| Alton Towers ResortAlton Towers ResortAlton Towers Resort is referred to as Alton Towers it is a theme park and resort complex in Staffordshire, England, near the village of Alton. The park is operated by Merlin Entertainments Group and incorporates a theme park, water park, mini golf and hotel complex. In 2021, it ranked first for attendance among amusement parks in the UK, with an estimated 1.8 million visitors. Originally a private estate of the Earls of Shrewsbury, Alton Towers' grounds were opened to the public in 1860 to raise funds. In the 1970s a few rides were added and some of the themed areas were developed. Inspired by Disneyland, it was transformed into a theme park in 1980 with the installation of its first roller coaster and several new rides. The park has many attractions such as Congo River Rapids, Runaway Mine Train, Nemesis Reborn, Oblivion, Galactica, The Smiler, Wicker Man, Rita and TH13TEEN. It operates a total of ten roller coasters and offers a range of accommodation and lodging options alongside the theme park. Facilities include Alton Towers Waterpark, Alton Towers Conference Centre and Extraordinary Golf. The theme park is open seasonally from mid-March to early November, whilst many of its hotels and amenities are open year-round. Special events are hosted throughout the year, including Alton Towers Scarefest (the park's Halloween event), Oktoberfest, Fireworks, and Christmas. Alton Towers History Alton Towers first opened to the public on a regular basis following the opening of Alton Towers railway station. Money raised from railway excursions was paid to the earl and helped to maintain the upkeep of the grounds. In 1924, a group of local estate agents formed Alton Towers Ltd to take ownership of the estate and began to restore the gardens as a tourist attraction. In the 1950s, this included the operation of a fairground, and by the 1970s included a boating lake and chairlift. Property developer John Broome acquired the park after marrying the daughter of majority shareholder Dennis Bagshaw in 1972 and subsequently buying all its concessions. From there, he began the theme park by developing new areas and installing permanent rides, including the Corkscrew, The Flume, Around The World In 80 Days, The Black Hole and the Grand Canyon Rapids. In 1990, Broome sold Alton Towers to The Tussauds Group, then a division of Pearson plc, after his development of the former Battersea Power Station encountered financial difficulties. The change of park ownership brought another era of development, involving the opening of new themed areas and attractions, such as Runaway Mine Train (1992), The Haunted House (1992), Toyland Tours (1994), and Nemesis (1994). Tussauds' park development team from 1990 to 2002 included attraction producer John Wardley among others. The Tussauds Group was sold to venture capital firm Charterhouse in 1998. The opening of Oblivion that same year and Air (now Galactica) in 2002 saw the park sustain new major roller coasters, both marketed as 'World First' rides. In 2005, Dubai International Capital (DIC) acquired Tussauds for £800 million. In May 2007, The Blackstone Group purchased The Tussauds Group for US$1.9 billion and merged it with its then-subsidiary Merlin Entertainments. Dubai International Capital also gained 20% of Merlin Entertainment. On 17 July 2007, Alton Towers was sold to private investment firm Prestbury under a sale and leaseback agreement. Merlin continues to operate the site under a renewable 35-year lease. As of 2023, the property is owned by LXi REIT plc. As of early 2008 the resort changed its name to 'Alton Towers Resort' to better reflect its status as a multi-day destination. Most other Merlin-owned theme parks with onsite hotels would follow the same course over the following few years. In 2020, Alton Towers operated on a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, operating on a limited capacity from 4 July until November. Alton Towers Rides and Attractions Alton Towers Roller Coasters Name Opened Type Location in the Park
Name Height Length Top speed
Alton Towers Temporary Flat Rides Alton Towers rented four temporary flat rides for the 2021 season to help with capacity. Three of these were part of the "Retro Squad". The Retro Squad lasted 3 seasons, leaving after 2023, while Flavio's Fabulous Fandango is still present at the resort. Name Type Status Opened Location in the Park Flavio's Fabulous Fandango Sizzler Operational 2021 The World of David Walliams Twirling Toadstool Water/Dark rides Name Type Status Opened Location in the Park
