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Single Parent Dad goes to Alton Towers

November 5th, 2009

Alton Towers is somewhere that holds many happy memories for me. From my childhood, when my mother used to take me with my sister; in my youth when I was free to go on my own with friends; and most recently when it became an annual trip for my late wife and I on her birthday.

Even though I have taken the boy all over the country to all sorts of places Alton Towers was not really on my radar as I simply discounted it as not age appropriate. We came close to going when they opened the hotel, and waterpark, which runs term-time specials for toddlers and their carers, but never got around to actually arranging a visit.

Then over the summer, some of our friends, who have a daughter nine months younger than my son, told me about what a great time they had at Britain’s biggest theme park. The thought of taking Max quickly entered my head, that is, after I had stopped teasing my friend’s daughter about ‘Alton Flowers’. “It’s called Alton Towers, not Alton Flowers silly,” she would say. “Then why did you call it Alton Flowers?” Was my jovial (or should that be juvenile?) retort.

So when Play and Stay offered to send us, I was intrigued to find out how much fun the Alton Towers Resort could be for a near five-year-old and his dad.

On arrival we discovered it is still extremely well organised, and also still a decent walk from the car park, but there is the monorail which I suppose counts as your first ride of the day.

If you’re feeling extra flush you have the option to pay £15 for priority parking, which means you can park right outside the entrance to the park. But as I am tight, I opted for the normal parking which still costs £5, which I must admit to still being a little miffed by.

Once inside we headed down Towers Street, and turned right for Adventure Land, which seemed like a great place to start for us. It turned out I was right. After a quick toilet break we were straight into the Berry Bish Bash, which is a sort of soft play area combined with firing squidgy balls at each other. My son thought this was hilarious, especially as one of the biggest targets – and thus most popular – appeared to be his dad. We also went on Old MacDonald’s Tractors, which I thought a little tame, but my boy obviously enjoyed pretending to drive a tractor.

The Beastie was higher octane, and we both enjoyed being thrown around on that. A quick drink and climb on some playground equipment, and it was time for lunch. The excellent map lays out the great food choices available, and I opted to bribe my son with a KFC, in exchange for him thinking about going on Enterprise, a ride I had identified as enjoyable for me, and that he passed the minimum height requirement for. Sadly, while he agreed to go and have a look, his hesitance – and the queue – put me off.

No matter, as there were plenty of other rides for us to enjoy. We had a good time on the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ride, the Peugeot Driving School was an instant favourite for him, and there were more soft play adventures within Cloud Cuckoo Land.

Since being damaged by fire, the Skyride is still out of action, which is a mild irritation legs can get tired walking over the vast area the park occupies.

Alton Towers has an impressive Sea Life centre

The obligatory water ride came in the form of the Battle Galleons, a very funny concept that lets you fire water cannons at targets and other parkgoers as your boat travels around. Our cagoules instantly became an excellent idea. After this, we needed warming up and, after fumbling for the right change, used one of the giant dryers. It was also an apt time to go and have a look around Sharkbait Reef, a new attraction for 2009, completed in collaboration with Sea-Life.

This centre adds to those we have visited in Birmingham and on Anglesey, and had a number of different attractions we had not seen before, which was an added bonus.

At Alton Towers there were plenty of rides we did not get to go on, like the Runaway Mine Train and the Rapids, but I fully expect to go back at some point and give them a try then.

Read more about Single Parent Dad at http://singleparentdad.blogspot.com

The Adventure Bag

September 21st, 2009

As if the Play and Stay staffers weren’t enough for our lovely readers we’ve invited two of the UK’s top parent bloggers to write exclusive posts for us.

First up is Sally Whittle, mummy blogger extraordinaire at Who’s The Mummy where she discusses life with four-year old daughter Flea.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and if you want to join our select panel of bloggers then get in touch.

I have this theory about parenting. Faced with the awesome responsibility of not raising a serial killer, new parents latch on to anyone who can tell us the “right” stuff to do. That’s why we spend £5 a week on classes to help our children walk along a bench in a straight line, or to hit a tambourine.

