It’s February Half Term and a motley crew has come ashore for their annual Pirate & Princess Takeover. Throughout the school holidays the resort has been overrun with fun and whether you want to take to the high seas, explore a fantasy isle or desire a more regal break; there’s a wide variety of activities to keep you busy throughout your stay.
And whichever adventure you choose, the resort is a veritable treasure map of fun with a round of Extraordinary Golf included in your stay as well as the tropical paradise of the Waterpark. Or why not head deep below the ocean and pay a visit to Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE in Mutiny Bay, which has opened specially for the takeover.
Princess Party
The regal atrium of the Alton Towers Hotel is a fitting venue for aspiring princesses to have a ball. As preparation for your big night, enrol in Princess School where you can learn all the tips and tricks to be your best princess self.
Once you’ve learnt all the proper etiquette, you are ready to take on the pirates in the Pirates vs. Princesses game show. Take part in a regal fancy dress parade before the evening finishes with a dance party for princess and pirates alike.
Shows
High Seas & Hijinks

Before the night is out this pirate den is invaded by the crown, as the Pirate and Princess Party gets into full swing to round off a day of adventures.
Shows
Event History

In 2016 the Pirate and Princess Week ran from 12th-21st February and had a distinctly CBeebies feel. The headliner for the event was a live show featuring Cook and Line from Swashbuckle but otherwise the event was similar to the Pirate Weekends the resort had run for many years prior.
When the event returned in 2017 (11th-26th February), the Swashbuckle show no longer featured in the line up and instead the focus of the event was a new “build your own Pirate Den” activity as well a treasure hunt around the resort. Otherwise the line up remained very similar to the previous year.
2018 saw significant upgrades to the newly renamed Pirate and Princess Takeover, with a range of new shows and activities added to the line-up. Notably, while pirates still dominate the event, the Princesses had a much larger presence with new activities such as Princess School. The 2018 event also feature the Lost Boys and Fairy Princesses Party, which ran for one year only in the new Enchanted Tipi. Another one-off attraction for 2018 was a Treasure Hunt around the Resort where Twigs and Lily Rose hunted for Shark Tooth Jack’s hidden Treasure.