Alton Towers! (Alton Towers (Staffordshire))

Member Name: ice_pink

Product:	Alton Towers (Staffordshire)
Date:	31/07/09 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wide variety of rides, not too bad queue lengths

Disadvantages: Queues are inevitable, expensive

~*~ Alton Towers ~*~

Alton Towers is described on their website as the 'UK's leading short break resort'. It is a large theme park located in Staffordshire which has a variety of white knuckle and softer rides with something to suit the tastes of all, from extreme thrill seekers to those a little more cautious!


~*~ Getting there ~*~

As I just mentioned, Alton Towers is located in Staffordshire in the Peak District. If you are driving and are lucky enough to have a sat nav, simply stick in the postcode (ST10 4DB) and you are on your way! There are also regular trains, depending on where you are coming from, and buses that take you right up to the location. The car park does get really full and it can be a bit of a nightmare getting a space, especially in peak times, so if you can get there by public transport it makes the day a lot easier. Alternatively, there a selection of coach trips that give you transport to and from the site so you can get the full day there without having to worry about getting home.


~*~ The rides ~*~

You will find rides to suit the tastes of everyone at Alton Towers. Oblivion is one of the most well known of these rides. It is a vertical drop rollercoaster that dangles you over the edge so you see where you are able to plunge and then drops you at full force, getting your photo taken on the way down. I was absolutely terrified of this ride and literally had to be dragged onto it, but I loved it and was soon queuing up for my second hit! No visit to Alton Towers is complete without a visit to this one!

'Rita' is another one of my favourite rides and one I recommend. It is a crazy rollercoaster that goes from 0-100kph in 2.5 seconds. You literally go from sitting down in the cart to hurtling forward at great speeds with no time to prepare yourself - it's great! The queues for this one are usually big but it's worth the wait.

The water rides at Alton Towers are also good, I love the rapids (but prepare to get very wet!) and the log flume is another good one if you are luckily enough to go there on a sunny day. If not, there are machines located outside the ride where you can dry yourself off - for a fee of course.

For the young ones, there are a selection of great kids rides including 'Squirrel Nutty', a woodland themed rollercoaster (yes I've been on it!) and the brilliant Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ride where you get to ride the glass elevator - of course it's not just for kids!


~*~ Shark bait Reef ~*~

One of the newest attractions at Alton Towers is Shark bait reef, which is included in the ticket price. It's essentially like a smaller version of a sealife center, where you find stingrays, a variety of tropical fish and seahorses and, well, sea creatures in general! You also get to walk through a tunnel and see sharks swimming above you which really add to the experience. I didn't have high expectations of this attraction as I thought that Alton Towers is about the rides not animals, but was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. It's also a good place for kids as there are regular talks on the animals, and staff are there to help you get a 'manicure' by the shrimps who like to clean away dirt from your nails!


~*~ The water park ~*~

Also owned by Alton Towers is a water park which is home to a selection of flumes, slides and wave machines. Perfect for when we get a nice bit of weather (wish it happened more often!). You have to pay for the park separately. It's open all year round whenever the main theme park is open and is heated, so it doesn't matter if it gets a bit chilly. I've visited the water park section once and really enjoyed it - definitely worth checking out the lazy river for a bit of lazing in the sun, but my favourite part is the flumes. It makes you feel like you are on holiday! To be honest, though, I wouldn't bother going to this part of Alton Towers again, because once you've done it once it doesn't really seem as exciting, but like I said, ideal for when we've got a nice bit of weather.


~*~ The hotel ~*~

Alton Towers also has it's own hotel with a selection of themed rooms, including Peter Rabbit, a chocolate room, a girlie sleepover room and a coca-cola room. There are different goodies depending on the room type. The chocolate room sounds like the best option as it contains an endless supply of hidden chocolate - maybe not the best if you are on a diet though!

I've stayed in the hotel once before but in a standard 'explorer' room. The hotel is good - not the ultimate in luxury but comfortable and fun, with the best bit about staying in the hotel being that you get to enter the park an hour earlier in the morning and get on the rides before the queues start building up!

Prices of the hotel start from just over £40 per person per night. For one night in July for a family of two adults and two children, bed and breakfast including theme park tickets expect to pay just under £300. Quite an expensive day out if you choose to do it this way!


~*~ Ticket prices ~*~

On the day prices are £36 per adult and £27 per child. If booked online in advance you save yourself a couple of pounds, and you get discounts for larger groups. I have not once, however paid full price for an Alton Towers visit - look out for buy one get one free vouchers in the sun, with Walkers crisps and offers from a variety of other companies! Google 'Alton Towers 2 for 1' near the time of your visit and you'll almost certainly find a voucher.


~*~ Eating and drinking ~*~

You will find a variety of different eating venues with something to suit the tastes of all, from restaurants and cafes to fast food outlets such as KFC and Burger King. Prices aren't too bad, about a fiver for a fast food type meal. I paid just over £8 for a pasta dish last time I went which I thought was quite good considering where I was! There are also bars and coffee shops just in case you fancy a quick beverage to calm yourself down after all that excitement!


~*~ Well..... ~*~

That's pretty much Alton Towers for you! It is definitely one of my favourite theme parks, and always puts a smile on my face. Queuing is inevitable, but they do go down very quickly and if you plan it right and get the bigger rides out of the way early you won't be waiting around very long. The park is so big that the queues rarely get ridiculously long. In peak times, however, especially school holidays, expect to spend a lot of the day waiting around, and don't forget the sunscreen as you don't want to ruin your day by ending up looking like a lobster!

If you haven't visited this theme park, I definitely recommend you putting it on your list of places to visit, however I wouldn't say it was worth paying the full admission price for so look our for 2-for-1 offers. Also, the hotel is a bit overpriced so if you do have to stay overnight there are plenty of Travelodge's and cheaper hotels in the area. Unless you want to treat yourself in the chocolate room (tempting!!)

Summary: A great day out!