After visiting some of the UK’s smaller theme parks, like Chessington World of Adventures and Paultons Park, we figured it was finally time to take the boys to the UK’s biggest theme park: Alton Towers. Knowing they were ready to experience some of the bigger, faster and definitely scarier rollercoasters that the UK has to offer!
We actually made an entire weekend of it, a treat for the boys after everything they’ve both achieved at school this year. And, by staying overnight at the Alton Towers Resort Hotel, we gained exclusive access to the park and enjoyed two full days of park tickets. Giving us double the rides, double the fun, and a much more relaxed visit without feeling like we had to cram everything into a single day.
If you’re planning your own trip to Alton Towers, and you’re not sure if your children are the right age for it, hopefully this guide helps you decide. And if you’re wondering whether it’s worth staying on site, I’ll be writing a separate blog post all about our hotel stay, which I’ll link here soon.
P.S. We didn’t buy Fast Passes during our visit, so everything in this guide is based on the standard queues and standard tickets… because let’s be honest, you’ve already spent enough money just getting in here!
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Alton Towers is big… you’ll definitely rack up the step count
One thing that really surprised me was just how enormous Alton Towers actually is. The theme park area sits within 550 acres of beautiful grounds, complete with the backdrop of the impressive stately home which looks more like a half ruined castle. It’s surprisingly pretty for a theme park, but all that space means you’ll be doing a lot of walking.
Moving between the different themed areas can easily add up to several miles over the course of the day, so comfortable footwear is an absolute must. Make sure both you and the kids are wearing shoes you’ll happily spend eight or nine hours walking around in. We racked up so many steps wandering across the park.
There is the cable car which takes you from one end of the park to the other, although sadly that wasn’t working during our visit.
How to save money on Alton Towers tickets
A trip to Alton Towers certainly isn’t the cheapest family day out, but there are quite a few ways to bring the cost down if you plan ahead. The biggest saving comes from booking your tickets in advance. Buying online before your visit can knock a decent amount off the ticket price compared with paying on the day.
If you’re a Merlin Pass holder, it’s also worth checking exactly what your membership includes before you travel. Not every pass covers every single date (particularly during busier periods and peek school holidays) so it’s worth double-checking that your planned visit is included.
Another brilliant way to save money is by converting your Tesco Clubcard points into Alton Towers vouchers, which is exactly what we did. We used the same trick when we visited Chessington World of Adventures, and it’s one of the best ways to make a family trip much more affordable. Your Clubcard vouchers are worth double their value, which can make a huge difference when you’re buying tickets for the whole family.
When we visited, entry tickets (when booked in advance) were £34 for adults (instead of £59.50) and children under 1 metre entered free.
Another option is to book your tickets on Get Your Guide, who sometimes have some great deals on.
There are definitely savings to be made if you’re organised, and with the cost of family days out continuing to climb, every little saving helps.
Is it worth staying on site at Alton Towers?
One of the biggest perks of staying at one of the on-site hotels at Alton Towers, is the exclusive hotel guest entrance thats located right beside Galactica. It means you avoid the huge crowds gathering at the main entrance and can get straight towards some of the biggest rides like Galactica and Nemesis Reborn before everyone else arrives and gets across to this far side of the park.
Your stay also includes a buffet breakfast, mini golf, free parking and of course, two full days of theme park entry. Having two full days made such a difference to our visit. We never felt like we were racing around trying to squeeze every ride into one day, and because of that we didn’t feel the need to spend even more money on Fast Passes, which can become pretty expensive for a family.
Instead, we just spread the bigger rides across both days, took our time and actually enjoyed exploring the park rather than constantly worrying about what we might miss.
What age group is Alton Towers for?
One of the things Alton Towers does really well is catering for a huge range of ages. Whether you’ve got toddlers, teenagers or a mixture of both, there’s something for everyone here.
For younger visitors, CBeebies Land and the David Walliams World are packed with gentle rides, colourful attractions and familiar characters that little ones will absolutely love. As children get older, braver and reach the 1.2 metre mark, theres some fantastic family thrill coasters including TH13TEEN and Wicker Man, which ended up being one of our favourite rides in the entire park.
