Best UK theme park for roller coasters and onsite hotel?

[flimp]

We are still slightly traumatised by the hassle and expense of DLP last year, but we are feeling brave enough to maybe to similar in the UK this summer. I know Alton Towers has coasters and onsite hotels, but does anywhere else? Or all they all just a bit naff compared to the high production values of the Disney rides?

Kids are 6, 10 and 12 and the 10 year old got the adrenaline bug at DLP.

They aren't Disney. You can't beat Disney for the experience.

But All of the uk parks beat disney for the coasters

Alton towers has the coasters, the hotel is bloody expensive, you better off in one of the multitude of B&BS nearby.

Drayton has a good mix of family rides and coasters and the onsite hotel is decent and a decent price

Chessington has the hotel (you can't beat waking up to animals), and a small number of coasters.

Thorpe park has a naff hotel

Alton off site or Drayton on for your group

Oh except Legoland. No coasters worth mentioning at all There!

that's really useful thank you! I didn't realise that about legoland and it would have been an option.

Is AT hotel really that bad?? The Disney one we were in wasn't great...

And how big is Alton Towers? Can it be done in a day? 2 days? 3?

I haven't done the AT hotel for a good many years so my comment isn't entirely up to date but....

I've done the AT hotel twice, I haven't done the lodges or splash landings. The hotel is gorgeous but costs an absolute fortune, and I've heard really good things about the lodges, less good things about splash landings. But this is the opinion bit, other than the Waterpark, staying onsite doesn't really add anything to the experience of being there. If you can stay off site and spend some the money you would have spent on a ton of fast tracks you enhance your day considerably more than you would be staying on site. There is a ton of B&Bs on Alton Towers doorstep, Like the chained oak. not only does it have the chained Oak in its grounds but it let's you use their breakfast room for takeaways. this may sound a small thing but after a day at Alton Towers a decent delivered chinese in comfortable surroundings is rather pleasant.

Now if you can splurge on hotel and fast tracks.....

Most of the onsite hotels in the uk are more convenience of crashing after a long theme park day, I don't think they have quite the same have the immersive feel of staying onsite at a disney hotel, closest imho is Chessington and Legoland.

I've done AT in 1 but we were only 2 adults, it was Halloween so long hours and I bought a ton of fast passes.

Off peak you could probably do it in 1. If you're queuing and doing all the rides including the family ones definitely two. You need really comfortable shoes, you do a hell of a lot of walking. Halloween at Alton Towers is amazing

Which disney were you in?

This is great intel, thank you!

I'm looking at the lodges as we're 5 people and don't want to split me and DH up into two rooms.

We'll be in school hols so lots of queueing...

We were at Disneyland Paris and it was such a massive BALLACHE with the horrendous queues and no normal food shops and shitty Disney food and fucking THREE POUNDS FIFTY for every fucking water or can of coke... We just haemorrhaged money all over the site. The idea of a short drive, with a car full of tesco shopping and a self-catering lodge sounds dreamy! I might be able to ignore the crowds and queueing situation if I'm less cross about the other stuff.

I mean, DLP was magical in some ways but also just the worst experience ever in others!

Disneyland Paris is definitely overpriced and overrated.

Alton Towers all the way. I still have magical memories of going there as a child, and I’ve been more recently as an adult and enjoyed it. Lots of amazing rides (my favourites were Air and Sonic).

Word of advice the lodges at AT have no catering facilities. They are basically a hotel room. Still lovely though. Bunk beds and a pull out bed in the kids nook. Have stayed in everything but the CBeebies hotel and preferred the lodges.

Well, that is very important information, thank you G1gglioop I assumed they were semi self-catering at least. I could always take my instant pot...

We went to Blackpool last year and stayed at the Big Blue hotel. The Pleasure Beach rides are virtually within touching distance of the bedroom windows, and there’s a gate you can go though to get in. They also do combined room rates and day tickets, plus free parking.
Room was lovely and breakfast good, as was the room service meal we had.
We went Friday to Sunday during termtime in May and it was pretty quiet so the kids could get off rides and in many cases go back on withiut queueing or only waiting in a short queue.
There’s a fantastic water park five mins up the road too.