey. Each these rides are a variety of enjoyable, with the rollercoaster appropriate for a lot of youthful guests as nicely.

• Runaway Mine Prepare
• Congo River Rapids

Katanga Canyon is themed as an African village. The Runaway Mine journey has one of many lowest peak necessities of any rollercoaster within the park (the identical as Octonauts), and could be very in style with households.

 

CBeebies Land

CBeebies Land is among the most household pleasant areas in Alton Towers, with rides, exhibits and actions targeted round entertaining youthful guests.

Actually, if you’re visiting with toddlers and younger guests there’s just about sufficient to do right here to fill a day. It’s a extremely enjoyable space and you’ll inform a variety of thought has gone into creating an immersive world. As you possibly can see there’s so much to do right here:

• Within the Evening Backyard Magical Boat Trip
• Postman Pat’s Parcel Publish
• Get Set Go Treetop Journey
• One thing Particular Sensory Backyard
• Bugbie Go Spherical
• Octonauts Curler Coaster Journey
• Justin’s Home: Pie-O-Matic Manufacturing unit
• Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Trip
• Huge Enjoyable Showtime
• CBeebies Photograph Studio
• JoJo & Gran Gran at House
• Andy’s Adventures Dinosaur Dig
• Hey Duggee’s Dwell

If we needed to criticize CBeebies Land for something, it’s that queue instances for among the rides could be a bit lengthy on busy days.

Actually, the longest queue we had on a latest go to to Alton Towers was for Get Set Go Tree Prime Journey.

Apart from that although, this park, which is themed round an entire vary of CBeebies packages, is a extremely enjoyable spot for households visiting Alton Towers providing every little thing from rides to stay exhibits to enjoyable picture alternatives.

 

The Towers

The Towers are literally the ruins of the unique home at Alton Towers, and is the place the park will get its identify from. It’s house to a lot of rides, that are discovered round the principle constructing.

The Towers space is a bit unfold out, with a part of it proper subsequent to CBeebies Land and the remainder near the World of David Walliams. Rides are as follows:

• Hex – The Legend of the Towers
• Cuckoo Vehicles Driving College
• Spinball Whizzer

There’s no explicit theming across the rides to be sincere, they only occur to be within the space of the unique home.

This space can be the place you’ll find the Alton Towers Dungeon. This can be a separate attraction which requires its personal ticket, which you should buy here. This can be a stroll via attraction with costumed actors.

We haven’t visited the Alton Towers Dungeon however now we have visited the dungeon in Edinburgh, London and San Francisco, which provide the same expertise.

It’s enjoyable, nonetheless there may be already quite a bit to do at Alton Towers so we wouldn’t say it was a must-see attraction. That stated, it’s a good worth particularly should you e book prematurely and it’s a enjoyable expertise.

 

The World of David Walliams

Discovered simply past The Towers, the World of David Walliams provides a spread of rides that are primarily aimed toward major faculty aged children.

In our expertise although youthful children additionally take pleasure in the vast majority of the rides right here as they don’t seem to be significantly excessive and the journey heights will not be overly restrictive. The rides listed here are:

• Gangsta Granny: The Trip
• Raj’s Bouncy Backside Burp
• Royal Carousel
• Flavio’s Fabulous Fandango

This space is themed world wide and characters created by David Walliams and is one other great spot for households visiting Alton Towers.

 

Mutiny Bay

Discovered close to the principle park entrance, Mutiny Bay is house to a variety of family-friendly rides in addition to a lot of paid fairground model video games like Hook-a-Duck and toss the ball kind of video games. The rides are:

• Battle Galleons
• Heave-Ho
• Marauders Mayhem
• Wicker Man

Apart from Wicker Man, all of the rides right here have a nautical / pirate theme, and that is one other nice location within the park for households as the bulk rides have low peak restrictions and the queues will not be usually too lengthy (apart from Wicker Man).

That is additionally the place you’ll discover Sharkbait Reef by Sea Life Aquarium, an aquarium you possibly can go to which is included as a part of your ticket. That is a wholly indoor attraction so is an efficient choice whether it is raining.

Lastly, there’s additionally a bar serving drinks in addition to a seating space at Mutiny Bay.

 

Towers Avenue

Whenever you enter the park via the principle entrance you’ll arrive onto Towers Avenue. This space is themed like a city excessive avenue and is house to numerous companies and amenities, together with meals and drinks shops and customer support.

There’s a Skyride station right here, however no precise rides. From this space you possibly can see throughout the lake to the Towers. To your left as you face away from the doorway is Mutiny Bay, and in your proper is CBeebies Land.

So if you’re visiting with children you don’t need to go far to seek out your first rides.

 

The Gardens

One of many oldest areas at Alton Towers, and one which has been drawing guests for years, are the gardens. These take up a big space of the park between Mutiny Bay and the Darkish Forest.

Many guests solely expertise the gardens from above, because the Skyride passes over them, however it’s price taking a while to discover them as they’re fairly beautiful and make for a pleasant spot for a break.