Name Type Opened Location in the Park
Name Type Status Location in the Park
Alton Towers Theme Park
The Alton Towers Theme Park is divided into 11 areas: Towers Street, Mutiny Bay, Katanga Canyon, Gloomy Wood, Forbidden Valley, Dark Forest, The Towers & Gardens, The World of David Walliams, X-Sector, Adventure Land and CBeebies Land. The SkyRide cable car system travels between Towers Street, Forbidden Valley, and the Towers and takes in views of the gardens. The park's maximum capacity at any one time is set at 28,000 guests. According to the TEA attendance report, the park was estimated to have attracted 2,130,000 people in 2019, a 1.4% increase on 2018's figure of 2,100,000. This made Alton Towers Britain's 2nd most visited theme park, after Legoland Windsor, and the 13th most visited theme park in Europe. Annual admissions surpassed 3 million in both 1994 and 2010, when the Nemesis and Thirteen rollercoasters were opened respectively. Alton Towers Towers Street Opened in 1986, Towers Street is the first area that visitors to the park encounter. Themed loosely as a town street, it leads to views of the gardens and the Towers across the lake in the distance. Along the pathway are the park's jumping frog fountains and a lawn where seasonal events take place. The first SkyRide station is located nearby, which is a 1,048-metre (3,438 ft) long cable car transport that opened in 1987, and was refurbished 2009. The monorail moves guests from the five on-site hotels, the water park and the car parks to the theme park. In this area during the hour before the park's daily closure, departing guests are entertained by three people wearing police costumes, two of them riding Segway-like vehicles which play party music and the third standing with an old-fashioned megaphone that is unused, and a man riding a miniature ship while dressed as a sea captain. Alton Towers Katanga Canyon Themed as an African village, created in 1992 and incorporated existing rapids ride. Rides include the roller coaster Runaway Mine Train and Congo River Rapids. Both are well-established rides in the park whose ride tracks share a tunnel. Congo River Rapids is a river rapids ride that opened 1986, as The Grand Canyon Rapids, and was refurbished in 1992. A 735 m long wild river rapids ride down the Congo River that lasts six minutes. Runaway Mine Train is a steel sit down powered coaster that reaches a speed of 22 mph (36 km/h) on a 1000 ft long track (305 m) and height of 36 ft (11 m), height limit 90 cm. It was designed by John Wardley for Tussauds and manufactured by Mack Rides. Alton Towers Gloomy Wood Gloomy Wood serves as the area for the dark ride The Curse At Alton Manor, formally Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back!. Opening in 1992, this was originally Europe's largest haunted dark ride, but was significantly altered with interactive laser guns in 2003 and then removed again in 2023. Each player's shooting score was recorded on a display in the ride car, as guests shot targets throughout the layout. The ride closed in September 2022 for refurbishment. From the beginning of the 2023 season, "Duel" reopened as "The Curse at Alton Manor". Following the story of Emily Alton, who featured in the original Haunted House attraction in the ride queue. In 2007, a themed footpath through the woods was added to the area, named Haunted Hollow. The pathway follows the route formerly used by the park's old scenic railway, linking from Mutiny Bay. Haunted Hollow includes tombstones, statues and other features, some of which interact with guests using sound effects. In July 2015, Nitrogenie opened and replaced the old Waffles and Ices, a shop producing ice cream using liquid nitrogen. However, this is now closed. Gloomy Wood was suggested by the 2017 park map to be home to the new Wicker Man wooden coaster, opening in 2018. However, the park later stated that the ride was in Mutiny Bay. Alton Towers Forbidden Valley Forbidden Valley is set in a 'post-apocalyptic' landscape, with standing stones and rustic structures populating the 'valley'. A SkyRide station also serves this area of the park. The area's principal attraction is Nemesis Reborn, opened in 1994. Nemesis Reborn is a steel inverted coaster that reaches a speed of 50 mph (81 km) with four inversions, set in a rocky quarry over waterfalls. The ride