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Your 2023 Towers Trip Plans

Matt N

Matt N

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Shambhala (PortAventura Park)
On a fun side note, I'm excited because my first (probably only given my plans for the rest of the year) Towers trip of 2023 is in the planning stages. We're going for the second weekend of the season (25th/26th March), which is probably one of the earliest (in the season) theme park trips I've had!

It's not really about me, though, because my parents and I are actually taking my grandad as a 70th birthday present! He's never been to a theme park or ridden a roller coaster in his life, but when my parents asked him about going to Alton Towers with us, he actually seemed rather excited by the idea!

Me and my parents did wonder whether we'd need to "ease him in gently" so to speak seeing as he's never ridden a roller coaster before, but Grandad shut that down hard... perhaps surprisingly, he's keen to start on Oblivion!

I must ask, however; is 25th/26th March the fabled "family friendly weekend"? Easter isn't until 9th April, apparently, but I wasn't sure if that weekend typically fell before Easter.

Team Edit: The posts in this topic have been split from 2023 General Discussion. Please use this topic for general chat about your Towers trip plans for the 2023 season
 
Matt N said:
On a fun side note, I'm excited because my first (probably only given my plans for the rest of the year) Towers trip of 2023 is in the planning stages. We're going for the second weekend of the season (25th/26th March), which is probably one of the earliest (in the season) theme park trips I've had!

It's not really about me, though, because my parents and I are actually taking my grandad as a 70th birthday present! He's never been to a theme park or ridden a roller coaster in his life, but when my parents asked him about going to Alton Towers with us, he actually seemed rather excited by the idea!

Me and my parents did wonder whether we'd need to "ease him in gently" so to speak seeing as he's never ridden a roller coaster before, but Grandad shut that down hard... perhaps surprisingly, he's keen to start on Oblivion!

I must ask, however; is 25th/26th March the fabled "family friendly weekend"? Easter isn't until 9th April, apparently, but I wasn't sure if that weekend typically fell before Easter.
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I've no idea whether it is that weekend, but if your granddad wants any [more] encouragement, tell him my mum went on Oblivion a couple of years ago and she was 76! She did Wicker Man too but wouldn't do any others (probably would've done Thirteen if it was open though). She's done Oblivion a few times before that and it is by far her favourite!
 
Steve74 said:
I've no idea whether it is that weekend, but if your granddad wants any [more] encouragement, tell him my mum went on Oblivion a couple of years ago and she was 76! She did Wicker Man too but wouldn't do any others (probably would've done Thirteen if it was open though). She's done Oblivion a few times before that and it is by far her favourite!
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Wow, I hope I'm still riding at 76!

My grandad's been psyched for Oblivion ever since he watched that program last year where the comedians spent a night in Alton Towers. Even back then, he said that Oblivion looked "brilliant", and he declared the comedians who were fretting about it "massive babies"!
 
BarryZola said:
Think we're going to need a trip report from your Grandad. It's a shame Nemesis won't be open.
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It is a shame, but I think whether or not he’s up for things that go upside down is a bit touch and go; he suggested he might try an inverting ride if Oblivion goes well.

He also thought that Rita and Wicker Man looked very good, and the only ride he wasn’t too excited by was Spinball Whizzer… he’s categorically ruled out “anything that spins”.

I’ll definitely talk about his thoughts on things in my own inevitable trip report from our trip. I’m intrigued to see how he finds it seeing as he’s never ridden a roller coaster or visited a major theme park before… he’s been to funfairs and seaside piers (e.g Barry Island) before, but he never really rode anything on those trips and has never been to a major theme park with thrill rides on the scale of Towers’ before.

I hope he enjoys coasters more than my other grandad did. My overriding theme park memory with my other grandad is from when he loudly screamed “OH, F***ING HELL!” while going down the first drop of Flight of the Hippogriff at Islands of Adventure (a relatively tame family coaster) when I was 11… he got a very good telling off from my Nan, and I don’t think he rode anything else for the rest of our Florida trip!
 
