We visited Alton Towers last week. It’s been a few years since we’ve been, in fact it was before the horrible year that was 2020. Before then we went very regularly and have reviewed the Stargazing Pods and Splash Landings.
When we were invited to visit and review we jumped at the chance. It was so lovely to be back, and a very different experience visiting with teenagers rather than younger children. When the children were small, they loved CBeebies Land and Mutiny Bay and Sharkbait Reef. Lots of other rides too that have come and gone over the years.
We never really did the big rollercoasters and as such I had got out of the habit of doing them which is a shame because I loved them when I was younger. This was something I really wanted to change so I put on my big girl pants and was very brave and tried three different rollercoasters while we were there!
The first one we tried which I have ridden many times years ago was Oblivion. This is such an incredible ride although I was a little scared to begin with, afterwards I was very very happy to have done it!
During our day we also rode the Runaway Mine Train, which is more of a family coaster but still with plenty of thrills!
Lastly, we tackled Wicker Man which was an absolutely amazing ride and I would thoroughly recommend it. What I would say though is that aim for this at the beginning of the day as by the end of the day your feet are tired and there will be a queue!
In fact, I have a few tips for you. You can pay for Fastrack passes. That means you can skip the queue for certain of the big rides (which rides you can fastrack depends on the package you choose). Now, if you are just paying for yourself or as a couple then the cost of this is not too bad, starting at an additional £32 for four rides. This does feel more prohibitive though when you are travelling as a family of four. Instead, what I would recommend is to get to the park as close to opening as possible and then head straight for the rides that you know will have big queues. This tends to be the big roller coasters. The queues are shortest early on and late in the day.
Another tip I have for you is another one for the end of the day. The monorail gets very busy and there’s usually a huge queue for it. By that point you really don’t want to queue! Alternatively, you can walk to the car parks rather than wait for the monorail but again you will be quite tired at this point and it’s a bit of a trek. So, my best tip of the day is that there is an exit next to Galactica that brings you out almost into the car park itself. So plan your day to end in that area and then you can walk straight out into the car park. You will thank me for this!
The photo below shows where this exit is – it’s just to the right of the blue circle.
My last helpful service to you is that I took as many photos of the menus within the park as I could. This way, not only can you get an idea of prices before you go, you can also plan the best places to eat around the parks. We were over near Oblivion when it came round to lunch time and sat on some picnic benches surrounded by food trucks. We chose sausage and chips, which were fine but then later on I saw the Eastern Express in Mutiny Bay that did a Chicken Tikka Naan wrap which looked amazing (and was roughly the same price). I wished that I had waited and had that instead!
Also, when you first enter the park, you can buy a cup for unlimited drinks all day. It’s £16 and then you can help yourself to the self serve drinks machines dotted around the park. If you return to the park another day and take the cup, it is just £10 for that day.
On that note, I’m going to leave you with lots and lots of menus from around the park. I know not everyone will be interested, but if you are like me, you will love to plan ahead!
We were invited to visit and review. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
