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It does look like a really good event to be fair. Let us know how it is. Should be interesting.
Steve74
TS Member
This was posted yesterday evening, must admit loving the Towers logo that's been made into a Lightopia sculpture
https://www.altontowers.com/about-alton-towers/blog/christmas-2021-is-here/
And one of the first pictures of the event too:
Skyscraper
TS Member
Gangsta Granny is only on 20 mins, which is great too!
Danny
TS Contributor
Gangsta Granny is only on 20 mins, which is great too!
15.
Steve74
TS Member
Loving the first pictures of Lightopia that are appearing. I've put them in a spoiler in case you don't want to see them
I know nothing is ever certain but the fact that they've spent money on getting Oktoberfest and Mardi Gras recognised in Lightopia surely means they'll both be back next season?
I know nothing is ever certain but the fact that they've spent money on getting Oktoberfest and Mardi Gras recognised in Lightopia surely means they'll both be back next season?
Rick
TS Member
Did you have a good day Matt ?
Danny
TS Contributor
£20 well spent.
Despite the rocky start to the day for the resort, you wouldn't have assumed anything was amiss come 3pm. Some of the roads were totally unusable and I had to make some detours on the way in.
The Christmas Market doesn't quite have the charm that some city markets have; it feels very much rented sheds as opposed to themed stalls. The seating areas by the Wunderbar at the bottom of Towers Street is great, plenty of covered options.
Lightopia then. Overall I was impressed. I know some of those more versed in light displays and walkthroughs may not be in the same boat as me, but it felt long enough and there were enough scenes to justify the cost, and then some. The route itself is a great utilisation of Towers layout, and I particularly liked the sections just before and after Katanga Canyon. The lights in the trees by the FV Skyride station were also a delight.
There was a random video screen about 3/4 of the way through that seemed out of place, and it was also a shame the Gardens weren't in use to compliment the display. Not sure if this was down to staff not being able to make them safe to walk through in time or not due to the ice, however.
I didn't really stop to appreciate the show in Fountain Square, but was surprised to see Woodcutters open. Can't comment on the offering as I didn't go in.
There was also a projection water fountain show on the lake at one point, but it was not working at all due to the wind. They tried at least, and it's something totally different. Hopefully they can get this working properly and used fully during the main season.
All guests were being allocated wristbands that permitted access to the rides on entering the park, whether you had paid for rides or not. Thankfully I hadn't, so I didn't feel out of pocket. I suspect this may have been a good will gesture given the bumps in the road at the start of the day, but I'd be pretty miffed if I had paid for rides. It was good to do Hex though after missing out at the end of the season.
Overall, I'm glad to see them properly going for it in a Christmas event. Improvements? The Towers weren't really lit up like they were at Scarefest or Fireworks, which felt a shame. I'd also like to see more decorations or theming on the stalls themselves for the Christmas Market. Other than that, it was fantastic to see them try something different and open the gates to guests outside of the hotels.
I'll be taking the mother next weekend, at her request after she hasn't visited the park for several years. I don't feel at all like I should protest and discourage her, as it's a solid family well presented family event.
I'll probably pop some photos up at some point tomorrow. Need a cuppa right now. Bloody freezing.
Despite the rocky start to the day for the resort, you wouldn't have assumed anything was amiss come 3pm. Some of the roads were totally unusable and I had to make some detours on the way in.
The Christmas Market doesn't quite have the charm that some city markets have; it feels very much rented sheds as opposed to themed stalls. The seating areas by the Wunderbar at the bottom of Towers Street is great, plenty of covered options.
Lightopia then. Overall I was impressed. I know some of those more versed in light displays and walkthroughs may not be in the same boat as me, but it felt long enough and there were enough scenes to justify the cost, and then some. The route itself is a great utilisation of Towers layout, and I particularly liked the sections just before and after Katanga Canyon. The lights in the trees by the FV Skyride station were also a delight.
There was a random video screen about 3/4 of the way through that seemed out of place, and it was also a shame the Gardens weren't in use to compliment the display. Not sure if this was down to staff not being able to make them safe to walk through in time or not due to the ice, however.
