Hi, Im Gemma and Im here to write reviews for fun basically. If you rate my reviews id be happy to ...
Hi, Im Gemma and Im here to write reviews for fun basically. If you rate my reviews id be happy to do the same for you, remind me though coz my memorys awful!
* * * * * * * * * This review is about Alton Towers which is situated in Staffordshire in England. Alton Towers is a theme park which covers over 500 acres of land. The park is aimed at the whole family, and aims to keep the family entertained all day.
* * * * * * * * * How much does it cost?
* * * * * * * * * Adults: £32 Children: £22 Although those are the gate prices, the internet site www.towerstimes.co.uk offers tickes for Adults: £24 Children: £16 This offer is available online only as a special online promotion.
* * * * * * * * * How often will I want to visit?
* * * * * * * * * You can never have enough Alton Towers! Once you've visited once, you will want to visit again and again. Even though its mainly the same rides each time you visit, there are always changes made to the park to allow you to have a slightly different experience each time you make a visit. If you think you will visit often, I would suggest that you purchase a season ticket, as this will work out alot cheaper than if you pay every time you visit.
* * * * * * * * * Is it worth this much?
* * * * * * * * * To get a whole family into Alton Towers is quite expensive as you can see. As well as the ticket price there are many food outlets and expensive shops to empty your pockets as well. My answer to this is that it's worth as much as you allow it to be. Your ticket will allow you access to all rides, and you are allowed to ride as many times as you like. If you break down the cost of the tickets into cost per ride, you can see whether or not you think the price is worth it for you.
* * * * * * * * * What can I do there?
* * * * * * * * * First off all, you have to experience the rides! Some of the most popular rides are Nemesis, Oblivion and Ripsaw for those of us who enjoy a thrilling ride. Also as famous are the Congo River Rapids and Hex: The Legend of the Towers. What I will say at this point is that there is bound to be something there for everyone. As well as the rides, there are sometimes special events, like when I went there the other month there was an iTunes kareoke bus, which was great! Everyone
got to sing along to their favorite songs and win prizes. Also, in the same area as the iTunes bus, there were bungee trampolines, which were also great fun. You had to pay extra for these however. To help you find your way around the park, you are given a park map at the beginning and there is a chairlift which can take you to the various parts of the park, all of which I enjoy every time I go there! Warning though, if you dont like heights then maybe the chairlifts arent for you! Its not just about the rides, Alton Towers is set in the most beautiful grounds. There are gardens, rivers and lakes, and if you stood in the most beautiful part of the park, you wouldnt believe that there were hundreds of rides just a small distance away from you. I always enjoy spending the morning on rides, and then taking a picnic and eating it in the gardens. I find a picnic more economical the using the foos outlets; pleasing as the food might be.
* * * * * * * * * How much time will I need to set aside?
* * * * * * * * * I always set aside an entire day for Alton Towers. I get up specially early to get there for opening time. The park shuts at around 6pm, so you will need to get there fairly early in order to get in the queues and get your moneys worth. The queues I always find are a big problem when I visit the park. Some rides are not too bad, but on the most popular rides at the peak of the season, you can find yourself spending up to four hours just queueing up for one ride. You can buy a special queue jumping pass if you wish to, which allows you to the front of the queue for all rides, which is well worth the investment if you are aiming to ride all of the popular rides. Another good feature I like is single riders. If you are riding alone you can join another queue and you can fill up single gaps in the carriages and generally get onto the ride alot quicker.
* * * * * * * * * What are the different areas of the park?
