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

Consider single rider queues as well - they're often shorter and quicker so if one parent has to go on by themselves, it doesn't take as long to go on the ride.

Imagine! Like a royal visit. My kids would have loved having the run of Thorpe Park when they were younger!

Oh at Legoland it's the other way round! I used it as a single parent with 2 DC so we didn't have to queue twice when DC were too small to go on rides without an adult.

I find it a bit sad that a theme park has come up with a way for grown adults to go on rides without their kids, but fully accept that I don't get the attraction of rides myself so am not the target audience. You couldn't pay me to go on Nemesis or Hyperia.

Same. We went on a school trip at 12 and were free to wander around.

A 12-year-old should not be in charge of a nine-year-old at a theme park though.

I think 12 is a reasonable age. Mine have been getting the tube in London since they were 12 though, so perhaps I have a different perception of risk to some here.

If you and DH go mid week when school is on (including gcse exams) then the queues will be much shorter. Take them another time, or do Chessington with them where there are a lot more rides suitable for the 9yo.

Alton towers doesn’t close to the public for school trip days

No the parent swap is for when parents want to go on the rides but the children can’t. I specifically remember the advert when it came out, it was a couple with a baby in a pram, one queued while the other stayed with baby, then they swappped and the 2nd could use the parent swap card and not have to queue again to ride

Wow. Bit speechless really. How about taking your kids on a day out they can fully enjoy instead?

Also there are sadly also loads of media reports adult women going missing, being assaulted, murdered etc. More than children even I would say. Should we not let them out on their own ever either?

We have to accept that gradually kids get given more independence, even if that comes with a tiny risk, to enable to become young adults that can navigate the world. I work with too many older teenagers whose options (eg colle, jobs) are limited because they are scared to go anywhere unfamiliar / alone etc, because they've never been allowed to do anything themselves and therefore build up gradually.

This doesn't sound like a fun day out for the children. I'd be so annoyed if I was made to stand in a line for an hour just to watch others go on the ride without me. Take the children somewhere else and stop being selfish.

everyone else on this thread is disagreeing with you. 12 is plenty old enough and many schools do them park trips at this age and the kids go off by themselves.

We did this and then from about 10 years old let them go off by themselves (or with a friend)

There aren't many post about not letting 12 year olds play out unsupervised! That's usually younger children. Once they are in secondary school they start to need to navigate the world themselves a bit. Most secondary school pupils are not taken to school by parents for example.

And theme parks aren't closed to the public for school trips, yet loads of schools go, so it's clear that most parents do allow it.

Please don't 'feel sorry' for my kids. You don't kow what my situation is.

@ItShouldntHappenToMeYet what about the millions of 11 year olds who walk to and from school alone everyday? Or catch the bus or tube? It's perfectly normal and has been for many, many years.

I feel sorry for your kids if you don't allow them any normal freedoms.

Many 12yo negotiate the tube every day to get to school

Well if as a parent, you are happy for your unsupervised 12 year old wander around a massive area full of strange adults, then you're a more laid-back parent than most. Ok, if the place is closed to public, but if they are there on an ordinary day...
So many media reports of children going missing, etc, and posts here about not letting kids play out, yet some are happy to let their kids be exposed to strangers when they are not there

You have a DH problem if he went on more than one ride alone and you didn't get to do any. If you both want to you should take it in turns not one person do multiple.

My dh is lucky as I don't like the biggest rides so happy to go on smaller rides or look at animals etc with any kids who can't / don't want to, but you obviously do want to.

I think your plan is fine if basically no queue (which seems unlikely in Alton towers), but totally unfair to kids to make them queue for long for a ride they can't / don't want to do (especially the one who wants to but can't!)

Also plenty of 12 year olds (probably the majority of them) travel by public transport or on foot/bike alone to school every day. I think they can manage a theme park.... probably not old enough to be in charge of the 9 year old though.

In this situation I wouldn't go with the kids as it sounds like it's not a fun day for them.

@ItShouldntHappenToMeYet you do realise millions of school children go to Alton Towers every year and are left to roam the park without any adult supervision whatsoever, right?

Plenty of 12 year olds go to theme parks with school and are allowed to go off on their own

This.

We've used variations of parent swap a few times at theme parks over the years - because dc are 17, 14 and 7. There are obviously a few rides the older 2 want to go on that aren't suitable for ds3.

I can't imagine taking any of the dc to a theme park just for dh and I to go on the rides...what a waste of time and money!

Most schools take year 7s on trips to theme parks or similar and let them go round without teachers.

If we ever let our kids do something where someone COULD harm them they still wouldn't go anywhere without us in their 20s.

But I wouldn't want one child alone for long and I wouldn't give the 12 year old the responsibility of the 9 year old for long, so in this case I wouldn't do it no, but 12 year old not being constantly supervised is totally normal.

How come DH does the thrill rides and you are the one looking after the DC?

At 12 our entire school went to Alton Towers and we were unleashed to run free until it was time to go home, so I don't see why your 12 year old couldn't exit the ride when you've got on and wait outside for you. If they're sensible and won't argue / split up surely the 9 year can just go with them?

That said, sounds like an utterly miserable day for them just queuing for rides they can't / don't want to go on all day.