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.

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.

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.

Top tips

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.

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.

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.

On a fortune

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!

Something querky



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!

Brought the kids but not interested yourself?

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

Parents with young children

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.



Parking

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.

Accommodation

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.

And finally..



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.