'Plan Your Day' Game Plan: Alton Towers

Alton Towers: Ben Mills gives you his strategy for a day at Britain's biggest, most expensive and most glamorous theme park--Alton Towers.

From Ben Mills
Posted November 12, 2002 at 10:18 PM
Alton Towers - Britain's greatest theme park and some will argue Europe's greatest. Also Britain's biggest, most expensive and most glamorous. In keeping with Tussauds tradition, the ride is filled with loads of cheap thrill rides and kid's rides, but everything seems to be done with a bit more money splashed around than at their other three British parks. Because of this, queues build up very quickly, and are scattered at the big attractions across the park. The opening few hours take the phrase 'mad rush' to a whole new level...

1st - Air
2nd - Nemesis
3rd - Ripsaw
4th - Oblivion
5th - Enterprise
6th - Black Hole
7th - Submission
8th - Congo River Rapids
9th - Runaway Mine Train
10th - Log Flume
11th - Corkscrew

Things to do later in the afternoon or when lines are long - Haunted House, Hex-The Legend of the Towers, Bone Shaker, Dino Dancer.

Things you can skip if you have to - Blade, Tea Cup Ride, Swan Boats, Sky-Ride, Ug Bugs, Ug Swinger.

Kid's attractions - Gallopers Carousel, The Beastlie, Barney's Theatre, Toyland Tours, Barney's Playground, Cred Street Carousel, Vintage Car Ride, Singing Barn, Doodle Doo Derby, Riverbank Eye Spy, The Farm, Tractor Ride, Peter Rabbit & Friends On Ice, Squirrel Nutty's Ride.

While following this plan, bear in mind that the park is huge, so allow anything up to twenty minutes to get from one ride to the next.

More:

  • Alton Towers Attraction Ratings and Reviews

    • From Chris Cavanagh
    Posted July 3, 2003 at 12:16 AM
    Yeah, I agree that you should do AIR First, followed by Oblivion, But you should do Nemmesis during lunch time (having luch an hour or so later makes a HUGE difference) or at the end of the day, the first time I went, my friend and I rode it, from the front about 8 or 9 times in the last 45 minutes before the park closes. Trust me on that one.

    From Richard Waterson
    Posted April 20, 2004 at 9:08 AM
    Ill agree with everything said, but from my own experience, try to ride spinball whizzer fairly early. The queues build up very quickly and as this is the new ride, might be worth heading to first!

    From Simon Marson
    Posted October 16, 2005 at 2:33 AM
    I have been twice in the recent months, First time was as follows, with entrance into the park (after tickes) was about 10am.

    1 rita
    2 hex
    3 oblivion ( it DONT suck - THE worlds one and ONLY verticle drop IS all it needs to be :P - sorry ben lol :)
    4 rapids
    5 log flume
    6 air
    7 runaway train
    8 nemmy
    9 air again.

    not bad considering I was taking my 10year old round. His first time on the bigones -and he LOVED it !

    Second Visit - yesterday was a later start at about 10.30, but less people there this time.

    1 rita ( got off a 1.30! - 2 hour Q )
    then waited for hex for 30 mins - but it stopped, so a non rider, yet
    2 oblivion
    3 nemmy
    4 spinball whizzer
    5 submission
    6 hex - working now
    7 air
    8 nemmy again
    then ran back to oblivion minuites to spare.. but the Q had just shut....:(

    looking at the second visit, I did not do too bad, considering I was not going to the ride next door, but to the ride the other side of the park!

    hence today I`m shattered :P - but worth it!

    the most I have done in one day was a 12 ride day! which I was very happy with!

    I hope to beat that in the near future -well early next season. I hope then that there will be a new ride to replace the black hole to add to my tally :D, I would also like to see the woodie, but I know that is far off for now:(
    oh well, best things come to those who wait:D

    From Simon Marson
    Posted October 16, 2005 at 2:51 AM
    just an added note.... I had JUST got into the Q for the spinball about 4pm.. not bad to get that and the rest of those rides in within the 5.30 Q close time!

    From rosanna austin
    Posted August 15, 2007 at 9:01 AM
    This is the best order to go round alton towers if you want to get the most rides in....

    *Cross the river on the cable car and start with nemesis....q's aren't too bad if you're early
    *Air
    *Pirate boat/ripsaw or both- near eachother
    *Log flume &/or rapids
    *Dry off during lunch at the foodcourt
    *Hex- if you have time
    *Oblivion
    *Spin-ball whizzer
    *Rita queen of speed- Q's aren't quite as bad near the end

    If you want to go in the shops, go in them at the end cos they're still open for a while after the park closing time

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