2016: General Discussion

[Charmedangela]

Hi there, just wondering if anyone knows what information you have to take to prove your child has autism. Apart from his DLA letter we don't actually have anything else, apart from lots of doctors letters & school reviews. Really don't want to take his full folder of things as wont be to carry it round all day! There seems to be conflicting info & not had a response from Alton Towers when I've emailed them.

 

[Dave]

Hi there, just wondering if anyone knows what information you have to take to prove your child has autism. Apart from his DLA letter we don't actually have anything else, apart from lots of doctors letters & school reviews. Really don't want to take his full folder of things as wont be to carry it round all day! There seems to be conflicting info & not had a response from Alton Towers when I've emailed them.

I believe your DLA letter will be fine.

Have you asked via the social media team (Facebook or twitter) they seem to be better at answering.

 

[Skyscraper]

Hi there, just wondering if anyone knows what information you have to take to prove your child has autism. Apart from his DLA letter we don't actually have anything else, apart from lots of doctors letters & school reviews. Really don't want to take his full folder of things as wont be to carry it round all day! There seems to be conflicting info & not had a response from Alton Towers when I've emailed them.

just checked on AT's 2016 Additional Needs Guide, they do accept a DLA letter, as long as it's dated within the last six months. here's a link to the guide, for reference and more info:
https://altontowers.blob.core.windows.net/media/2494/2016-additional-needs-guide.pdf

 

[Charmedangela]

Been today, if anyone needs details for future reference you need your DLA letter, but you need to have a Higher rate DLA to qualify automatically. In addition then you would need a letter from your GP stating that they are unable to queue. This is what they sent me, but we were already there when they did!

https://altontowers.blob.core.windows.net/media/2494/2016-additional-needs-guide.pdf

 

[Skyscraper]

Been today, if anyone needs details for future reference you need your DLA letter, but you need to have a Higher rate DLA to qualify automatically. In addition then you would need a letter from your GP stating that they are unable to queue. This is what they sent me, but we were already there when they did!

https://altontowers.blob.core.windows.net/media/2494/2016-additional-needs-guide.pdf

i myself am disabled, too (ambulant disabled), so also get a queue jump when i go to theme parks, and my doctors surgery prints a letter, and i also have a carer (usually either my mum or a PA), who gets in free.

 

[Skyscraper]

(sorry for the double-post) looking at AT's website, i discovered that for some reason Early Ride Time (ERT) now only includes just three "big" rides (plus all of Ceebeebies Land's rides); Oblivion, Enterprise and Spinball Whizzer!
https://www.altontowers.com/theme-park/extras/early-ride-time/

 

[RoyJess]

(sorry for the double-post) looking at AT's website, i discovered that for some reason Early Ride Time (ERT) now only includes just three "big" rides (plus all of Ceebeebies Land's rides); Oblivion, Enterprise and Spinball Whizzer!
https://www.altontowers.com/theme-park/extras/early-ride-time/

Yep! We all knew that at the start of the season. There were some confusion at the start of the season whether all the big rides open at 9 or 9.30.

Oblivion and Enterprise open at 9
Spinball at 9.30

 

[Skyscraper]

Yep! We all knew that at the start of the season. There were some confusion at the start of the season whether all the big rides open at 9 or 9.30.

Oblivion and Enterprise open at 9
Spinball at 9.30

what time do the other rides open, after the park opens to general guests (i know the park opens at 10am on the day I'm going (2nd July))?

 

[Arpy]

what time do the other rides open, after the park opens to general guests (i know the park opens at 10am on the day I'm going (2nd July))?

Most things should open at 10am, however sometimes rides do open a little later. When i went last month Rita and Thirteen where closed until 11am however that was a weekday.

 

[RoyJess]

Most rides open at 10am except the water rides which tend to open at 11am

Edit ...Rosie just pip me to the post

 

[Skyscraper]

except the water rides which tend to open at 11am

yeah, remember that the last few times I've been, The Flume and the Congo River Rapids (CRR) opens at 11am, whereas everything else opened at 10am or earlier, although as the Flume's closed I'm not sure whether the CRR will still open at 11am or not.

 

[Burbs]

although as the Flume's closed I'm not sure whether the CRR will still open at 11am or not.

They do open at 11am. So does Battle Galleons.

 

[Leah]

It always opens at 11. I've never seen it open before that. Just check ride times, it's never open before 11 (not sure if battle galleons is the same though, but I assume it is)

 

[bluesonichd]

Don't forget Skyride is 11am open !

 

[Skyscraper]

anyway, I'm going by coach, so will probably get to the Park at around 11ish, so all the rides should be open by then.

 

[siralgenon]

So I've just been on the website to look at the prices of an overnight stay and noticed the star ratings for the Hotels have changed once again...

Enchanted Village Treehouses - *****
Alton Towers Hotel - ****
Enchanted Village Lodges - ****
Splash Landings Hotel - ***

Now I'm guessing they've rated these themselves because no way on earth is ATH 4*s. Moon Voyages maybe, but not the others. As for the lodges, although nice are quite basic so I'm not sure whether they warrant a 4th star.

 

[DiogoJ42]

BWAHAHAHA! I seem to remember not that long ago, we worked out that the rooms at Alton don't even meet the requirements for official *** rating.

 

[Dave]

BWAHAHAHA! I seem to remember not that long ago, we worked out that the rooms at Alton don't even meet the requirements for official *** rating.

The rooms in all the parks hotels are fine for 3* rating, the major requirement is that the rooms are en-suite.

You can see the AA ratings guide here https://www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/business/hotel_services/aa_hotel_quality_standards.pdf

I don't think the hotels would get an AA 4 star rating but only on 1 or 2 points (main one i can see is the insulation of the walls in the rooms).

 

[Dar]

But do they have hairdryers???

 

[DiogoJ42]

Ah yes, it was when they temporarily removed the hair dryers that the rooms dropped to **, wasn't it?

Have to wonder how legal this whole "self rating" thing is, TBH. I'm renting out my old Kitchen bin. Its *************, £4,680 pp,pn. Anyone interested?