A Magical Day Out (Alton Towers (Staffordshire))

Member Name: grapesodaj

Product:	Alton Towers (Staffordshire)
Date:	09/06/07 (2756 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: SO much to do, fab hotel!

Disadvantages: Expensive

I visited Alton Towers last year in April 2006. I went with four people and stayed a night at the Alton Towers hotel but I am only reviewing the theme park.

--- So what is at Alton Towers? ---

Well you have the actual theme park with its hotel, Alton Towers Hotel and you also have Splash Landings. Splash Landings is a swimming pool with wave machines, lazy rivers and all sorts of water slides set inside a building next to the Alton Towers hotel. Splash Landings also has its own hotel like the theme Park called Splash Landings hotel. The newest addition to Alton Towers is a spa and a golf course! So there is definitely plenty of choice if you do decide you want to go.

--- Where is Alton Towers and how can I get there? ---

Alton Towers is Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire. Traveling from London it takes approx, 3 hours. We drove there and on the way it took us four hours because of traffic though the ride home was smooth. Traveling north you need M1 junction 23a or M6 junction 15.
Traveling south you need M1 Junction 24a or M6 junction 16 and Alton Towers is clearly sign posted. We had no trouble finding it and there literally are sign posts about 10 miles before you even get there! We did find the RAC route planner really helpful for our directions so I do recommend you go to their website or the AA's route planner and type out your route. It gives you all the traffic black spots, rest spots and even speed camera warnings so it's really helpful.

By rail the nearest station is Uttoxeter or Stoke-on-Trent and you can catch buses outside the station to Alton Towers. Central Trains do a great deal where you buy your rail ticket and it includes the bus fare too. If you book far enough in advance you can also get really cheap tickets to Stoke-on-Trent with virgin trains. Trains depart from London Euston to Stoke-on-Trent. (I will leave the links to these websites at the bottom of the review)

--- If I drive, do I have to pay to park? ---

Yes, its four pounds to park for the day but it is free for disabled guests, mini buses and coaches.

--- How much is it for a ticket to Alton Towers? ---

As I stayed in a group of four in the hotel I paid…

240 pounds. That included one room, the four tickets to the park the next day and breakfast in the morning. It's quite pricey and the prices to get in are quite shocking…

Adult (12 upwards): 32.00
Child: 22.00
Senior: 16.00
Disabled: 16.00
Under Four's: Free (I should think so!)

They also do group deals so if you're a family of two adults and two kids it's 89.00 and if it's two adults and three kids it's 99.00. However, I don't find these very good as an adult to Alton Towers is a 12-year-old and a lot of families do have teenage children so it seems like a bit of a rip to me. The best thing to do is book online in advance as you get them a lot cheaper. Bear in mind you have to book at least 48 hours in advance.

Online Prices:
Adult: 24.00
Child: 16.00
Senior: 12.00
Disabled: 12.00
Family: 2 adults 2 kids: 78.00
Family: 2 Adults, three kids: 88.00

--- What are the opening times? ---

The park is open from 17th March 2007 until 11th November 2007. It opens at 9.30am though the rides don't start till 10.00am. If you're a hotel visitor you have the privilege of having the rides half an hour before the day visitors. The closing times vary like most other theme parks. During the peak times like school holidays it closes very late, as late as 10.00pm sometimes but during the off-peak days it usually closes around 5 - 6pm. It closed at 5pm for us. 

