#alton-towers — Public Fediverse posts

YEAH! Whooshy twisty turny and upside-down!

Can I go? Can I go?

WHAT? Hajar not allowed? Only humanist seats, not safe for Hajar?

#blahaj #themapark #altontowers #rollercoasters

This works!

#blahaj #themepark #altontowers #mobilityScooter

Shark train? What is this place?

#blahaj #themepark #altontowers

Only a few select dates left to enjoy Alton Tower's Scarefest with online discount

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/only-few-select-dates-left-34757318

'I explored the abandoned Alton Towers mansion and found something truly eerie inside'

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/i-explored-abandoned-alton-towers-37710369

Eyes like frickin' laser beams! That's me.

#altontowers #altontowersresort #rollercoasterrestaurant #latexinpublic

Alton Towers £68 day passes reduced to £34 in huge flash VAT cut summer sale

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/money-saving/alton-towers-68-day-passes-34416741

The Chained Oak – The Curse That Refused to Die

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself sitting beneath one of Britain’s most famous cursed trees sharing a picnic with my three grandsons.

James, the eldest, had already claimed the biggest sandwich before the twins, Jackson and Jordan, could mount much of an argument. We’d found a shady patch of grass beneath the old oak itself, its ancient branches still wrapped in heavy iron chains that have puzzled visitors for generations.

The July sunshine was again relentless beyond the woodland, but here beneath the trees the air was deliciously cool. It was easy to forget that one of Britain’s busiest tourist attractions lay only a few hundred yards away. Until the silence broke.

Click.Click.Click.

The unmistakable sound of a rollercoaster climbing towards its summit drifted through the trees. Seconds later came the screams. Not frightened screams. Excited ones. The echoes of Alton Towers floated across the woodland before fading back into birdsong and rustling leaves. It struck me as wonderfully surreal. Few places in Britain allow the modern world and ancient folklore to exist quite so comfortably side by side. One moment you’re listening to Nemesis roaring overhead. The next you’re looking up at a tree that local legend insists has carried a curse for more than three centuries. Naturally, I told the boys the story. Their eyes never left the chains.

After lunch we wandered deeper into the woods. Within minutes, Jackson and Jordan were hunting werewolves. James had armed himself with a sturdy fallen branch that instantly became a knight’s sword. The woodland transformed around them. Every fallen tree concealed a dragon. Every shadow hinted at adventure. Then James spotted an even better stick.

Unfortunately, it lay just beyond a patch of thick mud. Ignoring every sensible instinct, he lunged for it. Predictably, he became magnificently stuck. A rescue operation followed, involving much laughter and one rather muddy grandson who nevertheless emerged triumphant, sword held high. Later, he wandered towards one of the still woodland pools, its surface hidden beneath a blanket of duckweed.

“Careful,” I called.

“That’s exactly where Jenny Greenteeth lives.”

He froze. Perhaps folklore still has its uses.

I smiled as we continued our walk because that’s how stories survive. Not through dusty books or museum displays.Through afternoons in ancient woods. Through grandparents telling tales. Through children carrying sticks that become swords. Long after the facts have been forgotten, the stories remain. And nowhere is that truer than beneath the branches of the Chained Oak.

The legend begins in the early nineteenth century with Charles Talbot, the Fifteenth Earl of Shrewsbury. The Talbot family had long been one of Staffordshire’s most influential noble families, their seat at Alton Towers overlooking the surrounding countryside. According to local tradition, the Earl regularly travelled through these woods on his way home. One evening, his carriage was stopped by an elderly woman begging for alms.

Accounts differ on what happened next.

Some claim he ignored her entirely. Others say he mocked her. Either way, she was refused. As his carriage rolled away, the old woman is said to have raised her hand and uttered words that would echo through generations.

“For every branch that falls from this old oak, a member of your family shall die.”

It is one of those wonderfully chilling curses that folklore does so well. Simple. Memorable. Impossible to forget. The Earl reportedly laughed and continued home.

Soon afterwards, a violent storm swept across Staffordshire. By morning, a branch had fallen from the ancient oak. Not long afterwards, a member of the Talbot family died.

Coincidence? Perhaps.

Then another branch fell. Another death followed.

And so the story continued.

Terrified, the Earl is said to have ordered every branch of the old oak wrapped in iron chains. If no branches could fall, the curse could never be fulfilled. Today, those chains remain. Heavy. Rusting. Almost impossibly incongruous.

At first glance they appear absurd.

Then you remember why they’re there.

Whether they ever served any practical purpose hardly matters. Their real function has always been symbolic.

