Alton Towers - can kids wait to the side on the big rides?

SnoopySantaPaws · Yesterday 16:40

Dramatic · Yesterday 11:04

My daughter went on a school trip to flamingo land last year, she was 11. They didn't go round with adults, they just went off on their own or in very small groups. 12 is absolutely fine to wander around a theme park
Show quote history
**
You can't compare Alton Towers with flamingo land!!

You really can’t. Alton Towers is vast, with large areas of secluded woodland and gardens in the valley in the centre. We enjoy walking through the gardens or having lunch there but we barely see anyone else. Since the cable car closed, it’s even more secluded.

Worries about dodgy people aside, wouldn’t be hard for kids to become lost.

Sounds like a shit day out for the kids. Queue for 30 minutes plus, now stand here kids, within touching distance of the ride, but no-no, you can't go on. Now wait for mum and dad.

Just wait a year until the 9yo is big enough. Or you and your DH go alone on a school day.

Good grief

Last line is a big contradiction to your other points about being there for childrens safety they would 100% always be the visible to everyone then. We went 2023 & 2024 & i’ve been way back pre kids and saw them at no time so like i said they must have all been off or in hiding those days! There are no security type staff like shopping centres & none just walking up to people to make sure they are safe or ok. I’m sure something happening a staffmember on a ride could radio or something but suggesting all these staff are about to make kids safe is a lie. Your own personal experience (& how do you know i don’t live near it or know peole there as anyone can claim anything) isn’t the be all & people certainly shouldn’t be leaving young kids to walk about in it alone (at least not before seeing the reality first themselves then making a judgement) so i’ll stand by nu thoughts of lazy and selfish parenting thanks

Never heard of taxis?

Doubt my husbands car and their parents cars would all breakdown at the same time. Same if i collapsed and couldn’t drive - it’s not likely we all would so we’ll happily continue to avoid buses and trains (worry free!) again mot much of a credible argument & how my kids get around is of no importance to the op! Of course she would have payment means on her & could look up the relevant information on her phone if the was absolutely forced to but she won’t be (i’ve managed fine not getting on public transport the past 25 years!)

@PLHJ84 I don't know, one where your car breaks down and your kids have no other way of getting home? Hardly some extreme scenario 🙄

Why would I be making it up? As I said, I used to lived near by. Lots of people I went to school with have worked at Alton Towers. In our teen years quite a few were probably the somewhat lackluster ride staff, though I'm sure they thought they were great! But some who didn't get into other lines of work kept going back and have done more on the hospitality and security side of things from time to time.

No one I knew of was working there in 2023 but that was the time someone assisted me when I dropped all my stuff. I'm not suggesting there always immediately available when ever something a bit annoying happens (I've dropped stuff at other times and not had anyone rush up to help), just illustrating that they must have some staff wandering round. Are you sure you'd notice them? They don't parade around like shopping centre security. They don't have the same need or desire to provide a visible deterrent the way a shopping centre does.

Honestly scratching my head here to think “am I missing something”? You go by yourselves if you want to go on all the big rides, not expecting the kids to wait hours 🤪

what kind of emergency means they can’t be picked up? I wouldn’t want to be relying on public transport. At least come
up with credible arguments if you persist

Now you are just talking nonsense & giving false information to back up your choices so we’ll just leave it there as clearly last year & the year before they were all coincidentally on holiday while we spent 3 days there each time 🙄

It really does. I know several people who've worked there, including doing just that.

Your experience of the staff at alton towers is way off mine on both occasions

Some of the staff there can be a bit shoddy, the rides and restaurants especially seemed to be staffed by teenagers with little understanding of a good work ethic or of what goes on outside their own little world. Slow and not particularly articulate or on the ball. But they do seem to know how to use a radio to call for help when they're stymied and that's always got better staff. Also, they are no worse than a lot of shop staff, in my experience.

I've also had staff come up to me in the grounds to assist without me asking on a few occasions - once when I dropped everything, once when I fell over and another time when I was just looking lost (actually wondering what to do next!).