But when you think about it, the things that are the most fun aren’t usually organised. They’re almost certainly not the sorts of things that are designed to boost your child’s development or give them a head start. Flea and I did the activity class thing, but it’s fair to say she’s not big on organised fun.

At swimming class, Flea didn’t want to take her float off – which is pretty smart when you think about it because she was 18 months old and couldn’t swim. It’s hard to fault that kind of logic, really.

Morrissey At a musical group, she didn’t understand why we kept listening to nursery rhymes, and repeatedly asked, “When are we having some guitar music?” That’d be my fault for introducing her to The Smiths, then.

Perhaps our most traumatic experience was at a language skills class, when Flea made the grave error of talking when it was time for listening. The look the class leader fixed poor Flea with reduced her to tears.

These days we’re big believers in disorganised fun. We’ve created a special bag that lives in the car, and it’s called The Adventure Bag. Inside The Adventure Bag is everything we need to go off and have fun somewhere. There’s a picnic blanket, water bottle, spare set of clothes and our camera. There’s also a Spider-Man figure and three small dinosaurs. Because you should always have a dinosaur or two on your side when you’re having adventures.

Over breakfast, Flea and I think about what we’d like to do. While I’m drinking coffee, Flea likes nothing more than considering her options, and will eventually say, “Mummy, I’ve got a brilliant idea.” Our adventures this year have included visiting museums, exploring the Lake District, various zoos and safari parks, numerous beaches, one theme park and one day when the GPS broke down, the town of Harrogate (we were supposed to be in Ilkley, I’m still not completely sure what went wrong).

Wherever we go, we buy a small badge or pin, and stick it on The Adventure Bag. Over the years, I hope the bag will become covered in images that are a visual record of all the places we’ve been together. Already, the bag holds lots of lovely memories of the first place Flea went sailing, the day she discovered dinosaur bones, the long afternoon we spent having a barbecue on Brighton beach and the day we went to Chester Zoo and spent the entire day looking at different varieties of monkey.

I figure that when Flea is a teenager and would rather poke herself in the eye than be seen in public with her mother, I’ll have all those memories of our adventures, thanks to The Adventure Bag. And you know what? I bet those memories will be a lot better than anything involving church halls and a tambourine.

You Know What I’d Do? I’d Ban it!

August 14th, 2009

As you are no doubt aware Alton Towers have taken the earth-shattering decision to ban skimpy swimming costumes for their male guests. They’re making them go naked – no, no, no, that was a joke; they’re making them cover up by insisting that all men wear swimming shorts while at the park and at the Splash Landings pool.

Now, if you ask me – and no, no one has – this piece of legislation is long, long-overdue. The Speedo look might just pass on the Continent, but in Blighty it’s a bit rich isn’t it? Plummeting temperatures, the threat of a downpour constantly hanging over us like a drizzly sword of Damocles? Give it a rest. Those alpha males who took to Alton Towers in little more than a pair of briefs no bigger than your average train ticket must surely have been northerners, because, as a rather delicate southerner, there is simply no way I’d brave the outside after a dip in the pool in anything less than a full-body wetsuit, a scarf and thick woolen mittens.

Anyway, that rather grisly episode is behind us all now: history has closed the page on that menacing chapter.

The only question that remains is: why stop there?

Below is a list of things I’d like to see banned from Alton Towers. Feel free to tack some on at the end. We’ll get a list together, then I’m writing to Mr Towers…

Everybody loves a good poncho

Right, first up, I’d ban the selling, acquisition and the donning thereof of ponchos. I’m not talking about genuine ponchos, you understand; I’m not having a dig at the Hispanic overcoat of choice. No, I’m talking about the sorry excuses for ponchos that get handed around every time it gets a little bit damp. They are, effectively, shopping bags with eye-holes cut in. There is simply no way that one could protect you from one of Mrs Tittlemouse’s delicate sneezes, let alone a gale force storm. It’s preposterous:

Dad: The heavens have opened, let’s take shelter!
Mum: Don’t worry dear, I’ve got three-and-a-half yards of cling film here.