You’ll discover all kinds of options, from neatly trimmed topiary hedges, fountains, outdated timber, greenhouses, and follies.

Simply remember that the gardens are set throughout a valley, and there will be fairly just a few steps to navigate. So that is price taking into consideration when you have restricted mobility or are navigating a youngsters’s buggy.

 

Accessibility at Alton Towers

Alton Towers gives a variety of info and choices for individuals with numerous incapacity and mobility wants, and this info is roofed intimately on the page dedicated to accessibility on the Alton Towers web site.

The accessibility method at Alton Towers is designed to help anybody with accessibility wants have a protected and pleasing go to to the park, and the location has info that will help you plan your go to in addition to what to anticipate on web site.

Usually, the park and the resort lodging choices cater nicely for accessibility necessities. All of the bogs have accessible wheelchair options in addition to accessible altering rooms. Wheelchairs can be found without cost, and mobility scooters will be employed for the day. The latter will be booked online in advance here.

Alton Towers additionally provides a Ride Access Pass, which is designed for guests who discover it troublesome to face for extended durations of time. This provides entry to a separate line and a digital queuing system.

Trip Entry Cross holders don’t get to skip the road per se, however they don’t have to face in a line for a chronic interval. This course of is defined here.

For Trip Entry go entry this must be booked prematurely of your go to as purposes are authorized by a third-party who assesses guests’ wants on a person foundation.

 

Photographs at Alton Towers

Pictures is mostly allowed at Alton Towers, nonetheless for essentially the most half images just isn’t allowed on the rides (with some exceptions).

So if you wish to get pictures of your self and your loved ones having fun with the rides, you’ll want to think about investing in a photograph package deal.

On a latest journey to Alton Towers we purchased the digital photo pass for each of the times we had been there. This was £20, and we thought it was fairly wonderful.

The way in which it really works is as follows. As you end a journey, all of the journey pictures are displayed on a display screen with a quantity. Utilizing the Alton Towers app, you possibly can kind in that quantity, and the picture will seem within the app in your system.

You can even choose up a QR code that hyperlinks to your account and have the picture attendant scan it for computerized supply to your app.

When you haven’t purchased the digital picture go, the picture seems within the app with a giant watermark and you’ll’t obtain it. Nonetheless, once you pay for the picture go (both in app on in individual), the pictures all turn out to be obtainable with out watermark, and you’ll obtain them to your telephone for sharing.

The great factor about this technique is that even with six of us, we nonetheless solely wanted to purchase one picture go. I simply had all of the pictures delivered to my telephone after which shared them. Over the 2 days we had been there we had round 80 pictures, lots of which you’ll see on this information.

It’s additionally price noting that there are extra picture alternatives than simply journey pictures. One good instance is the The CBeebies Land picture cease. This can be a actually enjoyable expertise, the place a inexperienced display screen is used so as to add you and your group to many CBeebies Land scenes.

In addition to digital pictures, you can too pay for printouts of journey pictures, though this can be a separate payment.

You should buy the digital picture go on-line prematurely of your go to here. You can even purchase it on web site in individual, or via the app. The fee is similar.

Actually, whereas it’s handy to purchase it prematurely, you would possibly wish to wait till the tip of the day so you possibly can evaluation the photographs within the app after which resolve if you wish to purchase them.

I consider the photographs can be found for buy for as much as 90 days within the app, and as soon as bought they are often downloaded from the app for as much as a yr from once they had been taken.

 

Eating places at Alton Towers

Alton Towers has fairly a large selection of eating choices throughout the park. There are eating places within the theme park space itself, in addition to eating places on the lodge resorts which serve breakfast and dinner.

There are additionally picnic areas and a lot of locations promoting snacks which will be discovered throughout the park.

The primary eating choices are as follows.

 

Eating places within the Theme Park

• Woodcutter’s Bar and Grill (close to Darkish Forest / Towers)- focuses on grilled meals
• Rollercoaster Restaurant (Forbidden Valley) – has quite a lot of choices, with the twist that every one the meals is delivered through a mini rollercoaster.
• Explorers Pizza Pasta (Katanga Canyon) – buffet restaurant with a spread of pizza, pasta and a salad bar
• The Burger Kitchen (close to David Walliams space & Alton Towers Dungeon, additionally Mutiny Bay) – Primarily burgers, as you’d think about
• Simply Hen (X-Sector) – Primarily focuses on fried hen
• Nook Espresso (Towers Avenue) – In addition to espresso it additionally has sandwiches, pastries, and truffles

 

 

 

 

 

Eating places within the Resort Space

Observe these typically solely serve breakfast and dinner. It’s additionally good to know that the Rollercoaster Restaurant can be open after the theme park closes, though reservations are required.

Secret Backyard Restaurant Meals

Secret Backyard Restaurant Meals

 

Lodging at Alton Towers

For an prolonged Alton Towers expertise, you possibly can truly keep on web site at one of many resort lodging choices. There are six totally different lodging choices at Alton Towers throughout a spread of various worth factors.

