Alton Towers Resort
Alton Towers is one of Britain’s top tourist attractions, drawing over 3 million visitors per year to this fun-filled family theme park and resort. Hair-raising roller coasters, soaking water rides, fun and gentle rides for little ones, and an extensive range of beautiful gardens are just some of the great things that attract so many people to visit!
Set in the English countryside near the village of Alton in Staffordshire, Alton Towers is best known for its thrilling rides and roller coasters. The Alton Towers theme park that we know and love today was first opened in 1980 but the Towers estate has a much longer history than this and has been open on and off to the public since the 1860’s.
Having grown throughout the decades following 1980, Alton Towers is now a full blown resort where the theme park is just one part – hotels, a water park, a conference centre, Extraordinary Golf, and a spa all add to the fun here. Alton Towers isn’t just a place for thrill seekers any more, though the theme park is still what Alton Towers is best known for!
Theme Park Areas
Like many other great amusement parks around the world, Alton Towers has several different themed areas designed to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. For thrill seekers Katanga Canyon, Forbidden Valley, and X-Sector feature the biggest and best roller coasters, while families with younger children will love Old MacDonald’s Farmyard, and Storybook Land, though there are numerous other themed areas in Alton Towers too.
Towers Street
Start your fun-filled day at Alton Towers by entering the park through Towers Street. This quirky area is themed as a town street and includes some great shops where you can pick up official merchandise, drinks and snacks before heading off on the Skyride, or on foot, to some of the other areas of Alton Towers. From here you get a great view across the park to the beautiful gardens and the ruins of the Towers.
Mutiny Bay
The pirate-themed Mutiny Bay is very popular with younger families. There are fun water rides here, including Battle Galleons where riders have a ‘Splash Battle’, or there’s the rocking boat ride called Heave Ho. Marauder’s Mayhem completes the list of rides in Mutiny Bay, though the fun doesn’t stop there! The new Sharkbait Reef is a sea life centre where you can get up close to underwater creatures via the touch pools and ocean tunnel. Finally families can enjoy the Pirate of Sharkbait Reef live show throughout the day.
Old MacDonald’s Farmyard
For those visitors who have even younger children Old MacDonald’s Farmyard is sure to be a hit! Themed as a traditional farmyard, this popular area includes a petting zoo and several small and fun rides. These include Doodle Doo Derby (a carousel), Riverbank Eye Spy boat ride, and Old MacDonald’s Tractor Ride. The ziplines and climbing frames found in There’s Something in the Dungheap are also hugely popular, and you might have trouble dragging the kids away from all the play balls in Berry Bish Bash!
Storybook Land
The fun continues in the adjoining Storybook Land where the only ride is Squirrel Nutty Ride. This elevated ride in which you sit inside and acorn is sure to have both adults and children giggling away!
Adventure Land
Adventure Land is right next door to Storybook Land and Old MacDonald’s Farmyard, and is aimed at children aged between 5 and 11. Climbing frames, swings, slides and other such fun can be found here in the Space Adventures Playground, plus there are two exciting roller coaster type rides – the spinning Spinball Whizzer, and Alton Tower’s oldest remaining roller coaster, The Beastie.
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Kids really are spoilt for choice at Alton Towers because yet another land aimed at the children among us was opened in 2009. Cloud Cuckoo Land is a crazy little place where rides include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The Ride, The Peugeot 207 Driving School, Frog Hopper, Galloper’s Carousel, and Twirling Toadstool. There are also other attractions here including the Wobble World indoor play area and the Cloud Cuckoo Land Theatre.
X-Sector
The first of Alton Towers’ themed areas for thrill seekers is X-Sector. This government facility themed area is designed to look un-inviting and features one of Alton Towers’ most intense rides – Oblivion! Sit suspended above a vertical drop for 3 seconds before being released into oblivion for an adrenalin rush you won’t forget in a hurry! Two other exciting rides here include Enterprise, a Ferris wheel-like ride where you’re held into the car by force, and the other is Submission, a ride sure to get your tummy turning!
The Towers
Incorporating parts of the old Towers ruins, this section of the park features a ride and the chance to walk through some of the ruins. Hex – the Legend of the Towers is an indoor, dark ride set around the local legend of the ‘Chained oak’.
Ug Land
Ug Land previously had a prehistoric theme and although all those themed rides have now disappeared the name remains (at least until the end of 2009). The major ride for this area is the thrilling Rita – Queen of Speed. This roller coaster launches riders to 62 mph (100kmh) in just 2.2 seconds and continues at speed around sharp corners, reaching up to 4.7 in G force!
Forbidden Valley
For thrill seekers, Forbidden Valley is one of the top themed areas at Alton Towers, featuring the ever popular Nemesis and Air roller coasters, as well as Ripsaw and The Blade. Being an inverted roller coaster, riders on Nemesis have their feet dangling in mid air as you travel at speeds of up to 50 mph (80kmh) and experience a zero-G roll! Air is like no other roller coaster at Alton Towers as riders are taken on a thrilling ride that resembles flight as you fly face down, soaring close to the ground and up high, reaching speeds of nearly 50 mph (75kmh). Two other rides that are sure to make your tummy turn over are Ripsaw and The Blade. Ripsaw combines water with spinning upside down, while The Blade is a popular pirate ship.
Gloomy Wood
Next door to Forbidden Valley is Gloomy Wood. Once the home of the Haunted House, you can now experience the interactive ride Duel: The Haunted House Strikes Back! where you compete against other riders to shoot monsters and ghoulies! From here you can follow the creepy path through Haunted Hollow back to Mutiny Bay, or continue to the final themed area, Katanga Canyon.
Katanga Canyon
This African village themed area has long been popular with visitors of all ages. Two fun water rides and a roller coaster can be found here. Based on a traditional log flume ride is The Flume: Unplugged, a log flume ride with a difference. There’s also the Congo River Rapids where you’re swept along the violent rapids of the River Congo and have to watch out for the two waterfalls! Finally there’s the Runaway Mine Train and though this doesn’t get up to the same speeds of some of the other roller coasters in Alton Towers it’s a fun ride all the same!
Page 2: Alton Towers for Families, Thrill Seekers & Corporate Events ...