--- Can I expect massive queues? ---

Well, it depends when you go. If you're wise like me, I went when all the kids were in school, there was no bank holidays, etc it was just a normal day. I was lucky enough to have beautiful weather too. For all the rides, we never queued for more than 10 minutes. The only ride we did queue for a long time was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. At that time it had just came out and was hyped like crazy so we waited an hour! Apart from that, if you can get a day off work it's a much better time to go. If you go during school holidays you can expect to queue for 45 minutes for some rides. :/

--- So what kind of rides can I expect at Alton Towers? ---

The great thing about Alton Towers is that it's got rides for everyone. It's got plenty of rides to keep thrill seekers happy and it's got rides for the kids too so it really is a great day out for all ages. I'll start off with the rides for the thrill seekers as they generally are the best in my eyes. : P

Air - Air is a roller coaster where you are lying down. Outside the ride you have a "tester" seat like most of the newer roller coasters where you can just check out the seat and see how it feels before you pluck up the courage! When you get onto the ride, it's just like a normal seat but once you are strapped in it pulls you up and your legs are strapped in but your arms are dangling. The ride itself is different to any other roller coaster I've been on! It's not the fastest but the experience of lying down and going upside down is one you will never forget! In some parts, it's almost relaxing! A lot of fun. I give this ride… 8/10

Nemesis - Nemesis is one of the first roller coasters to be built at Alton Towers and it's still one of my favourites. The ride is different to some others as your feet are left dangling! As you walk onto the ride you will notice a waterfall with red liquid (meant to be blood) trickling down which might put off some of the weak stomachs amongst us! You are strapped in on this ride as you do get up quite a speed and go upside down on this too. Probably is one of the best bits is being upside down with your legs dangling! A fast, scary but fun ride! My rating…. 9/10

Oblivion - I chickened out! I can hear you all screaming at me, WHY?! But I just couldn't do it. I can handle twists, turns, speed but I cannot do vertical drops and as I watched the people being dangled above that 100ft drop I decided this was one ride I couldn't take!

Rita - Queen of Speed - Rita is also a roller coaster. It's boasts a top speed of 100kph and yes, it will shoot you to that in 2.5 seconds! When I was queuing for it I thought, "Nah, don't look that fast!" But my god, it does shoot you forward! As you sit waiting to go it really slowing sort of jolts you forward and you see a red light ahead of you that will go green and it pulls you forward before you've even had a chance to prepare yourself! It's not so forceful that you'll suffer whip lash or anything but it's unexpected and in the picture I bought, my cheeks are actually flapping from the force! The ride is very, very fast and it probably won't suit all people but it's definitely the best coaster in Alton Towers right now. I give this ride… 10/10!!!

Ripsaw - This is an OK ride, nothing special and also has a similar version at one of the others. (Either Thorpe or Chessington, can't remember?) You sit on a platform type thing, which I think is meant to be some sort of saw and are strapped in with all the head restraints. You slowly start to swing back and fourth till you go upside down and twist and turn a lot. (Not for people with weak stomachs) Towards the end of the ride you are turnt upside down and brought down head face into a fountain of water spraying up at your face! If you don't want to get wet, this ride probably isn't for you but if you want to avoid it I recommend sitting at the sides. Nothing really special about this ride and Infact I came off with a bit of weak stomach… My rating. 6/10

Submission - I never went on this because it looked rubbish. It's just another ride that twists you round, round and up again and it looked pretty boring to be honest. I'm not much of a twisty ride girl; I like the roller coasters so I can only give a rating from what I thought it looked like. 0/10!!

Enterprise - Some of you may know this ride if you have visited Thorpe Park as there is one there virtually the same. This is basically a giant wheel that goes round and round so you're upside down. It actually made me feel quite dizzy. You're in a cage like thing and you have no restraints on it, you just have to hold on. Alton Towers claims it is "just the power of gravity pinning you to the ceiling" but it's pretty easy to hold onto and it's not much of a thrill seeking ride. My rating - 4/10

The Blade - This is basically like the old pirate boats. I think it actually used to be a pirate boat at Alton Towers before they changed it into the blade. You're basically in a boat shaped thing with what are meant to be blades attached to them and are swung back and fourth. You go high enough that you start to feel like your going to go upside down, which would be quite scary as there are no restraints! A classic ride and still a lot of fun! My rating… 7/10

This list here is what I'd consider rides that are probably suited for people aged 8 and above. They aren't really scary rides, more for a laugh!