I didn't really stop to appreciate the show in Fountain Square, but was surprised to see Woodcutters open. Can't comment on the offering as I didn't go in.
There was also a projection water fountain show on the lake at one point, but it was not working at all due to the wind. They tried at least, and it's something totally different. Hopefully they can get this working properly and used fully during the main season.
All guests were being allocated wristbands that permitted access to the rides on entering the park, whether you had paid for rides or not. Thankfully I hadn't, so I didn't feel out of pocket. I suspect this may have been a good will gesture given the bumps in the road at the start of the day, but I'd be pretty miffed if I had paid for rides. It was good to do Hex though after missing out at the end of the season.
Overall, I'm glad to see them properly going for it in a Christmas event. Improvements? The Towers weren't really lit up like they were at Scarefest or Fireworks, which felt a shame. I'd also like to see more decorations or theming on the stalls themselves for the Christmas Market. Other than that, it was fantastic to see them try something different and open the gates to guests outside of the hotels.
I'll be taking the mother next weekend, at her request after she hasn't visited the park for several years. I don't feel at all like I should protest and discourage her, as it's a solid family well presented family event.
I'll probably pop some photos up at some point tomorrow. Need a cuppa right now. Bloody freezing.
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Steve74
TS Member
I'm taking my mother next weekend too, shall we designate it "mother's weekend"?
Shame Oblivion isn't open as that's her favourite. I hope I'll still be riding coasters at 78!! 
Matt.GC
TS Member
Your mum rides Oblivion at 78? She sounds awesome! Mines a nipper at 59 (she had me young) and won't go near coasters these days.I'm taking my mother next weekend too, shall we designate it "mother's weekend"?
Pardon my Cider drinking ignorance, but what are/were the weather conditions like today around there? Towers is on high ground and accessed via some less than high quality roads and I'm due to go tomorrow on the way back home.
I left the North Somerset coast at 6 this morning, was windy, slightly spitting with rain and cold (used to that at the seaside this time of year) but otherwise Ok. Arrived in Blackpool, equally windy and cold (also on the coast) but completely dry and sunny. Driving on the M5 through Worcestershire past Evesham wheels started to slip and a blizzard came from nowhere. Once on the M6 (at about 20mph), we had to pull over at the services , 3 inches of snow that seemingly came from nowhere and a poor guy had come off his motorbike on the slip road (he was thankfully on the hard shoulder but his bike was in the middle of the road, had it been a foot further in there was no way I would have been able to avoid it).
I went in for a wee and was in there for barely 5 mins and this was the state of my car when we returned. I'm nervous at the thought of driving through worse tomorrow with my lad in the car.
Alastair
TS Team
The roads were treacherous on the northern side of the park today, particularly Ellastone Road which was completely impassable in the afternoon. A kind farmer towed me out of a particularly bad patch otherwise I would've been stranded! With the temperatures remaining below 0 tonight I'd suspect ice will be the predominant issue tomorrow. The path up from the car park was diabolically unsafe today with no noticeable gritting and I witnessed numerous people slipping and sliding.
To the event - I think overall it's a fantastic effort from the park. The market stalls, while lacking atmosphere and character somewhat, were a nice selection and it did completely transform the feel of Towers Street. The walk between TS and Fountain Square was a little grim, with just a solitary HB Leisure games stall next to the arcade for interest (I pitied the staff member assigned to that in today's bitter cold!) - though once there there was a heck of a lot of entertainment going on on the stage, despite the total lack of crowd. Woodcutters was sadly a disappointment, the "Christmas" menu almost identically resembling the usual menu in every way, and food quality wasn't great in comparison to previous meals I've had there.
Lightopia itself was brilliant, with the art style of lots of the figures being pleasingly unique and attractive. I would say the trail lacked a real moment of spectacle or grandeur - it was rather just a lot of the same kinds of lit figures lining the pathway - which was admittedly very long. The incorporation of the lit Prospect Tower was a very nice addition, and I found the fact that FV Burger Kitchen and Nemices Doughnut were both open to be highly amusing (I can't think of anyone who would assume there would be food options midway through a light trail, when everyone's just come from a huge market with loads of food options?)