We predict staying on web site could make sense, particularly if you’re visiting with children because the on-site lodging is basically arrange in direction of enhancing their expertise with further actions and themed rooms.

Nonetheless if you wish to keep someplace a bit quieter with extra flexibility in selection when it comes to worth, eating choices and so forth, then try the part on close by lodging additional on on this information.

All of the lodging is discovered to the east of the principle park. Relying on which choice you select, the lodging is a few 5-10 minute stroll from the monorail, which can whisk you to the principle park entrance in a couple of minutes.

You can even stroll to the principle park entrance in 20 – half-hour, or to the unique lodge visitor entrance which is about 5 – 10 minutes’ stroll from many of the inns.

Right here’s a rundown of all of the lodging choices at Alton Towers to offer you an concept of what to anticipate.

 

Alton Towers Lodge

Alton Towers Lodge was the primary lodge to be constructed on the park, opening in 1996. It’s a 4* lodge with a big restaurant, bar and virtually 200 rooms.

The lodge is themed after the fictional character Sir Algenon Alton, a famed explorer and inventor. Totally different areas of the lodge are themed to match his totally different exploits, together with a hot-air balloon pirate ship within the bar space which doubles as a stage.

Varied room varieties can be found. On our latest go to we stayed in an Arctic Explorer room which was very snug and fairly giant, particularly for 2 of us. It had an en-suite rest room with bathtub, air-conditioning, a small fridge and tea/espresso making amenities.

Many of the rooms can sleep as much as 4 individuals – two adults and two children. They’re pretty giant rooms and regardless that we visited when it was busy the rooms had been quiet.

We actually favored the theming within the rooms, which has a variety of considerate particulars all through, from the carpet to the huge stuffed polar bear on the mattress. Totally different rooms have totally different themes, in addition to totally different facilities.

Air con for instance just isn’t obtainable in all of the room, so do examine if that’s essential to you.

You possibly can see all of the room varieties and their facilities here– there are a variety of choices to select from!

 

Splash Landings Resort

Opened in 2003, Splash Landings Lodge can be a 4* lodge. It’s the closest lodge to the Monorail station and lodge visitor theme park entrance. It’s additionally the place you’ll discover the Alton Towers Waterpark.

Splash Landings is themed, as you may think, round water, with a sunny Carribean theme working all through. There are water options and themed installations, and the rooms are additionally themed alongside numerous nautical types.

On web site there’s an all you possibly can eat restaurant, Flambo’s Jambo, which has a Carribean theme. There’s additionally a Caribbean themed bar on web site, in addition to common leisure.

Splash Landings is unquestionably a great choice, particularly with children. The one factor to concentrate on is that it could get fairly heat within the lodge because the waterpark is on web site, and the rooms don’t have air con. So the rooms will be fairly heat, even within the cooler months of the yr.

You possibly can see all of the room varieties and their facilities at Splash Landings Resort here.

 

CBeebies Land Lodge

CBeebies Land Lodge is the most recent lodge at Alton Towers Resort, opening in 2017. On a latest go to to Alton Towers with associates they stayed right here with their two children ages 3 and 6 years outdated.

CBeebies Land is firmly aimed toward youthful guests to the park and is themed across the characters present in CBeebies exhibits. This theming extends all through, from the rooms to the restaurant and reception.

There are additionally many CBeebies exhibits and leisure experiences which occur right here that are included for friends. There’s additionally a restaurant and bar on web site.

There’s a spread of rooms obtainable, our associates stayed within the Swashbuckle themed pirate room which slept as much as 5 and had two TVs in addition to pirate theming all through.

The outline for CBeebies Land Lodge means that it’s best for guests with children aged as much as round three. Nonetheless, we’d say that this very a lot depends upon your children and what they’re into, and youngsters as much as 9 or 10 will most likely like it.

Our associates’ children truthfully thought the lodge was wonderful. They liked just about every little thing about it. Their dad and mom significantly appreciated the room format which had the youngsters in their very own alcove in bunk beds, which means they felt virtually like that they had their very own room while nonetheless being in the identical room.

Additionally they loved the meals, the leisure, and the theming all through.

One essential factor to concentrate on with this lodge and its amenities is that it’s only open to friends staying within the lodge itself.

So if you’re visiting the park as a bunch and a few of you might be staying in CBeebies Lodge and a few of you might be in different lodging, that is one thing to bear in mind should you plan on eating collectively or watching leisure.

Visitors of the opposite lodging choices can’t go to CBeebies Land Lodge or use its amenities.

We acquired round this by having our meals on the Alton Towers Lodge on a latest go to, however the children did nonetheless get to have their breakfast in CBeebies and likewise they took half in among the actions just like the night Stargazing.

General, if you’re visiting Alton Towers with a youthful household the CBeebies Land Lodge could be my primary choose if it’s obtainable. You possibly can see all of the room varieties here.

