A rollercoaster fan who recently went to Alton Towers was shocked at how long the wait times were for several rides with summer holidays coming up and she shared his experience online
Alton Towers, the beloved theme park nestled in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, is a hot spot for thrill-seekers with its array of rides and attractions. With the six-week summer holiday on the horizon, parents are on the hunt for fun days out to keep their little ones entertained.
Theme parks are a favourite choice for family outings, but they can become quite crowded during this period. A rollercoaster fan who goes by the moniker Coastertog on social media, has given his followers a glimpse into the lengthy queues at Alton Towers via a TikTok video. The clip has garnered a whopping 1.1 million views, 50,900 likes, and more than 1,300 comments in just two days.
In the video, Coastertog started by declaring Alton Towers is very busy at the moment and he told viewers they wouldn’t be ready to see the extensive queues for a number of rides.
He revealed that the wait time for The Smiler was a staggering 140 minutes, while Thirteen had a 90-minute queue, even though it was only 11am.
The video shows throngs of visitors at the park, with long queues around various rides. Despite the rainy weather, Coastertog estimated a turnout of 16,500 guests that day.
He continued to highlight the extended wait times for other rides, including Wicker Man with a 110-minute queue, Nemesis with an approximate wait time of 100 minutes, and Galactica with a 105-minute wait.
Coastertog also pointed out a ride access pass queue that was “hanging out of the gate.”
The avid theme park further notes that the closures of Rita and Spinball Whizzer were likely contributing to the lengthy queues.
He remarked: “We’ve seen a lot of triple digit queue times today and fast track isn’t going to save you either. Look at how long that queue is.”
Coastertog gave a heads-up that Alton Towers is expected to be “busy pretty much every day” during the school summer holidays but also hinted that queues “do die down nearer the end of the day” suggesting visitors might want to stick around rather than leave early.
The TikTok post’s caption warns: “Alton Towers queue times right now. Queues do calm down later in the day but if you’re looking for a chilled day at Alton right now, just wait until September!”
A spokesperson for Alton Towers Resort stated: “At this time of year, the Resort welcomes a high volume of school groups from across the country, many of whom are eager to experience our most thrilling rollercoasters.
“As the UK’s number one theme park, we’re proud to offer unforgettable experiences but during peak periods, queue times can naturally be longer.
“We continue to work hard to manage guest flow and provide real-time updates via our app to help guests plan their day.”
A viewer in the comments section of Coastertog’s video suggested: “Alton Towers need to place daily guest limits.
“If [a] certain amount of tickets for the day have already been sold, no more can be purchased.”
Despite Coastertog indicating lengthy queues for rides, a recent visitor to the theme park shared: “Went on Sunday and walked onto Nemesis twice and [the] maximum we waited was 30 mins.”