Theme Park TopDogDays – Discounts and deals for days out in the UK

Insiders Guide to Chessington World of Adventures

July 4th, 2010

Main Attractions

For those with younger children, Chessington World of Adventures offers something for all the family. Within this theme park is a selection of thrill rides including Vampire & Combra, a Zoo, a Sealife Centre and an array of younger rides. For the low down on all the discounts, deals and top tips to make the most of your day at Chessington World of Adventures, use this insider guide.

On a budget

Deals

Book online: if you do nothing else, check out Chessington World of Adventures online offers which generally offers discounted tickets by up to 25%. For further details, visit online deals at Chessington World of Adventures.

Parent & Toddler deals; Chessington World of Adventures is keen to offer young families deals off peak. On selected days during the year, look out for the parent & toddler offer for a combined entrance of only £13.50. To download a voucher and further details, go to online toddler deals at Chessington World of Adventures.

Vouchers & discounts. Many retailers, discount websites and newspapers run 2 for 1 vouchers or 50% off entrance prices. To keep abreast of these offers, why not sign up to topdogdays . We will then do the the hard work for you and let you know where all the current deals are.

Kobra

Loyalty cards: both Tesco clubcard reward vouchers & Sainsbury’s nectar card offer deals with Chessington. Tesco clubcard vouchers offer value for money as your entrance token costs just £9.50 in vouchers. To get even more for money, go for a Merlin Annual Pass for £40.00 in vouchers. With Nectar, you can now redeem £5 off entrance charges for every 500 points you have accumulated.

Groups; You do not need to be in the Cubs or Brownies to take advantage of group discounts. If you can club together 10 or more of your friends or neighbours, there are about 40% discounts to be had! Group discounts need to be booked in advance, for more information, go to Chessington World of Adventures deals & discounts for groups.

Come back deals: there are usually plenty of offers on to entice you back for a second day. Chessington currently offer a come back deal for the following day for £5 or for anyday in the season from £15. Check out the posters by the exit/entrance for offers available on your day of visit.

Come back deals

Annual cards

If you intend to visit Chessington regularly an annual pass can offer value for money, (depending upon your choice of pass). Further to unlimited access to the park, there are many other additional benefits that tend to be forgotten. These added extras can substantially reduce your spend on each visit.

There are three options available: a Theme Park Annual Pass, a Merlin Annual Pass or a Merlin Premium Pass. When choosing between the Annual Passes, it would be wise to consider your families future plans as well as price. Listed below are some of the main benefits attached to each Annual Pass.

Theme Park Annual Pass;

Access to Chessington World of Adventures throughout the year,
20% reduction on all purchases at Chessington World of Adventures outlets, (food, drinks, ice-creams, souvenirs)
Valid for a full twelve months, (if purchased wisely, this can last you two seasons!)
20% off Ultimate Express Passes
Sunstantial deals on Holiday Inn located within the park
Prices start at £70 online

Dragon's Fury

Added benefits for a Merlin Annual Pass;

Access to all UK Merlin Attractions; Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, SeaLife Centres & many more, (some restrictions on use)
20% off refreshments & shopping at Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, London Eye, Warwick Castle, Sea Life & the Dungeons.
Early Ride Time at Alton Towers
Prices start from £150 although look out for half price deals for this pass

Added benefits for a Merlin Premium Pass;

Access to all UK Merlin attractions without any restrictions during the season.
50% discount at Merlin attractions abroad.
Priced at £200 per person.

Top Tip; you can upgrade on the day and the price of your admission will be refunded as long as you can produce your original tickets.

When to go to beat the queues

Choose your day carefully, there are particular days & months that historically have been quieter than others;

Teacher training days are especially quiet if your children are off but the rest of the country is still at school!

If you don’t have children, avoid the park at peak times during the school holidays. How quiet it can be just after the children have gone back to school.

Especially quiet times have historically tended to be March/April, (avoid Easter) & September/early October

Fridays tend to be busier than any other weekday.

How to Beat the Queues

It may seem obvious but to make the most of your day, get there early!! Ensure you are parked up & ready to go the moment the park opens. The first 60/90 minutes of the day is the best time to get round the main attraction rides before the queues start to build. There is a preferential entry gate for annual pass holders that is marginally quicker.

Wild Asia

For thrill seekers, there are six main rides: Vampire, Kobra, Dragon’s Fury, Rameses Revenge, Tomb Blaster & Dragon Falls, (a water ride). If these are for you, head straight to the back of the park and work round these rides in quick succession as these are where the queues build quickly. My advice is to start with Vampire as this is the largest rollercoaster at the park.

If you are staying at the Holiday Inn on site, you can access the park 30 minutes before general opening times on weekends and school holidays. Selected popular rides will be available to you offering you a great way to beat the queues.

Express Passes: this is effectively a fastrack ticket that offers you a way to bypass the queues, however they are not cheap. Your options are A Shot, an Express Pass and an Ultimate Express Pass.