 

Stargazing Pods

The remaining three lodging choices at Alton Towers fall into the Enchanted Village space of the park, which provides a spread of much less conventional lodging choices.

The primary of those we are going to cowl are the Stargazing pods, which opened to the general public in 2019. When you’ve ever been glamping, then these pods shall be fairly acquainted.

They’re mainly small wood buildings that supply an expertise just like tenting however with the advantage of actual beds, lighting and heating. Every pod can sleep as much as 4, with one double mattress and two single beds. Linen is offered.

There are not any bogs, showers or different washing amenities within the pods themselves, these are all centrally situated at a separate block which provides bogs, showers and child change areas.

There’s additionally no cooking or refrigeration amenities, you’ll need to dine at one of many eating places (except you deliver your individual picnic model meals).

Stargazing pods are undoubtedly essentially the most fundamental lodging choice which may make for a extremely price range pleasant camping-like expertise at Alton Towers.

They’re usually the bottom value lodging choice at Alton Towers Resort, they usually additionally are likely to have one of the best availability at any time when we’ve regarded for final minute lodging.

 

Woodland Lodges

The unique lodging choice within the Enchanted Village had been the Woodland Lodges, which opened in 2015.

The Woodland Lodges are styled as log cabins, every of which may sleep as much as 5 individuals. There’s a most important room for adults, and a separate children sleeping space with bunk beds and a truckle mattress.

All of the rooms have en-suite loos, flat display screen TVs and free WiFi. For eating, breakfast is obtainable on the Crooked Spoon restaurant within the Enchanted Village, and friends may also have their night meal right here or at one of many different eating places.

We haven’t personally stayed on the Woodland Lodges however now we have associates who stayed right here with their children they usually loved it.

These are typically amongst the extra in style choices for lodging at Alton Towers Resort, and might promote out shortly.

 

Luxurious Treehouses

Probably the most unique lodging choice within the Enchanted Village space are the Luxurious Treehouses, that are present in a secluded a part of the Enchanted Village.

There are 5 luxurious treehouses, they usually can all sleep as much as eight individuals in 4 bedrooms. The posh treehouses all include a kitchenette, which features a fridge, kettle, toaster, microwave and dishwasher. So these are at present the one lodging choice at Alton Towers the place you could possibly put together your individual meals.

Different luxuries embrace a 50″ TV with video games console, non-public sizzling tub and deck, and using an unique takeaway service for meal supply.

In fact, all this luxurious and facilities does imply that the treehouses are the costliest choice at Alton Towers. Nonetheless if you’re visiting the resort with a bunch or simply need one thing additional particular, then they’re undoubtedly price testing.

 

Lodging Close to Alton Towers

While there are many lodging choices at Alton Towers, it’s not the one choice to your go to.

We do just like the on-site lodging however if you’re not visiting with children or would similar to a little bit of selection when it comes to eating choices, then there are many close by options throughout a variety of budgets.

These could make a great location for staying the night time earlier than Alton Towers, or for additional exploration within the space as a part of an extended journey.

Listed below are some to think about, ordered by driving distance from Alton Towers.

• The White Hart – a preferred inn within the village of Alton, providing a spread of en-suite rooms. 7 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers
• The Laurel’s B&B – This can be a well-rated B&B which serves breakfast. Rooms are en-suite with tea/espresso making amenities. 8 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers
• The Bay Tree – a really well-reviewed B&B with en-suite lodging and breakfast obtainable. 8 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers
• Peakstones Inn – This 3* lodge provides a spread of en-suite rooms and there’s an on-site restaurant and bar. Breakfast is obtainable. 10 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers.
• Heywood Hall – This property provides a lot of self-contained flats, every with a small kitchen an en-suite rest room. There’s additionally a sizzling tub and backyard for friends use. 12 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers.
• Whiston Hall – A lovely nineteenth century lodge with its personal golf course and landscaped backyard. A variety of en-suite rooms can be found and breakfast is obtainable. 13minutes’ drivee from Alton Towers.
• The Duncombe Arms – This pub/lodge is present in Ellastone and provides air-conditioned rooms with espresso machines and en-suite amenities. Breakfast is obtainable and there’s a restaurant and bar for different meals. 13 minutes drive from Alton Towers
• The Royal Oak – This inn provides a spread of snug rooms within the city of Ashbourne. There’s a restaurant and bar on web site with meals obtainable. 19 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers.
• YHA Ilam Hall – This youth hostel is present in a gothic corridor set in 84 acres of parkland. There’s an on-site breakfast, kitchen for self-catering, and a selection of shared or non-public lodging. 22 minutes’ drive from Alton Towers.

In fact, there are heaps extra choices to think about. You possibly can see a full vary of lodging choices close to Alton Towers on Booking.com here, which incorporates a lot of vacation leases as nicely.

 

Different Actions at Alton Towers

In addition to the theme park, there are a selection of different actions on the Alton Towers resort that you could take pleasure in. These are as follows.

