Avoid Alton Towers at all costs

davetrousers

What a ridiculous post by the OP!

Of course Alton Towers (as well as any other theme park or indeed attraction up and down this fair isle) is going to be busy at weekends in the summer.

You're better off going on a weekday not in school holidays out of peak season! ie Use your brain and plan your visit.

Idiophreak

davetrousers wrote: »

What a ridiculous post by the OP!

Of course Alton Towers (as well as any other theme park or indeed attraction up and down this fair isle) is going to be busy at weekends in the summer.

You're better off going on a weekday not in school holidays out of peak season! ie Use your brain and plan your visit.

I don't see the OPs post as ridiculous at all.

People *pay* theme park for something - to go on rides. If the queues are so long you get to go on few rides, you end up getting poor value for money - that simple.

If OP had only been on 1 ride, would the complaint still have been ridiculous? How about 2?

There's a fine line between "busy" and "they've let in too many people. now it's just a rip off".

I have to say, last time I went to thorpe park it was right on that line. I really felt the organisers were putting profit ahead of my enjoyment - and seeing as I *pay* for the enjoyment, I'll think carefully before going again.

marshallka

davetrousers wrote: »

What a ridiculous post by the OP!

Of course Alton Towers (as well as any other theme park or indeed attraction up and down this fair isle) is going to be busy at weekends in the summer.

You're better off going on a weekday not in school holidays out of peak season! ie Use your brain and plan your visit.

I thought that. We went on a weekday and thorougly enjoyed ourselves. My son used to work there a few years ago so we had lots of freebies but it had always rained and this time we went it was fab weather. Just right in fact.

Anyone who does not enjoy themselves then I suggest that maybe theme parks are not for you. I can enjoy myself just by standing under AIR and watching peoples excitement.

A tip for the rides is if you do not mind who you sit next to then take the "single rider" lane and you get on so much quicker.

Yes weekends are always busy but if you can go in the week then its not that bad then.

We were two adults and two kids and we went on most of the rides.

marshallka

Idiophreak wrote: »

I don't see the OPs post as ridiculous at all.

People *pay* theme park for something - to go on rides. If the queues are so long you get to go on few rides, you end up getting poor value for money - that simple.

If OP had only been on 1 ride, would the complaint still have been ridiculous? How about 2?

There's a fine line between "busy" and "they've let in too many people. now it's just a rip off".

I have to say, last time I went to thorpe park it was right on that line. I really felt the organisers were putting profit ahead of my enjoyment - and seeing as I *pay* for the enjoyment, I'll think carefully before going again.

Yes people do pay theme parks for something but they also admit lots of people at the same time who usually want to go on the big rides. If you arrive early enough and leave just before closing you certainly would have time to get on more than a couple.

How can they allow too many people in the park? Don't they have limits?

Anyway its going to be even busier next year. They are planning a huge rollercoaster by the looks of things:j

2010
A £12million rollercoaster is due to open in time for the 2010 season. It will sit near the site of the now removed Corkscrew rollercoaster, next to Rita - Queen of Speed. The attraction will feature a 'world first', which, along with the manufacturer, has yet to be confirmed by the park. Planning documents have shown that the ride will have a spooky/gothic theme, similar to nearby Hex.
The ride was given planning approval on 12 March 2009 (despite some opposition from local residents), whilst construction is expected to start in May-June.

worried_jim

Alton Towers is awesome ! Years ago a colleague wrote to Merlin Entertainments Group to complain that he had taken his family on a visit there from Canada and it was so busy that they only managed 2 rides and the visit was ruined. Six free passes were promptly delivered with an apology. Six free passes went into the classified ads that day in the local paper. Turns out he had never even been to Alton Towers. Cheeky.

If you again have a look at -
http://www.altontowers.com/plan-your-visit/

marshallka

worried_jim wrote: »

Alton Towers is awesome ! Years ago a colleague wrote to Merlin Entertainments Group to complain that he had taken his family on a visit there from Canada and it was so busy that they only managed 2 rides and the visit was ruined. Six free passes were promptly delivered with an apology. Six free passes went into the classified ads that day in the local paper. Turns out he had never even been to Alton Towers. Cheeky.

If you again have a look at -
http://www.altontowers.com/plan-your-visit/

After you have been now you get a return ticket for next to nowt.

There are always ways of "not" paying the full price. Half prices tickets/free kids are everywhere.

Idiophreak

marshallka wrote: »

How can they allow too many people in the park? Don't they have limits?

Yes and no. They may have H+S/legal limits, so people don't get crushed and so on. But not sure they have "ethical" limits...ie "if we let X number of people in, queue time will go up to 3 hours" - which is my point.

Have you ever known anyone to be turned away, no matter how long everyone else inside is queuing?

If there are too many people in a theme park, it stops being fun. And you end up feeling like those people that paid for "santaland" or whatever it was at christmas - not good.

laudan

We are going in the school holidays and have a couple of travelodges booked. My question is if we are going to go on a Tuesday can we go on Monday and buy our tickets (using vouchers we have) and buy express tickets for the following day without paying car parking charges. We want to get there early on the day we are going and try and beat the crowds without having to q for tickets.

marshallka

laudan wrote: »

We are going in the school holidays and have a couple of travelodges booked. My question is if we are going to go on a Tuesday can we go on Monday and buy our tickets (using vouchers we have) and buy express tickets for the following day without paying car parking charges. We want to get there early on the day we are going and try and beat the crowds without having to q for tickets.

Fast track tickets can be purchased in advance I think but the car park would be payable on the day. Do you mean go to the park on the Monday and then tuesday as well (as you have a ticket to return at a special discounted price). If this is the case then you would pay parking twice as i am aware.


From their site
Fastrack tickets allow the bearer priority access to some of our favourite attractions and can be purchased and pre-ordered in advance. There are limited numbers available on the day.Also using the single rider queues may reduce your wait if you don't mind riding alone

laudan

marshallka wrote: »

Fast track tickets can be purchased in advance I think but the car park would be payable on the day. Do you mean go to the park on the Monday and then tuesday as well (as you have a ticket to return at a special discounted price). If this is the case then you would pay parking twice as i am aware.


From their site
Fastrack tickets allow the bearer priority access to some of our favourite attractions and can be purchased and pre-ordered in advance. There are limited numbers available on the day.Also using the single rider queues may reduce your wait if you don't mind riding alone

What I ment was can I drive into Alton Towers on the Monday just to buy tickets for Tuesday(not to visit the park). Or will I be charged for parking even though I am just purchasing tickets. (never been before so dont know the layout) Thanks