Tussauds - Alton Towers

...theme parks, part of the Tussauds franchise is the number one attraction for thrill seekers up and down the country. I went for the 2nd time last week and loved it.

=== The Journey & Park Location ===

Alton Towers is situated in Alton, Staffordshire and is very easy to get too. My first visit to the theme park was when I was in year 10 at school and all I could remember of the journey was the very small windy lanes leading ...
...thinking was "what if a double-decker bus comes round the corner!" Thankfully one didn't and I lived to tell the tale.

On this trip I was cautious of the lanes as it was the first time I had driven in the area. I need not have worried I found the trip hassle-free and the location easy to find with my auto route directions. Once you get to the entrance signs to the park you are required to drive about a mile down a road leading ... more

Alton Towers, one of the United Kingdom's top theme parks, part of the Tussauds franchise is the number one attraction for thrill seekers up and down the country. I went for the 2nd time last week and loved it.

The Journey & Park Location

Alton Towers is situated in Alton, Staffordshire and is very easy to get too. My first visit to the theme park was when I was in year 10 at school and all I could remember of the journey was the very small windy lanes leading from the village to the park. All I could remember thinking was "what if a double-decker bus comes round the corner!" Thankfully one didn't and I lived to tell the tale.

On this trip I was cautious of the lanes as it was the first time I had driven in the area. I need not have worried I found the trip hassle-free and the location easy to find with my auto route directions. Once you get to the entrance signs to the park you are required to drive about a mile down a road leading to the car parks. The huge car parks, where stewards direct you into a space.

Entry Turnstiles & Ticket Prices

As you walk all the way back up the road you have driven from I would advise you check the letter you are parked nearest (we parked near G and couldn't find it when we went back for the car). Once you get to the park entrance the first thing you will see are the queues. We bypassed these thanks to our free passes from The Sun. (We collected the tokens and they sent us the tickets). Tickets vary in cost depending on where you buy them from, how old you are and whether you wish a 1 day or 2 day pass.

I suggest you book online as you will receive a 20% discount on the normal day prices. Should you buy on the day an adult ticket will set you back £35.00, a child ticket (aged 4-11years) will cost £26.00, and a family ticket will cost £98.00 which includes 2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children. Larger family tickets are available for £118.00 and include access for 2 adults and 3 children or 1 adult and 4 children. Those under 4 go free.

If you book by telephone an adult ticket costs £29.75, child ticket costs £22.10 and family and large family tickets £83.00 and £100.00 respectively. Whereas online booking cost £28.00 for an adult, £21.00 for a child and £78 or £94.00 for family tickets. Discounts are available for senior and disabled tickets and more information can be found on the website noted at the end of the review. If you decide you want a 2 day ticket you are likely to pay approximately £6 more on tickets, but the website only gives the prices for online bookings.
As I bypassed the queues I went straight to the turn-styles. They moved swiftly and the queues were not that long. There were approximately 10 turn-styles open and they all sold additional passes such as the fast track tickets required to save time queuing on the big rides. I purchased a fast track ticket to include the new ride Rita which worked out at £8 for the normal fast track and £4 to fast track on Rita. I would never have paid £4 for a ride had I paid the full price for my ticket, however as I hadn't I had money to spend whilst at the park and wanted to make the most of my theme park experience.

The fast track pass enabled the buyer to join the queue for Oblivion, Air, Nemesis and The Flume on the fast track pass, bypassing a lengthy queue of regular customers. This is an excellent feature and I was extremely impressed with just how much was cut off of the potential waiting time. Unfortunately, and this is my biggest complaint of the whole system, is that you can only use your fast track ticket on each ride once. The staff member who checks it either marks the ticket or rips it next to the ride so there is no chance of a second go without queuing normally. Also for Rita your fast track will be for a specific hour of the day. You are asked which time you would like to go on the ride when you purchase your ticket and you cannot use it outside the specified times.

== The Rides ==

Alton Towers is jam packed with rides for all ages, but there are height charts at the entrance to most rides, especially the big scary ones, and the staff are pretty hot on checking out the height of the smaller or younger looking children.

The theme park is divided into 11 areas all built around The Towers. These towers used to be home to the Earl of Shrewsbury and are currently undergoing renovation. The building looks poorly maintain to be honest and I was quite disappointed to see half the roof missing in several parts and windows either smashed or boarded up.
There is a section you can enter which has been modified into a tourist attraction which I will talk about later.

The 11 areas of the theme park are as follows:

Towers Street

This is the entrance of the park; you will find that this hosts many eateries and cafes. The area is the main walkway to the park and isn't as large as it looks on the free map given to you on arrival.

Katanga Canyon

Here you will find the Congo River Rapids, a wet ride we didn't even consider going on due to wishing to remain dry. The ride is made up of large rubber rings with a base which you sit in while it whizzes around the rapids. There is also the Runaway Mine Train, which is a rollercoaster which speeds up as you go. I would suggest this area is a family orientated area as the rides are not too scary but offer plenty of laughs and a modest rollercoaster for those who decide the really fast ones are not their cup of tea.