Then theres the headline thrill rides like Oblivion, Rita, Nemesis Reborn and The Smiler for anyone who enjoys a proper adrenaline rush.
Alongside the selection of rollercoasters, you’ll also find plenty of flat rides and classic family rides dotted throughout the park, including pirate ships, river rapids and a Runaway Mine Train (which is brilliant fun even if you’re usually more interested in the bigger coasters). The beautiful gardens are another lovely bonus, giving younger children somewhere to stretch their legs, have a run and enjoy a break away from the queue lines.
I think Alton Towers is one of the best UK theme parks for catering to all ages. Whether you’re visiting with toddlers, pre-teens, teenagers, adults or a mix of everyone. There’s enough variety that nobody should leave feeling like they’ve been left out.
The scariest thrill rides at Alton Towers
If you’re visiting Alton Towers for the big rides, you certainly won’t be disappointed. The park has an excellent collection of thrill coasters, each offering something completely different. Whether you enjoy huge drops, rapid launches or endless inversions there’s plenty here to get your adrenaline pumping.
Oblivion
Everyone’s heard of Oblivion, and for good reason. It was the world’s first B&M Dive Coaster when it opened in 1998, and even today it’s still one of the park’s most iconic rides.
The ride crawls out of the station before making its painfully slow climb up the 65 ft lift hill, leaving you with far too much time to think about what you’ve just agreed to do. As you reach the top, the ride edges forwards until you’re left hanging over the vertical drop, staring straight down into what feels like a bottomless hole. You hear the famous “Don’t Look Down” announcement… and then, before you’ve really had chance to process what’s happening, you’re diving face-first towards the ground at 110kph.
It’s such a clever ride because the anticipation is almost worse than the drop itself. The biggest downside is that it’s over incredibly quickly. By the time you’ve caught your breath, you’re pulling back into the station. Because of that, I personally wouldn’t queue much longer than about 20 minutes for it. Luckily, when we visited, the wait was often around 15 minutes so we managed to ride it without losing too much of our day.
I wasn’t too sure if I’d enjoy Oblivion, but I came off smiling. It’s short, unique and definitely worth braving and experiencing at least once whilst you’re here.
Min height requirement: 1.4 meters
Rita
If you love launch coasters and experiencing some serious G-force, Rita is definitely the ride for you.
The moment the countdown finishes, you’re fired from 0 to 100kph in around two seconds, and you feel yourself being pushed hard into your seat as your body goes through 4.7G.
The rest of the track is fairly short and over before you know it. So even if you’re not the biggest fan, you’ll be back in the station in 25 seconds, before you’ve had much chance to regret your decision.
Having ridden Taron at Phantasialand, I couldn’t help comparing the two. Personally, I preferred Taron. The double launch, longer layout and overall pacing just made it feel like a more complete coaster. But theres rumours that 2026 is Rita’s final year, so if you want to give it a go – you might just need to plan a trip to Alton Towers soon.
Min height requirement: 1.4 meters
The Smiler
The Smiler currently holds the world record for the most inversions on a rollercoaster, with a staggering 14 loops. Just standing underneath it is enough to make your head spin. The tangled mass of grey track twisting around itself looks completely bonkers, and it’s hard to work out where the train is actually going next.
I was slightly nervous before riding The Smiler. Fourteen inversions sounded like a guaranteed recipe for feeling queasy, but with the boys encouraging me to give it a go, there was no backing out. Thankfully, it turned out to be nowhere near as bad as I’d imagined.
The queue line is loud with the creepy soundtrack and laughing playing constantly around you, while trains fly overhead every few seconds. Whether that helps calm your nerves or makes you question your life choices is another matter entirely…
Without giving too much away, let’s just say the ride starts doing unexpected things before you’ve even properly left the station. But despite everything happening so quickly, The Smiler is an incredibly smooth rollercoaster. For such an intense ride, it glides around the track effortlessly, and the restraints were far more comfortable than I expected.