is built down into excavated ground and was designed by Tussauds, primarily John Wardley. The attraction is themed as an alien creature inhabiting the quarry where the coaster is situated. The Blade is a Huss Pirate Boat modified with a pendulum blade. It opened in 1980, and was relocated to the area in 1997 from Fantasy World. The Blade operated as the only flat ride in Forbidden Valley following the removal of Ripsaw. However, in October 2019, The Blade was dismantled for refubishment and reopened the next season. Galactica is a B&M flying coaster, originally opening as Air in 2002. Air was loosely themed as a peaceful landscape, distanced from the 'apocalyptic' look of Nemesis. Air was redesigned as Galactica in 2016, adopting virtual reality headsets and a space travel theme. The VR headsets have since been removed due to feedback from customers. Nemesis Sub-Terra is a walkthrough / ABC Rides drop tower combination. The experience is themed around the story of Nemesis, and how some eggs have been found underground in a Phalanx facility. The ride originally operated from 2012 to 2015, however on 27 May 2023, it reopened. In May 2016, the 'Rollercoaster Restaurant' opened, offering a dining experience where guests have their food delivered by looping rails. The restaurant is open daily from 10am - 9:30pm, available to guests without theme park admission after the park has closed, except during Scarefest and Fireworks events. Alton Towers Adventure Land Adventure Land is a small family area featuring Spinball Whizzer, based on a pinball machine in which the car is the ball whizzing around the machine. The ride originally had this name, until 2010 when it was known as Sonic Spinball until the name change back in 2016 when a contract ended with SEGA after six years. The ride is a Maurer Söhne spinning roller coaster, in which riders sit in cars that can spin on their base whilst travelling at speed around the track. Spinball Whizzer is now part of The Towers, alongside Cuckoo Cars Driving School, Hex and the Alton Towers Dungeon. It has a sister rollercoaster located at Chessington World of Adventures. Adventure Land is named after the adventure play ground which previously sat on the site. The former play area was one of the attractions of a larger area called Kiddies Kingdom. In 1996, Kiddies Kingdom was split into Adventure Land and Storybook Land. *This area as of 2017 is considered part of The Towers* Alton Towers X-Sector X-Sector is themed as a secretive government facility, suggested to be subjecting park guests to experimental testing. In 2013 the areas theme was tweaked to include the Ministry of Joy, making guests test subjects for their machines, including The Smiler, which was meant to 'marmalise' and 'correct' riders into forcing a smile. In 2015 after The Smiler Crash, the areas theme was broadened and any references of marmalisation and correction was removed. The area contains two thrill rides. The steel dive coaster Oblivion which opened in 1998 as "the world's first vertical drop rollercoaster", designed by Tussauds and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard. The cars are held over the edge of the drop for between one and three seconds, before diving into a deep tunnel. The Smiler is a Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster, which opened in May 2013, that holds the world record for most inversions on a roller coaster at 14. The area layout was partially altered in 2013 season to accommodate the opening of The Smiler. Previous rides in X-Sector include The Black Hole, which was a Jet Star 2 coaster enclosed in a tent, where The Smiler is located today. Energizer (later renamed Boneshaker) was a swinging gondola flat ride. It was replaced by Submission in 2001, a "Chance Double Inverter" flat ride, which was itself removed in 2014. Enterprise was a standard HUSS Enterprise model which opened in 1984, spinning riders 360 degrees and giving the illusion of defying gravity. It was permanently removed from the resort in 2023 after being SBNO in 2022. Alton Towers Mutiny Bay Mutiny Bay is a pirate-themed family area, which opened in 2008. The area was a re-theme for Merrie England. Attractions in Mutiny Bay include: Battle Galleons, an interactive "Splash Battle" boat ride, where guests sit in tracked boats while soaking other riders with water cannons. Also in the area is the rocking boat ride, Heave Ho. The park's original teacups ride was re-themed to