No, no, no. They’re out: right out.

What else?

Photos. Yep, I’d ban photos. Why is it that the second you step off a ride someone wants to sell you a mug with a picture of you screaming on it? I can understand the appeal when it’s a ride like Rita, Queen of Speed, but when you’ve just hopped off the Squirrel Nutty Ride I think photographic evidence is bit over-the-top. No one’s putting that on their mantlepiece.

That brings me, rather neatly, to the Squirrel Nutty Ride itself, yes I’d ban that too. Yes, I know it’s a ride for little children. It lets them “travel in their very own acorn”, but I maintain that this wasn’t made clear to me at the time… the boys from the stag do still won’t talk to me.

You know, I’ve got quite a taste for all this banning lark, it turns out… I’d ban queues, I’d ban bum bags, I’d ban loud noises, I’d ban really scary rides, I’d ban the lot.

Sorry about that. I seemed to got a bit carried away there. Anyway, if you have any suggestions about what you’d like to see banned from Britain’s theme parks add it on here, I’m drafting the letter as we speak…

Pick a Picnic Site – Competition Now Closed

May 8th, 2009

Summer’s almost here and what better way to enjoy the all-too-brief sunshine by going for a good old-fashioned picnic?

We’ve put together a list of the best spots to take your picnic blankets and cricket sets to in 2009. Take a look – if you are in the area they are well worth checking out. But we also want your suggestions for the best places to take the family for some al fresco munch.

Comment on this blog post with your ideas and we’ll send the three best suggestions one of these fancy new Play and Stay picnic rucksacks, containing:

Four spoons, knives, forks, plates, mugs, wine glasses and napkins.

Cheese/bread knife

Waiter’s corkscrew

Butter dish

Thermo-lined cooler section at the back

So, here are our suggestions. Give us yours, along with your reasons for nomination, in the comment section below:

Clumber Park

In the northernmost part of Sherwood forest and less than 40 miles from Alton Towers lies the beautiful and Idyllic Clumber Park. With 3,800 acres of open green space, more than 20 miles of cycle routes to get lost along and Europe’s longest double avenue of lime trees, the park offers peace, tranquility and adventure all in one spot.

Photo by D-Kav

Groombridge Place and Gardens

Located just outside Tunbridge Wells in Kent, Groombridge Place and Gardens is one of the best places to spend a day with the family this summer. Although it is not the cheapest park in the area (tickets can cost as much as £10 per adult in peak months), there is so much to see and do when you arrive. For older children there are a number of big swings and for the younger children there are a number of play parks. A walk through the Enchanted Forest will bring you face-to-face with dinosaurs of varying ferocity and there are even two bird of prey shows at set times throughout the day at no extra charge. The Drunken Gardens offer a welcome rest at the end of the trail and were the inspiration and setting for the famous Sherlock Holmes novel, The Valley of Fear. It may be over an hour’s drive from Windsor, but it’s well worth checking out if you have the time.

Photo by J. Lane

Kedleston Hall

The grounds and gardens of this 18th century mansion are another stunning place near Alton Towers to enjoy a family picnic this summer. There are 820 acres of man-made park and four walks of varying lengths for you to wander along. With superb child-friendly facilities such as baby change rooms and hip-carrying infant seats for hire as well, Kedleston Hall is a great place to go on your summer holiday.

Photo by Fredspickchers

Richmond Park

Less than a ten minute car journey from Thorpe Park is Richmond Park – the largest Royal Park in London at almost 2,500 acres in size. It is home to more than 650 free roaming deer and offers a myriad of landscapes including hills, woodlands, ponds and gardens. There are a number of facilities designed to make your day out easier (cafes, lodges and refreshment points) and there’s also a playground great for the little ones to let off steam in. Hire bikes, get a fishing permit or try your hand at a spot of golf – there’s enough fun and games here to last for days.

