Dropping into a busy school-trip infested Alton Towers on the way up to the ECC Gulliver's Gallop weekend
Dropping into a busy school-trip infested Alton Towers on the way up to the ECC Gulliver's Gallop weekend
I was giving a friend a lift to the ECC's Gulliver's Gallop weekend, and Alton Towers made for a convenient stopping off point on the way up. We arrived late morning and spent a few hours in the park, which was crammed full of kids on school trips. Even so, queue times weren't horrendous - most of the major rides had around 30-60 minute waits.
Various gazebos and flagpoles had been setup on the front lawns to act as bases for the various school parties. It seemed like a really good idea to me.
After a quick stop at Corner Coffee, we started the day on Wicker Man
The coaster is running nicely in its second season
The staff were batching quickly, and we were on the ride within 45 minutes
There's still a load of great Wicker Man merch for sale in the shop - I came away with a new mug
Can't resist a good theme park duck photo!
A sign has been added to the theming in Forbidden Valley
Nemesis only had a 35 minute queue, so we made that our next ride
Nemesis celebrates its 25th birthday this year
It's still a cracking ride, although it felt a little bit rougher than usual
We got a notification from the Alton mobile app saying the park was staying open for an extra hour until 5pm instead of the just-after-lunch 4pm close, so we took a walk through the Gardens over towards Dark Forest
We had a celebratory ride on Th13teen, even though it had the longest queue of the day at over an hour's wait
Hex is my favourite non-coaster ride at Alton Towers, and we managed to fit it in right at the end of the day
The Towers always look stunning on a sunny day
The Hospitality Suite had been turned into a Teachers' Rest Room for the school trip season - good job, as some of those teachers looked knackered!
Although the park was busy, it was easily manageable - and it is really good to see it full of atmosphere again after the last few years
Time to head to our Warrington hotel and prepare for our adventurous weekend of travels with Gulliver...