Express Pass at Chessington World of Adventures

A Shot offers you a solo fastrack on one of the main rides for around £4. A selected shot for say Vampire, (one of the most popular), allows you to concentrate on the other main attractions and slot a fastrack in when the park is busy.

The Express Pass offers you one ride on each of the following; Kobra, Dragon’s Fury, Vampire, Dragon Falls & Tomb Blaster & Bubbleworks for around £10. Be aware that Bubbleworks is a young child ride NOT a thrill ride.

The Ultimate Express offers you unlimited access to 11 of the main rides in the park but at £40 a person, it’s not a cheap option!

Last Few Hints

Make use of the electronic board located in Market Square for accurate queue times.

Take a sandwich and have an early/late lunch -this way not only do you avoid the food queues but manage to take advantage of shorter queue times!

Not many people realise that it is the ride queue that closes at the stipulated closing time not the actual ride! As the park begins to empty, it gives you a chance at the main rides with generally shorter queue times.

Tomb Blaster

Have a break

Picnics are welcome at Chessington World of Adventure and this is an easy way to make some savings whilst also avoiding lengthy queues for lunch! There are lockers available throughout the park for £1, (non refundable).

A soft drink refill costs around £6 and allows you to refill as often as you like. Remember to use your Annual Pass to receive your 20% discount too!

There are a number of picnic spots around the park; try the grassed areas around the Zoo or, for younger children, the Dragon’s Playhouse for cover in wetter weather.

Places to Eat

Market Square Pizza & Pasta Buffet: try the all you can eat pizza, pasta, salad and drink deal for about £8 adults & £4 children under 12. Remember your 20% discount for passholders.

Holiday Inn: this newly opened hotel on site offers fantastic views of the African Savannah Experience and is open to non-residents for lunch, (just remember to have your hand stamped for return entry to the theme park.)

African Savannah Experience

Invest in an Ultimate Express Pass for £40 per person that allows you unlimited fastrack entrance to 11 of the most popular rides at the park.

Pick up some edible insects from the Maharaja’s Market in Wild Asia for a souvenir with a difference!

Edible Insects at Chessington

There’s more than just rides at Chessington to keep you amused. Whilst the zoo is looking a little out-dated, there’s a fantastic Sealife Centre, (air conditioned!), closeby. Keep an eye out for information talks and feeding times running throughout the day.

The African Savannah Experience is also worth a closer look. If you can leave the site, the best views to be had are from the verander of the Holiday Inn. The bar is open to non-residents and offers a comfy retreat from the theme park!

Childrens Zoo at Chessington

Free child ID wristbands; Available from Guest Services for that extra piece of mind. They provide secure wrist bands that has your mobile number on the band. If child is lost, a member of staff will contact you on the number given.

Parent Queue Share Passes: If you have a child under 1.2m you can have a queue share pass, free of charge from guest services. This allows the first parent to queue and ride with the subsequent parent using the Express Pass entrance. This works particularly well in groups of adults and children as you can still enjoy the thrill of the rides together.

Height checking service: for those children on the border for height restricted rides, you can have your child measured at Adventurers’ Services in Market Square. If they are eligible, a wristband is placed on your child to confirm their height to avoid differences of opinion with ride attendants.

The Land of Dragons is a lovely area for younger children. Within lies an indoor play area, a children’s theatre, an interactive rope walk and even a small splash zone. Another ideal location is the children’s zoo that allows the petting of rabbits, goats and even a couple of pot bellied pigs!

Parking is currently free of charge. However with parking charges in place at Alton Towers & Thorpe Park, it may only be a matter of time before Chessington follows suit.

Holiday Inn at Chessington

Check out the newly built Holiday Inn on site that has been decked out safari style. Residents are offered early ride time prior to opening times on weekends and school holidays.

Chessington World of Adventures have introduced new USB wristbands that allows you to download photos as you wish. Once your have purchased the uSB wristband and first photo for £10, subsequent photos will cost you £5 and will hold up to 40 photos at a time!

Passholders get an even better deal; the initial puchase is just £5. For subsequent photos, why not purchase a 4 photo deal for £16 which you can use to buy successive photos on the USB wristband. This not only saves you a £1 a download, it is valid all season so you can space out your photographic memories!

USB wrist band

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Insiders Guide to Legoland, Windsor

June 11th, 2010

Main Attractions

Lego family at Legoland

For young families especially for children dazzled by Lego, then this is the Theme Park for you. Choose from a range of rides to suit children up to about 10/12 years, (if your children are looking for the thrill of adrenalin rides, this is perhaps not the place for you), a model world all constructed in Lego or check out the splash zone or extensive playground. For the low down on all the discounts, deals and top tips to make the most of your day at Legoland, use this insider guide.

On a budget

Deals

Book online. if you do nothing else, book online to secure a 10% discount off gate prices.

