Alton Towers advice for DD we have never been before

[timefornewme2023]

My DD (12) is off to Alton Towers for the first time tomorrow on a school trip.

We have never been before and I am looking for intel on how to make the most of the day.

She isn't overly keen on going on the big rides and has never been on any sort of rollercoaster but may get swept along by her friends!
Can anyone steer us towards the best options for a group of novices?
Anything she should know to help enjoy the day ?

School has said to take money and snacks.

There isn't much to know that isn't common sense. Try not to overthink it. Comfortable clothing, no heels, no long dresses, scarves, necklaces or other things that can get tangled or lost. No valuables apart from phone and money. Zipped pocket for the phone and money is preferable but not essential because you can always leave your phone in a locker before the ride and lots of people do - my daughter wore a skort and a vest with no pockets this summer (also on a school trip). There are some splashy rides where you can get drenched if that's what you enjoy in which case a waterproof jacket or a change of clothes might be handy. My kids only liked wet rides as kids but not as teens so your daughter might not even go there. Snacks are preferable to large meals and a bit of a break after eating is advisable before going on anything majorly rollercoastery to avoid feeling sick. Remember to have fun :)

She could download the app which has a detailed map and up to date queue times.
You can get free tap water in all restaurants and also the soft drinks stations.
Take a waterproof coat or poncho and wear quick-drying clothes. Don’t leave the wettest rides until the end of the day otherwise she might not be able to dry out before the journey home.
If she wants to buy any ride photos, ask for them to be taken to the collection point near the exit to save carrying them around all day.
The single rider queue for Oblivion works really well and you can usually get on the ride within a few minutes of waiting on a busy day if you dont mind being split up.

Comfortable shoes, waterproof jacket (water rides get you wet!) snacks and drink(s) as they are expensive inside then it's a case of what rides does she like. The big ones have long queues.

Usually if you're on a school trip you can buy the ride photos for £5/6 each.

Travel sickness tablets! My daughter has to have them to handle the rides, she doesn’t use them for anything else.

She will likely need a waterproof jacket, appropriate clothing and money. It is a good idea to download the app so she can check on wait times. Aside from a reminder that going on a roller coaster straight after lunch is probably not the best idea I'd leave her to it. I remember going every year with school and my parents never got involved apart from making sure I was wearing comfortable trainers and had a backpack.

If she was going with you on a family trip then I'd advise things like taking a meal deal from Tescos or similar and lots of other advice. As it is she's on a school trip with pals so it's very different.

If she hasn't been on a rollercoaster before then runaway mine train is a good starter and see how she goes from there. There are lots of other smaller rides that are easier to manage maybe check them out with her before she goes and see what she wants to try. Lots of you tube videos of rides. Wicker man and Thirteen are both good rides too without being in the extreme category.
Plus there is a decent sized sea life centre there if she just wants to wander around that and skip some rides.

Lots and lots of sunscreen. My son is working at another theme park and was burnt yesterday despite it not being that sunny. He did have some on, but clearly not enough!

Sorry not to come back sooner -this has been really really helpful !
I had no idea about lockers etc and nave steered her a bit on what to wear.
She is very excited.

Thanks everyone she had a brilliant day !
Thanks to @stressbucket1 she suggested to her equally inexperienced friends that they started with this ride and not wicker man, which another one of their friends was going to - she said they all decided that was enough and didn't go for anything more extreme one of her friends was feeling quite sick after a few rides so think this was very wise !