Alton Towers & Waterpark

[nannynick]

I am going to Alton Towers and the Waterpark, staying at the Alton Towers hotel.

What do I need to know? Any tips? My favourite rides are roller coasters. Have not been to Alton towers in many years, so expect things have changed quite a bit.

Have you stayed at the hotel? What is breakfast like? What about the evening entertainment, worth seeing or not really?

the best piece of advice I can give you is to take advantage of the early opening for guests, we got on all the main roller coasters a few times without queing.

We prefered the food in the splash landings hotel as it was a buffet style whereas the alton towers hotel was a bit posher.

We didn't see any of the evening entertainment so I can't comment.

Enjoy!

I've just been looking at the menus. Does seem as though Splash Landings food may be a better choice, especially Ma Garrita's Bar, which is open all night long! I guess it's fine to stay in one hotel and eat in the other.

Any idea on when the waterpark is open, I can't locate opening hours for that. Would hope that it's open longer than the theme park, so I can do theme park during the day and waterpark afterwards.

I think it is open quite late in the evening which would work.

They let you eat in either hotel, we did find that Splash landings was quite busy, so it might be worth seeing if you can book a table.

It closed at 7pm. The outside part of the waterworld was only open 11.15-4.30. It was very noisy in there late this afternoon.
I would have thought they would open it later as well and have outside open given the sunshine.
Currently posting from my room - evening entertainment is on, can be easily heard from my room - turning up the TV volume is not drowing it out. Reminds me why I like CenterParcs, can get away from the noise there.
But hey, it is a theme park hotel, so I should expect lots of noise I guess.

I stayed at the hotel the last time we went and really enjoyed it from a comfort and convenient perspective. We didn't bother with the entertainment, it quieted down massively at about 10pm.
Mind you the life really started to grate on my nerves.

From a convenience factor it's great. Much easier than driving to the travelodge. Always nice to leave your car by the hotel and come back to the car 24+ hours later. Also getting into the park at 9am was quite nice, managed to do most of the big rides (some several times) before the queues built up. Also nice to have a good breakfast before going to the park... meant that I skipped lunch.

If I was to do it again, I would not do the Waterpark. Didn't feel that was good value - it was far too busy and noisy. Children may love it though... as an adult it wasn't good. I should have booked a spa session instead.

Meant LIFT not life. My life hasn't pissed me off at all but the gimmick lift did after the 2nd ride in it.

LOL thats exactly what DH and I said (we also took 12 year old cousin who said the same) should have done the spa.

I didn't go in the lift, so I missed that experience. Sounds like I was better off taking the stairs.

I forgot about the spa, DH and I did that when we were there - pre DCs, as I recall we thought the water park was a bit rubbish too. I don't remember the lift either - must have missed that one!