Alton Towers - hints and tips with 7 year old

child359

Hi there,

I thought I would ask some hints and tips on the day at Alton Towers. Just me and my DS who is 7 nearly 8 years old.

I know there was a similar thread for Legoland which saved us quite a bit of time and money with the hints on there.

We already have our entry tickets through clubcard.

Hints on lunch?
What rides will be suitable for DS?
Is the fast track ticket for the family rides worth it?
What is the best time to arrive? leave?

It is several years since going there - at that time they didn't charge for car parking!!!!!:mad:

Any other tips and hints will be gratefully received.

Thanks :T

balletshoes

Are you going in school holidays or on a weekend? If yes, then I'd say the adventure rides fastpass would really be worth it.

For best value lunch, the pizza/pasta/salad buffet (its like Pizza Hut) near the Runaway Train gets top marks from me - all you can eat, including refillable soft drinks, for around £13 for one adult, one child.

We try to arrive at about 9.45am, and leave as late as possible. We head to the back of the park first (where Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ride is) then work our way back, over the bridge near the Pirate Galleys.

There is loads to do for your DS at Alton Towers these days - I took my DD in May, we had a fabulous day there. The new Sea Life centre is brill, don't miss this (its near the Barrel ride not far from the entrance to the park).

Oh, if you're going on a warm day, the drinks bottles you buy at the entrance are great value for money - £6, then you can fill your bottle with soft fizzy drinks all day long for free, at almost all the food/souvenir stands all over the park.

child359

Aw thanks for this.

We are going school holidays - thinking a week on Thursday.

Is buying it in the restaurant better than taking packed lunch??

balletshoes

Its a lot more MSE to take a packed lunch - but I don't like having to lug any more bags about theme parks than I absolutely have to .

susancs

We went in the June half term and agree with balletshoes tips. The Pizza and pasta buffet is great value as we have merlin passes we paid £20 for 2 adults and 2 children and this included drinks and the salad, pizza and pasta, it is best to eat before noon or after 2 we found as less busy. We got into the park a half an hour early due to having passes, when some of the rides were open, but I seem to remember that if you book online you also get early morning entry. You also have the advantage of being able to run over to the rides you most want to do and be first in the queue when all rides open. One of the days was a wet day and this was fab as the park was fairly empty and we hardly had to queue for anything, so if you can go when the weather forecast is not good, you may find it less busy. Just bring one of those disposable macks you get from Poundland with you. My youngest daughter is 8 and there was plenty for her to do in the park.

child359

susancs wrote: »

We went in the June half term and agree with balletshoes tips. The Pizza and pasta buffet is great value as we have merlin passes we paid £20 for 2 adults and 2 children and this included drinks and the salad, pizza and pasta, it is best to eat before noon or after 2 we found as less busy. We got into the park a half an hour early due to having passes, when some of the rides were open, but I seem to remember that if you book online you also get early morning entry. You also have the advantage of being able to run over to the rides you most want to do and be first in the queue when all rides open. One of the days was a wet day and this was fab as the park was fairly empty and we hardly had to queue for anything, so if you can go when the weather forecast is not good, you may find it less busy. Just bring one of those disposable macks you get from Poundland with you. My youngest daughter is 8 and there was plenty for her to do in the park.

Off tomorrow and forecast isn't great

That is awful isn't it wishing not great weather but we went to Legoland in drizzle and it was fab!!

What time does the park open? I have got my reward voucher from Tesco Clubcard so no early entry pass.

Am going to go to the adventure pass too.

Any wasp problem at Alton towers?? (There was at Legoland!)

balletshoes

Fingers crossed for a drizzly but not downpour of a day for you . The park gates open about 10-15 minutes before 10am for non-early admittance guests, and you'll be let off the main street bit and off to the first ride of your choice at 10am.

moggitymog

we took dd for her 8th birthday, absolutely loved it, plenty of rides for her to go on, we took a picnic in the cool bag and left it in the locker near the entrance until we needed it, then just bought an ice cream from burger king, took lots of nice foods for picnic so she didn't realise we were saving money

Debt_Free_Dreamer

No wasp problems at Alton Towers, they have the pastic containers filled with liquid that are attractive to the wasps. The things are full of them though!!

They hang from all the eating/drink selling huts and judging by the numbers written on them, there are hundreds of the things around the park. But it really does solve the problem.

They need to get them at their other theme parks. Come on Merlin, buy them for the others, they really seem to do the trick.

dollydoodah

Debt_Free_Dreamer wrote: »

No wasp problems at Alton Towers, they have the pastic containers filled with liquid that are attractive to the wasps. The things are full of them though!!

They hang from all the eating/drink selling huts and judging by the numbers written on them, there are hundreds of the things around the park. But it really does solve the problem.

They need to get them at their other theme parks. Come on Merlin, buy them for the others, they really seem to do the trick.

We went 2 weeks ago and there was a massive wasp problem, particularly in the queues for the log flume and the runaway mine train but also in the area near the pirate ship. We did see the wasp control containers about but to be honest they seemed to do little good.

twinmumagain

I have to say we have been 5 times this summer and the wasp problem has been a bloomin' nightmare!!