Christmas Season 2024

[AT86]

I know, it's only June - don't come for me. However I noticed Alton Towers were advertising auditions for the panto on their jobs Instagram story today so I imagine plans for the season are well advanced.

It is safe to say last years event was sub optimal with the scrapping of the market, Lightopia, garden light walk and all entertainment outside of CBeebies. Given the uptick we have seen in events so far this year I would hope things will improve in 2024.

There isn't much, if any detail on this event yet - the website is just a holding page really. However it does confirm one thing - the event will seemingly finish on 31st December which is a reduction over the past few years - they usually run the event for the first week in Jan too but this seems to have been cut back.

Christmas at Alton Towers Resort

Get ready to enjoy a magical festive day out at Alton Towers Resort, with specially selected rides ideal for families

www.altontowers.com

Beyond that, the only other bit of info I have seen is that the permission for the stage on the lawns has been extended, and this includes the ability for them to relocate it to Fountain Square during the winter.

I feel it would be a good development should they move the stage - as making Fountain Square the 'hub' of this event could work well compared to the bottom of Towers St/the lawns. It is a more sheltered location for a start, better for the weather at that time of year. It is close to indoor seated food locations (Woodcutters and Burger Kitchen) which were also lacking last year and could also give space for some outdoor stalls/firepits/decorations to go alongside the entertainment in more intimate area that might not make it as obvious that the scale is not as big as when the market was first introduced.

What would the Towers St folks like to see for the event this year?

 

[rob666]

Discuss Christmas in June?
Sorry, sooner nail my bits to my potting bench.
Again...
Just say no.
Bah.
Humbug.
etc...

 

[jon81uk]

I would assume the market won't return, my guess is that stallholders probably didn't make that many sales and they struggled to fill the market. Realistically I think the event will expand slightly again (maybe add garden lights back), but the focus will continue to be on Santa's Sleepovers still as that's where the money is.

 

[Ash]

It really shouldn’t be difficult to do this.

It needs:
1) Xmas market stalls
2) Interesting Food and drink offering
3) Indoor space to sit and drink/eat (Towers St Family Restaurant/Conference Suite/Welcom-Inn/The Towers Suite/Crux?)
4) Walking light show and/or night time fireworks/laser/water show
5) Indoor rides be available: Hex, SBR, GG, 4D cinema (holding out hope), TCAAM Christmas overlay?
6) Santa Meet n Greet
7) Monorail open/land train available/lit path/closer car parks used
8) Ice rink on the lawns
9) Towers lit up/projection mapped

What’s missing:
Large Indoor show space (Efteling theatre)
More indoor attractions
Indoor sit down, decent, dining on the RHS of the park
Reusable nighttime show setup

Charge one price for entry (£10-20) with all things included (other than ice skating)

Being outdoors, stood still, for prolonged periods in the UK, in November and December, is a stupid idea. Especially people with kids.

Make the most of all the indoor space, which Alton seems to refuse to want to do. It’s just nuts

 

[djtruefitt]

I know, it's only June - don't come for me. However I noticed Alton Towers were advertising auditions for the panto on their jobs Instagram story today so I imagine plans for the season are well advanced.

It is safe to say last years event was sub optimal with the scrapping of the market, Lightopia, garden light walk and all entertainment outside of CBeebies. Given the uptick we have seen in events so far this year I would hope things will improve in 2024.

There isn't much, if any detail on this event yet - the website is just a holding page really. However it does confirm one thing - the event will seemingly finish on 31st December which is a reduction over the past few years - they usually run the event for the first week in Jan too but this seems to have been cut back.

Christmas at Alton Towers Resort

Get ready to enjoy a magical festive day out at Alton Towers Resort, with specially selected rides ideal for families

www.altontowers.com

Beyond that, the only other bit of info I have seen is that the permission for the stage on the lawns has been extended, and this includes the ability for them to relocate it to Fountain Square during the winter.

I feel it would be a good development should they move the stage - as making Fountain Square the 'hub' of this event could work well compared to the bottom of Towers St/the lawns. It is a more sheltered location for a start, better for the weather at that time of year. It is close to indoor seated food locations (Woodcutters and Burger Kitchen) which were also lacking last year and could also give space for some outdoor stalls/firepits/decorations to go alongside the entertainment in more intimate area that might not make it as obvious that the scale is not as big as when the market was first introduced.

What would the Towers St folks like to see for the event this year?

Covid year the stage was moved to fountain square and was good. Unfortunately the event didn’t really happen as planned. But ever since then the event has been a bit dead past Towers Street.

Personally I would move the stage and put the pano on there and make it open to all rather then just hotel guests. I visited the panto last year and there was only about 20 people watching it in the massive conference centre.

I would then leave the stage on fountain square for the start of the season as well and have some ents on there until it’s moved to the grass in the summer.