Box Hill

Box Hill is an outstanding area of woodland and chalk downland located near to London and LEGOLAND Windsor. Better suited for the active family, this park has some truly breathtaking views over the South Downs from its many nature trails. After a steep incline, you will find a visitor centre at the summit which offers a great place to stop for a picnic. Box Hill is awash with day-trippers in the summer months, make sure you get there early.

Runnymeade Pleasure Grounds

The Runnymeade Pleasure Grounds is a relaxing riverside park with access to walks along the River Thames and local countryside. The park is a great spot for a family picnic and has a number of attractions to keep you all entertained including a playground, paddling pool, cafe and boat cruises. It’s only three miles from Thorpe Park and might just be the best way to relax after all those thrill rides.

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New Ride At Alton Towers

April 24th, 2009

A little while back we reported how Alton Towers had confirmed plans to build a new ride in 2010 under the name Secret Weapon Six. Now, in true Play and Stay Blog style, it is time for a spot of speculation.

Normally I would leave this sort of thing to Jonathan Buckingham-Dudley, but he is far too engrossed in what is happening to Susan Boyle. So, for this instalment at least, you have the pleasure of my company.

First of all, a big thank you to Screamscape for supplying me with the crumb-trail. Without you, I really would have had no work to do this afternoon. And while for some that sounds like a marvellous thing, it doesn’t half make hometime a long way away.

There are three videos on YouTube at the moment. The beginnings of a new viral promotion or merely fan fiction? You decide:

Now, I don’t know about you, but I get the distinct feeling that Alton Towers are also going for something a bit spooky in much the same way Thorpe Park did earlier this year when they unveiled SAW – The Ride.

The difference being, of course, is that Alton Towers is aimed at a younger market – so we can expect it to be a little tamer than the aforementioned.

We also reported that the ride will have a backwards section, somewhat similar to Disney’s Expedition Everest ride (see above video). A quick glance at the plans below, which were submitted to the local council by Alton Towers, clearly shows the point where the ride stops its forward motion, in favour of a backwards section.
Secret Weapon Six

At this time, this is all we really have to go on, but fear not – we are on the case and will bring you all the latest as and when it hits.

Oh, and one last titbit for you. Here’s a video of the locals’ reactions to the ride. Some good, some bad. You can decide for yourself what you think.

New Rides at British Theme Parks: Thorpe Park and Paultons

March 12th, 2009

Yes we are back and yes we do more than just theme parks now, but for this blog, I intend to talk purely about rollercoasters and thrill rides. In particular, new ones.

2009 is not a good year if you are superstitious – TWO Friday the thirteenths in just two months? Surely nothing good can come from that. Can it? If you are a theme park fan, then the answer is yes. Well, sort of.

Saw - The Ride On Friday March 13, Thorpe Park champions its latest offering to the masses: SAW – The Ride. Based on the film franchise of the same name, the ride is the world’s first ever horror movie themed rollercoaster. Having watched the films and been left feeling rather queasy after a few scenes, I must say the thought of this ride is horrid.

Here’s why:
1. It has a past vertical 100 degree drop.
2. It reaches speeds of 55 mph.
3. It has a past vertical 100 degree drop.

While researching the ride, I stumbled across a few more facts: It will last one minute and 40 seconds from start to finish (queueing not included), has three inversions and cost a whopping £13.5m to build.

The cost is especially impressive when you find out how much the other new ride that opens on 13 March cost. We’ll get to this in but a moment. For now, my colleague and I are debating whether or not Thorpe Park had to pay a license fee for the ride, or if Lionsgate willingly gave the rights for free in return for future sales of the DVDs. Any of you guys know? Please let me know…

There is also some debate about whether or not SAW – The Ride is a worthwhile venture from the film industry, or if it’s simply a product of those marketing types looking to make a few extra bucks.

Also, in ten years time, will we actually remember the films, or will they be cast into the pit of forgetfulness along with the fizzy Nemesis drink that made its way into our vending machines in the mid 90s? (Look it up – it did exist.) Nemesis is still one of the best rides in the world – a true legend in fact, and SAW – The Ride looks set to be another major player in theme park land. There is no doubt in my mind that we will still be riding it ten years time – I am just not so sure I will remember anything of Jigsaw and his sordid ‘games’ with complacent victims.

