Alton Towers!!!

[tiggerai]

Air rules, so does Rita.

Nemesis I could ride all day.

But definitely get into the park dead on opening, then head for air and nemesis... ou'll get a couple of rides in before the crowds come.

[Tumble]

What is all this rita and air stuff? Guess things have changed since 1998 when I last went?

Anyway, I still reckon that a ride on the front of Nemesis is the most amazing 45 seconds you'll ever live (pants on or not).

Oblivion OTOH- the first time is maybe 2 seconds of thrills and then the only reason to ride it again is to see what poses you can pull off for the camera.

I love riding on Oblivion... it's just the feeling you get as you go over the top.. couldn't put me finger on why it felt so familiar, and then it clicked... it feels EXACTLY like punting yourself over the bars on your bike, just at that point of no-return where you know you can't save it and it's going to hurt... except it just hangs at that point... freaky...

[krazy_olie]

I think I've got some random days of school which are great, last time I went on a random day about 3 yrs ago the waiting times were small, we went on nemesis 6 times in a row with about a 5 minutes in between each go. Quality

I got an all inclusive deal to go there with vigin for £25 from euston, though I think it's more expensive now.

[MD]

HEXUS meet sounds good and I think if the party is big enough you get some fast track tickets thrown in too

[shelley bda]

If you book as a group too you might get a discount on tickets

[tiggerai]

Over 10 people you get discounts

I arranged it this year for 12 of us.

There should be enough of us from different areas of the country to share lifts etc.

[mnet674]

I always find you skip some queuing by having lunch at either 11 or like 3pm that way you can get on quicker while other people have stopped, with the added bonus of not having to hold down a burger king on the way round the coasters

[Tumble]

Also - go in a silly month, like February or March... Mate's birthday, 12th march, he went to AT that weekend... didn't queue for anything apparently...

[Zaneblade]

i live down south so it is abit of effort to get up there... i have only been oce before but loved it..... air is great aswell as nem

[Jonny]

Well, I'm back!
Got there 9.30, just as gates were opening, 3 of us, but we're all runners so a sprint got us to the front of Rita, and we didn't have to queue at all (except for the ride not opening till 10).
Rita was really good, it is a touch overated but still one of the best rides I've ever been on. By 11.30 the queues reached over 2 hours long, and then it broke, and didn't re-open.
After Rita, we worked our way through Air (front row seats, 20 mins, the queue for Rita had eaten up most of the early arrivers), Nemesis (still brilliant) and the log flume. (It's a tradition that on the yearly college trip, everyone removes their shirts for the photo).
For lunch we went to a stand next to Rita, where I had some really good Nachos (though a hot dog was really tempting).
Let lunch go down whilst waiting in the Oblivion queue. Last time I came (aaaaages ago) I went on Oblivion about 5 times, and I remembered why. It really is top notch.
Gutted to see the Black Hole had closed after 17 years service.
Spent the rest of the afternoon eating doughnuts and on things like the rapids, teacups, and Duel (strange horror shoot em up in little carts, using "laser guns").
As Duel had a tiny queue (5 mins), we went on twice. Second time on, two girl chavs were stood behing us, they proceeded to grab our bums whilst we waited in the queue, and then after we got on, they squeezed alongside us and hit us with their "laser guns" for the duration of the ride. Hmmmm.
All in all, a good day, well worth going, essential to get there early.

[BrandX]

Glad You had a good day! Duel is brill aint it! Haunted house wi guns it's a RL Doom! or Half-Life Black Mesa

Pity about black hole

[steve threlfall]

Soooooo, we're off to Alton Towers tommorow!
Anyone been recently?
What should I go to first, what's good, what's a waste of time queueing for?
And where should I get my lunch?
I'll be there about 9 - 5 I think (but not 100% sure).

Rita is awesome (park opens at 9:30 iirc)... 1/2 early if you stay in the hotel. Go in the sit on your own line for rita you'l get on much much quicker and probably get to sit next to your mates anyway. It looks rubbish but its ace- very fast but consequently over quickly.

Get lunch from the mini pizza hut in the x sector ... after going on oblivion

[Jonny]

Get lunch from the mini pizza hut in the x sector ... after going on oblivion

Was tempted but the queue was heeeouge! Same for KFC.