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April 2022 visit

E

EllS87

TS Member
Hi all, first time poster, looking for some advice on a provisional trip in April 2022.

I'm travelling with a 2 year and 5 year old, and was initially tempted by the hotels on resort due to convenience/free parking, but the pricing and reviews of the hotels are putting me off slightly.

We're planning to do the water park on day, and the theme park on the second day, and will stay overnight between. Any opinions and recommendations on whether to stay on resort, or travel in would be greatly appreciated with bonus points available for hotel/self catering name drops too!

Thanks in advance, seasoned Towerers :)
 
EllS87 said:
Hi all, first time poster, looking for some advice on a provisional trip in April 2022.

I'm travelling with a 2 year and 5 year old, and was initially tempted by the hotels on resort due to convenience/free parking, but the pricing and reviews of the hotels are putting me off slightly.

We're planning to do the water park on day, and the theme park on the second day, and will stay overnight between. Any opinions and recommendations on whether to stay on resort, or travel in would be greatly appreciated with bonus points available for hotel/self catering name drops too!

Thanks in advance, seasoned Towerers :)
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Hello and welcome to TowersStreet :)
The accommodation offerings at the resort are currently getting quite a lot of complaints as the quality is not great for the price (https://towersstreet.com/talk/threads/the-hotels-a-deep-seated-culture-of-mediocrity.5941/).
Many members recommend Chained Oak Farm B&B just outside the park. If this is too expensive for you then there is a Travelodge in Ashbourne (8 mile drive).
 
The Travelodge in Ashbourne came in at £90 a night when I checked last year. <1 hour away in Derby, the Travelodge was around £30 a night. This was for just single adult. You do need to hut around, but closer you get to Alton Towers the steeper the prices are.

Check the the Travelodge in Rugeley as well, don't remember the cost but if I've remembered the location then its cheap and within the <1 hour drive to the park ;).

With little ones, it might be worth considering express parking up charge (£18 last year if I remember) to save on walking/queuing for monorail on the theme park day (if going on a peak day).
 
Thank you so much everyone, massive help and looks like you’ve saved me a fair amount of money too! Sadly, the B&B is already fully booked for our dates but I’ve got some ideas at least now on best plans.

Final Q, if you don’t mind? Any thoughts/feedback on the stargazing pods? Had a quick search on the forums but it looks like they’re quite new?
 
Very unpopular on here...poor value, badly themed sheds with few amenities, but the trip adviser reviews are generally ok.
Take sleeping bags down the bottom of the gardens...save the second days admission and the hotel room!
 
Not sure how easy it would be walking across the fields with a 2 year old, but the Chained Oak B&B is excellent and you can leave the car there and walk to the park via a field and the AT service road. It’s almost as close as walking from the main car park!
Even if you decide to drive over the road to AT it is still a lovely B&B with a great breakfast.
 
jon81uk said:
Not sure how easy it would be walking across the fields with a 2 year old, but the Chained Oak B&B is excellent and you can leave the car there and walk to the park via a field and the AT service road. It’s almost as close as walking from the main car park!
Even if you decide to drive over the road to AT it is still a lovely B&B with a great breakfast.
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She's already checked and found that the Chained Oak is fully booked for the dates she's going (See her post above). :(
Good suggestion though. :)
 
Hi everyone, thanks to your expert help on my last post, I decided against staying on resort and booked a B&B alongside our two day tickets and waterpark entry.
Our plan is to do the waterpark in the morning on the first day, and pop in to AT park in the afternoon and return for a full day in the main park the next day.
Question time!
1) Can I leave my car in the SL hotel car park after we've visited the waterpark and easily get to the main park? We'll have a 5 and 2 year old with us so a massive walk isn't ideal really!
2) I have booked a £6 parking pass (couldn't see any availability for the Express Parking option??) but presume I can only use this on one day?

Finally, if anyone has any top tips for our trip and making it more successful with young ones in tow, we'd appreciate your thoughts!

Thanks in advance, as ever!
 
I think a mod will probably say this belongs in quick questions. But yes, SL car park is right by the monorail station which will take you to the park entrance. Just follow the footprints painted on the tarmac. If it's not running for whatever reason and you're not staying on resort, you won't be able to use the Galactica entrance (which is a simple 5 min walk from SL). Otherwise it's a 10-15 hilly walk I'm afraid. Car park tickets are valid for one day. You'll need one for each day.
 
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