Edge The second ride opening this week is Edge at Paulton’s Park. If you haven’t heard anything about Edge, let me give you a brief description: It’s a big spinny-roundy disc that seats 40 people. Said disc then spins horizontally while moving along a 90 metre section of track at speeds of 43 mph. Back and forth, back and forth, I’m not entirely sure that anyone will be able to stand up or hang on to any lunch after riding the Edge.

The ride is another first for the UK – it’s the only one of its type here and the eighth of its kind in the world. Sure, Spinball Whizzer at Alton Towers does the same sort of thing, but that one actually goes round a proper ‘rollercoaster’ track and only accommodates four riders at a time.

Edge cost just £1m to build which, let’s face it, is nothing compared to SAW – The Ride. With the backing of Merlin, Thorpe can justify the spend. Paulton’s, on the other hand, can’t.

So where will you be heading this weekend? If you live near London, it’ll have to be Thorpe, but if you live near the New Forest – you’re surely going to Paulton’s. Me? I’ll be doing something far more cowardly, like stroking kittens, or watching Raven with my kids. Either way, you are going to need to take a packed lunch – the queues are going to be loooooooooong.

Play and Stay Needs You

January 28th, 2009

Play and Stay is changing this year and we need your help.

Been to a theme park in the last 12 months? Taken some pictures of you and your family/friends on your favourite rides? Or maybe you made a video of your day out.

We are looking for your pictures and videos to display on our all new site. So, if you think you can help, please email us at playandstay@googlemail.com with anything you think we might be able to use.

If you are stuck for ideas, check out our photostream on flickr. New photos are being uploaded all the time and we would really appreciate your help in this matter.

We also have own youtube account where you can see a variety of ride videos. Check it out.

Thanks in advance, and stay tuned for news of the all new Play and Stay site as and when it happens.

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Corkscrew’s Closing Down Clearout

November 4th, 2008

As I’m sure many of you are aware, ‘The Corkscrew’, Alton Towers Resort’s oldest rollercoaster, is being taken down after 28 years of service. This is some of the saddest news I have had to bloggify for your reading pleasure. Yes Corkscrew was getting a touch dated, yes it did bash you about a bit and yes, it wasn’t really that exciting when compared to Nemesis or Oblivion but it’s a bit of a classic.

Getting strapped into Corkscrew has a glorious nostalgic feel to it. The harnesses are old and heavily worn in, 28 years of white-knuckled gripping have distressed the plastic to a oddly satisfying patina. If you look closely you can see what I presume are fingernail marks dug deeply into the squishy part near the little grab handles.

The last time I rode Corkscrew was earlier this year when the Play and Stay® team went on our outing to Alton Towers to test out the YourDay system. I must admit, most of us were rattled around a bit, at least one of us went green and all of us preferred Nemesis.

Gripes aside, personally, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for rickety old Corkscrew. I like to think of it as the sleepy, flatulent grandmother of the coaster world, a personality you could forgive for anything.

My views are not enough it would seem. Grandma is off to the home to make way for an as yet undisclosed attraction. I have no idea what it will be but you can bet it will be bigger, shinier and faster than good ol’ Corky.

Whatever it is that will replace Corkscrew, Alton Towers Resort’s staff have begun clearing the area around the coaster and they have found some a surprising volume of stuff under the old girl. There’s been the expected detritus, thousands of hats, loads of keys, 800 pieces of jewellery, 237 mobile phones and 53 shoes.

These aren’t the items that piqued my interest though, two items in particular have caught my eye. Firstly, the folk clearing this 28 years old pile of jumble have found 10 pieces of underwear.

Pause.

TEN PEICES OF UNDERWEAR?! Where the heck did that come from? Under what circumstances can one lose one’s grinders in the moments it takes to zip round Corkscrew’s track? I’ve tried to think of situations and I honestly can’t think of a single way you could lose any form of undergarment on that ride.

