Alton towers first time this Sat help please

[Villainlover]

My DD Coraleigh wants to go to Alton Towers for her birthday treat this Saturday. She is taking 1 friend, so there will be DD her friend Liam me and her dad. We will be driving down from Cumbria and havent a clue where it is yet LOL

I really do not fancy it in the slightest, I am picturing horrendous queues!

So what advice can anyone give me? I was looking at a front of line pass thing for £35 each .. can you get them cheaper or do you have to buy them for this price from Alton Towers? I really have no idea about strategy or anything as I know nothing about the park.

I initially thought about staying overnight in a hotel but with her taking a boy for a friend and my auntie coming up for the weekend this has gone out of the window now..

So any advice you can offer would be appreciated ..

[Villainlover]

just bumping as it was falling into oblivion fast

[Villainlover]

Great nobody cares

wondering If I should have put it in Dibbing or just for fun...maybe mentioned TCD or seat reclining in the title

[Guest]

Hi, someone from work went last week, said the queues were horrendous, parking was something like £3.50, fish and chips £7.50. You may want to pay for the front of queue ticket and bring some food with you. He said the queue for some new ride was three hours long...

[Villainlover]

Crikey! I want to go even less now DD has her heart set on it...

thanks for your answer though .. I thought no one cared

[mallaeus]

when we went to alton towers fo the first time (about 4 years ago) it was on saturday about this time of year and the queues were horrendous, took us 2 and a half hours to get on oblivion and the queue for nemesis was 3hrs.
I would say either putit off or if you can afford it get the pass if its worth it.
Its a long way aswell it normally takes us 3 - 3 and a half hrs from darlington and then have to drive back its a long day. But i've heard its loooking a bit shabby now as well thats why we don't want to go, i think it will pale in comparison to orlando.
Let me know how you get on.
We used to get buy one get one free tickets off ebay and go down on a thursday at the end of september and it was dead but if you're taking the kids its not an option. Lee and Tracey

[Guest]

Hi Shelly, we do love you really! To be honest, I have only just spotted your reply to your own thread on the DIBBing board so I rushed over here immediately!

We went to Alton Towers on the last Sunday in May (a bank holiday weekend and half term). So it should have been terribly busy, crowded, horrendous queues etc. It was busy, but by no means anything like as bad as MK when that's busy. We didn't wait very long for anything and managed to go on everything we wanted to. There are different rides for every taste, so don't panic. Some of the queues did look quite long, but they all moved at a reasonable rate.

[Villainlover]

thanks for that Zoe .. My fear was DD getting on 2 rides all day as it is only open for 7 hours so if the queue is 3 hours then that equals 2 rides long long way to go for 2 rides..

and the front of line is only for 4 rides and one per ride £2 extra per ride £32 extra for 4 rides .. though I will pay this if we go... I so wish I could persuade her to go elsewhere

[Guest]

I've got a similar problem with DS who will be 12 in August and is already saying he wants to spend the day in Alton Towers. We went last year for his birthday and although me and DD were fine on the kiddies' rides - he and his mate managed to get on 4 rides all day and he was still not tall enough for the biggest rides. Still it didn't put him off I suppose as he's asking to go back this year. Trouble is his birthday in on the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend and I really don't fancy it. I'm even looking into going across the Chanel for a short European break to avoid going

I suppose we will just have to grin and bear it and pretend we are enjoying it just for our little darlings, won't we?

Kitty

[Claire44]

Hi Shelly, have you got some vouchers for alton towers as I have 3 half price entry ones out of the Daily Express which we wont be using. Valid until 3rd July.