All in all, a big step in the direction of year round park opening for me. I expect with slightly more favourable weather, and a larger contingent of people that things will feel a lot more cohesive and atmospheric as the weeks progress.
To the event - I think overall it's a fantastic effort from the park. The market stalls, while lacking atmosphere and character somewhat, were a nice selection and it did completely transform the feel of Towers Street. The walk between TS and Fountain Square was a little grim, with just a solitary HB Leisure games stall next to the arcade for interest (I pitied the staff member assigned to that in today's bitter cold!) - though once there there was a heck of a lot of entertainment going on on the stage, despite the total lack of crowd. Woodcutters was sadly a disappointment, the "Christmas" menu almost identically resembling the usual menu in every way, and food quality wasn't great in comparison to previous meals I've had there.
Lightopia itself was brilliant, with the art style of lots of the figures being pleasingly unique and attractive. I would say the trail lacked a real moment of spectacle or grandeur - it was rather just a lot of the same kinds of lit figures lining the pathway - which was admittedly very long. The incorporation of the lit Prospect Tower was a very nice addition, and I found the fact that FV Burger Kitchen and Nemices Doughnut were both open to be highly amusing (I can't think of anyone who would assume there would be food options midway through a light trail, when everyone's just come from a huge market with loads of food options?)
All in all, a big step in the direction of year round park opening for me. I expect with slightly more favourable weather, and a larger contingent of people that things will feel a lot more cohesive and atmospheric as the weeks progress.
Your mum rides oblivion at 78? What a legend! Both my parents ride coasters although mums getting picky now and won't ride oblivion or rita (no idea why) but would happily ride nemesis (she love the thing as she's not a enthusiasts by any means)I'm taking my mother next weekend too, shall we designate it "mother's weekend"?
Steve74
TS Member
Well, last time she went on it was 2019 when she was 76. But she still talks about doing it again. Her and my dad did Wickerman then too - a combined seat age of 155! They weren't keen - think it threw them about a bit too much! But must like it a bit as they have their on-ride photo on the wall!
Are you taking your mum as well?
My only "niggle" with what I have seen is if you have not bought the ride ticket (the £16 one on top of Lightopia) or the All-in-one ticket then you can't roam around up to the Towers and beyond into Fountain Square to see the entertainment going on there. At least I think that is how it works. I think that's a bit tight and Towers are missing a trick - I bet many people visiting the market have never been there before so allowing them to roam a bit more lets them see what else is in the park - Gardens, Ruins etc.
The checkpoint of your tickets is CBeebies and the Mutiny Bay sign; so you can't go any further than that without the ride ticket. What they should've done is have the Mutiny Bay checkpoint moved to the pathway area at the toilets at Woodcutters, meaning only WODW is ticket only. Ok Hex would need a check on the entrance - or just throw that one ride in for free.
Skyscraper
TS Member
Sounds like the issues (sound etc) with Hex have been fixed, which is great to hear!
Matt.GC
TS Member
So, first time ever to AT at Christmas today and it's a day I'll always remember. What a magical day with the snow smashing it down! I didn't care that half the rides were closed, the atmosphere with a Christmas event more than made up for it.
Highlights were Towers Street Bar and Grill being open again (was packed as well), the market and food/bev offerings (although market stalls looked colourless and the whole area felt a little tight), the best ride I've ever had on Hex (with me and my son having the ride to ourselves) and the whole setup in Fountain Square.
Oh, and snapping Nemesis whilst it's snowing
Highlights were Towers Street Bar and Grill being open again (was packed as well), the market and food/bev offerings (although market stalls looked colourless and the whole area felt a little tight), the best ride I've ever had on Hex (with me and my son having the ride to ourselves) and the whole setup in Fountain Square.
Oh, and snapping Nemesis whilst it's snowing