Alton Towers (Alton Towers (Staffordshire))

Member Name: thrice15

Product:	Alton Towers (Staffordshire)
Date:	03/07/09 (78 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The best rides, good drink offer.

Disadvantages: A lot of time is spent waiting in queues for the popular rides.

Alton Towers on the hottest day of the year seemed like a good idea going into it. That was until we decided to queue up to to ride Rita as the first ride of the day. The sun was scorching, the queue was winding and it was the worst possible start to the day as this continued for about an hour and a half, with a nice neck tan building up.

We eventually got to the front of the queue, only for the ride to suffer a technical difficulty. So with no drink and too much sun, the wait was prolonged by another ten minutes while maintenance fixed the problem. When we did get on the ride, it was worth the wait. Propelling you from 0-100 km/h in 0-2.5 seconds, the opening to this ride really is thrilling. Maintaining its speed, the track winds around Ug Land and leaves you windswept and wondering what actually just happened at the end.

Feeling thirsty after the wait to go on Rita, the drinks offer was taken up. This was probably one of the best deals on the resort, as you got a large novelty plastic cup with two straws in for £4.99, which could be refilled all day for free at any kiosk. On a hot day such as this, it seemed the perfect opportunity to take advantage of this.

Now refreshed, Air was the next ride to attempt. It was a similar story to Rita, except with a reduced queuing time (around an hour). After reaching the front of the queue, the ride suffered a technical difficulty! Couldn't believe it. When the ride did get going again though, it proved worth the wait. Air is more of a relaxing ride and giving the impression of flying through the air freely, it does a great job of cooling you down on a hot day such as this.

After spending so much time waiting around and only riding two rides, the screens suggested that the waiting times were much less in the X-Sector. Oblivion was the destination with its vertical drop into an unassuming blackhole. Getting onto the ride in around ten minutes was a relief and although the ride is one of the shortest in the park, it is the most tense and exciting experience. From the incline, around the short flat area of track and then over the edge into the hole in the ground below, Oblivion is an intense ride. Plummeting to the ground vertically at such a speed is a brilliant experience and part of Alton Towers anyone should experience.

I had never been on Submission before this visit, but as the queues were reducing even further there was no wait at all for this. After being strapped in within an inch of your breath, you are rotated and rocked in your seat until you are left hanging upside down in mid-air for around five seconds. Although you are trapped in, it is always difficult to escape the feeling that you are going to fall out, and it is somewhat of a relief to return to the ground.

After having more luck with queue times, a return to the Forbidden Valley was required to ride Nemesis. Again, with most of the coach parties leaving a couple of hours before the park closing time, it only took around ten minutes to get on the ride. Following a winding path, you are held in at the shoulders with your legs left free and sent flying around a winding track. It is a fun ride and not too demanding, meaning it is suitable for most people that go to the park, even if they aren't fans of theme park rides. I would advise taking your shoes off if you don't want to lose them though!

Heading out of the park, there was no queue for Ripsaw, also in the Forbidden Valley, so this was also experienced. In somewhat similar fashion to Submission, you are held upside down for a few seconds at some point as the ride swings back and forth. The advantage to a ride like this on such a day is the water factor, and it was a relief to actually get soaked on this. After holding its position at the top, the ride slowly creeps forward towards the fountain below, holding you in a position to be hit in the face by the water below. On a hot day, this is a ride that I would recommend to anybody.

The day had a much happier ending than the fashion in which it started. All the necessary rides were ridden, with the only problem being the time wasted at the beginning queuing for the major rides. Looking at the waiting times at the end of the day, queues for Rita and Air were still the largest, which suggests that it doesn't matter what time you on the most popular rides, you have to be prepared for a queue. But it is worth it, as Alton Towers provides the most fun and exciting theme park experience in the UK.

Summary: A great experience for kids and adults, as long as you are prepared to queue.