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Quick Questions

Bowser said:
I've just booked for us to go to an After Dark date.... technically it looks like it doesn't get dark till between 630-7pm which makes getting on all the rides a bit challenging if they close at 8pm?
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Remember it’s the queue line that closes at 8pm not the ride. So if you jump in a queue at 2mins to 8pm you will still get a ride. Save the ride with the longest queue till last to maximise the rides you can get done in the dark.
 
AT86 said:
Remember it’s the queue line that closes at 8pm not the ride. So if you jump in a queue at 2mins to 8pm you will still get a ride. Save the ride with the longest queue till last to maximise the rides you can get done in the dark.
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Ah ok so really the rides are probably operating till 9pm?

Let’s say most queues are 60 minutes, if you get in Nemesis line around 530 and work your way across you can probably manage 3 or even 4 if you’re lucky.
 
Bowser said:
Ah ok so really the rides are probably operating till 9pm?

Let’s say most queues are 60 minutes, if you get in Nemesis line around 530 and work your way across you can probably manage 3 or even 4 if you’re lucky.
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Yes they will operate until the queue line is cleared, so it could be 9 or later depending on crowds. Generally the queue moves much quicker after ride close because there are no new folks joining either the RAP or Fastrack lines so things speed up.

Only thing to bear in mind is the monorail will stop at 9pm so if that’s important then plan for that, other wise just walk back to the car or plan to be at the Nemesis end of the park and use the Galactica gate.
 
Bowser said:
Ah ok so really the rides are probably operating till 9pm?

Let’s say most queues are 60 minutes, if you get in Nemesis line around 530 and work your way across you can probably manage 3 or even 4 if you’re lucky.
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Best bet is Th13teen as it’s going dark, then Smiler single, oblivion will be walk on by this time in the day probs and then finish on Nemesis. So I think 4 rides is possible if you leave Nemesis until the end
 
My route last year during was 13, nemesis and then wickerman. 13's trees make the ride seem darker than it is compared to the rest of the park, so even if you go on it before the sun has properly set, it's still really atmospheric and dark.
 
Does anyone know how the Galactica gate entrance works for hotel guests? What do you have to show to staff to get in, is the booking confirmation enough? And do you think it’ll even be open on opening day?
 
Whacky Worm said:
Does anyone know how the Galactica gate entrance works for hotel guests? What do you have to show to staff to get in, is the booking confirmation enough? And do you think it’ll even be open on opening day?
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Yeah as @Lewis232 said, its usually the reservation and your pass/ticket. I'd be very surprised if it is open on opening day - at least not open until 10am. But I guess it depends on what they have planned. If they are planning a theatrical opening of Nemesis/Forbidden Valley like they did with Sub Terra, then they won't want people getting in the back way early on beforehand.

And if they are still doing finishing touches to FV running up till 10am then they won't want members of the public milling around from the hotel gate. My guess is the whole area will be fenced off at the new area gate/arch next to Sub Terra until 10am (or just before to allow you to get to Nemesis for 10am).
 
That makes sense, thanks, we’ll have to check beforehand. When does the main carpark open, the earliest you can get in to the park? If you’re staying at the hotel, can you just drive in and out whenever you like? But how does that work if the main gate is closed?! Sorry for all the rookie questions, we’ve not stayed at the hotel before, with the extra twist of it being opening day….
 
Whacky Worm said:
That makes sense, thanks, we’ll have to check beforehand. When does the main carpark open, the earliest you can get in to the park? If you’re staying at the hotel, can you just drive in and out whenever you like? But how does that work if the main gate is closed?! Sorry for all the rookie questions, we’ve not stayed at the hotel before, with the extra twist of it being opening day….
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The carpark is pretty much open when the main gates open on the road. Not sure when that is but I guess about 7.30am ish? If you're staying at the hotel, you'll park in the hotel car park from the moment you arrive and you don't need to move your car for the entirety of your stay, even when you have checked out and you plan to stay in the park for the day.

If the main gate is closed, to get out, you turn left just before it and head to the security hut, they then let you out the employee's entrance - the one just down the road from the main entrance as you head towards Alton village. Likewise to get in when the main gate is closed you enter in that gate and they'll let you through.
 
I have been through the main gates around 6 am before, following a disaster camping trip in the rain.
Security was fine...and understanding!
The only rule for early arrivals is no primus stoves for an early brew!
 
Main drive-in gates didn't open until about just after 7am last year for the opening of Curse if I remember rightly (could have even been later). I turned up some time before this and they were closed, so had to wait locally and come back a little while later. I was vlogging (yeah, I know) so wanted to be at the front of the queue and see the arrival and build up of the main queue etc, which worked.
 
That’s really reassuring, thanks a million. I’ve checked at the hotel and the side gate should be open but presumably at 10am and won’t the Nemesis queue already be massive by then? Do you reckon we’d be better off just heading for the main entrance as per usual - what time do the turnstiles open?
 
Does the hotel entrance not open at 9, same as the main entrance? I assumed it would, or at least some time before 10, anyway. Not sure though, as I've never used it in the morning. I'm using the main entrance and expecting there to already be a queue of hotel users in FV when I get there. Pretty sure there were a few people staying at the hotel getting to Curse last year as I arrived from the main entrance. I imagine they had been let in around 9. The honest answer is though, that I don't know. They may have special arrangements for this particular day.
 
I believe it usually opens at 9, the same time as main entrance. Of course things may be different this year and I imagine (and hope) they’ve got a good plan set up for opening day as both entrances are sure to be busy.
 
Hard to predict but I would guess they'll be funneling everyone heading to Nemesis down the same path like they did on its closing day - regardless of which entrance you've used to enter the park. So hotel guests entering via Galactica will probably be steered towards Gloomy Wood to join the pre-queue before the ride officially opens. I'm unsure how they would safely manage merging hotel guests with those coming from main entrance though, could be a bit of a scrum!
 
NuttySquirrel said:
Hard to predict but I would guess they'll be funneling everyone heading to Nemesis down the same path like they did on its closing day - regardless of which entrance you've used to enter the park. So hotel guests entering via Galactica will probably be steered towards Gloomy Wood to join the pre-queue before the ride officially opens. I'm unsure how they would safely manage merging hotel guests with those coming from main entrance though, could be a bit of a scrum!
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The other option would be sending everyone via the main entrance and walking them to FV. That would probably cause upset with hotel guests though.
 
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