Duel - This is a game set on a train and it goes through a haunted house. Nothing special, right? WRONG! You have a gun and there are little red dots placed on all the baddies like ghosts, skeletons, etc and you have to shoot on the red spot with your gun! I'm not usually a game person but this was a lot of fun and I actually did quite well! I give this… 8/10!!

Runaway Mine Train - Had some bad press due to an accident but it's one of the best. OK, It seems really childish but it's so much fun! It's just a really fast train… and that's it but for some reason it really holds it's own and you'll be laughing all the way round. This is a ride for all the family. My rating 8/10

Tea Cup Ride - Ohh, the tea cups. Now, I didn't go on them, because let's face it, it'd be a little embarrassing! But everyone knows the tea cups. You sit inside a cup and are spun and twisted around. A light hearted right that really is for the kids. - 6/10

Congo River Rapids - This is a wet ride and it is a LOT of fun! You are in a round shaped boat and you hold onto some silver round wheel in the middle. You are pushed over stormy, bumpy waters and pushed through water spraying down on you. You are bumped around like mad on these rides but its good harmless fun and suitable for everyone. My rating - 9/10!

Hex - This is a ride based on an old tale about Alton Towers. You are told the old tale of Alton Towers as you go onto the ride then you are put into a room onto some platforms with bars to hang on to… I really don't want to say much more about this ride as it gives away the story but it's a really interesting, fun ride. 9/10

The Flume - Probably a ride featured in nearly every theme park round the country! The one at Alton Towers is sponsored by Imperial Leather the soap company so you will notice the signs everywhere! You are sat in a bath tub and go along a river and climb up three separate slides. The first one is quite small and you will hardly get wet, the next is in the dark! The third is the biggest drop and you may get wet but its sooo much fun! There are toy ducks everywhere making funny noises, making the ride light-hearted and fun for everyone. - 8/10!

Spinball Whizzer - I guess you can call this a roller coaster but it's smaller and you have only one carriage per four people! You go up steep turnings and drops and are also spun at the same time! You have some mildly irritating music playing when you go round. (For me it was I'm a Believer) though the ride is not like other rides and is one of the few roller coaster type rides suited to all ages. 9/10

The Corkscrew - Ahh… The Corkscrew. Been at Alton Towers since 1980 and when we went, hardly anyone noticed it as Rita was over shadowing it. Given that though, it is no Rita but it's still a good ride. It definitely struggles now and seems very slow in comparison to the other rides but the corkscrew turns an steep drop are guaranteed to leave you screaming still after 27 years. 7/10

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - What an over rated ride. The ride is rubbish, rubbish, rubbish and with all the hype I was expecting a lot more. You are basically given a very short ride on a boat with water that's meant to look like chocolate, but has no more than a brown tint and then you are taken on a lift which shows you clips of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Seriously, I was so gutted waiting an hour as the ride was no longer than 15 minutes and did not live up to the hype. A disappointing 4/10.

I won't review the kid's rides as obviously I didn't go on them but they include:

Ug Swinger - a ride that lifts the kids up on swings and spins round
The Beastie - A small roller coaster for the mini thrill seeker.
Old MacDonald's farm yard - Saw this, have no idea what it is.
Peugeot Driving School - A track with mini cars for the mini people!

--- Where can I eat at Alton Towers? ---

If the day is nice, like it was, a popular thing to do was to bring along your own food and have a picnic. That said, if you can't be bothered preparing food there are plenty of restraunts/fast food places to eat at Alton Towers. You've got McDonalds, Burger King and all the other junk fast food places but there is some selection of other cafes. I can't remember what the one we went to was called (sorry!) But it's easy to spot as you eat it outside with this huge shelter over you and some music playing on the telly. This seemed like the healthier option to us and there was a selection of salads, chips and things there. We had some piri piri chicken there which was lush! As well as that you have ice cream places and vending machines all over the park so there is no end of places where you can eat and drink. That said, the downside to this, is the vending machines are quite expensive as was the café we went to. The only food that was priced OK seemed to be the fast food places as it was just the same prices as all over the country.