Loyalty cards. Both Tesco clubcard reward vouchers & Sainsbury’s nectar card offer deals with Legoland both on day tickets and annual passes. If you are a regular spender at Tesco or Sainsbury’s, this can offer a great way to slash costs.

With Tesco clubcard rewards, a day ticket will put you back £10 in vouchers or £20 for a Fulll Annual Pass. With nectar points, every 500 nectar points gives you £5 off either towards a day ticket or an annual pass.

Parent & Toddler deals: this is available on off peak days for parents/carers and children under the age of 5 offering discounted entrance tickets to young families. For more information and to download a voucher go to Parent & Toddler vouchers.

Annual cards

For frequent visits to Legoland, an annual pass offers value for money. With annual passes there are many other additional benefits that tend to be forgotten that can substantially reduce your spend on each visit.

How far will an annual pass take you?

There are four options available: a Legoland Full Annual Pass, a Legoland Basic Annual Pass, a Merlin Annual Pass or a Merlin Premium Pass. When choosing between the Annual Passes, it would be wise to consider your families future plans for the year as well as price.

Listed below are some of the main benefits attached to each Annual Pass.

Legoland Basic Annual Pass;

This is an off peak pass with many restrictions on dates.
Ideal for those with pre-school children
20% off at Legoland Restaurants.
Valid for a full twelve months, (if purchased wisely, this can last you two seasons!)
10% off in Legoland shops.
Half price Q Bots after 2pm, (restrictions apply)
One free entry to each of the international Legoland Parks.
One free entry to Legoland Discovery Centre, Manchester.
Prices start at £49.50 per adult

Added Benefits for Legoland Full Annual Pass;

Access to Legoland throughout the year without restrictions.
All the benefits of a Legoland Basic Annual Pass
Prices start at £67.50 an adult online.

Added benefits for a Merlin Annual Pass;

Access to all UK Merlin Attractions; Alton Towers, Chessington, Legoland Windsor, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, SeaLife Centres & many more, (some restrictions on use)
20% off refreshments & shopping at Alton Towers, Chessington, London Eye, Warwick Castle, Sea Life & the Dungeons.
Early Ride Time at Alton Towers
Prices start from £150 although look out for half price deals for this pass

Added benefits for a Merlin Premium Pass;

Access to all UK Merlin attractions without any restrictions during the season.
50% discount at Merlin attractions abroad.
Priced at £200 per person.

Guarding Legoland's secrets!

When to go to beat the queues

Choose your day carefully, there are particular days & months that historically have been quieter than others.

Teacher training days can be a great way to catch Legoland on a quiet day.
Especially quiet times have historically tended to be March/April, (avoid Easter) & September/early October.
Fridays tend to be busier than any other weekday.
If you have pre-school children, miss the school holidays altogether for a less busy experience
Avoid Ascot week as traffic is particularly busy

How to Beat the Queues

It may seem obvious but to make the most of your day, get there early!! Many people do not realise that Legoland opens at 9.30am on busy days and this can give you an added advantage to get ahead of the queues. Ensure you have checked out what time the park opens on your day and aim to be there 40 minutes before that! That gives you time to park up, purchase your tickets, (if you have pre-booked tickets you do not need to queue at the ticket booths), and join the queue for the park to open. The turnstiles open about 30 minutes before the park opens, allowing you into The Beginning area so you can be at the front of the queue as the park opens.

If you are considering a Q-Bot, (more details below), it’s worth queuing up straight away to make your purchase as you enter through the turnstiles. To perfect your queue-busting time, my advice would be to pre-book your Q-Bot online and make your way to the pre-booked collection point located further within the park. However this will only give you an advantage if you still arrive at the park 30/40mins before opening times and thus enter the park before the general mass of people.

Don’t wait for the Hill Train to take down into the park, it’s quicker to walk and misses the first queue of the day!

The largest queues build for The Dragon, Pirate Falls, Vikings River Splash & Laser Raiders for older kids as well as the Driving School for younger children. To beat the queues, it’s worth heading straight for The Dragon & Pirate Falls at the far edge of the park and working backwards to complete the busiest rides first. The first 60/90 minutes of the day is the best time to get round the main attraction rides before the queues start to build.

As the park gets busier and the main rides are done, you can concentrate on less busy rides and intersperse these with non-queuing attractions such as Miniland, Waterworks, Pirate Training Camp or Loki’s Labyrinth.

Q-Bots

The Q-Bot is a handheld device on a keychain that allows you to virtual queue for your rides rather than actually stand in the real queue! You can only electronically reserve one ride at a time with the Q-Bot telling you what time you can go on your selected ride. You then enter the Q-Bot line at your selected ride and very quickly access the ride. Once finished, you begin choosing your next ride. The advantage of the Q-Bot is, like a fastrack ticket, you have all the thrill of the rides without the queues. The downside is they are costly at £10 per person off peak or £15 peak time, (for under 3′s, you add them to the Q-Bot but there is no charge), and each person who intends to experience the rides needs to be on the Q-Bot.

