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- Posted: 27/03/2025
Alton Towers with Kids – An Honest Review 2026
Jenna Carr
Founder of The Travel Mum
Alton Towers Family Review 2026
Alton Towers Resort is the UK’s biggest theme park and offers a fun escape for families and thrill-seekers alike. We recently stayed in one of their Woodland Lodges after being inviting to a PR event for the opening of their new ride Toxicator. Although they had a fair few issues on the seasons opening day, we were lucky enough to not encounter any of them! Although we were visiting on a PR visit, we were not asked to write this blog post and everything mentioned below is our honest opinion. (We tell you when something is rubbish and not worth your time!)
In this blog post, we’ll delve into our accommodation experience, explore the different dining options within the park, and provide a comprehensive guide to the rides, categorising them by height restrictions to help you plan your family visit.
We have a separate post reviewing Cbeebies Land if you are planning to visit there.
Alton Towers Ticket Prices
If you book online, the price starts from £29 per person with children under 90cm getting to enter for free. You can get a Parent and Toddler ticket on some days, which is £29 for an adult and a child up to age 5. Additional children age 5 and under are £5.Pre booked parking is £10.
One of the cheapest ways to visit Cbeebies land is to use Tesco Club card vouchers to purchase the tickets. Our club card points add up quickly and we never know how to spend them. You can find 2-4-1 deals with a variety of companies. The Sun Savers often run a promotion to get free or discounted tickets. Blue light card holders can also get a discount.
Merlin Annual Pass
If you love a theme park, it may be worth considering a Merlin Annual Pass. At the time of writing they are on sale so definitely worth checking out here.
The passes allow you to access the Merlin Parks and attractions throughout the year. Epic parks like Alton Towers, Legoland, Chessington, Thorpe Park plus attractions like the London Eye are included.
There are currently 4 types of pass:
- Discovery Pass
- Silver Pass
- Gold Pass
- Platinum Pass
You can learn about the different types of pass here. Essentially the more expensive the pass, the less limited you are with dates in which it can be used. The gold and platinum passes provide free parking and 10% off of fast track passes. The Silver, Gold and Platinum offer discounts on food and beverages in the parks.
Is Alton Towers any good?
We have visited most theme parks in the UK, and nobody can dispute the variety that Alton Towers brings. In our opinion making it one of the best theme parks in the country. Alton Towers has something for everyone. Whether you have Cbeebies loving toddlers or thrill seeking big kids, everyone can have fun here (including the adults!). Like most theme parks, queues can put a dampener on the day, but there are often ways to prevent this.
As well as the theme park, there is also a waterpark, crazy golf course and a variety of themed accommodation allowing you to have a fun filled short break here. Hotel options include the Alton Towers hotel, the Cbeebies Hotel, Splash Landings hotel and the Woodland lodges in the Enchanted Village (which is where we stayed). The Cbeebies hotel is often the most expensive (although we often post promotional discounts for this hotel), the other three hotels are usually a similar price.
Alton Towers Opening Hours
Alton Towers is open from mid March and closes for winter at the start of November.
The park consistently opens at 10am (but gates open at 9am). Closing times range from 4pm right up to 9pm during certain events. For accurate opening times for the date you plan to visit, check the link below.
Short Break Offers
- Overnight stay
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Golf
- Park Tickets!
Restaurants at Alton Towers
Alton Towers Resort offers a diverse array of dining options to suit various tastes and preferences. Here’s an overview of some notable restaurants within the park:
Rollercoaster Restaurant
The most unique dining experience at the park. The UK’s first Rollercoaster Restaurant is set below a vast rollercoaster track, where you can watch as orders twist and loop towards your table. You need to see it to really understand, this video is worth a watch!
Woodcutter’s Bar & Grill
Situated in the heart of the park, this restaurant serves freshly prepared meals, including mouth-watering steaks and succulent grilled chicken breasts, delivered straight to your table. A good variety a food for a (relatively) reasonable price. A good option if you want to sit down and enjoy table service rather than queueing.
Explorer’s Pizza Pasta Buffet
Located in Katanga Canyon, this buffet-style restaurant offers a feast of Italian pizza and pasta dishes, accompanied by a fresh salad bar. It’s a good choice for families with picky eaters looking to fill up.
Just Chicken
Replaced KFC when Alton Towers had to get rid of the franchised restaurants. Great chicken and the restaurant is themed around the Oblivion, making it a fun and yummy food stop.
The Burger Kitchen
Offers fast food style burgers at a relatively good price. The Burger Kitchen provides a quick and satisfying meal option for visitors on the go.
Little Explorers Lunch Box
Located within CBeebies Land, we recently stopped to eat here and were surprised to find it has changed slightly. You now sit down and order from a tablet. The food is child friendly with options like pasta, jacket potatoes and sandwiches. It’s an ideal spot for families with young children, offering activity sheets, high chairs and microwaves for baby food.