* * * * * * * * * -Towers Street: This is the street that you are on when you first enter the park. On this street, there are shops for you to get gifts, and there is also a coffee shop for you to purchase refreshments. The bit I particularly like is the fact that you can see the lake from here and it looks so beautiful. -The Towers: This is the actual castle from which alton towers got its name. renovation work was going on last time I visited. In the towers, there is a ride called Hex, which I found really fun and interesting. It is about a curse that was put on the family. Beware though, it could disturb young children! -Ug Land: The corkscrew and the ug swinger are popular rides within this section. Also, the new ride, Rita; Queen of Speed. You may want to be aware that there are height restrictions in this section. My younger brother was too small to get onto a couple of the rides, so please make sure you check these out on the website, I dont want you to be as upset as he was! There is also an arcade here, which is great fun to be honest, there are lots of machines for you to play on in this, idea if one of your family members is going on a ride that you dont want to go on. Im not a fan of Rita, so I used the arcade while my Dad was on the ride for the fourth time! -Cred Street: If you have young children, this is the best place for them to go as all of the rides here are for young chilren. There is also a McDonalds here which I find handy, and there is a giftshop as well! -The Gardens: There are no rides in this part of the park, but the gardens really are beautiful and worth a look at. The scenery is amazing, and I would recommend this part of the park for you to eat a picnic should you have brought one. -The Gloomy Wood: The only ride in this area of the park is the haunted house. When I was younger, it was a little boring here but now you can actually shoot the monsters inside the house which I find a little more exciting. There is also a spooky shop where you can buy halloween type things and there is a path where you can take a walk through the woods with various surprises (i wont spoil it) along the way. -XSector: This is where you can find Oblivion, which is the most famous ride at Alton Towers. It is the first ever ride with a vertical drop. I have never quite managed to get onto this ride yet, not because of the queues, but because I just cannot bring myself to do it. You must be aware of the height resrictions on this ride, and there is no fast track system either. You can also find some food outlets in this area, which is very useful. -Old Macdonalds Farmyard: This are is definitely aimed at children. Two rides which are contained in this section is the tractor ride and riverbank eye spy. Riverbank eyespy is a boat ride on which you can get your children to try and spot animals along the way, and then press buttons on the boat which will make animal noises. This helped my little brother to learn animal names, so its well worth the visit as it is educational as well as fun! -Advernture Land: This area is very close to the beginning of the park, and contains the squirrel nutty ride and 'the beastie'. These are both very good for young children, and a small play area has recently been built just infront of the beastie ride. I would advise that you dont let your children get too carried away by this; its nothing they couldnt do at home, its best to get them onto the rides! Although it is for children, alton towers staff do not stop adults from going on the ride, which I find nice. You dont even have to have a child with you! -The Forbiddon Valley: This is where all of the big rides are located! Ripsaw, Air and Nemeis are the three main rides. Also whats good about this section is that there is a nice coffee shop where you can sit while your family go on the rides if you dont fancy it. I must admit I've made use of this quite alot! There is also the Air shop, which sells Alton Towers merchadise. This is very nice, but you might want to keep your eyes on the price, as some things can get a little expensive. For the rides in this section, you must be aware of height restrictions so that you will not get disappointed. Also, you might like to be aware that you get wet on the ripsaw, so make sure you come fully prepared! -Merrie England: This is the section of the park that holds the log flume, which is suitable for the whole family. Although fun, you will get wet. We sat at the back and got soaked, so I dread to think what might have happened to us if we'd been at the front! Also here, there is the teacups ride which is a family favourite of ours. We ride these at least 5 times every visit, as its one of the only rides we all enjoy. There is also an arcade here when you can win small prizes. Be careful you dont get carried away though; we ended up spending far too much on these arcades! -Katanga Canyon: This is where you will find the congo river rapids, which has to be my favourite ride of the whole day! Although you generally get very wet, it is a good laugh and definately worth it! You can also find the runaway train in this section, which is good fun also!
* * * * * * * * * What are the facilities like?
* * * * * * * * * Every time that I visited Alton Towers, I found that the facilites were clean and tidy. The toilets were always clean and plesant, and the food outlets always seemed the highest of standards. Aswell as the toilets being clean and plesant, there were also alot of them over the park, which meant you never had to queue to use the toilet, and were never too far away from one should you have to use one. Unlike some theme parks, there is never much rubbish on the floor, which adds to the overall enjoyment of the day. There is alot to be said for a clean theme park, and this certainly is one!
* * * * * * * * * What about the staff?
* * * * * * * * * All Alton Towers staff that I came accross were very friendly and willing to help. There were no exceptions; from the ride attendants to the people serving in the food outlets, they all seemed genuinely happy to be there. I rarely saw any of the staff walking round without a smile, and this helped to make it a genuinely happy place to be!
* * * * * * * * * Is this park safe?
* * * * * * * * * Yes. I have not ever had a single safety issue with Alton Towers, and I have been a regular visitor since I was about 7 years old. All of the rides undergo regular tests to ensure that they are safe for us to ride.
* * * * * * * * * When's the best time to visit?
* * * * * * * * * I find that the best time to visit is off peak (ie weekdays during termtime). If you visit at this time, then the queue times will be alot less, and you will be able to ride alot more rides for your money. I would not advise going during the cold months, as on some rides you are likely to get very wet, and this can be uncomfortable if you are cold at the same time.
* * * * * * * * * Would I recommend this park?
* * * * * * * * * Absolutely yes! This park is great for the whole family, and will be enjoyed by everyone for years to come.
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Advantages: Lots to do, rides seldom break down, something for everyone. Disadvantages: Big queues for some rides, tickets rather pricey, especially for kids
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