• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

2016: General Discussion

Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
AliceHL91 said:
How much would it effect the main queues with less people using fastrack? Obviously the main queues will be longer but would the throughput be similar due to not having to wait for/prioritise people using fastrack?
Click to expand...

I've personally never seen any different when using the normal queues vrs fast track. You may be lucky to save on average 10 minutes. For example, if 20% of people have purchased fast track tickets, and the staff are letting in 20% of the fast track people to 80% of the normal queue, then it evens it self out.

When the park is quiet, the rides are walk on anyway and when the park is busy, the fast tracks queues are also busy. As far as I'm concern, the fast track is as useful as a chocolate tea pot.
 
How's the best way to get to towers via public transport from telford?
Seems car availability will be quite limited, and I only managed a pathetic 4/5 visits last year ;)
 
Last edited:
Buy a bus? Or get the X52: http://www.nottsderby.co.uk/service-time-tables/

In the true spirit of Alton Towers by public transport, it doesn't actually get to the resort until 1055 and it leaves at 1730, so no last minute rides on Nemesis. Because if you miss either direction, you're up the proverbial creek sans the proverbial paddle.

Oh, and it doesn't run on Saturdays or Sundays, nor on certain mid-week days that may or may not line up with the days Towers is shut. Why? Because peasants that have to catch a *bus* aren't wanted at the premium Alton Towers Resort.
 
AliceHL91 said:
How much would it effect the main queues with less people using fastrack? Obviously the main queues will be longer but would the throughput be similar due to not having to wait for/prioritise people using fastrack?
Click to expand...

I'm not Duckman so I don't pretend to have his enviable knowledge.

But with no Fastrack the dispatch isn't held on rides where Fastrack is put on the train first (RMT or Nemesis with Fastrack merge close)

With regards to say The Smiler with separate queues with a merge point, what it means is firstly people aren't inserted in to the queue before you. Secondly, if each queue in The Smiler was a 'phase', with Fastrack first, Main queue second and SRQ third for example, First 'phase' will be shorter or skipped, allowing Main and SRQ to move more frequently, and with this the queue moves faster.

I think :)
 
delta79 said:
I thought you where a shrewsbury girl ?
Click to expand...
Nope. Telford :)

Dar said:
Buy a bus? Or get the X52: http://www.nottsderby.co.uk/service-time-tables/

In the true spirit of Alton Towers by public transport, it doesn't actually get to the resort until 1055 and it leaves at 1730, so no last minute rides on Nemesis. Because if you miss either direction, you're up the proverbial creek sans the proverbial paddle.

Oh, and it doesn't run on Saturdays or Sundays, nor on certain mid-week days that may or may not line up with the days Towers is shut. Why? Because peasants that have to catch a *bus* aren't wanted at the premium Alton Towers Resort.
Click to expand...
That's... Useful. So on one of the few day the park is open on a week day, I might be able to get a bus that gets to the resort twice a day.

At least Drayton manor runs busses direct from my town centre and include tickets for the park, and runs a reasonable amount of times a day.
 
Poisson said:
With regards to say The Smiler with separate queues with a merge point, what it means is firstly people aren't inserted in to the queue before you. Secondly, if each queue in The Smiler was a 'phase', with Fastrack first, Main queue second and SRQ third for example, First 'phase' will be shorter or skipped, allowing Main and SRQ to move more frequently, and with this the queue moves faster.

I think :)
Click to expand...
Being as I have I have only ever ridden the smiler as a single rider I can say that, rather than phases, the main queue in the station (fastrack and normal) has a lot of priority over the single rider queues as the ride op gets groups to fill out the seats, if there are odd numbers they call further back in the queue to get a group with the right number of people to fill it out, and if there is still a spare seat or two they then let single riders on.

It means it can move very slowly sometimes, but now and again they seem to let a big group of single riders on to move the queue a bit so it's not too bad.
 
Leah said:
At least Drayton manor runs busses direct from my town centre and include tickets for the park, and runs a reasonable amount of times a day.
Click to expand...
i think that Drayton Manor is one of the easiest theme parks to get to by public transport, whereas Alton Towers is one of the hardest.
 
Last edited:
skyscraper said:
i think that Drayton Manor is one of the easiest theme parks to get to by public transport, whereas Alton Towers is one of the hardest.
Click to expand...

Drayton is not tricky, but I've always found it much easier to get driven from Tamworth station to the park. Trains aren't the best for me though, only one an hour from Euston.

Easiest parks to get to by public transport are Chessie and BPB
 
TedTheHuman said:
Drayton is not tricky, but I've always found it much easier to get driven from Tamworth station to the park. Trains aren't the best for me though, only one an hour from Euston.

Easiest parks to get to by public transport are Chessie and BPB
Click to expand...
it depends on the Visitor's location- for me, Drayton's the easiest to get to (only an hour by train, non-stop, to Tamwort Station, then a taxi to the park) . there a a lot of parks i would love to visit, but can't, because of both my location and theirs.
 
Once our train was late and we missed the bus to Alton, so we had to get a taxi. It worked out to be £20 return and the driver gave us his mobile to call him 30mins before we were done at Alton. I think it's about £8 return on the bus. So it doesn't work out that much more if there are 2 or more of you. Which saved us waiting in the cold during Scarefest/Fireworks night :0)
Saying that the bus service from Thorpe park is miles better from the train station than Alton.
However the thing that annoys me about Thorpe is the way the put everyone on the rides. The last time we visited they were super slow, there's always empty seats and there's always about 2 members of staff on each ride (which includes one member of staff to operate the ride). So I think Alton are so much more organised than Thorpe. The queue times at Thorpe would be much shorter if they were more organised.
 
Last edited:
ZeldaAlton said:
Once our train was late and we missed the bus to Alton, so we had to get a taxi. It worked out to be £20 return and the driver gave us his mobile to call him 30mind before we were done at Alton. I think it's about £8 return on the bus. So it doesn't work out that much more if there are 2 or more of you.
Click to expand...

Last time I used the bus (fireworks 2015) It was £5.50 return.
 
MattyH said:
Last time I used the bus (fireworks 2015) It was £5.50 return.
Click to expand...

Ah ok cool, sorry I couldn't remember if it was £6 or £8. I've got a car now, so I haven't used the bus service for a couple of years :eek:). There was four us, so it still worked out about the same at the time :0)
 
It currently showing online that there's quite a few days all through the year that the park will close?
For example the park is closed for 4 days in between Scarefest and the Fireworks weekend? Just seems crazy as this is usually a really busy week. Or will Alton open more as the season goes on?
Sorry if this has already been discussed :eek:)
 
Status
This topic has been locked. No further replies can be posted.
Top