A Lego Version of Vue Cinemas

Vue cinemas could hold the answer to a treat on a budget before the kids return to school.  Each weekday morning, Vue cinemas offer tickets for both children and adults for just 95p a ticket!

This weekend’s selection is Where the Wild Things Are, PG.  Movies generally start around 10am but check your local Vue Cinema for listing times.

For more cinema deals and discounted tickets, check out our Insider Guide to the Cinema.

Liz

To qualify for this deal, you will need to purchase a Stagecoach Group Dayrider or Dayrider Plus One ticket that you will find have also been discounted for the summer…deals galore!

For more information about this and other deals around Manchester, go to Manchester United Museum & Tour deal with Stagecoach Buses.

Liz

Fourteen at Alton Towers

Competition entries are now closed for our limited edition Alton Towers Fourteen mugs.  Many thanks for all the entries, the response has been overwhelming over the past week – there’s certainly been an interest in Alton Towers decision to re-name Thirteen for the day.

Congratulations to R Hood & K Grieve who have been randomly selected;  your mugs are on their way to you!

Liz

Fright Nights at Thorpe Park are back from 8 October.  Ride remain open until 10pm plus many additional fright experiences  including four live action horror mazes:

• The Curse
• Seven
• The Asylum
• Hellgate

Check out the Thorpe Park online deal currently running offering 2 for 1 on Fright Night tickets – 2 adult tickets for £40!  This offer is running until 1 October.  More information available at Thorpe Park deals.

Liz

The Barclays Cycle Hire scheme is open to tourists, visitors and residents alike.  Before you can access the cycle hire scheme, you will need to sign up and pay the access fee – you can do this by phone, online or at a docking station.  The access fee will only put you back £1 a day with discounts on week/annual prices.

The first half hour of every journey is free of charge with the next 30 minutes charged at only £1.  As this is a scheme for short journeys by bike, the charges become progressively more expensive the longer you have the bike.  So it’s best to return your bike to a docking station as soon as you have completed your journey – you can always pick up another one later!

For further details, go to Barclays Cycle Hire in London.  Let me know if you’ve tried these out yet?

Liz

Nothing to do with parking but Pink was at Alton Towers recently!

Alton Towers parking fee seems to annoy more people than any other issue at this popular theme park.  Parking this season at Alton Towers will put you back £5 in the standard car park.

Parking at Alton Towers is free of charge for:

• Annual Passholders, (includes Alton Towers Theme Park, Merlin & Merlin Premium Pass Holders)
• Those staying at the Alton Towers Resort
• Disabled guest, (disabled badge holders can make use of the Express Parking zone close to the entrance)

If you do have to pay for parking, you are best off picking up a car parking token as your arrive to avoid queues at the end of the day, (car parking tokens can be purchased at the mono-rail entrance as well as the main exit/entrance into the park by the turnstiles.)

Your only other option is to pay more money for Express Parking that bypasses the need for the mono-rail & offers you a swifter exit out of the park at the end of your day.  Priced at £15 for the day for those willing to pay this extra charge.

Liz

Buy 4 Go Ape tickets, get 5th for free: if you can club together with friends & family, then this offers free entry for the 5th person in your group.  Just enter the code 05GUAR AND THE FIFTH PERSON GOES FREE.

Here are some regional offers for Go Ape, but worth checking out you can use these in August before you set off:

• Check out the longest zip wire at the new course at Aberfoyle, Scotland with this 20% midweek discount voucher for Go Ape.
• Purchase an Annual Discovery Pass from the Forestry Commission.  Benefits include a 20% midweek discount on all Go Ape Courses.  More information can be found at deals for Go Ape nationwide.
• Here’s a £5 off per person at Go Ape Delamere Forest, Cheshire

Let me know please if you hear of any others?

Liz

Ready for Terror of the Towers?

Scarefest at Alton Towers kicks off on 16 October for two week.  Last year, Scarefest was the busiest two weeks in the Alton Towers season, so here’s a preview of events for 2010.

Rides in the dark; with late opening at Alton Towers until 9pm, you can experience your favourite rides in the dark!

Terror of the Towers; opens again offering you a spine chilling tour of the tower ruins brought alive with live actors and eerie events.  This experience is recommended for those over 14 years with a fastrack ticket available if you want to miss the queues for this popular attraction.

Live action horror maze & boiler house;  located close to the Alton Towers hotels, these scare experiences are available at an additional charge.  Again not recommended for younger customers, (over 14’s only), but for those who don’t mind surprises in the dark!

Early Ride Time; unfortunately not available at Scarefest but it’s certainly worth getting there early even if it’s just to get ahead of the traffic queues!

More information coming!

Liz

Blue Planet Aquarium is offering a free child voucher that is valid until 29 August. Just print off and complete the necessary details!  For further details and to download a voucher, go to Blue Planet Aquarium free child voucher.

Alternatively, make use of this £1 off per ticket for Blue Planet Aquarium that can be used for up to 6 people.  For further details from Favourite Days out in Cheshire , go to offers for Blue Planet Aquarium.

Enjoy.

Liz

Packed with ideas for games as well as tips for travel sickness and ideas for mess free snacks for the car, this guide could ease the journey for all the family!  To this check out, go to free travel guide for families.

Whilst you are away, remember our very own Insider Guides to help you beat the queues at top attractions and keep the costs down whilst you are away.

Happy holidays!

Liz