Alton Towers and Car Parking

inspector_monkfish

sickparrot wrote: »

We paid £200 for four annual passes for AT a couple of years ago and you STILL had to pay to park everytime you went. It was £4 then, and i think we went about 10 times so it soon adds up.

went twice last year, using Merlin Pass, and didn't have to pay to park

payless

blame the mouse on the other side of the sea! - if he can get away with it , AT might as well try

jellyhead

inspector_monkfish wrote: »

if you have yearly merlin pass (available with tesco clubcard vouchers)
parking is free
http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals/product.aspx?R=393

to be honest, you should way it all up
£5 to park at Alton Towers for a great day out (and you do get a ride from the car park on the nice mono rail;))
OR
Free to park at an inferior Theme Park

i would say the extra £5, in the big scheme of things, is well worth it.....


if not, Chessington and Thorpe Park are Free to park

If you pay the £10 for express parking (I've never done it though) you get to park near the park entrance, which cuts out around half an hour of getting to the park entrance. If you're fit you could walk it in under 30 minutes but on a scorching day, weighed down with picnics, coats in case it rains, books and toys to keep the little one amused while parents queue for rita, heavy child (who fell asleep in the car on the way there and is far too sleepy to walk and gains a few extra stone when alseep lol!) etc. it can feel like a slog.

The monorail was broken that day :rotfl: Or you can queue for the monorail, trying to wave everyone's fag smoke away from your babies. We like the monorail though, small kids love it and there are different designs - my toddler loves the jellybean train

If you are in a hurry to get as many rides in as you can before the surprisingly early park close at 5pm then the £10 to express park might be a good idea.

jellyhead

We have annual passes, so it's £10 express parking versus free parking - we choose the free parking.

I love alton towers, it's my favourite english theme park. The rides are always broken at thorpe park - my husband's wasted the petrol money 3 times this year and 'saw' has never worked, nor has 'stealth'.

deanos

gazzebo69 wrote: »

Jeez...a tenner to park a few yards closer, its gets worse. Who do they think they are. Its all wrong.


Regards
Gazza.

Its alot closer than a few yards, the main car park is about 1/2 a mile away.

I agree its wrong tho.

jellyhead

I think express parking is an okay idea - people don't have to pay it but it gives the option to those who rarely come to alton towers and want to skip the monorail queue. When we last went to blackpool we paid the pleasure beach parking charge instead of parking more cheaply elsewhere because we were running late and were in a hurry.

I don't understand why everyone else has to pay for parking at alton though, there's so much land and it will be customers only who use it, it's in the middle of nowhere. I can see why somewhere like warwick castle would charge though, to keep the non-customers out.

deanos

jellyhead wrote: »

I don't understand why everyone else has to pay for parking at alton though.

Because its a great money spinner

jellyhead

I suppose so, especially if people don't know about it beforehand, but the OP is saying they might take their business elsewhere.

Perhaps alton could make the same sort of money by adding a quid or two to ticket prices? Or charging for the monorail, I could see them doing that lol!

jaymac_2

parking is free at the Alton Towers hotels but I don't know if they check if you're staying there.

jezmyers

Here's the thing though. I went to Alton Towers yesterday and there was nothing on the entrance to say that there was a £5 charge for parking. On the signs on the road to the car park there was nothing about a £5 car parking charge. In fact, the only time I saw a mention of a £5 car par token was at the monorail.

When I spoke to the man on the gate at the way out he said "there are signs all the way saying that there's a £5 parking charge".

So I drove down again, you know, just to check. Lo and behold there are NO signs from the entrance all the way up to where you'd get out of your car to say that you're entering a private parking area and you will be charged (and that you agree to pay) an amount of money.

I'll be complaining to Alton Towers about this and I'll try and seek some legal advice on where we all stand. As far as I can see, they refuse to let you leave unless you pay the charge (that you haven't agreed to and don't know about) which is hardly a positive move.