Definatley the UK's number 1 Theme Park! (Alton Towers (Staffordshire))

Member Name: JasonBond

Product:	Alton Towers (Staffordshire)
Date:	16/06/02 (119 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Virtual Queuing, Queue Board Information

Disadvantages: Some prices are over the top

We arrived at the park on the day before the 2002 season started at around 3.00pm as we were staying in the hotel for 2 nights. As we approached the entrance we realised it was closed with no instructions of what to do next so we drove on and reached another entrance where we cleared with sercurity that we had a room booked and entered the park. We drove down the long entrance path and parked up in the hotel carpark. On entrance to the hotel I was very impressed and after we were checked in very quickly, we went off to find our room.

The rooms themselves are very nice which I was pleased about after forking out a massive £140 a night for the standard family room which comprised of a double bed and a set of bunk beds. The room was clean and tidy and had some nice little extras like a lamp themed as a boot and an old style telephone which was fun to use when I rang to book a table for dinner!

We then decided to go for a swim, so we went for the long walk around the hotel in search for the pool, when we finally got there we were told that we must book! So after booking and having a nice conversation with one of the very friendly staff about the new attraction air we went for a drink in the bar and was entertained by a very funny man in drag for around 45 mins. We then returned for our swim in the pool which wasnt the biggest ive been in but was nicely themed and had a nice jucuzzi which I sat in for around 40mins! After about an hour we were turffed out by the lifteguard into the changing rooms. We then returned to the bar and went for dinner in the Secret Garden Restaurant' which was interesting as we had a waitress who was new that day and hadnt had any sort of training as far as I could tell! After dinner we went to reception to buy our park tickets for the next day. I had been told that the tickets prices were reduced when staying at the hotel and so was shoked to learn it was a staggering £21.50 per adult and £15.50 per child! We also booked
an extra ride time slot on the new rollercoaster air for 9.00am the next day
* * * * * * *
After going for a breakfast at a very early 8.00am on the moring of the 16th March all the 'XRT' people gathered in the bar area of the hotel and was told the story of the new coaster air, wihich gave riders the chance to fly we were told great! We walked to the park via a path which connects the hotel to the park, but does not bring you out at the main entrance but at the rear of the park which fortunatly was next to the air ride.

We queued for around 10 mins then boarded the new ride. At first we were in the normal seating position but soon the seats tipped backwords and our faces were facing the ground! The words 'prepare for air - assume the position - now fly' were blasted into our ears and then we left for a fantastic ride going upsidedown and there was a section of the track which was all on your back! Fantastic!
We then went over to another roller coaster 'Nemesis' on this ride the trains are positioned underneath the track and your legs dangle freely! This must have been the best roller coaster I had been on. It is fast, goes upsidedown 4 times and gets very close to the surrounding rocks which you feel you are goinng to hit! We then went on a bog standard pirate ship ride with was nothing out of the ordinary, after this we tried Ripsaw a ride with two rows inbetween two arms which rise and fall the rows also spin and on top of that you are sprayed with water!
We then walked down into the Gloomy Wood section of the park where we gave the Haunted House a miss as ive been on enough to last a lifetime!
Then on to the Congo River Rapids a 20 minute queue for this ride but it was fantastic! I got absolutly soaked! We then had ago on the Runnaway mine train which goes twice around the track at quite high speeds at one point through the tunnel of the Rapids giving them a wave as you go past.
The o
nto the Log Flume which after the 30 minute queue was a bit of a let down - the ride is quite old and only has a couple of drops and a long winding section through the woods. We then set off in search of somewhere to get something to eat. We chose the KFC in X-Sector where suprisingly we were served fairly quickly and didnt have too much trouble in finding a table.

After lunch is was time to take on Oblivion a vertical drop roller coaster! This ride was fantastic. Even if it is only short it definaltly gets your adreniline pumping! Then it was on to the Black Hole which was a roller coaster in the dark. I didnt know what to expect of this ride obviously but wasnt very impressed when there was an anoncement that the ride had broken down, we waited around 15mins for them to get the ride back up again and finally had ago. The seats were strange on this ride - you sit in them in a bobsleigh style one person in the other ones legs. The ride was fun if not a little short and watch out for the brakes they are sudden and hurt! We then moved on to Submission a ride which turns you upsidedown many many times - I was regretting my KFC I can tell you!

We then moved onto UG Land and the corkscrew which looked old and felt it! Very bumpy but fun! We brought a ride photo on this at a very overprriced £4.50.
A quick go on the swinging chairs for a laugh we then decided to look at the queue board times to see if we had enough time to try out air again, but the queue was a 3hrs!

We decided we would return to the hotel as we had another day on the park tomorrow to try out the rides again. I was pleased to realise we only had to pay £11.50 for the tickets the following day! phew!

Overall a very good visit!
a tip though get to the park for 9.30am a =t least as the queues build up quickly especially for air! And visit www.altontowers.com to prebook your tickets as you can ride air from 9.00 am instead of the usual 10.

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