become Marauders Mayhem, with the tea cup cars being redesigned as gunpowder barrels. The Flume was a Mack log flume ride that opened in 1981 and was rethemed in 2004 with a sponsorship from Imperial Leather alongside Bubbleworks at Chessington World of Adventures. Upon opening, it was the longest flume ride in the world at 886 metres (2,907 ft). Late in the 2015 season, the ride and the neighboring tavern closed and were removed in 2016 to make way for the Wicker Man roller coaster and the "Welcome Inn" bar which shares the coaster's theme. In 2009, a Sea Life Centre named Sharkbait Reef opened in the location previously home to the 3-D Cinema. This includes "touch pools" for interacting with underwater species and a 10-metre (33 ft) underwater tunnel. Alton Towers The World of David Walliams The World of David Walliams opened in May 2021 and is aimed at younger children aged 7–11. It is based on the children's books by David Walliams. Attractions include Gangsta Granny: The Ride, Raj's Bouncy Bottom Burp (the former Frog Hopper) and Royal Carousel (previously Galloper's Carousel). The area has had various names over the years including "Cloud Cuckoo Land", "Cred Street" and "The Land of Make Believe", each had a similar a cartoon-inspired look, mainly featuring Toyland Tours. The area was first built as "Talbot Street" in 1981, becoming the park's first themed area, home to the Around The World in 80 Days and Doom & Sons dark rides. The World of David Walliams also includes many of the author's hidden secrets such as one of the streets being called "Wallibums Way".
Alton Towers Dark Forest The Dark Forest is themed as a supernatural woodland area, to coincide with the opening of TH13TEEN, a steel family coaster themed as a haunted crypt, that opened on 20 March 2010. Th13teen, features the "world's first freefall drop on a roller coaster" - an indoor, vertically dropping track element. The ride replaced the Corkscrew, the park's first roller coaster, which opened in 1980. Rita is a hydraulically launched steel sit-down coaster that reaches a top speed of 62 mph (100 km) that is now themed around an abandoned drag racer that is used to escape the Dark Forest. The area was previously a cartoon prehistoric area named Ug Land, which opened in 1999, but was half-demolished to make way for Rita's construction in 2005. Rita used to be themed around drag racing but was changed with the opening of Th13teen and the Dark Forest. With the opening of Th13teen, the area was renamed as Dark Forest and further altered with a new colour scheme and entrance feature. Rita was also given a repainted control cabin and trains, shortening its name from "Rita - Queen of Speed". Alton Towers CBeebies Land CBeebies Land is based on the BBC children's TV channel: CBeebies and opened on 24 May 2014. The area includes rides, shows and interactive experiences based on programmes from CBeebies, including In the Night Garden... and Postman Pat. Attractions in the area are: In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride, Postman Pat's Parcel Post, Get Set Go Treetop Adventure, Something Special Sensory Garden, Bugbie Go Round, Justin's House: Pie-O-Matic Factory, Hey Dugee Big Adventure Badge, Andys Adventures Dinosaur Dig, Jojo & Gran Gran at Home, Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop, Octonauts Roller Coaster Adventure, and The Furchester Hotel Live. Shows at the Big Fun Show Time stage include: Teletubbies Big Band Show, Bing Live, and Hey Dugee Live. In 2015, Octonauts Roller Coaster Adventure opened, it is an underwater themed children's roller coaster, built on the former site of The Beastie rollercoaster. CBeebies Land was further expanded in 2017 with the opening of the Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride and The Furchester Hotel Live, and again in 2019 with the addition of Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop and Teletubbies Big Band Live Show. 2022 saw 3 new attractions arrive, being Hey Dugee Big Adventure Badge, Andys Adventures Dinosaur Dig, and JoJo and Gran Gran at Home. A new Bluey themed attraction opened on 23 March 2024. Alton Towers The Towers The Towers are the ruins of Alton Towers stately home and are the source of the park's name. They belonged to the Talbot family as a stately home until 1924 and largely designed by Augustus Pugin, also noted for his work on the Palace of Westminster. The Towers are now in a state of disrepair following