How often do you visit Alton Towers and other parks?

[Bowser]

Obviously this is a forum for enthusiasts but i've noticed some people who seem to be at the park extremely often so it made me wonder how many times a year people tend to visit?

Due to the distance and some previous bad experiences we only normally visit once a year (and not at all this year)

Our most visited park is probably Legoland, we've been 6 times so far and will likely have 2 or 3 more visits by the end of the year.

After that Chessington and Southend Adventure Island are probably neck and neck though i don't have an official count of the latter.

Efteling squeezes in on a technicality as we do a 3 day visit though i think for the purposes of this survey i'd consider it one trip, especially as the first and last days are both half days.

How about you though?

 

[Hid]

Obviously this is a forum for enthusiasts but i've noticed some people who seem to be at the park extremely often so it made me wonder how many times a year people tend to visit?

Due to the distance and some previous bad experiences we only normally visit once a year (and not at all this year)

Our most visited park is probably Legoland, we've been 6 times so far and will likely have 2 or 3 more visits by the end of the year.

After that Chessington and Southend Adventure Island are probably neck and neck though i don't have an official count of the latter.

Efteling squeezes in on a technicality as we do a 3 day visit though i think for the purposes of this survey i'd consider it one trip, especially as the first and last days are both half days.

How about you though?

Alton Towers is without a doubt the park I have visited the most I started going when I was really young and have gone every year.

2nd most visited is a toss up between Fantasy Island, Thorpe Park and Drayton.

Not far from lots but near to none my closest park is Twinlakes which I can't go to due to not having a kid and Wicksteed Park which I have been a few times to.

 

[Matt N]

Typically, I would say I make one two-day visit per year to Alton Towers. I have done two weekends in a year before, most recently in 2022, but I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than 4 days (2 weekend visits) on park in one season, from memory. I’ve been going to Alton Towers since 2009 and haven’t yet missed a season!

My second most regular visit is Thorpe Park, which I’ve settled into typically having one day at per year. I have been twice in some seasons (most recently in 2024 when Hyperia was closed on my first visit in June), but I’d say that one visit per year has grown more typical. I’ve been going to Thorpe since 2014, and I haven’t missed a season since 2017 (the only two seasons I’ve missed at Thorpe in the time I’ve been visiting are 2016 and 2017).

In terms of how often I visit parks generally; it varies. I logged 14 total theme park visits in the spreadsheet last year (which I think equates to 13 theme park days, as I park hopped between PortAventura and Ferrari Land on one day), and 16 total visits in 2023 (which again is probably a bit less in terms of days because I did some multi-park action while in Orlando), but this year, I only logged 5 theme park visits all year due to being tied up in a postgraduate degree and writing my dissertation over the summer. I will also typically try and get to at least one park abroad during a typical year (I didn’t manage it this year, but I went abroad in 2022, 2023 and 2024).

I don’t think I live near enough to any major theme parks to visit parks hugely often. Alton Towers is a 2.5 hour drive on a good run, Thorpe Park is a 2 hour drive on a good run, and living in South West England and close to the South Wales border, there’s not a huge amount of major stuff locally to me!

 

[rob666]

Towers always used to be two or three times a year, now only once, with a big covid/sickness break.
The Beach...was roughly monthly for many years, even fortnightly, though only for a few hours at a time.
Now I try to get there every month, but old age tiredness stops my usual after work trips.

 

[Mick]

Live an hour and fifteen away from Towers and usually visit 3-4 times a year, generally one Sunday every month or two. This year I’ve been once in April, once in May, once in July and one in September and that’s more than enough for me.

Generally also have another day or two a year at other UK theme parks, this year that was a day at Drayton Manor in June, and then Thorpe Park planned this month.

I think if I went much more often, I’d lose the excitement that I still get when planning and visiting - even at Towers I still look forward to every visit! I sometimes wonder how somebody like Shawn TPW can still get enjoyment out of rides like Nemesis when he can just pop along every other afternoon and get a couple of rides in, I’d have thought the novelty would wear off.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Tomorrow will be my fifth Alton Towers visit this year, which is a little on the lower side compared to previous recent years. I've visited at least once per year since 1994.

We've only visited Thorpe Park twice this year, usually we'd clock in three or four visits.

We've attempted to visit Drayton Manor Park and Zoo three times. Two were successful, the other I spent my entire time snapping pictures of menu screens before leaving due to incredibly shoddy ops. We may have one more this year.... I'm not sure why I do this to myself.

We've visited PortAventura twice this year, each time with a two day ticket. Only once to Ferrari Land, however.

Paulton's Park and Chessington World of Adventures both get an honourable mention with a single visit to each.