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How Busy?

BarryZola said:
Absolutely. It's the quietest day I've had there for a few years at least now. You need to get lucky with a lack of school trips coaches now, whereas before, as you say, pretty much any traditional term time day was blissful.
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I was going to ask what has changed actually?

The park is generally busier than the 2016-2019 days which isn't a bad thing at all, just the hours remaining as they were years ago is. This season in particular, it lacks attractions and reliability has been terrible so I would imagine that's a recipe for ending these truly walk on days? So I guess it has to be pot luck that visit on an quiet enough day, without school trips, where everything opens.

Maybe mid-week early September may be a good bet? That period between the schools going back and Oktoberfest starting, but ride reliability could be better by then. Just don't seem to know these days whereas you could bet on it in the past. Nothing worse than turning up for just 6 hours to find a 60 min Smiler queue, rides not opening until the afternoon, and repeated downtime.
 
Early September is rarely quiet...pass users getting a good weather visit in at the start of term, lots of colleges do icebreaker events, even some schools do early trips.
Best days are the week before scarefest for me.
Tree colours, empty gardens and generally some of the shortest queues.
I miss the good old days of all day walk ons.
,,,and then there was adrenaline week!
 
Hello everyone, I'm a french guy, so, first of all, sorry for my level of English :sweatsmile:
My family and I are coming to England this summer and we will spend a day at Alton Tower on 08/14.
This will probably be the only opportunity for us to visit this park, and given its size, do you think it is necessary to take fasttrack tickets ?
 
k1t3kl4t said:
Hello everyone, I'm a french guy, so, first of all, sorry for my level of English :sweatsmile:
My family and I are coming to England this summer and we will spend a day at Alton Tower on 08/14.
This will probably be the only opportunity for us to visit this park, and given its size, do you think it is necessary to take fasttrack tickets ?
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8th August? I would say yes, as you will only have one day and aren’t likely to be coming back.

It will certainly help you have a better day.
 
k1t3kl4t said:
14th August but I don't think it makes a huge difference.
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Midweek in August can get very very busy, moreso than the weekends. If a fastrack is within your budget, I'd definitely recommend it.

It'll give you more time to enjoy the scenery, and eat calmly, and re-ride favourite rides.
 
Another factor is the great British weather...if it going to be forecast wet all day, those fasttracks might not be needed.
 
I'm planning on going down in September after the schools return to class. Anyone know an optimal date to head to the park? I'm planning on a Wednesday. But I can change it if I can find a more quiet day, so I can hopefully ride a few rides more than once.
 
Midweek, mid to late September, on a rainy day.
By early October the bloody hauntings start.

And my general rule of big new rides...don't go jogging to it...
Walk slowly round every other coaster on the park first...because every last one will be pretty much walk on.
Then have a nice kebab and two pint lunch.

Then ride Benson and Hedges in the afternoon, when the queue will be half the length of the morning, and all the other coaster queues are half an hour.

Oh, I remember the first few years of the Big One...walk on everything else...'till lunchtime!
 
rob666 said:
Midweek, mid to late September, on a rainy day.
By early October the bloody hauntings start.

And my general rule of big new rides...don't go jogging to it...
Walk slowly round every other coaster on the park first...because every last one will be pretty much walk on.
Then have a nice kebab and two pint lunch.

Then ride Benson and Hedges in the afternoon, when the queue will be half the length of the morning, and all the other coaster queues are half an hour.

Oh, I remember the first few years of the Big One...walk on everything else...'till lunchtime!
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Ah, noted, thanks. I'm trying to get there for a good time without long queues. And maybe longer opening times if I'm lucky...
If AT is doing it that far after all.
 
I’m hoping to sneak a quiet visit next Monday (03.06) with the 6yo as it’s an inset day at his school (and hopefully not for other schools).

Is this genius? Or gloriously misguided?
 
That Monday has been very busy in the past (unfortunately a lot of parents have the same thought process as you), looking at previous data you'd be better off going on Sunday.
 
Bit of both mate.
Lots of schools have insets tagged to half term, so you will not be alone.
With a six year old though, I imagine you will be fine.
Perfect late spring days, school trips kick in very soon though, there will be a few about probably.
Is he tall enough for the smiler then?
Kidding.
Probably...
There are always the baggage holds...
 
Thanks @Thameslink Rail @rob666
The Sunday is unfortunately out of the picture, so it’s Monday or bust.

The school trips are something I’d like to avoid (pretty common, I imagine). I’ll defend teenagers’ right to creative swearing, but I don’t want to subject the lad’s spongebrain to 40mins of frotting and jeffing in the RMT queue.
 
BSwiss said:
I’m hoping to sneak a quiet visit next Monday (03.06) with the 6yo as it’s an inset day at his school (and hopefully not for other schools).

Is this genius? Or gloriously misguided?
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I’ve tried this a few times now and my experience is, if your school has an inset day then LOTS of schools will have an inset day. It’s basically the equivalent of a bank holiday but with worse traffic.
 
I'd be wary of these inset days as even though the park could be as busy as a Saturday or school holiday, there's a good chance the park will just see it as a normal weekday and plan operations accordingly. At least for bank holidays etc they tend to be more geared up for them.
 
Look, I've said it before, and I have to say it again.
Just stop bloody breeding.
Life is a sexually transmitted, terminal disease, that causes nothing but heartache and longer queues for rollercoasters.
Prioritise, learn lessons, snip.
Thank you.
 
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