 

Waterpark

Discovered contained in the Splash Landings Lodge, the Alton Towers Waterpark is open the vast majority of the yr.

There are a selection of swimming pools, each inside and outdoors, in addition to numerous water slides. It’s a variety of enjoyable and nicely price together with as a part of your go to. You possibly can book tickets online here.

 

Extraordinary Golf

Proper subsequent to the Splash Landings lodge is an 18-hole miniature golf course which is themed round the principle rides at Alton Towers.

That is truly a extremely enjoyable mini-golf course which we had a variety of enjoyable enjoying. The holes are very distinctive, and it’s a pleasant technique to spend an hour or two.

A complimentary spherical of 9 holes is generally included for resort friends, and we extremely suggest profiting from this. We did it on the day we left, earlier than visiting the waterpark. It’s additionally open comparatively late, so when you have the stamina you could possibly do it after a day on the theme park!

Discover out extra and book tickets online here.

 

Spa

Alton Towers could be very a lot designed to be enjoyable for the entire household, and adults will certainly wish to take into account a calming journey to the Alton Towers Spa as a part of their go to!

The Spa is present in Alton Towers Lodge, and is open year-round to everybody, together with non-residents of the lodge and people with out theme park tickets.

A variety of remedies can be found and reserving is suggested. Discover out extra on the website here.

 

Alton Towers Dungeon

The Alton Towers Dungeon is definitely discovered contained in the Theme Park, so that you do want theme park tickets to go to. Nonetheless, it’s a further cost to go to, so I believed I also needs to embrace it on this a part of the information.

The Dungeon is a walk-through expertise with costumed actors, and is just like different Dungeon experiences together with the London Dungeon.

We predict it’s pretty priced, nonetheless given how a lot there already is to do at Alton Towers it isn’t a must-see attraction.

Discover out extra and book tickets here.

 

Suggestions for Visiting Alton Towers

We’ve visited Alton Towers a lot of instances, and primarily based on our experiences we needed to share some suggestions that will help you get essentially the most out of your day on the theme park.

 

Make a Plan

If you wish to take advantage of out of your day at Alton Towers, we extremely suggest placing a plan collectively. This could at the very least cowl which rides you and your group are most fascinated about using.

As soon as you recognize which rides you wish to do, you possibly can then plan a route across the park. We’d recommend heading for the rides that are prone to have the longest queues first (often the extra excessive thrill rides), and tackling all of the rides in the identical space collectively to minimise strolling instances.

In case you are visiting with children who don’t meet the journey peak necessities for all of the rides, or people who aren’t fascinated about particular rides, you’ll additionally wish to plan for easy methods to deal with splitting your group up if vital so everybody can have the expertise they need. This would possibly require some compromises, so is finest dealt with prematurely.

You can even keep away from the drama of children discovering they aren’t the appropriate peak to participate in a journey by measuring them prematurely, and planning your route in order that they don’t really feel they’re lacking out on something. For instance, you could possibly take them to CBeebies Land or Mutiny Bay after which members of the group might pop off for different rides.

We’d additionally suggest excited about the place you wish to eat and when. You possibly can both deliver your individual picnic or eat at one of many on-site eating places. These clearly get very busy round lunch time on busier days, and reservations will not be doable, so that you would possibly wish to eat earlier or later within the day.

 

Convey a Smartphone Charger

The probabilities are that you will be utilizing your telephone so much at Alton Towers. From taking pictures to speaking with associates to utilizing the app to vary journey instances and discover your method round, it’s going for use so much.

Having your telephone go flat partway via the day, particularly should you’re counting on it to seize recollections, discover your method round, or show a Fastrack go, isn’t going to be ideally suited.

For that reason we suggest bringing a USB charger to your telephone. There are heaps obtainable, we at present use one like this which labored nicely to cost our telephone and our associates’ telephones on our final go to to Alton Towers.

 

Obtain the Alton Towers App

Within the days of yore, Alton Towers had a paper map that you could possibly use to seek out your method across the park. When you needed to know the way lengthy a journey queue was, you needed to both bodily go to the journey itself, or try to discover one of many elusive boards displaying journey queue instances and statuses throughout the park.

These days, just about every little thing is dealt with through the Alton Towers App, which is definitely surprisingly good. Though it does require you to have a smartphone after all.

The App enables you to do so much, together with:

• Navigate across the park, with instructions, estimated strolling instances and routing obtainable. It could actually additionally recommend routes with fewer steps.
• Discover rides primarily based on quite a lot of standards, from journey kind via to journey peak restrictions
• Show stay journey queue instances and open statuses (solely works on web site)
• E book and use Fastrack passes
• Save and show your Alton Towers ticket
• Discover bogs, eating places, present instances, buggy parks, water refill stations and plenty extra
• Get digital previews of your journey pictures which you should buy in-app
• Add any lodge bookings
• Get details about heritage places within the gardens
• Discover out about parking, attending to the park and accessibility

And plenty extra! Actually, the app is a must have when visiting Alton Towers, and it’s price downloading prematurely of your go to so you might be absolutely ready. Yow will discover download links for it here on the official web site.