Apart from the cost, the main complaints regarding the Q-Bots concern the queue for the Q-Bot, (see top tips above on how minimize this problem) & managing your time effectively with a Q-Bot. A top tip to maximize the number of rides you can fit into a day, it’s best to use your Q-Bot for rides with long wait times and actually physcially stand inline for those rides with shorter waiting times. Be aware that Q-Bots can sell out fast on busy days!

The only current deal on Q-Bots is that pass holders are eligible for a 50% discount after 2pm. However whether there are any Q-Bots available from 2pm is another matter!

It is unclear as to whether you could combine a Q-Bot with a parent swap ticket. (See parents with young children.)

One last thought to consider is if you have children of differing ages/likes, can you share a smaller number of Q Bots? For example if you have a child that only wants the thrill seeking rides and another that will look to the younger rides, perhaps you could alternate with 2 Q Bots?

If money is no object, then a Q-Bot Express could be for you. At £30 per person off peak or £40 peak time, this Q-Bot works in the same way as the basic Q-Bot except you don’t have to have completed one ride to book another but can reserve rides as you wish. This gives you unlimited access to all the rides listed in Q-Bot but at a price.

Have a break

Picnics & lockers: picnics are welcome at Legoland although lockers are limited, (non refundable £1), so best to bag one early or follow the trend of acquiring a small bag on wheels to carry your lunch. This is an easy way to make some savings whilst also avoiding lengthy queues for lunch!

Why not park up by the Pirates Training Camp – an extensive playground that will keep the kids amused and give you a well earned break! Alternatively try the Enchanted Forest with grassed areas, mossy logs and lego woodland creatures!

Places to Eat: try the Sub Station Baguette Bar located close to the Fire Academy/Traffic. With adult meals,(baguette, fruit & crisps) or childrens meals, (baguette, fruit & drink) for around £5, this is perhaps a healthier option that won’t cost a fortune. Try an early or late lunch to avoid the worst of the queues.

Lifetime Pass Holders Wall

Invest in a Legoland Lifetime Pass for £695 per person! This offers you unlimited use of all Legoland Parks around the world for your lifetime as well as your name in lego displayed on the lifetime pass holder wall!

Did you know that Legoland provides kennels for customer’s dogs free of charge! Allocated on a first come first served basis, the kennels are located next to disabled car park and can be booked at guest services for only a £5 deposit.

Have a leisurely stroll around Miniland which beholds some fantastic lego model scenes from around Europe & USA. Look out for the London Underground, Big Ben or even Abba playing in Sweeden!

Miniland at Legoland, Windsor

Lost parent stickers: available from Guest Services that allows you to add your mobile phone number to quickly reunite families.

Parent Swap: available for families that have young children that are under height restrictions. Parent Swap is free of charge and allows the first parent to queue and ride with the subsequent parent using the Q-Bot entrance and effectively bypassing a second queue.

Feeding Baby: why not try the Harbour Coffee Co in City Walk/Lego City. With comfy sofas, a bottle warmer & microwave this is an ideal spot away from the crowds – there’s even a number of duplo activity tables to keep older children amused.

Water fun: don’t forget the children’s swimwear for Waterworks in Duplo Land – an extensive outdoor splash zone for younger children which won’t fail to entertain. Although swimwear is available from the store closeby, it won’t be the cheapest option!

Baby changing facilities & strollers: toilets and baby change facilities are clearly marked on the park map so you can manage your comfort breaks accordingly. Strollers are available for hire from The Beginning should you wish to leave your own at home.

Lego figures at Legoland, Windsor

There is now a standard parking charge of £2 per car. Car parking remains free of charge to annual pass holders and for disabled parking.

Preferred parking is priced at £6 a day and is located next to the entrance. However it is not worth forking out extra for this on quieter days or for those who have managed to reach Legoland early as the entrance to the standard parking is literally across the road!

Stock up on some unusual souvenirs at Brick Brothers such as lego ice-cube trays or an array of Lego kitchen utensils for that hard to buy person in your life, (pass holders – remember your 10% discount). Alternatively check out the 3D photo cystal with personalised message by the exit to Laser Raiders!

Insiders Guide to Drayton Manor Theme Park

June 10th, 2010

Main Attractions

With a selection of high adrenalin rides sitting next to a delightful Thomasland, based on the Thomas the Tank Engines stories for younger children, there’s something for all the family at Drayton Manor Theme Park. For the low down on all the discounts, deals and top tips to beat the queues at Drayton Manor, use this insider guide.

Top tips

When to go to beat the queues

There are no fastrack tickets at this Theme Park, so you will need your wits about you to beat the queues! Choose your day carefully avoiding the school holidays if you can or make use of those teacher training days for quieter days.

