Alton Towers Virgin - could do with some advice

[MirandaWest]

DS and I are going to Alton Towers on Friday. Using nectar points to get in (have been building them up for a while ). He's just over 140cm so I think could go on everything. We're staying nearby the night before so will be there first thing.

Have been looking at the website but am a bit confused about the different fast track passes available. He says he's not too bothered about the smiler as he doesn't want to wait for ages (and I think is possibly a little apprehensive).

Is there a best order to do things in, which rides would you recommend that we should/must do as we're probably unlikely to make repeat visits too often (if ever) and want to make the most of our day. Thank you :)

Hopeful bump :)

Get there for the gates opening and aim for the main rides asap. walk fast.
13
Rita
Air
Nemesis

If you zip around you will get these four done within the first hour or so.

Oblivions queue seems long but goes down fast.

The rapids are brilliant too and again the queue isnt too long. They are next tk the runaway mine train which is also great.

Save the water log flume for very last if at all as you will get drenched. Change into baggies for the drive home.

Certain rides are good to just go to as and when you get a chance rather than beelining for like the top four- Hex, Ripsaw, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Oh and I really recommend the Ribs place for lunch if you arent taking a pack up.

Thank you :) That all sounds very useful and makes me feel a bit more like I have an idea of what to do

I agree, do check out some of the non-thrill rides.

Hex is great.
Best not to say much about it (no, don't google anything about it) but it is an unusual ride.
0.9m minimum height, under 1.2m need accompanying. So not a major thrill ride, more playing with certain senses enough with the spoilers
It is not scary, just themed in a way to try to make it so.

Especially useful on a wet day or a hot day when you need to get undercover as the queue line and ride are all indoors - may get hot in the queue though.

We started at 13, then dd and dh did Rita, then we did Charlie and the Choc, then on to Hex, before fastpassing Air and Nemesis. On to run away mine train and then down to obilvion before heading back to the hotel.

The next day they did smiler and ds and I rode runaway mine train a few times and did the sea life centre and the barrels. Then we did 13 and charlie again before doing a round trip on the skyway.

We took time to wander through cbeebies land too as the theming was great. Then dh and dd did spinball while I got a drink.

They enjoyed 13 then, fun coadter with a surprise near the end.

DH and I went recently the queues for air, nemesis and 13 were about 20 mins. We got a fast pass for the main eight (excluding the smiler) and fast tracked for those rides. The smiler has it's own pass and is £22 each to fast track that ride only.

We didn't get a fast pass for the smiler and queued instead - took about 1hr 20mins but it was a great ride. I hated Rita though!

Enjoy your trip at AT

Also would definitely check out ithinkivebeenhacked advice about checking out other rides. I loved hex, log flume and the ripsaw.

Thank you all :)

Can I check how the fasttrack passes work - do you get a time for the rides? Was looking on the website and it has times for passes but I can't work out how that works when yoiu get a pass for say three rides.

When we had the fast pass for the main rides we were given a ticket with all the names on and then just went to each fast track queue. They then mark off which rides you've been on. It didn't specify a time for each ride but I can only speak for the passes we bought.