 

E book Your Meals if Staying In a single day

In case you are staying in a single day at one of many on-site lodging choices, it’s actually essential that you just e book your meals prematurely. It’s good to e book a timeslot to your breakfast and night meals.

Usually, your breakfast meal shall be on the lodge the place you might be staying. Even when it’s included, it is advisable to make a reservation for a timeslot. These do refill, so the additional prematurely you e book the higher the prospect of getting a great time.

To your night meal you possibly can select any of the eating places, together with Rollercoaster Restaurant. Nonetheless, relying on the restaurant you should still must e book.

Eating places the place bookings are really helpful for dinner are the Secret Backyard Restaurant, Rollercoaster Restaurant and Windmill Restaurant.

Flambo’s Jambo and the Crooked Spoon solely require reservations for breakfast.

The Rollercoaster Restaurant is often the preferred and has the least seating, so can e book out weeks prematurely for dinner.

Observe that solely friends staying within the CBeebies Lodge are capable of dine on the Windmill Restaurant. Reserving hyperlinks for all of the eating places are as follows:

Reserving a reservation is free and solely takes a few minutes. Observe {that a} day or so earlier than your reservation you’ll usually be contacted by e-mail to substantiate your reservation, which simply requires clicking a hyperlink within the e-mail.

 

Go to Splash Landings if Staying A number of Days

In case you are staying in a single day at Alton Towers, think about using a few of your time while you might be on web site to go to Splash Landings, the on-site waterpark.

For instance, we lately spent two nights at Alton Towers. We visited the park on the primary two days, and on the day we departed we spent the morning at Splash Landings. It was a beautiful technique to finish our journey and meant even on the day we had been leaving we nonetheless had a variety of enjoyable.

Splash Landings tickets are finest bought prematurely, which you are able to do online here. At busier instances of yr it is advisable to choose a timeslot to your go to, so it’s undoubtedly finest to do that prematurely to make sure you possibly can go to at a time that fits you.

 

Arrive Early and Depart Late

There’s a enormous quantity to do at Alton Towers, and your ticket provides you entry for the entire day. So we extremely suggest taking full benefit of that, and making an attempt to be on the park from opening time to closing.

Usually, the park opens round an hour earlier than the rides begin working. We undoubtedly suggest getting right here at opening time so you possibly can head to a preferred journey you actually wish to do. This fashion you’ll have the ability to get within the queue earlier than they get too lengthy.

It’s additionally price staying as near closing time as doable. Because the day progresses individuals begin to go away, and when you have the stamina for it, we advise ready proper till closing time to go away so you possibly can maximise your using instances. Queues undoubtedly get shorter because the day involves an finish, so that you’ll have the ability to squeeze just a few extra rides in.

 

Alternate options to Alton Towers

You is perhaps questioning if there are any options to Alton Towers within the UK. The reply is sure, there are actually different theme parks within the UK.

Nonetheless, Alton Towers typically has the widest selection of rides unfold out throughout the biggest space. Nonetheless, listed here are some options to think about:

• Thorpe Park
• Blackpool Pleasure Seashore
• Chessington World of Adventures
• LEGOLAND Windsor Resort
• Drayton Manor Park

 

Alton Towers Steadily Requested Questions

We’re now going to undergo some generally requested questions on Alton Towers.

 

Are Alton Towers Fastrack Passes Price It?

You is perhaps questioning should you ought to put money into an Alton Towers Fastrack Pass. We’ve visited Alton Towers each with and with no Fastrack Cross, and had a great expertise each instances.

The passes can undoubtedly be price it, however so much will rely upon how busy the park is in addition to what number of rides (and which rides) you truly plan to journey.

In case you are visiting at a quieter time of yr, then you definitely would possibly discover {that a} Fastrack Cross just isn’t vital as queue instances won’t be so lengthy.

In case you are visiting at a busy time of yr, comparable to throughout faculty holidays, on a weekend, or throughout a time when many faculty journeys are visiting (usually across the final week of faculty), then a Fastrack go is perhaps a great funding.

We’ve visited throughout a busy time at Alton Towers, when strains for the preferred rides had been in extra of two hours. With the Fastrack, strains had been between 5 minutes and 25 minutes. The latter was extra uncommon and often solely occurred if the journey had paused for a technical cause, inflicting the queue to construct up.

With out the Fastrack, we most likely would have struggled to journey greater than 3 or 4 rides within the day, and most of our time would have been spent in queues. As we had been visiting in a bunch and taking turns to take care of the youthful members of our group, this wouldn’t have labored out so nicely.

Because it was, members of the group might pop off and journey a bigger journey, and be gone and again in round half-hour. We had been additionally capable of journey many rides, I personally did at the very least 15 rides in at some point. So for our go to the Fastrack Cross was completely price it.