As with all Theme Parks, the best way to avoid the queues is by getting there early. The park opens about an hour before the rides, giving you plenty of time to park up, puchase tickets and be ready to go the moment it opens! Your quietest time will be the first hour/90 minutes so best to do the high adrenalin rides at the beginning of the day.

Off-peak, G-Force & Splash Canyon open later in the day so best heading straight for other adrenalin rides on less busy days.

On any day, the busiest queues tend to build for Maelstrom, Stormforce 10 & Shockwave. Stormforce 10 & Splash Canyon, (both water rides) get busier throughout the day with the queue peaking at around 1-2pm. If you don’t mind getting wet early, try these rides around 11/11.30am.

Pandemonium, another adrenalin ride located in Aerial Park, has good queue capacity even though the queues may look very full.

For families with younger children, you will find that Thomasland can get very busy early on as this is the area that little ones head for first. If you are not able to arrive early and beat the queues, the advice would be to leave Thomasland until early afternoon as others begin to explore the rest of the theme park.

Have a break

Take a Picnic: picnics are welcome at Drayton Manor and are an easy way to make some savings whilst also avoiding lengthy queues for lunch! There are lockers located at the theme park to store your picnic. There are plenty of ideal picnic spots around the park but our favourite has to be by Spencer’s Activity Park which hosts an extensive adventure play park for children around the age of 8 or younger.

Places to Eat: here’s our top tip for lunch away from the crowds, try the Rainforest Cafe located close to the entrance to the Zoo. Whilst this serves all you typical theme park junk food, it tends to be much quieter than Central Plaza

On a fortune

Why not combine a day out to Drayton Manor with an overnight stay at The Belfry Hotel, only ten miles away. Set within 550 acres of grounds, The Belfry boasts of a luxourious spa & leisure club as well as three 18 hole golf courses! Try a Golf or a Spa Package for a truly indulgent break.

Something querky

Experience the fun of Thomasland at Christmas time with a live Christmas show and guaranteed snow three times a day. Running from November to January, check out Drayton Manor’s website for further details.

Brought the kids but not interested yourself?

Take a leisurely stroll around the zoo. Although beginning to look quite dated, there are still some interesting sights to see. Why not have a peek in Thomasland whatever the age of your own kids as you’ll still be swept away with the magic of the place.

Parents with young children

Thomasland at Drayton Manor

Children under 3 are free of charge. There is a toddler ticket but frankly not always the best deal at the park. However Thomasland is lovely and quite magical for little ones with an array of rides to suit all young children. The other ‘must’ is Spencer’s Activity Park which will delight young children for quite some time and a great place to take a break.

In wetter weather, check out Emily’s Adventure Play, an indoor play area although you won’t be the only ones with this idea!

Baby changing facilities are available throughout the park with a private room for nursing mothers in Thomasland. Nappies and other essential baby care items can be found at the central toy shop. Buggies can be hired at the entrance to the park for £5 for the day, (deposit required).

Drayton Manor does offer a parent swap deal although both parent and child/ren have to queue together to allow each parent to experience the larger thrill rides.

Parking

Free car parking.

Accommodation

Drayton Manor has it’s own camping & caravan site with all the usual on-site facilities and holds up to 75 pitches. Watch out for the Drayton Manor hotel ready to open in 2011.

And finally..

Try out the Happy Feet 4D film experience in central plaza that uses 3D glasses and special effects to bring in that fourth dimension. Whilst younger children may not like this, older kids most definitely will with moving seats, wind & rain special effects combined with 3D images to keep you on your toes. If you are looking for a soaking the best place to be is down the front of the theatre!

Thorpe park insider’s guide

April 15th, 2010

Main Attractions

For thrill seekers, Thorpe Park must be the ultimate Theme Park in the UK with an array of adrenalin rides! Choose from Saw Alive, Saw the Ride, Stealth, Nemesis, Colossus & many more. For the low down on all the discounts, deals and top tips to make the most of your day at Thorpe Park, use this insider guide.

On a budget

Deals

Book online. Before you do anything, check out Thorpe Park’s online offers which generally offers discounted tickets by 20 to 30%. For further details, visit online deals at Thorpe Park.

Groups; Thorpe Park is keen to offer substantial discounts to attract a larger parties! A ‘group’ can consist of friends, family members or work mates…in fact anyone that can get 7 or more people together. The bigger the group, the greater the savings! For more information, go to Thorpe Park deals & discounts for groups.

Loyalty cards: both Tesco clubcard reward vouchers & Sainsbury’s nectar card offer deals with Thorpe Park. Tesco clubcard vouchers, in particular, are value for money as your entrance token costs just £10 in vouchers. To get even more for dosh, go for a Merlin Annual Pass for £40.00 in vouchers.

Come back deals

There are usually plenty of offers on to entice you back for a second day, usually between £5 & £15 for a subsequent days. Check out the posters & kiosks by the entrance/exit for up to date offers.