decades of neglect. The ruins are open to the public during most of the open season. However, some areas are closed off as part of a £1.1 million project in place to restore the oldest parts of the Towers. Key areas of The Towers include the banqueting hall, the chapel, conservatories, and Her Ladyship's Gardens. Hex – The Legend of the Towers, a walk-through dark ride based within the ruins themselves, opened in 2000. The finale to the ride is a Vekoma Madhouse located away from the real Towers but themed as a secret vault. The storyline is based on a local legend about the chained oak tree, located in a nearby forest, and makes use of the history of the Towers. It draws its theme from the legend of the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury who was said to be cursed by a beggar woman to suffer death every time a branch falls from an old oak tree. The Alton Towers Dungeon was added to the area in 2019. Since the openings of CBeebies Land and The World of David Walliams, Spinball Whizzer and Cloud Cuckoo Land have been part of the area. Cuckoo Cars Driving School allows children to drive miniature electric cars around a themed road layout, featuring visual jokes along the way. A SkyRide station is located nearby Fountain Square, giving access to other areas of the park. During the park's Halloween 'Scarefest' event multiple scare mazes operate within the Towers themselves. For 2023’s Scarefest event these were, The Attic: Terror of the Towers, and Altonville Mine Tours: Tinys Revenge. Alton Towers The Gardens Near the garden entrance is a cenotaph to the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury, who built Alton Towers and developed its gardens in the early 19th century. The monument features a marble bust with an inscription reading "He made the desert smile". Other landmarks include a Chinese Pagoda Fountain, The Swiss Cottage, Miniature 'Stonehenge', and orangeries. Alton Towers Waterpark The Alton Towers Waterpark, formerly known as Cariba Creek, opened alongside the Splash Landings Hotel in 2003. It is a large (with 7 pools and 10 water slides), part-indoor and part outdoor waterpark themed as a tropical Caribbean lagoon. The waterpark features several fast slides, a lazy river, a giant tipping bucket and many other water features. Also located there are two food and drink venues: Adventures Cave and Ice Cream Shack. Unlike Chessington Zoo at the also Merlin operated Chessington World of Adventures Resort, a separate ticket is needed for waterpark access as it is not included with the theme park entrance price. Attractions include Lagoona Bay, which is the main tropical pool, with water cannons, geysers and waterfalls. The Little Leak is a paddling pool for young children with two small slides and interactive pipes to play with, while Wacky Waterworks Treehouse is a wooden 'treehouse' with water cannons, and other interactive features to squirt passing people with. The largest ride in the Waterpark is the water coaster The Master Blaster, with uphill sections similar to the Master Blaster at Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool and Nucleus at Water World, Stoke-on-Trent. The Master Blaster is a high speed water flume that contains sharp turns, drops and dark sections, and has views of the entire indoor area of the waterpark. Other rides include Rush & Rampage, twin racing slides where riders experience wide turns. This attraction requires rubber rings. Lazy River (Calypso Creek) is a slow-moving water circuit, taking riders underneath spraying water jets and tipping buckets of water. Rubber rings are available. The Tipping Bucket is a container filled with 1000 litres of water which regularly tips its contents over people standing below. Flash Floods are tiered outdoor pools with two slides leading to the middle pool and three leading to the bottom. Other swimming pools include Volcanic Springs, and indoor heated hot pool, and Bubbly Wubbly Pool, an outdoor heated pool and whirlpool. The indoor section of the water park operates 12 months a year excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day, although it closes for winter maintenance for around 2 weeks each January. Alton Towers Resort Accommodation Alton Towers Hotel The Alton Towers Hotel is a four star hotel that opened on 10 April 1996. It is themed to the eccentric fictional character Sir Algenon Alton and his travels. There are 180 rooms consisting of three different room types: Explorer, Arctic Explorer, and Moon Voyager. Each room is decorated in a quirky English style with pictures of Sir Algenon's inventions. The hotel was the first phase in a plan to transform the theme park into a multi-day resort destination. On the ground floor are the hotel's two table service restaurants, the Secret Garden Restaurant and the Emperor's Grill, along with the Chinese-themed Dragon's Bar, and the traveller's themed Captain's Bar. There is also a shop called the Emporium that sells merchandise, toiletries, and snacks. Alton Towers Splash Landings Hotel The Splash Landings Hotel opened in 2003. The hotel has a relaxed Caribbean theme and is attached to the Alton Towers Waterpark. It also has a four star rating and houses 216 rooms with six-room types to choose from. These consist of Family of 4 'Beachcomber' room, Family of 6 'Beachcomber' room, The Ice Age Room, The Pirate Room, Interconnected Family of 4 'Beachcomber' room and, Interconnected Family of 3 'Beachcomber' Room. The interconnected rooms are all on the ground floor due to all of them either being an accessible or connecting to one, most of the accessible rooms are situated on the side facing the waterpark. Two of the Family of 6 rooms are also accessibility friendly, these are 1125 and 1134. The rooms are numbered in the ranges of 1101 to 1159, 1201 to 1259, 1301 to 1359 and, 1401 to 1459, there are a few room numbers that are not used due to the shape of the hotel, these are 27, 29, 31, 33 and 35 on each floor. There are two shops within this hotel, the main one is called 'The Shack' and is adjacent to the reception desk, whereas the other is 'The Pool Shop' adjacent to the entrance to the Waterpark. As is probably to be expected, the Pool Shop specialises in items more focused upon the Waterpark such as swimming attire and buoyancy aids. The normal opening hours for the Pool Shop is from when the Waterpark opens until about 30 minutes after it closes. The Shack is normally open in the morning when most people will be moving around before check out until about 11am (11:00), it then re-opens around 2pm (14:00) until 10pm (22:00). As with the Emporium, the Shack primarily sells toiletries as well as resort merchandise. Alton Towers Enchanted Village The Enchanted Village is made up of 120 lodges and 5 secluded treehouses set in the fictional Enchanted Forest woodland. Situated next to the Alton Towers hotel, it features a variety of miniature playgrounds for children. The site is also home to "The Crooked Spoon" restaurant, which typically serves the sort of food expected within a village pub style setting. Some of the more common meals include burgers (of the steak or bean variety), a simple tomato and basil pasta, a sirloin steak, butterfly chicken, or a cauliflower steak. The village also plays host to the 'Lodge Shop' which sells items that would be expected for a nice summers evening relaxing outdoors including alcohol and outdoor activity toys. It appears that the Lodge Shop operates using different hours than the shop contained within the Alton Towers Hotel and Splash Landings Hotel. The Enchanted Village opened to the public on 18 April 2015. Alton Towers CBeebies Land Hotel The CBeebies Land Hotel opened on 8 July 2017 with a total of 76 themed rooms: 42 standard rooms (themed to the CBeebies Bugbies) and 34 premium rooms themed to CBeebies shows, such as Bing (new for 2022), Something Special, and Swashbuckle. Room amenities include child-friendly features, such as steps up to the sink and children's toilet seats. The hotel features CBeebies-themed shows and entertainment, which run every day of the year, as well as the "Windmill Restaurant". Within this hotel is 'The Toy Shop' which, contrary to its name, sells more than just toys and similar to the other shops on site, also sells ice creams, drinks and sweets. Due to it being within a hotel that caters more to a younger audience than the rest, its closing time reflects the, normally, earlier bed times for the occupants by being at 8pm (20:00). Alton Towers Stargazing Pods Although Alton Towers had previously gained the necessary permits to expand the Enchanted Village, these plans were eventually scrapped and reduced into a "pod"-style accommodation option. 