These ponderings have led me to believe that at least ten people visiting Alton Towers Resort thought that at least one ride would be so scary they would require spare pants. Concerned that they might have an embarassing “accident” at least ten people must have stashed a spare pair of undercrackers in their pocket.

This hypothesis concerns me deeply, how many people have had a spare pants situation in a rollercoaster seat I’ve sat in? That’s the exact reason I won’t ride the bus! As disturbed and slightly sickened by this as I am, something far stranger has been found under Corkscrew and it needs addressing.

The oddest find has been….wait for it……a prosthetic leg! Yes, some poor soul’s artificial limb has been found. This brings up all manner of questions. Firstly, did the person who lost the leg realise? Surely they did, if so why was it not retrieved? I know staff are generally very reluctant to retrieve things like change and hats but somebody’s leg?! What kind of cold-hearted attendant sees someone hopping up to them and refuses to get them back their leg…their leg that they use for walking!

Did anyone else realise that someone had lost a limb? Why did those watching not kick up a fuss? Why is there not a video of a leg sailing through the air into the shrubbery outside Corkscrew on youtube? How did the person that lost the leg make it out of the park? Were they ok? Does it hurt to loose an artificial leg? It’s attached somehow so surely it must be at least uncomfortable for it to have been wrenched off.

I implore you people of the internet, citizens of cyberspace, find me the person who lost that limb. I want to hear from you, I want to know if you’re ok and I want to know more about how the leg ended up abandoned rather than retrieved. Use the comments box people, ask your friends, find that person so we can see them reunited with their lost pin!

Halloween’s a’comin’

October 8th, 2008

Halloweens a’comin’ chaps and the UK’s theme parks are gearing up to get their scary on. Not content with employing people to jump out from behind shrubbery and shout “boo” the major parks are all laying on Halloween themed events.
Alton Towers have Scarefest, Chessington are treating guests to Halloween Hocus Pocus and Thorpe Park are running Fright Nights.

All of the park’s spooky events look pretty tempting but it’s the live action horror mazes at Thorpe Park that intrigue me most of all. Combining mazes (scary) and people in costumes paid to do nothing other than to make you scream like a lady (really scary) they are certain to be a big hit this year.

Thorpe Park have a new maze this year, ‘The Curse’. It looks decidedly spooky (and possibly influenced a teeny tiny bit by The Ring) and I fully intend to go up there and have a wander around. Currently, I am working on a dastardly plan to counter-scare the mazes inhabitants. I’m thinking sherbet under my tongue and a fake nosebleed so I can convince the staff that they’ve scared me to death. After they have freaked out a little and felt suitably remorseful I’ll let them i on my hilarious gag, ingenious plan yeah?

My own diabolical machinations aside, there’s some trailers out for each of the mazes now. Being the dutiful blogger I am I’ve popped them all on here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

Our Day at Alton Towers

September 5th, 2008

A couple of weeks ago, I reported on the latest offering for visitors to Alton Towers which resulted in the team from Play and Stay being invited up to the resort for a day of fun and laughter (for free, of course). My co-worker and understudy, Jonathan “Big D” Dudley, has just posted his review of the DVD on our blog for you all to read. I, however, am going to report on the events that unfolded on that fateful day, September 2, 2008.

Spinball Whizzer
It all began at 4:00 in the morning when my alarm went off, thus telling me it was time to get up out of my bed. Whilst the darkness and beating rain outside was trying to stop me from leaving said bed, the thought of going to Alton Towers for the day won over.

Armed with a cup of hot tea, the company’s Ford Galaxy and free entry to the park, I set off on my travels to pick up the rest of the team.

By 5:00 am, everyone was onboard and almost awake, so we headed for the M20 and the lovely prospect of a four hour drive to the Midlands.

After a long drive (made ever so much longer by Nathan’s request to listen to the Today Show on Radio 4), we arrived at Alton with no McMuffins in our bellies. It would appear that the M1 is no place for McDonalds.