When you do resolve to get the Fastrack, you additionally need to resolve which one to get. This can rely vastly on which rides you wish to journey Personally I’d suggest the Silver or Gold passes, as these embrace the rides which are likely to have the longest strains.

While these two passes are solely legitimate for one journey on every attraction, should you handle your time nicely on the park you possibly can usually slot in at the very least one non Fastrack journey in the beginning and finish of the day when the park is quieter should you did wish to journey something a number of instances. You can even purchase one-off Fastrack passes on a per attraction foundation.

The platinum Fastrack go is finest for these of you who actually wish to journey a number of rides a number of instances, during which case it could make sense.

You should buy Fastrack passes prematurely of your go to here, on web site at buyer companies, or on-site via the app.

The worth is similar, nonetheless Fastrack passes do promote out, particularly at busier instances of yr.

In case you are visiting at a busier time of yr and wish to purchase a Fastrack, it’s extremely really helpful you accomplish that prematurely on the website here.

In case you are visiting at a quieter time of yr it’s possible you’ll want to buy in individual once you arrive after you could have seen how busy the park is. Simply keep in mind that passes can promote out.

 

How Lengthy Do You Want at Alton Towers?

I might suggest spending the entire day at Alton Towers, from the time the gates open to the time it closes. It’s a comparatively costly day trip, so that you would possibly as nicely get your cash’s price.

For an much more complete expertise, you can too plan to remain in a single day on the resort or at a close-by lodge, after which go to for a second day.

You possibly can usually get a second day entry ticket at a cheaper price when buying your unique ticket, making this a great worth choice.

There’s undoubtedly greater than sufficient to do at Alton Towers to fill two full days.

 

Are the Alton Towers Accommodations Any Good?

We had been truly very impressed with the Alton Towers inns. On our latest go to we stayed on the Alton Towers Lodge, while our associates with their youthful children stayed at CBeebies Land Lodge.

We thought every little thing was nicely accomplished, the theme all through, the seamless check-in course of, the attentive employees, the night leisure and the meals had been all glorious.

It actually added to the general expertise and felt like an extension of the theme park. The youngsters particularly liked CBeebies Land, which we are able to suggest for households with children as much as round 9 or 10.

We additionally appreciated that staying on the lodge meant that our parking was included, and that there was a lodge friends solely entrance only a few minutes’ stroll from the inns. This acquired us near Galactica and The Blade at entry time, which means we had been amongst the primary riders on board.

The one draw back for our keep was that we needed to e book timeslots for all our meals prematurely.

We had been staying for 2 nights so needed to e book breakfast and dinner slots. As we booked final minute there wasn’t a variety of availability, and it additionally meant we couldn’t be versatile with our plans.

All of it labored out ultimately and the meals on the eating places we ate at was truly superb. Simply remember that you just do must plan and e book prematurely.

 

When is Alton Towers Busiest?

Alton Towers is often busiest on the weekends and through faculty holidays.

There are additionally usually faculty journeys to Alton Towers within the final couple of weeks of the varsity time period in July, though faculty journeys can go to at any time after all.

We’ve visited Alton Towers at numerous instances of yr, together with throughout July faculty journey time. It should actually be busier, and it’s possible you’ll wish to put money into a Fastrack ticket on busier days.

 

Is Alton Towers Good for Households?

Sure, Alton Towers is a implausible day trip for households. There’s such a large selection of rides, points of interest and actions that everybody within the household will have the ability to have an ideal day trip.

 

Is Pictures Allowed at Alton Towers?

Sure, images is allowed at Alton Towers.

There are some exceptions. You aren’t allowed to take pictures or movies throughout rides resulting from security, and this shall be clearly said when queuing for and boarding the journey. Utilizing your telephone or digicam on rides can get you ejected from the park and should shut down the journey briefly. Hold your self, your telephone, and different passengers protected by stowing your telephone and cameras earlier than every journey.

If you wish to get pictures of you and your family and friends having fun with the rides, then we suggest testing the digital picture go, which covers many of the rides. We all liked that and acquired plenty of pictures that method on the rides of all of us. You should buy this online in advance here or in individual on web site.

As well as, images and videography is closely restricted at Splash Landings, for apparent causes. In case you are inside Splash Landings when it’s open you possibly can typically take restricted pictures of your individual family and friends, however that’s about it. You aren’t allowed to take pictures of different friends. Greatest to go away your telephone or digicam within the locker except you really want it.

When Splash Landings is closed and empty, you possibly can take pictures of the world.

 

Can I Take My Personal Meals and Drink to Alton Towers?

Sure, you possibly can take your individual food and drinks to Alton Towers, and there are picnic benches throughout the park the place you possibly can devour your individual food and drinks.

The one actual restriction to this rule is that you could’t deliver alcohol into the park, though it’s served on web site.

You can also’t take your individual food and drinks into venues the place they serve food and drinks, because the tables are just for paying clients solely.

There are just a few picnic areas situated right here and there with picnic benches that you could sit and use, together with on the principle grassy space by the lake in entrance of Towers Avenue, and subsequent to Hex.

 

Are there Ingesting Fountains at Alton Towers?

There are many water refill stations across the park the place you possibly can refill a water bottle. We’d undoubtedly suggest bringing your individual refillable water bottle to Alton Towers so you possibly can keep hydrated as you go.

Water refill stations are marked on the map within the Alton Towers app.

 

How do I Eat on the Rollercoaster Restaurant?

The Rollercoaster restaurant is among the most enjoyable eating experiences at Alton Towers, and youngsters particularly love watching the meals fly across the numerous tracks earlier than arriving at your desk. Actually, adults like it too!

Sadly, this does imply that the restaurant can be in style and might get booked up.

For lodge friends, it’s doable to dine on the Rollercoaster Restaurant within the evenings. This requires a reservation, and these can promote out months prematurely.

The excellent news is that you could nonetheless get the rollercoaster eating expertise. The key is simply to go throughout park opening hours. Throughout this time reservations will not be doable, and eating is first come first serve.

When you flip up at near opening time (round 11am), and don’t thoughts having an early lunch, then you definitely shouldn’t have any drawback getting a desk.

We did this lately on a really busy day at Alton Towers and had no drawback getting a desk at round 11.20am. Nonetheless we weren’t capable of e book for dinner because it was absolutely booked out for the entire month.

 

How Lengthy Are the Queues at Alton Towers?

Queue instances at Alton Towers range massively, from a couple of minutes to over two hours.

There’s enormous variability in queue time which depends upon how busy the park is, the time of day, the variety of Fastrack Cross holders and so forth.

Usually should you go to in off-peak instances (mainly through the week exterior of faculty holidays) the queue instances shall be shorter.

Moreover, usually within the mornings earlier than round 11am and within the afternoons after 3pm most queue instances will begin to scale back.

 

Is There Wi-Fi at Alton Towers?

Sure, there may be free Wi-Fi all through the resort together with on the theme park and in all of the lodging choices.

You simply have to enroll to entry it. We suggest doing so as a result of the Alton Towers app works so much higher when you find yourself linked to the Wi-Fi community, and utilizing Wi-Fi tends to empty your telephone battery slower than utilizing your cellular information.

 

Does Alton Towers Have Tall Rollercoasters?

One factor you’ll discover once you go to Alton Towers is that it doesn’t have very tall rollercoasters comparable to you would possibly discover at different theme parks world wide.

The rationale for that is that Alton Towers just isn’t allowed to construct any journey that goes above tree peak. For this reason many rides are cleverly constructed in sunken areas or to even go beneath floor. So there are nonetheless a number of thrilling rollercoasters right here!

 

Does the Climate Have an effect on Rides at Alton Towers?

The UK just isn’t essentially identified for year-round superb climate, so that you is perhaps questioning how rain and wind can have an effect on the rides at Alton Towers.

The excellent news is that the majority rides will usually run within the rain, except it is vitally heavy rain. If there may be thunder or lightning this could additionally affect rides. Excessive wind may also result in journey closures.

In any other case although, visiting on a moist day can truly be useful in some regards as there’ll usually be fewer guests and shorter queues.

Lastly, Alton Towers provides a rainy-day assure. Which means if the climate ends in journey closures to the purpose that Alton Towers deems it a “Wet Day”, then it is possible for you to to return on a unique day without cost.

If this occurs throughout your go to, as an alternative of writing off the day, take into account visiting the Waterpark. There’s a payment to take action however as you might be already on web site it would flip the day round. You’ll simply want to recollect to deliver your swimwear.

You possibly can learn extra concerning the Rainy Day guarantee and what it covers here.

 

Additional Studying

That’s it for our information to visiting Alton Towers! We hope you discovered it helpful.

Earlier than you go, we needed to share just a few of our different guides that you just would possibly discover helpful.

• For wider UK journey planning, now we have instructed one week and two week UK itineraries
• We’ve guides to many different cities in England. See our information to things to do in Manchester,  things to do in Stratford upon Avon,  things to do in Bristol,  things to do in Portsmouth, recommendations on a weekend in York, recommendations on Visiting Oxford on a Day Trip, and things to do in Cambridge
• When you’re heading to Scotland, try our 2 day Edinburgh itinerary, our Glasgow and Loch Lomond itinerary, our information to the best day trips from Glasgow, our information to things to do in Edinburgh, our itinerary for Skye and the Highlands, our information to the best day trips from Aberdeen, and our information to one of the best day trips from Edinburgh to get you began. We even have a information to getting from London to Edinburgh.
• We’ve a information to 10 of the best Stately Homes in England, a few of which aren’t that removed from Alton Towers

And that’s it! Have you ever ever visited Alton Towers? Do you could have something you’d add to the above, or a query about an upcoming go to? Simply tell us within the feedback beneath!