Annual cards

If you intend to visit Thorpe Park more than twice in a twelve month period, an annual pass offers value for money, (depending upon your choice of pass). Further to unlimited access to the park, there are many other additional benefits that tend to be forgotten. These added extras can substantially reduce your spend on each visit.

Theme Park Annual Pass;

Access to Thorpe Park throughout the year, (£5 entrance fee for Fright Nights)
20% reduction on all purchases at Thorpe Park outlets, (food, drinks, ice-creams, souvenirs)
Valid for a full twelve months, (if purchased wisely, this can last you two seasons!)
Extra 10% off pass prices for students
Prices start at £73 online

Added benefits for a Merlin Annual Pass;

Access to all UK Merlin Attractions; Alton Towers, Chessington, Legoland Windsor, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, SeaLife Centres & many more, (some restrictions on use)
20% off refreshments & shopping at Alton Towers, Chessington, London Eye, Warwick Castle, Sea Life & the Dungeons.
Early Ride Time at Alton Towers
Prices start from £150 although look out for half price deals for this pass

Added benefits for a Merlin Premium Pass;

Access to all UK Merlin attractions without any restrictions during the season.
50% discount at Merlin attractions abroad.
Priced at £200 per person.

Top Tip; you can upgrade on the day and the price of your admission will be refunded as long as you can produce your original tickets.

When to go to beat the queues

Choose your day carefully, there are particular days & months that historically have been quieter than others;

Teacher training days are especially quiet if your children are off but the rest of the country is still at school!

If you don’t have children, avoid the park at peak times during the school holidays. How quiet it can be just after the children have gone back to school.

Especially quiet times have historically tended to be March/April, (avoid Easter) & September/early October, (avoid Fright Nights.)

Fridays tend to be busier than any other weekday.

How to Beat the Queues

It may seem obvious but to make the most of your day, get there early!! Ensure you have checked out what time the park opens on your day, (sometimes it is 9.30am), and aim to be there 40 minutes before that! That gives you time to park up, purchase your tickets and join the queue for the park to open. There is a preferential entry gate for annual pass holders that is marginally quicker.

Keep an eye out for any rides that are not operating that day which will be displayed on information boards around the park – no point running for rides that won’t be running at all!

RUN straight for Saw as the queues for this build throughout the day. The first 60/90 minutes of the day is the best time to get round the main attraction rides before the queues start to build.

Make use of the electronic boards located around the park for accurate queue times.

Take a sandwich and have an early/late lunch -this way not only do you avoid the food queues but manage to take advantage of shorter queue times!

Consider Fastrack tickets for the most popular rides – a selected solo fastrack for say Stealth, (one of the slowest capacity queues) & Saw, the Ride, (one of the most popular) allows you to concentrate on the other main attractions and slot fastracks in when the park is busy. Be aware that fastrack tickets at Thorpe Park sell out fast!

Have a break

Picnics are welcome at Thorpe Park and this is an easy way to make some savings whilst also avoiding lengthy queues for lunch! There are lockers available throughout the park for £1, (non refundable).

There are a number of picnic spots around the park; try around the lakeside between Zodiac & Colossus or use the tables in the main dome area in wetter weather.

Places to Eat

Pizza Hut: try the buffet deal for about £8 adults & £4.50 children under 12. This is an all you can eat offer with unlimited pizza, pasta, salad & drink refills.

Jumin Juices: located by the Octopus Garden, they offer a selection of healthy smoothies with prices around £2.50, (it’s just a shame they also sell bulk discount donuts as well!) Alternatively, try a soft drink refill for around £5 that you can refill as often as you like. Remember to use your Annual Pass to receive your 20% discount too!

The Glass House Restaurant: keep a look out for deals on food & drink at this one. Also offers a selection of healthy kids meals devised by Annabel Carmel for about £4.25 a meal.

Invest in an Ultimate Fastrack Ticket for £60 per person that allows you unlimited fastrack entrance to most of the main rides at the park.

Tidal Wave

For a full soaking, try Tidal Wave which is one for all the family! If this isn’t for you, why not make use of the water guns located nearby where for £1 parents have a chance to get their own back!

Unlike Alton Towers, if you are not keen on rides, there is precious little to amuse you here! Try the sunken garden by Stealth or hide away in the Glass House restuarant which at least is spacious and holds array of comfortable seating! If you can avoid the park completely, try Chertsy close by for a leisurely lunch or a spot of shopping.

Not the best of the Merlin Theme Parks for little ones as Thorpe Park appears to be targeting the thrill seeker rather than the young family. However, there are a selection of rides for young children particularily in the summer when the water park area is open. Beware that the little rides often have maximum height requirements, which can cause problems for families with more than one child!

Parent Queue Share Passes: If you have a child under 1.4m you can have a queue share pass, free of charge from guest services. This allows the first parent to queue and ride with the subsequent parent using the fast track entrance. This works particularly well in groups of adults and children as you can still enjoy the thrill of the rides together.

