Alton Towers - any tips?

[ByLoudGoldFinch]

Hello, I am planning to travel to Alton Towers from Scotland during the Easter Holidays. I have two kids age 6 and 10. Husband will be with us too.

I am thinking of staying at the Travel Lodge in Ashbourne. Premiere Inn would be my preference but the nearby one is booked up already.

My questions are:

Is one day on the park enough? We could leave early and go straight to the park when we get there but that would mean setting off from home at around 5.30/6am and I think we would be all be so tired that it would not be fun. I plan to stay in the hotel the night before, have one full day in the park and then stay in the hotel again that night.

With the kids being 4 years apart, are we likely to have to split up? ie one will be really into Cbeebies land and the other not so much!

Any other tips welcome. I am slightly apprehensive about there being massive queues and it not being as much fun as I hope it will be! Thank you!

No, two days is not enough to get the most out of it and make your trip worth it. The park is massive, often there’s lots of walking time between attractions. Also, in the Easter holidays, they’ll be pretty big queues so you won’t get through the rides as quickly. Plus, a second day allows you to ride your favourites more than once.
I don’t think your 6yo will want to spend much time in CBeebies land. It will probably bit a bit too childish for him.

I would recommend 2 days also. If you will be going in the big rides then it's worth looking at Fast pass. Bear in mind though the youngest probably won't be tall enough.
The food is crap, bring packed lunch if possible you can then eat in the queue which saves time.
CBeebies is more for preschool age.
Download the Alton towers app before you get there, it's useful for live queue times.
Prepare to do a lot of steps.
Go on the Wicker man it's one of the best rides there!

Hi op, unless your 6 year old really likes cbeebies and baby rides, honestly i would reconsider.

Cbeebiesland’s rides are really for younger kids. My 4 year old was bored with them last year.

Alton Towers has an issue where a specific age group of kids are left out. At about 6 years old in the main park, your child could probably go on the rapids and the runaway mine train and a little pirate ship. That’s about it.

@Iocanepowder That's a really good point,there aren't many rides for that age/height.

Re rides for the 6 year old, there’s also a couple in the David Walliams bit - a carousel, gangsta granny ride and a bottom burp(!) ride. There’s also the driving school, rapids, runaway train, pirate ship, teacups, Octonauts rollercoaster, go jetters… My 10 year old has always hated the bigger rides but there’s enough to keep him happy for the day!

We went in the May holiday last year as English schools didn't have the same holiday so the park was fairly quiet. We did 3 nights, day 1 travel and waterpark, day2 & 3 in the park and then day 4 travel. Any less we wouldn't have felt long enough given the distance.

Tips...food in the park is very expensive and poor quality so take packed lunches if you can, stop at Tesco or Greggs for meal deals and plenty of snacks for the queues, then you can spend on ice creams for treats. Take refillable water bottles, a 500ml drink was about £5.

Start at the back of the park (nemesis and galeticta and toxicator) and work your way across, that way your working opposite direction from most of the crowds. A lot of people head home 3/4pm and the queues die down a bit then so if you can stay later in the park then do that.

The deep sea world aquarium bit was great, for a break from the more intense rides!

We did eat in the rollercoaster restaurant one evening, the food was okay but the novelty, fun factor way totally worth it!

We have been loads as we had Merlin passes for a while there. I would avoid holidays- genuinely, the queues aren’t worth it. We have done Disney, Legoland etc and Alton towers is awful for peak season queues. Go during the start of Scottish school hols- the English school break up later than us.

In terms of accommodation- the premier inn in Ashbourne is ideal, we have stayed there a few times. Onsite hotels are also good and if you have a blue light card you can get them a little cheaper but offsite tends to be the most cost effective.

What did you decide to do op?

I don’t want to be a spoil sport but I actually think that Alton Towers is a bit rubbish for that sort of age group. It tends to be a lot of very baby rides and massive thrill rides with not much in between.

I think there are better places in the midlands for that age group. Drayton Manor, West Midlands Safari Park.

I really wouldn’t bother to come all that way for Alton Towers unless you are staying for a few more days and doing other things .

We have done Alton towers a few times and normally do the morning in CBeebies land for the wee ones then afternoon in main park but worried it’ll be heaving at this time of year.

We normally break it up with a few days in lake district but have been really unorganised this year.

We have passes and there’s a few rides unavailable at the moment - the water rides won’t be open until May, a mid-sized rollercoaster is currently out of action, the cable cars and the monorail from the car park are also down at the moment. Lots of delayed openings too so that gives you even less time to do those rides. It’s not been the greatest start to the season.

Join one of the alton towers pages on Facebook - I'm fairly local, son went last week and there was hardly anything operating.
Food is horrendously priced and not great quality either - so take picnics!

Rapids don’t open until May, and Mine Train is currently closed.

I read that the other day!
To be honest I would t bother going at the moment. They need to get their act together!

I know right! I was hoping to make a trip in the next couple of months while my Merlin pass is in date, but i’m keeping an eye on it to decide if there is much point!