Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Alton Towers for beginners

32 replies

mickeypillow · 30/03/2022 12:15

We are going on Monday. First time. Is there anything we need to be aware of? Now, I know it's marmite but we have promised the DC that we are going.

The park is open 10-4 so not long. Is it best to go to the furthest away ride and work forward?

DC at 16 and 14.

OP posts:

FAQs · 30/03/2022 12:34

Slightly off piste but my daughter has to take travel sickness pills otherwise she gets really ill from the rides, and she doesn’t suffer from travel sickness as a rule, other than ferries.

NinjaQueen · 30/03/2022 13:20

Download the app it tells you ride queue times and you can work from there.

There is a lot of walking and queues but if you are prepared for that from the start then you won't be disappointed.

We love it, for some reason Rita always breaks down before we get on it though!

TSJ19 · 30/03/2022 13:27

We go to Alton Towers a lot. Definitely get the app so you can see the ride times as they are quite accurate. The Wickerman is our favourite ride and the queues are always so long for that so we always head to that one first then head over to Rita and Thirteen.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Days out

CorneliusVetch · 30/03/2022 13:30

I would say be aware it can take a while to get from the car park to the entrance - you have to get a mono rail, which sometimes there’s a queue for. Then as people have said, there are big walks inside. To maximise ride time, I would aim to get to the car park by 9/9:30 so you’re ready and waiting for your first ride when they open at 10

nearlyspringyay · 30/03/2022 13:31

Two approaches:

Get there really early, queue and wait for them to open the gates and run to the first ride you really really want to do. There will be plenty of people doing this. Then watch the app for queue times and accept you may only get a few rides in a day.

Or brazen it out, go in leisurely, accept you'll be queuing and try and get on favoured ride at the end of the day.

I hate theme parks. We did chessington in the summer and on first day got three rides.

CornishGem1975 · 30/03/2022 13:37

@NinjaQueen

Download the app it tells you ride queue times and you can work from there.

There is a lot of walking and queues but if you are prepared for that from the start then you won't be disappointed.

We love it, for some reason Rita always breaks down before we get on it though!

Rita was broken down when I went a few months ago too!

Get there for the opening, accept that you're going to spend a chunk of your day queuing. Work out what is really important to you in terms of rides and which ones you'd be happy to drop off if need be.

My kid's favourite is Wicker Man (the queue for this always seems massive) and Oblivion. Nemesis and Galactica are classics that everyone loves. I'd like to go on Rita and Thirteen next time and everyone wanted to avoid The Smiler it looks terrifying!

Potterbore · 30/03/2022 13:37

I go quite frequently.
Go with the expectation that you may not get on all the rides.
Arrive early for 09:30. Look for rides that are open as some don’t open until 10:30 onwards.
We usually head straight to Thirteen and Rita as they are next to each other then Hex. You can head to Nemesis and Air by walking through the spooky woodland walk (not scary).
Smiler and Oblivion at lunchtime and then Wickerman at the end.
Tips - eat a later lunch or snack in the queues.
The queue shuts at 4pm but the rides will keep going until the queue clears.
Wear comfy shoes - it’s a big park and get a good sleep the night before.
Have a great time!

Potterbore · 30/03/2022 13:39

Oh and avoid the Spinball Whizzer - it’s a slow loading ride and not worth more than a 20 minute wait.

Boohooyouho · 30/03/2022 13:43

Remember the closing time is the time the queues close so if there’s a massive queue for something you want to go on then save it until last. Make use of the sky ride. It’ll save your legs. I enjoy spinball, and find the queues are smaller later in the day as it’s the first ride people see when they come through the gates so the queue builds up early.

rbe78 · 30/03/2022 13:44

Get there early and head straight to the one you most want to do - Smiler and Wickerman are the most popular, so probably one of those. (I would go to Smiler first, as the queue area is purposely designed to make you feel like you're having a mental breakdown, so the less time you're there the better).

Get in as many as you can early on, and be prepared for a couple of longer queues later on in the day.

Original poster

mickeypillow · 30/03/2022 13:49

This is fantastic. Thank you all very much.

OP posts:

00100001 · 30/03/2022 14:02

Wear decent trainers/shoes, you'll walk loads.

SophieSoSo · 30/03/2022 14:05

We went twice last year.

The first time, queue times were 3 hours and we got on one ride all day. It was Scaredest, but the crowds were beyond a joke. Lots of complaints on trip advisor so looks like others had the same problem.

Thirteen and Rita break down a lot, go there first.

Went again for the fireworks display and paid for the fast track tickets, we got on everything and as smiler was closed, got a second go on wicker man with the fast track tickets.

If you can afford them, get them because otherwise you risk not getting on all the rides.

Definitely aim to park by 9am ish and actually be in the park for 10am.

Have a lovely time!