Forbidden Valley

The Forbidden Valley was where my friend and I headed for Nemesis. On arrival we realised that the Valley is also host to many of the other big rides including The Blade which is a pirate boat type ride which swings from side to side, and is always better from the back. Again we didn't go on this one as it looked fairly tame in comparison to the others we had our eye on. Nemesis is one of the parks big roller coasters and is one of the attractions which offer a photograph of your ride. The ride is fast and comfortable which is saying something compared to some of the older contraptions. Nemesis is a classic roller coaster for thrill seekers. Up-ing the pace in Forbidden Valley is the ride Air. This was my personal favourite of the park and as we fast tracked, we didn't have to wait more than 10minutes to get our go. Airs has several large carts with 4 people to a row and approximately 8 rows (though I wasn't counting so this is a guess). We sat at the front and it was great, however sat is probably the wrong word. On air you sit and get strapped in. You are then tipped forward so you face is facing the ground. The ride begins with you facing upside down and your feet being strapped in means your body is fairly flat. The ride is fast and a scream-a-thon. Halfway round you are tipped up the other way with your feet and face, facing the sky. You then go backwards and upside down on the loops in this position. Air is a fairly short ride but nobody can complain that it doesn't fulfil its mission statement. It is definitely a scary ride and one which can make you feel very sick, so sick in fact that a young girl on a ride earlier than ours m vomited all over the floor (bearing in mind you face down) as the ride drew to a close. My photo from Air is hilarious! The Ripsaw is also based in the Valley, this ride is 2 rows of approximately 10-15 people it speedily goes up and down spinning at the same time and spraying water into your face (again we avoided due to our determination to stay dry). I believe there is a similar ride at Chessington.

For those not wishing to know about the large rides in the Valley, I can assure you there is something for everyone. In the fun and games section there is the Edge Games, an area of arcade games and older games. Beware - each is payable as you play and prices vary. I always steer clear of these games where you can win large cuddly toys, but there was several people queuing with their life-size orange sharks! There are also trampolines and other instant attractions for younger children who are no doubt having to wait for at least one of their parents and/or siblings who are queuing for the bigger rides.
Also through the Valley you will find the Sky ride Station. This is a very useful sky ride which takes you to 3 points of the park and saves the legs or dragging a buggy around for several hours. The ride is slow but not slow enough that its time consuming. It gives great views of the park and its scenery as well as its forest areas and streams.

Gloomy Wood

I don't recall walking through this area but I think I must have missed the signposts because I definitely recall walking past Duel, the haunted house. We travelled over the Gloomy Wood on the sky ride but you can actively wander through it.

UG Land

This is where Rita the Queen of Speed resides. She is new to the park and has to be the sites biggest and fastest ride. She offers carriages of 2 seats per row and a ride travelling from 0-100mph in 2.5seconds. Once you have had your photograph taken of your mouth wide open in mid scream you are treated to a real roller coaster with its twists and turns and loops. Rita is a very fast ride which is over very quickly. My friend and I decided that as well as fast tracking we would make the most out of our £4 ticket and queue in the separate queue for the front seats. This is an option you get on most of the big rides, however you could be waiting for up to 60minutes when the queue for front seats is full. It is the only ride we did queue separately for and it was well worth it. I would wholly recommend it as it will only enhance your experience. I would also recommend cutting the chat in the queue and watching the facial expressions of the unsuspecting riders. It is very funny watching them chatting one minute and screaming the next as a result of the speed the ride takes off with little warning.

Rita has to be one of the best rides at the park and now looking up on my review I am torn between it and Air in the favourite stakes!
UG Land also offers the older roller coaster Corkscrew, personally I felt the age on this one and it isn't really that old. It just isn't as new as some of the other attractions. This ride was uncomfortable and I didn't feel as safe as on the others. I came off with what I suspected would turn into bruises from the way the carriages through you around with the speed. None of the other rides I went on made me feel like this and on no other ride did I move so much in my seat. If roller coasters make you nervous do not go on this one first - it will ruin the experience of the rest if it ultimately puts you off. There is also the UG Swinger which is like the classic carousel at the fairground but maybe with a bit more speed.

Cred Street

One of the kids (and adults alike) Charlie And The Chocolate Factory The Ride! WOW! I loved this ride but it's very chilled and relaxed. The queue was the longest of all the rides we went on but it went quickly and didn't appear to be that time consuming. We began queuing outside, but ended up walking through the dark interior of the building listening to Charlie (the Roald Dahl character not the modern version) talking to us and telling us about the ride and who to look out for. On entering the ride you will be put in a room and invited to watch a screen with part of the story being displayed. This wasn't very interesting and it was obvious that the younger children were not in the least bit interested. After this section you are seated by a staff member into a boat which slowly makes its way around on water. As you go you will pass several scenes of the story and will be worrying about how dry you will stay as you head towards a waterfall... I won't tell you what happens next but to say it's a very tame child friendly ride which the kids around us loved. Personally I thought it was very clever but I preferred the art work to the content of the ride. Oh and not forgetting a trip on the real glass elevator.

Cred Street also houses bouncing bugs a child friendly ride with bug cars for you to drive through the air which bounce up and down depending on the drivers skills. There is also a Frog Hopper and Carousel - you cannot miss this area and it is definitely one for the young ones.