I also liked the way the ride pauses halfway through for the vertical lift hill. It gives you a brief chance to catch your breath before launching you into the second half… and yes, somehow there are still another seven inversions waiting for you.
Min height requirement: 1.4 meters
Nemesis Reborn
I’ve always enjoy suspended coasters, so Nemesis Reborn was one of the rides I was most looking forward to. When we arrived on our first morning, it only had a five-minute queue, so it became our first coaster of the weekend.
The layout is fantastic. The train hugs the ground so closely that it constantly feels like your feet are about to skim the rocks and scenery as you race around tight corners and through narrow trenches. It creates a brilliant sense of speed, even when you know you’re perfectly safe.
I wanted to love it, but I personally found it surprisingly rough. It rattled far more than I expected and left me feeling like I’d been thoroughly shaken around by the time we pulled back into the station.
That said, I can completely understand why so many people adore this coaster. The theming is fantastic, it has so much history behind it, and it’s still an incredibly intense ride. I actually rode it twice over the weekend because I wanted to see if my opinion changed after a second go. Sadly it didn’t.
I’d happily ride it again if we returned to Alton Towers, but it wouldn’t make my personal top ten. I know that’s probably a controversial opinion among coaster enthusiasts!
Min height requirement: 1.4 meters
Galactica
I have to admit that F.L.Y. at Phantasialand has slightly ruined all other flying coasters for me. That ride is genuinely incredible and one of my favourite rollercoasters.
With that said, Galactica is still a really enjoyable flying coaster, and all four of us found it comfortable.
Once you’re strapped into your seat, the floor drops away and you’re tilted forwards until you’re lying face down. It’s quite a strange sensation leaving the station in that position, and the lift hill feels even stranger when you’re hanging there looking at the ground beneath you.
Sweeping through the first drop and soaring around the track in a flying position is great fun, and we all loved the section where you’re rolled onto your back and end up racing along while looking straight up at the sky.
It’s smooth, comfortable and something a little different from the rest of the park’s rollercoasters. Even if you’ve ridden other flying coasters before, it’s still well worth adding to your list.
Min height requirement: 1.4 meters
Alton Tower rides for pre-teens or the less brave
Not everyone visiting Alton Towers is chasing the biggest thrills, and thankfully the park has a fantastic selection of rides that sit perfectly between family attractions and the headline rollercoasters. If you’ve got pre-teens who are starting to build their confidence, or you’re simply not a fan of upside-down coasters, these are the rides I’d recommend.
Wicker Man
Wicker Man absolutely blew me away. From the eerie pre-show to the clunky lift hill and the constant bursts of airtime, this wooden coaster is just pure fun from start to finish. It doesn’t rely on huge drops or inversions to be exciting either. Instead, it’s fast, energetic and throws you around just enough to keep you grinning the whole way round.
I think Wicker Man might be my favourite ride at Alton Towers. It was the one coaster we all wanted to go back on again and again. If you can, try to grab a seat towards the back of the train. It gets whipped around with even more force, making the airtime even better and the whole ride feel extra exciting.
If you don’t enjoy inversions but still want a rollercoaster that packs a punch, this is an absolute must-do.
Min height requirement: 1.2 meters
TH13TEEN
TH13TEEN was another coaster that really surprised me. Like Wicker Man, there aren’t any inversions, which makes it a brilliant stepping stone before tackling the bigger thrill rides.
What I love most about TH13TEEN is that it has a surprise element which I won’t spoil here. If you’ve somehow managed to avoid finding out what happens, keep it that way. It makes the experience so much better when you don’t know what’s coming.
The ride is great fun, with some lovely drops through the woodland which gives it a really atmospheric setting. My only criticism is that I wish it was a little longer. Just as it feels like it’s really getting going, you’re suddenly back at the station wanting another lap.
Even so, I’d probably rank TH13TEEN as my second favourite ride at Alton Towers.
Min height requirement: 1.2 meters (If you are 1.96m or over you can’t ride)
Spinball Whizzer
Unfortunately, Spinball Whizzer ended up being one of the most frustrating experiences of our entire weekend.
The app was showing around a 20-minute wait, but we ended up queueing for well over an hour.
The biggest issue seemed to be the way the trains were being loaded. For quite a while they were only sending each car out with three people instead of four, which meant families of 4 were constantly being split up while single riders were filling the third seat. We watched the same young lad go round at least 20 times because he was using the single rider queue. Every time he got off, he’d walk straight back round and be on the next train while the main queue barely moved.
Eventually the operators started filling every car with four riders, and suddenly the main queue line began moving much quicker. Sadly, that only happened during the final few minutes of our wait after we’d already spent over an hour standing there.
Thankfully, the ride itself was really good fun. It’s a classic spinning coaster, so every ride is slightly different depending on how much your car rotates. The layout is longer than I expected too, which was a welcome surprise.
It used to be themed around Sonic the Hedgehog, and although most of that has disappeared now, there is still one little nod to its former theme hidden away. I’ll let you see if you can spot it for yourself.
Min height requirement: 1.2 meters
Family rides at Alton Towers
If you’ve got younger children who aren’t quite ready for the bigger coasters yet, there’s still plenty for them to enjoy around the park.
Alongside all the family-friendly flat rides, pirate ships and teacups dotted throughout the different themed areas, there are a couple of attractions that we all really enjoyed, regardless of age.
Congo River Rapids
We had great fun on Congo River Rapids. As a family of four, sometimes we ended up sharing our raft with another family, while other times we had one all to ourselves. I imagine it depended on how busy the queues were and whether the operators were trying to maximise capacity.
The rapids are lively, and the round boats spin quite a lot as the current pushes you around the course. Whether you get soaked or not seems to come down entirely to luck. The first time we rode it, Jasper and I got absolutely drenched while others escaped with barely a splash.
One section of the ride wasn’t operating during our visit. Normally you pass between two large waterfalls, but they weren’t running on the weekend we visited.
It’s a brilliant family ride and definitely worth doing, especially if the weather is warm.
Min height requirement: 1.1 meters
Runaway Mine Train
Runaway Mine Train is one of those rides that’s impossible not to enjoy.
It’s aimed at younger visitors, but even if you’re someone who happily spends the day riding Oblivion and The Smiler, there’s still something incredibly fun about it.
The train completes two laps of the circuit, and I loved how all the ride operators enthusiastically shouted “Choo, chooo!” every time a train left the station. It made us laugh every single time.
The ride takes you through a dark tunnel before winding its way alongside the river rapids, and it’s just a lovely coaster that the whole family can enjoy together.
It did remind me slightly of Colorado Adventure at Phantasialand, although I have to admit that Phantasialand’s version is far more wild!
Min height requirement: 1.1 meters
The Curse of Alton Manor
This ride looks and sounds far more scary from the outside than it actually is. We saw plenty of little ones, probably around age 5 getting on this dark ride. The theming is excellent, and theres even that musty scent they use to add to the creepy ambiance.
Min height requirement: 0.9 meters
Places to eat at Alton Towers
You certainly won’t go hungry during your visit to Alton Towers, although your bank balance might come home looking a little lighter.
Like most theme parks, food prices are definitely on the expensive side, but there are plenty of options spread throughout the park, so you’ll never struggle to find something that appeals.
You’ll find all the usual fast food favourites, including burgers, pizzas, pasta and fried chicken, alongside slightly lighter options like wraps, jacket potatoes and salads. Theres also plenty of places selling doughnuts, ice cream, sweets and other sugary treats whenever you need a little afternoon energy boost.
To save ourselves a bit of money, we packed some fruit and possibly sneaked a couple of pastries from the hotel breakfast buffet to snack on later in the day. I suspect we’re far from the first family to have had that particular idea!
We still ate at a couple of the restaurants inside the park too. On our second day we shared a couple of pizzas from Pizza and Pasta between the four of us, which worked really well.
Our first evening, however, was somewhere much more memorable…
Rollercoaster Restaurant at Alton Towers
If you want to do something extra special during your visit, then the Rollercoaster Restaurant is a dining experience you’ll never forget! The boys’ faces when they walked in was worth every penny as they stood there watching in amazement at everyone’s food zooming along the tracks to their tables.
I’d never been anywhere like this before, and it was such a fun and unique experience. Once you’re seated at your table, you place your food and drinks order using the tablet. Our drinks arrived really quickly, and while we waited for our meals, we all loved watching everyone else’s food race around the tracks before spiralling down to the tables. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is brilliant too, with fun lighting and music adding to the excitement.
Before long, our own meals came spiralling down the track to our table. We unhooked the trays and tucked straight in. Although it isn’t cheap, the quality was really good and the food was delicious, which made the whole experience feel well worth the money.
I highly recommend ordering the Thai green curry. Mine was so tasty and really filling too!
If you’re looking for a memorable dining experience, I’d definitely recommend booking a table at the Rollercoaster Restaurant. Just make sure you book well in advance, as tables get snapped up weeks ahead. We actually got lucky with a last-minute cancellation. If you find yourself in the same situation, keep checking the booking system because cancellations do pop up from time to time.
Queue times without a Fast Pass
We visited on a weekend during half term and were convinced the queues were going to be ridiculously long. In reality, though, most rides were around a 30-minute wait, and the queues generally moved along much quicker than we expected (apart from Spinball Whizzer!).
I’m actually really glad we didn’t buy Fast Passes. They’re so expensive, and because we had two full park days, we didn’t need to spend the extra money on Fast Passes for the four of us.
Perhaps we just got lucky, but the queues really weren’t bad at all. We went expecting the worst and came away pleasantly surprised.
Places to stay nearby Alton Towers theme park
The closest places to stay are the onsite hotels. There are a few different options, from the CBeebies Hotel, which is perfect for little ones, to the Alton Towers Hotel (where we stayed), and the Splash Landings Hotel by the water park.
One of the biggest benefits of staying onsite is all the added perks. Depending on your package, you can enjoy free parking, breakfast and two days of park tickets. Hotel guests also get access to a private park entrance which is a lovely bonus and helped us make the most of our time in the park.
Click here to see what on-site hotels are available!
If you’re not too worried about staying onsite, there are also plenty of hotels, B&Bs and holiday cottages in the nearby towns and villages, so you’ll have lots of options to choose from. Take a look here.
Tips for visiting Alton Towers
- Before you set off, I’d definitely recommend downloading the free Alton Towers app. Not only does it include a handy park map, but it also shows live queue times and ride availability throughout the day. We found it really useful because The Smiler and TH13TEEN seemed to close on and off quite a bit while we were there, so it helped us decide when to head over before the queues started building again.
- Make sure you book tickets in advance. They’re considerably cheaper than buying them on the day, and it’s one of the easiest ways to save yourself a bit of money before you’ve even walked through the gates.
- The advertised closing time is when the ride queues close, not necessarily when the rides stop operating. If you join a queue just before closing time, you’ll usually still get your ride.
- If you’re visiting on a busy day and don’t have Fast Passes, I’d recommend deciding on your “must-do” rides before you arrive. There’s a good chance you won’t manage absolutely everything, especially during school holidays, so prioritising the rides you really don’t want to miss helps avoid disappointment later in the day.
- Finally, bring plenty of drinks and snacks with you. You’re allowed to take your own food into the park, and considering the prices once you’re inside, your wallet will definitely appreciate it.
- Theres free water refill stations dotted around the theme park, so bring your reusable bottles with you!
Would we visit Alton Towers again?
Absolutely! We all had such a brilliant weekend enjoying the sunshine and making the most of all the rides. We’d love to come back, not only to ride some of our favourites again but also to spend a day at the water park.
The water park requires separate tickets, so we decided not to do it this time, but it’s definitely on the list for our next visit. It looks like so much fun, and we’d love to see what it’s like.
Alton Towers really does have something for everyone, no matter their age. I’d say it was pretty much perfect for our boys, who are 10 and 12. They’re both brave enough for the big thrill-seeker rides, but they still love the family coasters too, which meant there was so much for us all to enjoy throughout our weekend and we made some brilliant memories together.
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