SophieSoSo · 30/03/2022 14:05

Scarefest*

FrangipaniBlue · 30/03/2022 14:09

Wickerman and Th13rteen get the biggest queues so head to one or the other of those first before they get too long.

If you are happy to stay late leave the other til last - as long as you are in the queue by 4pm (closing time) the ride runs until the queue has gone.

Watch the weather - th13rteen cannot run in the wet or below a certain temp (I think it's 7 degrees) so if it's wet and cold don't waste your time walking all the way there when the gate opens.

For the rest use the app for queue times and just head to a ride when it has a shortish queue.

If you are all reasonable fit and able bodied don't waste time waiting for things like the cable car - you can walk across the park faster.

FrangipaniBlue · 30/03/2022 14:14

We went during scarefest last year - totally different experience to the above poster because we got on every one of the big rollercoasters, some more than once, all in one day.

I've never been and not been able to ride all the big rides at least once in the day.

You just have to be smart about how you use your time.

LittleMissNaice · 30/03/2022 14:14

Get there as early as possible and be prepared to run when the gates open

If you're not too bothered about sitting together you used to be able to fast track some rides as a single rider.

Oblivion is usually a long queue and is over in seconds. I've never thought it was worth it

Monday55 · 30/03/2022 14:16

I think OP is going on a school day so she shouldn't be queueing for more than 20mins. I never go to theme parks on a weekend or school holidays as to avoid the ridiculous queues.

SophieSoSo · 30/03/2022 14:21

@Monday55

I think OP is going on a school day so she shouldn't be queueing for more than 20mins. I never go to theme parks on a weekend or school holidays as to avoid the ridiculous queues.

It’s half term next week here, we’re about an hour from Alton Towers so may be a factor.

SophieSoSo · 30/03/2022 14:22

@FrangipaniBlue

We went during scarefest last year - totally different experience to the above poster because we got on every one of the big rollercoasters, some more than once, all in one day.

I've never been and not been able to ride all the big rides at least once in the day.

You just have to be smart about how you use your time.

I’m pleased you had a better experience- ours was awful and there were many trip advisor reviews saying the same.

We did get two free tickets when I emailed guest services though, so fair play to them for that.

Abouttimemum · 30/03/2022 14:28

I actually think Monday will be quite quiet.
I’d get there early and be in the queue for wickerman for it opening at 10. I’d then head to smiler and oblivion (maybe swing by spinball on your way round if it’s empty) and then over to Rita and thirteen. You will probably get all those big ones done by lunchtime.

You can then monorail it over (if it’s on) to nemesis (which rarely has a queue) and galactica (which is shite in my opinion).

Then you’ve got time to slow down and do some of the fun smaller ones and go back to some of the others using the ride queue app as a guide.

The queue lines (rather than the rides) close at 4pm so get in line for your favourite at the end of the day.

Obviously if you have a vested interest in galactica (some people love it) then you might need to rework the plan.

I’ll be surprised if you queue long for anything on Monday. Don’t forget some of the lesser known ones, we always do hex if it gets rainy and the new gansta granny was fun too!

GastroNuisance · 30/03/2022 14:32

Oh this is great info as we're going soon!

DadsTrilby · 30/03/2022 16:38

Agree with what a lot of others have said. We don’t bother with the monorail, it’s not actually that far to walk and by the time you queue to get on the monorail and then off, you can walk there.

We usually head for wicker man first, and also last ride. As the park quietens down you can usually walk on most rides and as others have said, if you’re in the queue when they shut the ride you can still get on. Oblivion usually quietens down at the end of the day too.

We love runaway mine train - don’t discount it as a kids’ ride! It’s not white knuckle but it is fun. Hex and Duel are good if you want a break from the weather as they are indoors.

Spinball whizzer is old and clunky and rough - I always feel like I have whiplash coming off it.

Smiler tends to have the longest queues so monitor the app. If one big coaster closes it has a knock on effect to the rest of the park so keep an eye on the closed ones and aim for rides at the opposite end of the park. If smiler closes, try to get on as soon as it reopens. We once joined the queue for smiler when it said 20 minutes and were still queuing 2 hours later with that stupid theme song playing constantly!

Have lunch after 2. Get there for as close to 9 as you can so you’re in the park as it opens.

Make a note of where you park your car!!

DadsTrilby · 30/03/2022 18:02

Oh and also you can buy your car park exit token at any time so buy it before the queues build up at the end of the day.

Original poster

mickeypillow · 30/03/2022 18:09

@Monday55

I think OP is going on a school day so she shouldn't be queueing for more than 20mins. I never go to theme parks on a weekend or school holidays as to avoid the ridiculous queues.

I am from Scotland and our easter holidays start tomorrow so while I don’t think the park will be megs busy, it’s probably more busy than the queue times on the app people mentioned today. I am considering passes for the DC.

OP posts:

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread