Review: Alton Towers Festive Family Days Out*

Christmas was cancelled for so many of us last year, so if you’re looking for an extra special festive day out for all the family to enjoy, Alton Towers Resort is ready to welcome you with a host of merry activities to get you in the holiday spirit with more Christmas trees and lights than ever before.

We were invited to come along to try out their new to 2021 Festive Days out which includes, for the first time ever, a FREE Christmas market with more than 60 festive stalls, Europe’s longest light and lantern trial – Lightopia and there’s even a host of attractions open including the brand new David Walliams’ adapted Gangster Granny ride and all of your favourites in CBeebies Land and Mutiny Bay.

Tickets for the market which runs until December 23rd are free with a £6 car parking fee or you can purchase the Festive Day Out ticket for £16pp (under 3’s free) which includes access to all the rides and you can still shop till you drop at the Christmas market on Towers Street which is full of stalls bursting with unique crafts and delightful surprises. There is an additional fee of £20pp for visitors over three-years-old if you wish to stay for Lightopia which runs daily from 4pm-8pm (excluding Christmas Day) until 2nd January 2022 and an additional ticket will need to be booked which grants you entry to this dazzling 2km wonderland of immersive lights.

I can’t begin to explain how excited we all were – this was the first magical Christmassy day out we were going to be enjoying as a family for almost 2 years! We had booked a Santa Sleepover last year but this was unfortunately cancelled and refunded due to Covid-19 restrictions so this felt particularly special. Our four-year-old, Margot, could hardly contain herself and mentioned hot chocolate about 300 times the week leading up to our visit and Seb, aged 8, had recently read David Walliams Gangster Granny so he was really looking forward to trying out the new ride. My husband and I were also keen for a mulled wine and couldn’t wait to soak up the festive atmosphere.

The evening before we were due to attend, the UK had been battered by Storm Arwen leaving many areas and households without power. Alton Towers was also badly affected throwing the opening in doubt. Social media was awash with questions and demanded answers from the staff who were at a loss themselves. Having spoken to the press office I was kept informed prior to leaving but there were families who had driven miles now stranded in their cars on the car park just waiting for an update on the situation.

Thankfully, after a slight delay, the market was able to reopen from 12:30pm and the rides and attractions opened up from 1:30pm. I have to say, after speaking to a handful of staff members throughout the day, they really did go above and beyond to ensure the day went ahead. Stories of staff battling the elements to get into work and then shovelling snow before their shifts started were not isolated so they deserve a special mention for doing all they could despite the wintery conditions.

My family and I arrived onsite at around 2pm and we headed straight to CBeebies Land – after the kids had been so patient with the uncertainty of the day we felt we owed it to them to tackle the rides first. This seemed to be most people’s first destination as it was the only part of the day we felt was busy. Throughout our visit we commented on how quiet it seemed so perhaps the freezing temperatures had changed some people’s minds on attending. Those that were able to make it seemed to all be in Cbeebies Land though. We managed to go on Peter Rabbit’s Hippity Hop after a 15 minute wait but after queuing for the Go Jetter’s Vrroomster and reaching the front, the ride had to close. The Octonauts’ Rollercoaster was also closed so all in all it was a little disappointing but nothing that the promise of hot chocolate and the new Gangster Granny ride couldn’t fix.

We ventured towards the David Walliams-themed area but on the way came across the outdoor stage which is located in Fountain Square by The Towers and hosts a selection of seasonal sing-a-longs and entertainment throughout the day. We caught the Rock ‘N’ Roll Christmas show so we stayed to have a dance and what better way to keep warm! The singers and dancers were fantastic even without huge crowds to entertain they still gave a high energy and fun-filled performance and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Once suitably warm, we made our way to Gangster Granny: The Ride but seeing the queue for Flavio’s Fabulous Fandango was relatively small, we cha cha’d our way over there first. My husband, who is not usually a fan of spinney rides, even laughed his socks off as we frantically spun round and round the ‘dancefloor’. Unfortunately, Margot-the-thrill-seeker was just below the height restriction of 1.2m so was unable to come on but maybe she was the real winner here as we practically stumbled towards Gangster Granny afterwards!

New to 2021, the hotly anticipated new ride adapted from David Walliam’s best-selling Gangster Granny is a fully immersive experience featuring Ben and his granny as they’re chased through the streets of London after pinching the Crown Jewels. The family-friendly ride spins you around the most exciting scenes with special effects including smoke, pyrotechnics, and bubbles and there’s even a dank whiff in the sewer you’d swear was cabbage soup. It really was fantastic and one everyone can enjoy, even if you’ve not read the book or seen the TV-adaptation.

It was starting to get dark now so we headed back towards Fountain Square and decided to get a drink and a bite to eat in the Woodcutters Bar & Grill. If you have a Merlin Pass you can get 20% off here and the food was pretty good. My husband had a chorizo burger and me and the kids got a couple of bowls of chips to share and decided to save ourselves for treats at the festive market. Our bill with a 175ml glass of wine, a Stella Artois, three bowls of chips and his meal came to around £30 which wasn’t bad at all considering theme park prices are usually astronomical. We did purchase five large marshmallows to toast in the fire pit outside the restaurant and they set us back £2.50 a piece which did seem ridiculous – my husband purchased these without asking about Merlin Pass discount so I’m not sure if you could get these for £2, if you can, that seems slightly more reasonable but doing a complimentary toast would’ve been a nicer touch.

We headed towards the markets now for a browse and a quick shop. We thought many would stay open to catch the footfall of people who were going to or leaving Lightopia but were disappointed to find many stallholders had packed up for the day by 6pm despite the market running until 8pm. I wanted to pick up something from Six Towns Gin but they’d sadly left for the day so my advice to anyone coming for the full day from 11am and staying for Lightopia – visit the markets first to avoid disappointment. There are lots of charming stalls with gorgeous artisan decorations, foodie items and gifts so even if you’re coming just for the Christmas market there’s lots to enjoy I just wished we’d been able to see more of it.

We rounded our festive day off with a whimsical walk around the incredible Lightopia attraction that spans the gardens and is approximately 2.2km long. Dubbed Europe’s longest light and lantern trail, this award-winning visually spectacular wonderland spans the seasons and is filled with interactive exhibits, immersive light installations and magical illuminated trails. It truly was incredible. With the snow twinkling beneath the lights, the thing that almost put a stop to our day actually made it all the more magical and we couldn’t have finished off the day in a better way. At £20 per ticket for anyone over three, it is a little expensive but if you were only going to do one bumper festive day out this season, it’s well worth it. If you purchase the £16pp Festive Day Out tickets, you can upgrade to include Lightopia for a slightly discounted £15pp but this offer is only available to purchases made online.

What did we think?

Perhaps the freezing temperatures put many people off attending as planned as it wasn’t particularly busy but I’m so glad we battled on because there really was something to see around every corner. We would definitely recommend this to other families looking for a fun festive day out.

What rides are open?

Apart from all your favourites in CBeebies Land, Mutiny Bay and Sharkbait Reef aquarium will be open as well as selected rides including Spinball Whizzer, Hex, Gangster Granny: The Ride, The Royal Carousel, Raj’s Bouncy Bottom Burp and Flavio’s Fabulous Fandango.

What entertainment is there?

Throughout the day over on the big stage in Fountain Square you can catch A Rock’N’Roll Christmas: 12pm, 14:40pm, 5:20pm, Panto Wonderland Sing-along: 12:40pm, 3:20pm, 6pm, A Classic Christmas Party: 1:20pm, 4pm, 6:40pm and A Christmas Cracker Spectacular: 2pm, 4:40pm, 7:20pm

Where can we eat?

There are a number of eateries open including Corner Coffee on Towers Street, Towers St Donuts and Hots Dogs, Eastern Express in Mutiny Bay, Little Explorers Lunchbox in CBeebies Land, the Woodcutters Bar & Grill in Fountain Square and The Burger Kitchen also Fountain Square.

Need to know

The Christmas Market is open from 11am – 8pm until the 23rd December. Book a time slot between 4pm – 8pm for Lightopia which will run until 23rd December. The family rides and attractions can be enjoyed with a Festive Day Out ticket which runs until January 2nd and opens daily from 11am – 8pm.

How much are tickets?

Entrance to the markets is free with a £6 car parking fee. Festive Day Out tickets cost £16 and you can upgrade to include Lightopia for an additional £15 online. Tickets to Lightopia alone cost £20pp. Under 3’s go free regardless of what package you purchase.

Where is Alton Towers?
Farley Ln
Alton
Stoke-on-Trent
ST10 4DB
Staffordshire

Review by: Libby Dallimore

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*We were invited to experience the day out in return for a blog feature. All opinions are our own.