The security staff have generally been great when I've dealt with them re lost children/property and medical issues. Have never had any security issues at Alton Towers (nor in shopping centres, come to that).

I have been a lot, as I used to live near by.

@PLHJ84 I never said I cared, I said I was curious as from your previous posts they seem very coddled and like they don't do anything age appropriate without you 🤷‍♀️

As for your comments about "I don't take trains so why would they?" - what happens in an emergency?

It really doesn’t

"alton towers does not have staff just walking about to protect people."

Yes it does.

Your experience of the staff at alton towers is way off mine on both occasions 🤣

i didn’t say they were making sure it was a child friendly environment just that they are there and are there for “safety” and alton towers does not have staff just walking about to protect people.

you think it’s a nice safe place for unsupervised children, i don’t. I don’t think it is unsafe just not safe enough to allow my kids to wander it alone when they are 10/11 but i didn’t let them go to the shopping centre alone at 10/11 either

All staff at Alton Towers are employed to make sure guests are safe and having a good time, it's the purpose of the park. Whether they're staffing a ride, picking up litter, gardening or working in a shop they will be expected to assist or call for assistance for any guest who needs it. The park also has significant security manning the entrances, at the perimeter, and around the park including manned CCTV. Security's job is to ensure safety and prevent crime but also to look out for situations developing that are not in keeping with a child-friendly environment.

The security at the shopping centre isn't there to make sure your kids are enjoying themselves, they are mainly there to protect the shopping centre and minimise crime. Which isn't to say they wouldn't help a child in need, but they aren't there proactively ensuring it's a child-friendly environment.

Wow. Seriously? That is some truly selfish parenting.

Why do you care about my kids? They go shopping, meet friends in town, ice skating etc A - norma age appropriate things. No need for buses or trains (i’m not getting on buses & trains so why would my kids) as i drive them there & pick them up which is the same as all her friends they don’t get on trains or buses either. Not at 12 though & not being responsible for a younger sibling. Just because you are happy for 12 year olds or younger to wander here, there & everywhere not all parents are. It doesn’t though, make you a better parent but you seem to think it somehow makes you superior. I couldn’t care less what other parents do - i’ll continue to do what i think is best & safest for my own regardless of what random
people on the internet think.

The kids aren't going on the rides, the parents want to go on the rides and leave the kids waiting for them while they do!

Given you said upthread that your 14 year old has "never been on a bus or train alone" and that you'd never let a 12 year old accompany a younger sibling round town, I'm curious as to what kind of independence and freedom your kids do have.

What kind of shopping centres are you going to? It is MUCH safer to drop my kids of local and let her go in a few shops and grab a costa. No staff are at alton towers just wandering about making sure my kids are safe (theres security in the shopping centre though) less groups of teenagers there as well as they tend to to further into town on buses and trains and so i still feel the risks are less and you can’t convince me otherwise but you don’t need to. I’m perfectly happy to say i disagree with a couple of young kids wandering alton towers and i’ve also said i wouldn’t let my daughter wander the local town for hours on end either and not at 10/11

you made out like it was.

i don’t think it’s “a shame” personally but if i had had to make that decision and they missed out then they would miss out but it’s older here so isn’t something i have to consider. They’ve been the past 2 years with us and did all the rides anyway & can still have “freedom” and “independence” in other ways. The original post though wasn’t in relation to a school trips anyway

I don’t understand why you are double queuing. One queues with 12yo for his rides, one queues with 9yo for his rides. No one needs to queue for rides they aren’t doing.

I suppose it would depend on exactly how “small” the shopping centre is, but generally a shopping centre has a lot more hazards than a theme park. There will normally be a higher concentration of weapons, drugs and adult activity and less child-centred activity. Almost no one working there will be employed to make sure your kids are safe and having a good time. It will be easier to leave, intentionally or not and to reach areas with traffic. There’s normally more crime. They are far more accessible to a wider variety of strangers who are more able to come and go.