102 individual pods were constructed, each sleeping up to four people. The proposals have faced some critical views from the public, with many criticisms being raised over the capacity of bathroom facilities as well as how the resort will cope with the increased demand in food and beverages, as the Stargazing Pods will not have its own restaurant, bar or shopping facilities. The council even initially rejected the application citing lack of imagination and "magic", although the plans were granted permission the second time without making any notable improvements. The Stargazing Pods opened on 12 April 2019. Alton Towers Recreation Alton Towers Spa Alton Towers Spa was part of the Alton Towers Hotel and opened in 2004. It included relaxation and treatment rooms and an adults-only swimming pool. Despite being inside the Alton Towers Hotel, non-hotel guests were able to use the spa. It was closed on 31 December 2023 with the resort citing changing guest visitation habits and future development for the area. Alton Towers Extraordinary Golf Opened in 2007, the Extraordinary Golf mini-golf attraction is themed to different rides and attractions at the park, some of which, are from the park's history. Extraordinary Golf is located to the west of the Splash Landings Hotel. Extraordinary Golf was refreshed for 2016 including the addition of a Galactica themed hole. Alton Towers Tree Top Quest Opened May 2015, the Enchanted Forest Tree Top Quest is a high ropes course near the Enchanted Village. The attraction opened shortly after, and accompanies, the Enchanted Village development. There is also a low ropes course. Tree Top Quest did not open for the 2018 season or the start of the 2019 season due to budget cuts by parent company, Merlin Entertainments. It was expected to reopen on 13 July 2019 but has subsequently remained closed ever since. Its future status is unknown. Alton Towers Future Developments Alton Towers is located in a Conservation Area, which puts restrictions on its permissible development, notably that no structures in the park should be built above tree line and if so should be disguised from external views of the park, this can be seen on the ride Rita, where the highest sections of track are camouflaged green. Noise pollution is also a problem for the park due to the close proximity to the villages of Alton and Farley and the town of Cheadle. There have been several cases where Alton Towers have been taken to court over the noise levels emitted from the park and have been served noise abatement orders between 2004 and 2006.
Alton Towers has a tradition of codenaming its new roller coaster developments as "Secret Weapon", or "SW", followed by a number. The name is associated with the park's inclination to promote its rides as holding "world first" or in some way "innovative" features and records. However the naming tradition actually began for unrelated reasons, since "Secret Weapon" was the working title of a roller coaster that was ultimately never commissioned. SW1 was a pipeline roller coaster, planned to open in around 1992, on what later became the Nemesis site. It was provisionally titled the "Secret Weapon", with the intention of theming the ride as an ambiguous weapon testing facility. John Wardley rode the Arrow Dynamics prototype of their pipeline coaster, but stated "it was very slow and rather boring", as well as the requirement for such a high lift hill being unsuitable for the park's planning restrictions. After a second layout revision, labelled "SW2", the ride was scrapped and development on SW3 (Nemesis) began. The code name subsequently became the standard preliminary name for major roller coaster projects at the park. The naming convention was briefly dropped while The Tussauds Group changed ownership under Dubai International Capital, before being continued by Merlin Entertainments beginning with the Thirteen rollercoaster in 2010. Alton Towers Scarefest Scarefest is the resort's largest annual event, which runs from the first weekend of October until early November. It celebrates Halloween with a number of temporary scare maze attractions, scare zones, costumed characters and extended opening hours. Rides and areas are lit with coloured lighting at night, with most rides and attractions continuing to operate until 9pm. The Scarefest event has been running since 2007, although the park started celebrating Halloween with decoration several years before and has operated the Terror of the Towers scaremaze since 2002. The scare mazes are upcharge attractions. For the 2023 season - which runs from 7-8 & 13–31 October, the park teamed up with YouTube gaming star Daz Black to create an escape room-themed scare maze called PANIC! Seasonal Scarefest Attractions as of 2024