Matt N said:
It is a shame, but I think whether or not he’s up for things that go upside down is a bit touch and go; he suggested he might try an inverting ride if Oblivion goes well.

He also thought that Rita and Wicker Man looked very good, and the only ride he wasn’t too excited by was Spinball Whizzer… he’s categorically ruled out “anything that spins”.

I’ll definitely talk about his thoughts on things in my own inevitable trip report from our trip. I’m intrigued to see how he finds it seeing as he’s never ridden a roller coaster or visited a major theme park before… he’s been to funfairs and seaside piers (e.g Barry Island) before, but he never really rode anything on those trips and has never been to a major theme park with thrill rides on the scale of Towers’ before.

I hope he enjoys coasters more than my other grandad did. My overriding theme park memory with my other grandad is from when he loudly screamed “OH, F***ING HELL!” while going down the first drop of Flight of the Hippogriff at Islands of Adventure (a relatively tame family coaster) when I was 11… he got a very good telling off from my Nan, and I don’t think he rode anything else for the rest of our Florida trip!
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I'd probably suggest starting with Runaway Mine Train, unless he's confident and want's to start with a more thrilling one. Do let us know what he thinks to Alton Towers in general, though, as well as the rides!
 
Skyscraper said:
I'd probably suggest starting with Runaway Mine Train, unless he's confident and want's to start with a more thrilling one.
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Any notion of easing him in gently was one he shut down hard…

The conversation went something like this:

Mum (to me): “I think we should ease him in gently. Maybe something like Runaway Mine Train would be a nice starting point?”

Grandad: “Stuff that; I want to ride Oblivion first! That’s the main one I’m looking forward to; it looks brilliant, and I definitely think I could do it!”
 
Matt N said:
Any notion of easing him in gently was one he shut down hard…

The conversation went something like this:

Mum (to me): “I think we should ease him in gently. Maybe something like Runaway Mine Train would be a nice starting point?”

Grandad: “Stuff that; I want to ride Oblivion first! That’s the main one I’m looking forward to; it looks brilliant, and I definitely think I could do it!”
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Fair enough! To be honest, Blivvy is a good one too start with it you don't mind heights.
 
Skyscraper said:
Fair enough! To be honest, Blivvy is a good one too start with it you don't mind heights.
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His only area of concern (from watching rides and his limited experience of riding funfair rides and the like) seemed to be spinning, so I don’t think he seems overly fazed by heights.

Also, Oblivion is only 6 seconds long if you really don’t like it!
 
Matt N said:
Any notion of easing him in gently was one he shut down hard…

The conversation went something like this:

Mum (to me): “I think we should ease him in gently. Maybe something like Runaway Mine Train would be a nice starting point?”

Grandad: “Stuff that; I want to ride Oblivion first! That’s the main one I’m looking forward to; it looks brilliant, and I definitely think I could do it!”
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I immediately like your grandad Matt he sounds like a legend, but I hope he enjoys it!
 
Hoping to get a trip in this year, especially to see the Nemesis progress. Let’s hope not the site isn’t completely blocked off to passers by.
 
Trooper Looper said:
I'm going to the park this Saturday for the opening of alton Manor. What's the best advised time to arrive? I'm hoping to arrive there at 9 in the morning? Is this a good time to arrive at the park?
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That sounds like a good time. It should make sure that you get to the turnstiles for 9:30am or so, which should get you into the park at good time for opening.
 
Matt N said:
That sounds like a good time. It should make sure that you get to the turnstiles for 9:30am or so, which should get you into the park at good time for opening.
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Cheers matt! I was just curious to know if I was good since on my previous visits, I was normally in the park gates around 11:00-11:30, which I well know isn't good. Hopefully with arriving early I'll be able to be some of the first in Alton Manors queue! I'm curious to know if anyone else from here is visiting.
 
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