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

[HappyBrite]

We're going to Alton Towers this year. We have a 12 year old and a 9 year old.

The 9 year old is a daredevil but is just under the required 1.4m for the main thrill rides, the 12 year old is tall enough but is not a thrillseeker in the slightest.

In the past, DH and I have taken it in turns to go on the "big" rides but this means double the queuing which is often not feasible so I end up losing out and go off with the kids on the tamer ones.

Now the kids are a bit older I was wondering if they could queue with us and wait off to the side until we've been on the ride. Does anyone know if this is possible at Alton Towers?

DH has suggested we chain them up outside like a bike but I think that might be frowned upon.

@PLHJ84 would you genuinely keep your children home and let them miss out? That seems so sad to me.

You weren’t clear that it was the supervision aspect you objected to, as most people felt the same about that. You seemed to think 12 was not old enough to navigate a theme park alone:

Well if as a parent, you are happy for your unsupervised 12 year old wander around a massive area full of strange adults

because of course you can’t teach any independence after the age of 10 or 12. Just because i won’t let young kids wander a massive theme park on their own doesn’t mean they have no life skills or never go anywhere on their own. Justify it al you want but i stand by it being lazy and neglectful leaving a couple of kids (between 9 & 11) to wander a park the size of alton towers for hours on end and not doing that at that age is not going to hinder my kids in anyway as adults 🤣

a shopping centre and “wandering alone”
is in no way comparable to a massive theme park. The issue is with the theme park. I wouldn’t let a 12 year old do it but i wouldn’t let my 12 year old wander the local town centre for hours with a younger sibling in tow either. Nothing unclear about that

It is irrelevant as just because you did it doesn’t mean all schools do it. My kids school don’t to to 3rd year so they are older. I didn’t go with my school until i was 14 either. It’s therefore irrelevant that they start at 11 as mine wouldn’t be doing it under the age of 14 & the minimum age in their big group of friends would be 13. No way comparable to a kid of 11 & a younger sibling doing it but well done you and that massive achievement of going to Alton Towers alone at 12 🙄

Where did I say it was a massive achievement?

I was just asking whether you'd let your kids miss out if your school was to do trips like that at 11. You've clarified you would, which I think is a real shame and sad for your kids.

Exactly. I'd much rather let kids "loose" in a theme park than in a town or shopping centre where they can just wander off anywhere.

You may make other decisions, but that doesn’t make the alternative lazy just because it’s not what you do. Go ahead and martyr yourself on the alter of parenthood - it does your kids no favours.

You may be able to turn things around before they get to adulthood but the longer you leave it to work on these things, the less likely it is.

Genuine question- why is it different?
Also might be a good idea to try public transport sometime in case the need arises and your kid is terrified/ clueless!
We do not use public transport generally but I’ve taken my Dc age 12 on a train, bus , tram and taught them what to do.
I appreciate you are afraid but these are life skills. Encourage them safely now or your kids will leave home unprepared. Good luck.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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.

Wow. Seriously? That is some truly selfish parenting.

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.

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

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

Yes it does.

It really doesn’t

@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?

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.

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

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 🙄