Buying Merlin annual passes this year gave us the chance to book a short break at Alton Towers Resort. We knew Ethan would love to visit CBeebies Land so a visit has always been on our radar. We booked a two-night, three-day stay at the Alton Towers Hotel. Being that as a family we don’t really go on the big rollercoasters I did wonder if we would be able to fill our time at Alton Towers. But we had a great time at Alton Towers and could have easily filled another day there.
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The Alton Towers Hotel
I always thought that when we finally got the chance to visit Alton Towers we would stay in the Enchanted Village Woodland Lodges. But the Merlin Holiday Club had a great deal on the rooms in the Alton Towers Hotel. We booked to stay in one of the Moon Voyage Rooms which are located on the third floor of the hotel.
The Alton Towers hotel has a great feel to it. It felt a bit more grown-up than the LEGOLAND Hotel, a themed hotel that would also be perfect for teenage members of the family. The evening entertainment in the main bar was a singer but there was also a disco for children being held in a conference room that lead off of the bar.
The Alton Towers Hotel is situated outside of the main theme park. You can get to the park by walking to the Galactica entrance of the park. This entrance is only available for the use of hotel guests or you can take the monorail to the main entrance of the park.
Enjoying CBeebies Land
I did wonder if our family would stand out as we were taking a teenager to CBeebies Land but there were many mixed-ability families enjoying the area. We spent time every day in CBeebies Land and we didn’t get to experience it all. Ethan had two favourite rides the first one being In The Night Garden Magical Boat Ride. He has always been a fan of In The Night Garden so this wasn’t a surprise.
Ethan also loved the Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure. I think it was because he could see all of CBeebies Land from up high.
As well as the rides, there are shows to watch, characters to meet and a playground to enjoy.
The World Of David Walliams
Another area we were able to enjoy at Alton Towers was the David Walliams area. We all loved the Gangsta Granny ride and thought it was very clever. It reminded us of how they used to create Disney rides. I hope they add some more David Walliams-themed rides there as it would be a nice expansion.
Spending Time In The Waterpark
As our children love to swim I booked tickets for the waterpark. Booking a ticket gave us a two-hour slot in the waterpark. We spent the full two hours there without even going on any of the slides. The queues for the slides were long and we didn’t want to stress Ethan with the waiting. We easily filled our time in Calypso Creek, the Wacky Waterworks, Lagoona Bay and the Bubbly Wubbly Pool.
Eating At The Rollercoaster Restaurant
I always knew the Rollercoaster Restaurant would be a hit with our family. Watching food racing down the rollercoaster tracks would keep our son very happy. I booked a table for dinner as soon as we booked our Alton Towers break.
I had seen some bad reports about the restaurant but we all enjoyed eating there. There was of course the normal offering of burgers and chips but Little E had chicken and rice for her dinner. I had honey-coated chicken.
Everything we ordered did race down the tracks towards our table, even the desserts. The only thing that was carried over to our table was the children’s orange juices.
What Experiences Did We Miss At Alton Towers Resort?
Knowing that we wouldn’t be going on any of the big thrill rides at Alton Towers I did wonder if we would be able to fill our three days. But we found that we run out of time to do everything we wanted. The Alton Towers Resort is huge and it takes some time walking from one area to the other. The Skyride was closed during our visit to the Alton Towers Resort which is a shame as Ethan loves a cable car.
I would have liked to have the time to explore the gardens at Alton Towers. They look like they would take a good few hours to walk around and we just didn’t have the time. You also get a round of Extraordinary Golf included in your short break booking. I would have liked to have played a family round of golf but again we just didn’t get the time.
Would We Visit Alton Towers Resort Again?
I was pleasantly surprised at how much we all enjoyed our stay at Alton Towers. I thought that we would only visit once to experience CBeebies Land. Little E is asking if we can go back. I think waiting a few years to see if she wants to go on the bigger rides would be a good idea. Because of the distance, we have to travel, I think staying more than one night is the best option. This means we would have to stay in the school holidays. Hopefully, in the next few years, we will be able to find the time to visit again.
We love sharing our travel adventures on our blog. Make sure you visit our Travel Trips and Experiences post to read all about them.
