(Not sure if i posted this before)
Before the Covid Pandemic there used to be one or two weekends a year where Scouts and guides had the opportunity to book onto a camping trip with a difference, the "campsite" being the lawns at the bottom of Towers street.
So me being me, used to a book a group of scouts into this event and we would take a minibus plus a car.
Arriving at Alton Towers just aft Closing time on Saturday, and not leaving until an hour after closing on Sunday to give them , other leaders and myself the full day at Towers with no rush to leave - park shuts at 5, minibus leaves at 6ish- get back at 8:30pm ( target before 9pm)
We used to attend this event each year from 2008(?) to 2019 - then Covid came along and the event has not run since, which is a shame as not only was it a good event, it was also a good bit of soft publicity for Alton towers and Merlin ( which in turn lead to future visits and a few annual passes being bought )
So this is how it used to run:
Arrive at Alton towers roughly half an hour after closing, sign under the monorail area ( by the staff training centre/green building) , and make sure the scouts carry their tents in, enter the theme park by the "3d Gates" which brings you along a narrow passage and through a gate by the Katanga canyon sign, through a by now deserted mutiny bay then onto the lawns, from there it was a case of finding out where on the lawns we were to pitch our tents.
Once our assigned spot was fond the tents went up, the it was off to the corporate hospitality suite ( lakeside suite) for a hot buffet meal - typically chicken/sausage/beans/potato and a few vegetarian/vegan options) plus drinks ( usually squash) after that - grab swimkit ( and a torch) then walk to the main entrance for a short internal bus ride on a staff bus to splash landings water park for the evening before returning to the parks main entrance on the bus at around 10 ish, from there was a quick supper in the Hospitality suite then off to the tents for bed.
A torch was needed as although towers street was lit up, other areas were pitch black couldnt see your hand in front of your face darkness- particularly the main roadway bit by spinball
We even had Towers security pop in to say hello and tell a few ( usually) ghost stories to any stragglers and leaders who were still up gone 11:30pm.
The next morning it was up at just after 7am to take down the tents, and put them in the hospitality suite where breakfast was waiting - usually a sausage cob ( roll) some fruit, a croissant or pan-au-chocolate, tea/coffee, orange juice water squash etc, and from 9am early ride time typically nemesis, oblivion and a few bits in Cbeebies beforehand the scouts would be batched into groups and allowed the full day to roam, with tea/coffee and drinks available back at the hospitality suite all day among the piles of tents and other groups kit.
They had all day until closing
Typically, there was only us and a couple of other groups left by this stage, so it was a case of clear out the hospitality suite, lock it up and walk back to the entrance then minibus back after just over 24 hours at the theme park
This event also used to throw up a few positive interactions with some of the staff and other parts of Towers you dont normally get to see
Before the Covid Pandemic there used to be one or two weekends a year where Scouts and guides had the opportunity to book onto a camping trip with a difference, the "campsite" being the lawns at the bottom of Towers street.
So me being me, used to a book a group of scouts into this event and we would take a minibus plus a car.
Arriving at Alton Towers just aft Closing time on Saturday, and not leaving until an hour after closing on Sunday to give them , other leaders and myself the full day at Towers with no rush to leave - park shuts at 5, minibus leaves at 6ish- get back at 8:30pm ( target before 9pm)
We used to attend this event each year from 2008(?) to 2019 - then Covid came along and the event has not run since, which is a shame as not only was it a good event, it was also a good bit of soft publicity for Alton towers and Merlin ( which in turn lead to future visits and a few annual passes being bought )
So this is how it used to run:
Arrive at Alton towers roughly half an hour after closing, sign under the monorail area ( by the staff training centre/green building) , and make sure the scouts carry their tents in, enter the theme park by the "3d Gates" which brings you along a narrow passage and through a gate by the Katanga canyon sign, through a by now deserted mutiny bay then onto the lawns, from there it was a case of finding out where on the lawns we were to pitch our tents.
Once our assigned spot was fond the tents went up, the it was off to the corporate hospitality suite ( lakeside suite) for a hot buffet meal - typically chicken/sausage/beans/potato and a few vegetarian/vegan options) plus drinks ( usually squash) after that - grab swimkit ( and a torch) then walk to the main entrance for a short internal bus ride on a staff bus to splash landings water park for the evening before returning to the parks main entrance on the bus at around 10 ish, from there was a quick supper in the Hospitality suite then off to the tents for bed.
A torch was needed as although towers street was lit up, other areas were pitch black couldnt see your hand in front of your face darkness- particularly the main roadway bit by spinball
We even had Towers security pop in to say hello and tell a few ( usually) ghost stories to any stragglers and leaders who were still up gone 11:30pm.
The next morning it was up at just after 7am to take down the tents, and put them in the hospitality suite where breakfast was waiting - usually a sausage cob ( roll) some fruit, a croissant or pan-au-chocolate, tea/coffee, orange juice water squash etc, and from 9am early ride time typically nemesis, oblivion and a few bits in Cbeebies beforehand the scouts would be batched into groups and allowed the full day to roam, with tea/coffee and drinks available back at the hospitality suite all day among the piles of tents and other groups kit.
They had all day until closing
Typically, there was only us and a couple of other groups left by this stage, so it was a case of clear out the hospitality suite, lock it up and walk back to the entrance then minibus back after just over 24 hours at the theme park
This event also used to throw up a few positive interactions with some of the staff and other parts of Towers you dont normally get to see