In addition to Scarefest, Alton Towers also holds other events throughout the season. The park has five events taking place throughout the course of the 2024 season: February Half Term, Oktoberfest, Scarefest, Fireworks, and Christmas. Alton Towers Fireworks For the final few days of the season, Alton Towers host firework shows, which have been running annually since the 1990s on the Great Lawns. The displays were considered disruptive by some local residents, which led to formal complaints - two of which decided to take the theme park to court regarding this issue. The court issued Alton Towers with a noise abatement order in October 2005 which limited the theme park to three shows a year, previously five, with noise readings not exceeding 40 decibels outside the park. In 2006, the display was rebranded as Electric Towers, but then discontinued. However, the fireworks and laser show was reinstated in 2010 to celebrate the park's 30th anniversary and has returned to being an annual event. Alton Towers Oktoberfest The "Alton Towers Oktoberfest" started in 2020, taking place throughout September and early October. It is based on the German festival of Oktoberfest held traditionally in Munich, Germany. The event includes themed food and drink, entertainment and extended evening hours with all rides open. Alton Towers Christmas Events During December, the Christmas event takes place. Both resort hotels are decorated for the event and a pantomime takes place. The Alton Towers Theme Park also opens for Christmas with a small number of rides open as well as a Santa's Grotto. The event is largely aimed at children. In 2015, the theme park permitted entry to non-hotel guests for the first time however the event reverted to hotel guests only in 2016. Festive Breaks continue from 27 December to 6 January with a similar lineup to the Santa's Sleepovers. Alton Towers at February Half Term Prior to the main open season, Alton Towers holds the February Half-Term event which sees a selected ride offering opened for 2 weeks in Mid-February. The event used to have no rides, with just shows and Sharkbait Reef available, which was mainly promoted for hotel stays, with special entertainment in there as well. However, in 2024, the park expanded the event, with Towers Street and Mutiny Bay open, with live entertainment, treasure hunts, and 3 attractions open, Heave Ho, Maurauders Mayhem, and Sharkbait Reef. This was the first time rides were available for the event. In 2024 it was expanded even further, with the event being held from 10 - 25 February. All of the CBeebies Land rides were added to the lineup, and also a version of Battle Galleons with no guns, called Seadog Starkeys Sailing School. Alton Towers Services Day
Alton Towers has a history of hosting concerts since the 1960s. Alternative rock band James played to a crowd of 30,000 on 4 July 1992. Concerts in recent years have included the Alton Towers Live event in 2011 and 2013. In 2010, there was a 1980s concert for the 30th Anniversary featuring Rick Astley and Bananarama and also that year hosted a P!nk concert. In the past these concerts were often held in the car park at an additional fee, however more recently concerts have been held within the theme park. Artists that have performed there include Tina Turner and The Black Eyed Peas. Alton Towers Records Held by the Park
Alton Towers Coordinates: 52°59′15″N 1°53′27″W Opened: 13 April 1860 (as country estate) 4 April 1980 (as theme park) Alton Towers Owner: LXi REIT Alton Towers Operated by: Merlin Entertainments Alton Towers General Manager: Bianca Sammut (Divisional Director) Alton Towers Slogan: Britain's Greatest Escape Alton Towers Operating Season: Theme Park: February - January (Full park offering between March-November) Alton Towers Gardens: February - January Alton Towers Dungeon: March – November Sharkbait Reef by Sealife: February - January Alton Towers Hotel: Year-round Splash Landings Hotel: Year-round Enchanted Village: Year-round CBeebies Land Hotel: Year-round Stargazing Pods: April – November Alton Towers Waterpark: Year-round Conference Centre: Year-round Extraordinary Golf: Year-round Alton Towers Attendance: 2022: 2,300,000 (Increase28%) Alton Towers Area: 910 acres (370 ha, 3.7 km2) (total combined resort area) Alton Towers Attractions Total: 42 Alton Towers Roller Coasters: 10 Alton Towers Water Rides: 3 |