Baby changing facilities & strollers; toilets and baby change facilities are clearly marked on the park map so you can manage your comfort breaks accordingly. Strollers are available for hire from Guest Services should you wish to leave your own at home.

Want to treat the kids without spending a fortune: try the sweet sherbet sticks available from the gift shops. With three sizes to choose from, the children have fun selecting & topping up different flavoured sherbets in one tube.

Historically, parking was free of charge although this is about to change with the introducution of a £2 parking charge. Parking remains free of charge for annual pass holders & blue badge holders.

Although there is no hotel on site, Thorpe Park has linked in with some nearby hotels. For more details, go to Thorpe Park breaks.

For something different try out Saw Alive Horror Maze complete with live actors for ultimate scare tactics and pungent smells to boot – not for the faint hearted!

USB wrist band

Thorpe Park has introduced new USB wristbands that allows you to download photos as you wish. Once your have purchased the USB wristband and first photo for £10, subsequent photos will cost you £5 and will hold up to 40 photos at a time!

Alton Towers Insider’s guide

April 8th, 2010

Main Attractions

Remnants of the Corkscrew at Alton Towers

For thrill seekers, this must be the ultimate Theme Park in the UK! Choose from a large range of adrenalin rides such as Nemesis, Oblivion, Rita, Air, Sonic Spinball or the new ride opening for 2010, Thirteen. For the low down on all the discounts, deals and top tips to make the most of your day at Alton Towers, use this insider guide.

On a budget

Deals

Book online: not only do online bookings at Alton Towers offer discounted tickets, they also have the added attraction of Early Ride Time. Generally, discounts of 20% – 35% are available from the on the gate prices.

Loyalty cards: both Tesco clubcard reward vouchers & Sainsbury’s nectar card offer deals with Alton Towers. Tesco clubcard vouchers, in particular, are value for money as your entrance token costs just £10 in vouchers. To get even more for dosh, go for a Merlin Annual Pass for £40.00 in vouchers.

Vouchers & discounts: many retailers, discount websites and newspapers run 2 for 1 vouchers or 50% off entrance prices. To keep abreast of these offers, why not sign up to topdogdays . We will then do the the hard work for you and let you know where all the current deals are.

Come back deals: there are plenty of offers on to entice you back for a second day either to the Theme Park or the Alton Towers Waterpark! A Towers 2 Tomorrow ticket offers you a second day at either the theme park or the waterpark for just £9 for adults or £5 for children. Alternatively a Tower 2 Anyday ticket offers a second day at the theme park later in the season for only £14 adults or £10 child.

Come back deals

Thrill Hopper Ticket: this combines entry to the Alton Towers, Drayton Manor, Water World & The SnowDome. If you intend to visit each setting during the year, the Thrill Hopper offers substanial savings. For more information go to Thrill Hopper discount ticket. Individual tickets are priced £44.95, and family tickets for £129.95.

More information about Alton Towers deals can be found in our brochure, A guide to Alton Towers, Discounts & Top Tips to Beat the Queues.

Annual cards

If you intend to visit Alton Towers more than twice in a twelve month period, an annual pass can offer value for money, (depending upon your choice of pass). Further to unlimited access to the park, there are many other additional benefits that tend to be forgotten. These added extras can substantially reduce your spend on each visit.

Theme Park Annual Pass;

Access to Alton Towers throughout the year
Early Ride Time at Alton Towers
20% reduction on all purchases at Alton Towers outlets, (food, drinks, ice-creams, souvenirs)
Valid for a full twelve months, (if purchased wisely, this can last you two seasons!)
Prices start at £89 online

Added benefits for a Merlin Annual Pass;

Access to all UK Merlin Attractions; Thorpe Park, Chessington, Legoland Windsor, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, SeaLife Centres & many more, (some restrictions on use)
20% off refreshments & shopping at Thorpe Park, Chessington, London Eye, Warwick Castle, Sea Life & the Dungeons.
Prices start from £150 although look out for half price deals for this pass

Added benefits for a Merlin Premium Pass;

Access to all UK Merlin attractions without any restrictions during the season.
50% discount at Merlin attractions abroad.
Priced at £200 per person.

Top Tip; you can upgrade on the day and the price of your admission will be refunded as long as you can produce your original tickets.

When to go to beat the queues

Choose your day carefully, there are particular days & months that historically have been quieter than others;

Teacher training days are especially quiet if your children are off but the rest of the country is still at school!

If you don’t have children, avoid the park at peak times during the school holidays. How quiet it can be just after the children have gone back to school.

Especially quiet times have historically tended to be March/April, (avoid Easter) & September/early October, (avoid Scarefest.)

Fridays tend to be busier than any other weekday.

