Not done one of these for a while but just thought i'd write a summary of our trip from this weekend.
Easter Friday - decided to stay at a local B&B this time as the resort hotels wanted £630 for 2 nights for 3 people! Stayed at a B&B called The Warren which was just 5 minutes away but a stunning little place. Great views, including that of the flag tower, and very large comfortable rooms. Walking distance to all the local pubs including the Blacksmiths.
As it was about 4pm by the time we arrived we decided to head down to the old station and try and find King Ina's rock. Walking along the old railway track and up the side of the valley we finally found it. Was further across than I thought, in line with the luxury tree houses. Infact, when we climbed to the top of the rock we saw people sat in their hot tubs lol.
Spent the evening in ATH, with food in the Secret Garden which was shockingly bad (see my post in Food and Drink thread). The hotel was quite busy with not many seats around the ship. The entertainment was DIRE. Those two rubbish singers, and now a guy with them and another guy on a keyboard, which was out of tune with the singers. Add to this the fact that the singers didn't harmonize with each other and we actually had to leave in the end and head over to Splash. Plus the queue for the Dragon Bar was back out by SG again.
Saturday - very quiet at the park entrances at 9.30am, straight into the park and over to Galactica. Queued for about half an hour before reaching the photo point. Yeah its ok but the glass you stick you face into is a bit dirty, maybe they should clean this frequently too! My post about the ride can be found in the Galactica thread, but overall I was impressed with it.
On the whole the park was dead. No queues for anything else, most rides a walk on. Sad to see so much closed and boarded up, like the food and drink outlets in Dark Forest - or should I say, Light Forest given that even more trees have had the chop around the queue line - then again, I suppose they need all the wood for all the new fences and benches!
Oh yeah, benchwatch - very nice, benches everywhere! lol. Towers ruins were open from the conservatory so we had a wander up to the roof. Quite a few people in them actually, probably up to no good judging by the smell of weed!
Liked the addition of the two new water guns on Rapids just before the waterfalls. Plenty of water pressure in them and people didnt expect them to be there.
As for the TLC stuff, yeah, park looks good where it has had some attention, though, as others have said, the Gothic temple looks unfinished. Hopefully they will do a better job on the Pagoda which is now covered in scaffolding.
Nemesis just doesnt look right with its bright white track however! New coffee shop was a welcome addition, especially at 5pm when the heavens just opened.
Overall a good day, did plenty of rides and even the weather held up for us. Walked to the Blacksmiths pub in the evening for a few sherbets.
Sunday - initially we did plan on doing the waterpark but changed our minds and opted for the Tree Top Quest instead. Doing this Sunday morning, with hangovers, in quite strong winds I have to say even put the fear of God in to those of us who had done the course many times in the past. Was good fun though, even with the platforms swaying like I have never felt before in the wind!
Had a drink in ATH afterwards watching all the travelers arriving. Police cars were parked all over the place, with officers walking through the hotels, security on the entrances to the hotels, and also right at the entrance to the resort itself.
Was a good weekend break overall, but glad we left on the Sunday! And also glad we didnt stay in the hotels, given the cost of doing so, the poor food, queues for drinks and dire "entertainment".
Easter Friday - decided to stay at a local B&B this time as the resort hotels wanted £630 for 2 nights for 3 people! Stayed at a B&B called The Warren which was just 5 minutes away but a stunning little place. Great views, including that of the flag tower, and very large comfortable rooms. Walking distance to all the local pubs including the Blacksmiths.
As it was about 4pm by the time we arrived we decided to head down to the old station and try and find King Ina's rock. Walking along the old railway track and up the side of the valley we finally found it. Was further across than I thought, in line with the luxury tree houses. Infact, when we climbed to the top of the rock we saw people sat in their hot tubs lol.
Spent the evening in ATH, with food in the Secret Garden which was shockingly bad (see my post in Food and Drink thread). The hotel was quite busy with not many seats around the ship. The entertainment was DIRE. Those two rubbish singers, and now a guy with them and another guy on a keyboard, which was out of tune with the singers. Add to this the fact that the singers didn't harmonize with each other and we actually had to leave in the end and head over to Splash. Plus the queue for the Dragon Bar was back out by SG again.
Saturday - very quiet at the park entrances at 9.30am, straight into the park and over to Galactica. Queued for about half an hour before reaching the photo point. Yeah its ok but the glass you stick you face into is a bit dirty, maybe they should clean this frequently too! My post about the ride can be found in the Galactica thread, but overall I was impressed with it.
On the whole the park was dead. No queues for anything else, most rides a walk on. Sad to see so much closed and boarded up, like the food and drink outlets in Dark Forest - or should I say, Light Forest given that even more trees have had the chop around the queue line - then again, I suppose they need all the wood for all the new fences and benches!
Oh yeah, benchwatch - very nice, benches everywhere! lol. Towers ruins were open from the conservatory so we had a wander up to the roof. Quite a few people in them actually, probably up to no good judging by the smell of weed!
Liked the addition of the two new water guns on Rapids just before the waterfalls. Plenty of water pressure in them and people didnt expect them to be there.
As for the TLC stuff, yeah, park looks good where it has had some attention, though, as others have said, the Gothic temple looks unfinished. Hopefully they will do a better job on the Pagoda which is now covered in scaffolding.
Nemesis just doesnt look right with its bright white track however! New coffee shop was a welcome addition, especially at 5pm when the heavens just opened.
Overall a good day, did plenty of rides and even the weather held up for us. Walked to the Blacksmiths pub in the evening for a few sherbets.
Sunday - initially we did plan on doing the waterpark but changed our minds and opted for the Tree Top Quest instead. Doing this Sunday morning, with hangovers, in quite strong winds I have to say even put the fear of God in to those of us who had done the course many times in the past. Was good fun though, even with the platforms swaying like I have never felt before in the wind!
Had a drink in ATH afterwards watching all the travelers arriving. Police cars were parked all over the place, with officers walking through the hotels, security on the entrances to the hotels, and also right at the entrance to the resort itself.
Was a good weekend break overall, but glad we left on the Sunday! And also glad we didnt stay in the hotels, given the cost of doing so, the poor food, queues for drinks and dire "entertainment".