The Gardens

I didn't wander these but they looked absolutely beautiful from the Sky ride with footpaths winding around them and small streams to investigate. It you want a peaceful wander this is worth a look at. The pathways were quiet and the views great. There were also benches in the area for you to sit at and admire the views.

The Towers

As I said before the Towers are currently under renovation which was a huge disappointment as they are a lovely old building which is a massive centrepiece of the park. However Hex is homed here and built into one wing of the Towers. This is a walk through tour with a surprise at the end which will confuse younger children. Whilst the end result would appeal to youngsters I believe that the majority of Hex is aimed at an audience of 11+. It tells the story of the Earl of Shrewsbury and how he came to be at the Towers. It also tells of a curse he had placed upon him and his family which killed of members as a result if a tree losing its branches. Definitely worth going to for the twist at the end. Beware it smells very musty in this building and you have to listen to the audio throughout.

X-Sector

This area is in the scary stakes with the Forbidden Valley when it comes to fast rides and it is where you will find Oblivion, the notorious big drop into a black hole and also Submission, a ride which has two carriages which spin in alternative ways. On the day I went to Alton Towers only one of the carriages on Submission was working and I was very underwhelmed by the experience. I must have looked extremely bored when on it because my friend asked me if I was okay. It's travels backwards and forwards and upside down at various intervals. I think it would be better if the other part was working as well as you would get the feeling that you would collide. Unfortunately for us that wasn't the case.

Back to Oblivion: This is the one ride I remembered from my 1st trip to the theme park. I remember my friend getting very upset on it and then wanting a repeat of the action when it ended. You board oblivion on a flat and the ride tilts to an angle which transporting you to the very peak of the ride. It's very high and once at the top it suspends you in mid air whilst facing down before dramatically dropping into the whole in the ground whilst water lightly sprays at you. It is a very quick ride and the photos at the end are quite funny. It wasn't as good the 2nd time round and definitely didn't compare to my first experience which was great. Thankfully for us (though not for others) Oblivion decided to start smoking once we got off and approximately 6 rides later smoke was steaming from the black hole leaving the carriages that were their way around stationary on the track. Eventually they resumed but only after a man had climbed the scale of the ride and explained the delay - personally had I witnessed that I probably would have avoided it once fixed.

Enterprise is also based in this cul-de-sac of the park. This attraction was fast and spun; we avoided it because it didn't appeal to my friend due to the amount of spin on the cars.

Adventure Land & Old MacDonald's Farmyard

These areas are predominately child friendly and we didn't venture far into it, infact I'm not sure we walked this way at all. The area is filled with activities and rides for children including Old MacDonald's' Tractor Ride, Old MacDonald's Farm Yard and the Squirrel Nutty Ride. There are also zip wires above marshy ground and a foam ball play area. There s also a story book land. Unfortunately I cannot comment on the area other than to give a description of what's available.

Food, Drink & Facilities

The park offers facilities and dining areas in all sections of the park to cater for most tastes and budgets. These include, Rita's Chicken and Ribs (as it sounds), KFC, Burger King, Bronto Bites (offering hot dogs, doughnuts and ice cream), Fresh Fish and Chips and several Cafe's and Coffee Shops, you will find the logo's of the eateries and the names of the other vendors on your theme park map as they are very clearly labelled. Toilet facilities are frequent and in most areas, and all have baby changing facilities. Telephones are dotted around the park as are cash points.

Photos

Photos are available on most of the bigger rides in the park. The cost £6 per photo and keyring and prices increase to have you picture printed on a T-shirt or sweatshirt. To save the pennies, it is worth investing in a photopass. For £20 you get 5 tickets (which you can trade for photos and/or keyrings. We got one of these between us and it was well worth the cash. A photopass can be bought at the counter where you buy your photos (whichever ride you are at). We were offered one which I thought was really good and great customer service.

My issue?

Paying £4 for the privilege of parking my car in the car park. On leaving your car you will pass a sign which says don't forget your parking token. There are no other reminders and it's a fair walk back if you forget to buy one. On exiting the park are some token machines, you are required to have the correct coins for your 50p sized token. This raises the barrier to let you out.

I was absolutely fuming to find that not only would I normally have to pay the expense of the ticket but that the Carpark is not included.
Alton Towers has a capacity of 28,000 people. Based on a 50/50 split of adults to children (unlikely but useful as an example) they would make £416,500 in adult £29.75 ticket sales per day alone and £309,400 in child tickets costing £22.10.

I believe on the figures I can find, that the Carpark can cater for 29,000 cars at any given time. Based on £4 per car that's £116,000 per day on car parking fees alone. I wasn't happy but it wasn't until I had enjoyed my day out that I saw the cost of the parking! The only thing which topped it was the additional Toll road fee I had to pay on the way back!

I would recommend Alton Towers for a day out or a weekend trip, I loved it. The company and name also offers a Water park, Spa and Golf, however entry to these is different and they are separate attractions. There is also a Hotel on site with access to all their venues.

http://www.altontowers.com/pages/home 

...less