Rita at Alton Towers

How to Beat the Queues

It may seem obvious but to make the most of your day, get there early!! The car park, monorail & ticket booths open significantly earlier than the theme park. Ensuring you are ready to go the moment the park opens helps you to beat the queues.

Plan out your route in advance and make straight for the main rides, (Thirteen has the largest queues in the park this season). The first 60/90 minutes of the day is the best time to get round the main attraction rides before the queues start to build.

Make use of Early Ride Time, (ERT), as this gives you an extra hour before the main opening times on selected rides. You are eligible for ERT if you are a pass holder, have purchased a ticket online from Alton Towers or are staying at the Alton Towers Resort.

Consider Fastrack tickets for the most popular rides – a selected solo fastrack for say Rita or Nemesis allows you to concentrate on the other main attractions and slot fastracks in when the park is busy. Be aware that fastrack tickets can sell out especially during school trip times!

Use Single Rider Queues: these are generally available on Air, Nemesis, Sonic Spinball & Oblivion and offer a seperate entrance to those who don’t mind filling in a single space on a ride

Make use of the electronic boards located around the park for accurate queue times that help you to plan your itinerary.

Take a sandwich and have an early/late lunch -this way not only do you avoid the food queues but manage to take advantage of shorter queue times!

Sonic Spinball at Alton Towers

For more information on Fastrack, Early Ride Time, Best Days to Visit & Suggested Itineraries, why not download our brochure; A guide to Alton Towers, Discounts & Top Tips to Beat the Queues.

Have a break

Picnics are welcome at Alton Towers. This is an easy way to make some savings whilst also avoiding lengthy queues for lunch! Refreshments can be left in a locker at Guest Services for £3 and you can come back & forth as often as you like.

There are plenty of ideal picnic spots around the park; have a quick break by the lake or a more leisurely time within the gardens.

Try a soft drink refill carton for £6 that you can refill as often as you like. Remember to use your annual pass for a 20% discount.

Places to Eat: try Explorer’s Pizza & Pasta Buffet located at Katanga Canyon that offers unlimited pizza, pasta, salad and drinks. Reasonably priced at £8 for adults and around £4 for children with a further 20% discount with an annual pass.

Park in the VIP parking for £15. This allows you to park right by the entrance cutting out the mono-rail round trip.

Purchase a Fast Track Platinum for £75 per person that allows you unlimited fastrack entrance to most of the main rides at the park.

Treat yourself to a Themed Room at the Alton Tower’s Resort which includes use of the extensive Splash Landings Water Park. My favourite has to be the ‘chocolate room’ that comes complete with an endless supply of hidden chocolate throughout your stay!

Pick up a DVD of your ride experience of Oblivion for £12. As Oblivion is one of the shortest rides at the park, it won’t be a lenghty viewing!

If the kids are old enough to go off alone & you are not keen on the rides, the day holds many other attractions for you. Here’s a few ideas to get you going;

The gardens: sadly ignored by most theme park users, these gardens are beautifully kept and you can certainly wile away a delightful hour or two in here.

Sharkbait Reef Aquarium: located in Mutiny Bay. Wander around at your leisure or join a guided information session that run throughout the day.

The Spa: make use of the spa located at the Alton Towers Resort. Open to non-residents, they offer half day sps sessions with use of an array of pools & saunas from £18.50 in the school holidays.

For more ideas, download our brochure; A guide to Alton Towers, Discounts & Top Tips to Beat the Queues.

Alton Tower's Monopoly

Baby changing facilities & strollers: toilets and baby change facilities are clearly marked on the park map so you can manage your comfort breaks accordingly. Strollers are available for hire from Guest Services should you wish to leave your own at home.

Free child ID wristbands: available from Guest Services for that extra piece of mind. They provide secure wrist bands that has your mobile number on the band. If child is lost, a member of staff will contact you on the number given.

Parent Queue Passes: if you have a child under 1.4m, you can have a queue share pass that is free of charge from guest services. This allows the first parent to queue and ride with the subsequent parent using the fastrack entrance.

Standard car parking is charged at £5 a vehicle. Machines are located at the exit/entrance to the park and by the mono-rail. It is worth purchasing your token as you arrive to avoid the queues.

Car parking is free to annual pass holders and those staying at the Alton Towers Resort.

VIP parking is available next to the park entrance for £15 and negates the need for the mono-rail and thus potential queues at the end of the day.

Of course, there is the option of staying at the Alton Tower’s Resort which has the benefit of convenience of an on-site Water Park and Spa.

There are also many bed and breakfasts available within and around the village of Alton.

Alternatively, why not bring your tent and make use of the local camp sites. Or make use of the local YHA youth hostel located about 1.5miles from the theme park.

Thirteen at Alton Towers

Don’t miss the new ride, Thirteen, that opened this year. Dubbed the ‘psychoaster’, Thirteen aims to link physical and psychological fear and boasts of being the first free fall coaster reaching speeds of 67km/hr.

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March 24th, 2010

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