Oblivion
The first ride we went on was Spinball Whizzer. Although when I say “we”, I actually mean “everyone except me.” I am indeed a chicken and have a real fear of theme park rides. (See entry entitled Family Fun at LEGOLAND Windsor for a little history.) The rest of the team seemed to thoroughly enjoy the ride and Jonathan realised at this point that he really shouldn’t have bothered straightening his hair this morning.

From there, we headed over to X Sector. Of course, there was absolutely no chance I was going on anything here – I was content to take pictures of everything around me. Oblivion did get rave reviews from all who braved it whereas the general consensus of Enterprise was “AAAAARRRGHHHHHH I’m going to fall out!!!!!”

I was allowed to escape a few rides without getting too much stick and I unfortunately used my quota in this section alone. It’s ok, Hex was next. Any of you who have previously ridden Hex will probably agree that this is one confusing ride. After watching a few films on TVs dotted around the various dark rooms and corridors, we were all led into a chamber with two rows of seats facing each other, separated by a cursed branch in the middle. What happened next just didn’t add up. It felt like we were spun all the way around, yet my camera never left my lap. Anyone got any ideas what actually happens in there? Answers on a postcard please…
Riat Queen of Speed

Next up was UG Land; home of Rita and Corkscrew. I chickened out of Rita to much ripping from my comrades and opted to test my wits against the Corkscrew instead. Quite why, I’m not sure. Rita is new, doesn’t involve any massive drops or loops and is relatively safe. Corkscrew on the other hand is old, rickety, and downright horrible. I was stupid enough to sit on the wrong side and felt like I was about to smack my head on the uprights every five seconds. If nothing else, Corkscrew did get the nerves out of me and enabled me to actually start enjoying the rest of the park.

After a leisurely stroll through the Gardens, we ended up in the Forbidden Valley. I had heard that Air was pretty tame, so I was well up for ride. Some unfortunate soul didn’t agree though and chundered at the end of the ride, just before we were allowed off. Air is definitely exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyable. The best part of the ride is easily when you rotate round so that you are facing the sky. I actually wanted to go again, but our priority passes were only good for one turn each.
Alton Towers Gardens

Next up was Nemesis, the ride I had waited all day for. When I went to Thorpe Park last year, it was easily the best ride there, and this one was supposed to be even faster. After a short wait and an obnoxious employee who didn’t really want to give us priority, we made it on. And WOW, what a ride. Nemesis is still the best around. I’m hoping that one day, when all my hard work as a copywriter pays off, I might actually be able to open my own theme park full of various Nemesis rides. Or even just one really long one that lasts about 10 minutes. Or maybe even both.
Air

Onwards and upwards, we headed round to the the delights of Duel where the ever smug understudy got a high score, almost doubling my own effort. If the Zombie Holocaust that is (apparently) only a matter of years away actually happens, Jonathan is so on my team.

The last ride of the day was the Runaway Mine Train. This is my chance to shine and actually remove my hands from the safety bar for more than one second. The crew operating the ride were great. Ever smiling and chatty, I honestly believe they made the ride what it is.
Nemesis

With Priority Ride Passes in your hand, two things happen:
1) You feel extremely important when you stroll to the front of the queue and
2) You get through the park in a very short amount of time.

Both factors are great and made the day that much better. We started at 11.30 and finished just before 17:00 but then we did miss out all the water rides and the extremely inviting Squirrel Nutty Ride. All that was left to do was go back, grab a shower, and then head down to the bar to discuss the day’s events.
Duel

We were staying at the Alton Towers Hotel which was absolutely amazing and the perfect end to the day. It is only moments away from the park via monorail and comes complete with a bar, a restaurant and Stacey the singer. Splash Landings was also great, but the entertainment was a little too young for my liking. This is where the real difference comes in to play: Alton Towers Hotel is the better choice for couples and families with older children whilst Splash Landings is definitely more for the kids.

The only thing left to say is that the buffet breakfast rocked and that apparently, I am eight years younger at Alton Towers. Thanks Giovanna.

For more great pictures of our day at Alton Towers, check out Play and Stay on Facebook.