--- What is the park layout like? Is it easy to get lost? ---

I really think it's highly unlikely you will get lost in Alton Towers. All though, yes, it is big, everything is set out really well and there are plenty of information points situated round the park so you can see where you are. At the front of the park you can also collect a free map of the park and keep it with you.

This is the basic set out of Alton Towers. It is divided into "lands" so it is very straight forward.

You have Ug Land, Cred Street, Gloomy Wood, X-Sector, Forbidden Valley, Katanga Canyon, Old Macdonalds Farmyard, Merrie England, Adventure Land and the Gardens.



--- Are there any gift shops and do the rides include photos? ---

There is no end of gift shops! Alton Towers know people will buy for families back home, and do they milk it or what! The prices are horrendous for cheap novelty gifts like mugs and key rings but we all do buy into it! A lot of the rides take photos mainly the big ones like Air, Rita, Nemesis, Congo Rapids, etc. The photos are not too badly price and when we went there was a deal where if you bought some tokens which entitled you to a free photo if you bought four. A single photo (when I went) will set you back around 4.99 though you can also get them printed on key rings (around 2.99). You will get some funny looking photos (especially on Rita) so they are quite a good thing and bring back lots of memories of your day out! Oh, just remembered you can also get t-shirts with your photo on them and cups as well!

There were plenty of gift shops around. Some of the things I saw being sold were;

Key rings, t-shirts, teddies, chocolates, sweets, toys, snow globes, wind chimes, cups and mugs, glasses, mobile phone charms and covers, branded things like cups with "Air" on them. The prices are pretty disgusting. We brought back a snow globe for a friend, it didn't have a price on it (most of the stuff doesn't, what a surprise!) and it was 15.00! There were tiny key rings for 4 pounds each as well so be prepared to pay double of what you usually would!

--- Anything else to do at Alton Towers? ---

Plenty. There are loads of arcades with shooting games, dancing games, teddy grabbing machine and all sorts. There are shows taking place around the park every so often too. 

TOP TIPS FOR YOUR DAY OUT:

• If you don't like getting wet, it may be best to bring a waterproof thin coat as they are expensive at the park!
• The amount of silly girls I saw toddling in high heels and skirts. Tut, tut. It's a theme park, not a disco. No one cares what you look like and we'll all see up yer skirt when you're upside down on the Nemesis. Not very lade like! This goes for men too - wear comfortable clothing. Loose trousers or your most comfortable jeans, tee's, hoodies and sensible trainers or flat pumps.
• It's fine to keep with you a small bag with things such as keys and things. You can keep it at the side of the ride whilst you go on it and pick it up after. (Plenty of staff is around and everyone does it!)
• However, if you're like me and HATE carrying things around at a theme park there are lockers at the front of the park for 20p which you get back.
• Make sure you have zip up pockets! If you do keep your bag in a locker you will need these to carry money round for photos/food, etc. You don't want all your change tumbling out your pocket. Be practical. 
• If you hate forking out money for over priced drinks then bring a bottle of drink with you. It's best to keep one with you at all times as it's quite knackering walking round all day.
• If it's summer or a hot day, REMEMBER SUN SCREEN!
• If you lose anything, or anyone Alton Towers has a lost property there too.


My opinion.

Alton Towers is probably the best theme park in England. It has loads of rides for thrill seekers, teenagers, and even things to do for small children. All though the day can be pricey you'll never stop laughing, screaming and shouting. Oh here's another tip to add:

BRING SOME SOOTHERS FOR YOUR THROAT!

Guaranteed, no matter how old you are you will be shouting on at least one of the rides! You will turn into a big kid as soon as you enter that park.

Have fun!

www.altontowers.co.uk
www.virgintrains.co.uk
www.centraltrains.co .uk
www.nationalrail.co.uk
www.rac.co.uk/web/routeplanner

(All my reviews are also on ciao.co.uk under grapesoda)

Summary: A day out for all ages