Alton Towers Attractions
Rides with no height requirement
In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride: A gentle boat journey through the enchanting Night Garden, perfect for the youngest visitors.
Postman Pat Parcel Post: Children can join Postman Pat on his delivery route in this interactive ride. Riders under 1.1m must be accompanied by an adult.
Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure: An elevated ride offering scenic views of CBeebies Land. Riders under 1.1m must be accompanied by an adult.
Bugbie Go Round: A carousel experience for young children. Riders under 1.0m must be accompanied by an adult.
Hey Duggee’s Big Adventure Badge: A fun playground for all ages.
JoJo & Gran Gran at Home: A themed play area allowing children to explore and engage with the world of JoJo and Gran Gran.
Rides for Guests 0.9m and Above
Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure: A child-friendly coaster that takes young explorers on an underwater adventure. Riders between 0.9m and 1.1m must be accompanied by an adult.
Peter Rabbit Hippity Hop: A vertical bounce ride themed around the beloved character, Peter Rabbit. Riders between 0.9m and 1.1m require adult accompaniment.
Justin’s House Pie-O-Matic Factory: An interactive play area where children can enjoy a variety of fun activities.
Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride: An exciting ride where children can board their own Vroomster and embark on a global adventure. Riders between 0.9m and 1.25m must be accompanied by an adult.
Raj’s Bouncy Bottom Burp: A bizarre bouncy fart ride inspired by the character Raj. Riders between 0.9m and 1.1m must be accompanied by an adult
Heave Ho: A mini pirate ship ride. Riders between 0.9m and 1.1m require adult accompaniment.
Battle Galleons: An interactive water ride where guests can engage in a fun water battle. Riders between 0.9m and 1.1m must be accompanied by an adult.
Gangsta Granny: The Ride: Join Gangsta Granny on a journey to steal the Crown Jewels. Riders between 0.9m and 1.2m require adult accompaniment.
Rides for Guests 1.1m and Above
Runaway Mine Train: A family-friendly rollercoaster with a mining-themed track. Riders between 1.1m and 1.3m must be accompanied by an adult.
Congo River Rapids: A water ride through rapid currents. Riders between 1.1m and 1.3m require adult supervision.
Marauder’s Mayhem: A spinning pirate themed ride. Riders between 1.1m and 1.3m must be accompanied by an adult.
The Curse at Alton Manor: A haunting dark ride through the eerie Alton Manor. Riders between 1.1m and 1.2m must be accompanied by an adult.
Rides for Guests 1.2m and Above
Wicker Man: A thrilling wooden coaster that combines speed with fiery theming.
TH13TEEN: A psychological rollercoaster with unexpected twists. Note: Maximum height restriction of 1.96m applies.
Spinball Whizzer: A spinning coaster simulating a pinball machine. Riders must not exceed 1.95m in height.
Rides for Guests 1.4m and Above
Nemesis Reborn: An intense inverted coaster offering high-speed thrills.
Galactica: A flying coaster that simulates the sensation of flight through space.
The Smiler: Known for its record-breaking number of inversions, this coaster is designed for adrenaline junkies.
Oblivion: A dive coaster featuring a vertical drop into “oblivion”.
Rita: A high-speed launch coaster that accelerates riders to intense speeds rapidly. Note: Maximum height restriction of 1.95m applies.
Toxicator: Alton Towers newest ride.
Avoiding queues at Alton Towers
Like most people, I hate queueing. How very un-british of me, i know. If I was queueing without my kids it would be dreamy and I would stand there, enjoying the peace, all day long. But that isn’t my reality. We often end up buying fast passes, which push the price of the day out up enormously.
Tactics without a fast pass
- Use single rider lanes. Many of the big rides now have these.
- Head straight to Rita / THIRTEEN at the start of the day, these often have short queues early on and it means you get two rollercoasters ticked off early.
- If you are travelling with toddlers and want to focus on Cbeebies land, read my Cbeebies Land blog.
- Things often quieten down around lunch time when everyone is eating. Have an early or late lunch and make the most of this down time.
- Download the app to keep an eye on the queue times.
Overall
A trip to Alton Towers is a great day out for all the family, if you are looking to visit for 2 days it also makes a fantastic short break. As well at the park you can visit the waterpark and have a game of golf making it a fun filled night away.
Like a lot of parks, the queues can put a dampener on the day. But go with a bit of a strategy, keep your eye on the queue times via the app, and make the most of early access if staying on site!
Let us know if you have any questions!
This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are honest and our own.
Written by: Jenna Carr
Founder of The Travel Mum
Our family is passionate about helping you save money. We are real people who understand the need to make your budget go further. With The Travel Mum we have created a vibrant community of over 840k+ savvy travellers who want to travel more while spending less. No problem is too big or small, together we will do everything in our power to make sure you are making the absolute most of your well earned budget!
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