In folklore, iron possesses extraordinary power. Across Britain and Europe it was believed to repel witches, bind restless spirits, imprison demons and keep the fairies at bay. Iron horseshoes hung above doors. Iron nails were buried beneath thresholds. Iron scissors were placed beside newborn children. Even ghosts, according to some traditions, struggled to cross iron.So perhaps chaining an ancient tree wasn’t quite as irrational as it first appears. Not if you lived in a world where curses were every bit as real as storms.

How much of the story is actually true? That depends which part you ask about.

The Chained Oak certainly exists. So do its chains.The Talbot family undoubtedly owned Alton Towers and the surrounding estate. But contemporary records describing the curse itself are conspicuously absent.

Most historians believe the tale developed during the Victorian era, when Gothic fiction and medieval romance were immensely fashionable. Alton Towers itself embraced that atmosphere, becoming a place where architecture, fantasy and storytelling merged effortlessly. Like so many great legends, the curse probably grew with each retelling. Every generation added another detail. Another death.Another coincidence. Another reason to believe.

Standing beneath the tree, I found myself wondering why stories like this survive at all. Perhaps because they transform an ordinary landscape into something extraordinary. Once you’ve heard about the Chained Oak, you never simply see an old tree again. You see a curse. A warning.

Exactly the same is true of Jenny Greenteeth lurking beneath duckweed. Or dragons hiding behind fallen trunks. Or werewolves stalking the shadows.The woodland itself doesn’t change.We do. Folklore colours the world around us. It encourages us to look more closely. To imagine. To wonder. And perhaps that is its greatest gift.

As we walked back towards the car, the boys were still arguing about whether dragons would defeat werewolves. James proudly carried his muddy sword. The screams from Alton Towers echoed through the trees once more before fading into the distance. I glanced back at the old oak one final time.

Maybe the curse was never real. Maybe the chains were only ever iron. But if, years from now, Jackson, Jordan and James bring their own children here and tell them about the day they picnicked beneath a cursed tree, rescued a sword from the mud and narrowly escaped Jenny Greenteeth…Then the oldest magic in the forest will still be alive.

Not the curse. The storytelling. Because that has always been the true enchantment of the Chained Oak.

I took my kids to Alton Towers’ CBeebies Land hotel – here’s my honest review

Alton Towers is a hit with families and its CBeebies Land has been popular with young kids for…
#Liverpool #UnitedKingdom #UK #GB #England #Headlines #News #Europe #EU #altontowers #Britain #GreatBritain
https://www.europesays.com/uk/1081910/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/1081910/ I took my kids to Alton Towers’ CBeebies Land hotel – here’s my honest review #AltonTowers #Britain #England #GreatBritain #Liverpool #UK #UnitedKingdom

Activities Week

https://david-watkins.com/2026/07/10/activities-week/

Time running out to book £95 stay at Alton Towers and get unlimited free Cadbury or Legoland entry all year

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/time-running-out-book-95-34111623

On Friday I did my second "Oblivion" walk. I love walking up rollercoasters.

When I arrived at the coaster to do my walk (at the end of the day) it turned out I was the only walker!

Because of a problem with my Merlin Pass when I originally booked onto the walk I was left paying full price rather than the heavily discounted Merlin platinum pass holder price.

However... When we got to the station the VIP experiences guy was rather saddened to hear I overpaid; and because I had Tom and Charlie with me he asked if one of those guys would like to do the walk too - for £37 (a huge saving). I treated him to it.

Charlie didn't want to risk it but Tom leapt at the chance.

He's now got his certificate and badge too!

#oblivion #rollercoasterclimb #altontowers

The view from the top of #oblivion at #Altontowers

The tree in the foreground is a giant redwood. It was planted to allow Alton Towers to build Oblivion as planning rules are very strict in Staffordshire Moorlands and they are not allowed to breach the tree line; hence Alton Towers being virtually invisible from outside the park.

So I wasn't here for #totp last night. Here's why.

I did a repeat of my 2024 roller coaster climb up #Oblivion at #altontowers

The 'brilliant' family activity cheaper than Alton Towers for half-term

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/brilliant-family-activity-cheaper-alton-33859778

We were first on new Bluey rollercoaster at Alton Towers - this was our verdict

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/were-first-new-bluey-rollercoaster-33678098

Families race to book Alton Towers Easter breaks for just £70 in deal ending soon

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/families-race-book-alton-towers-33664984

Gawd I'm a thirst trap 🤣

That one guy in #altontowers today in full #leather

#altontowers today with @captainlibrary

Everyone follow him. I'm trying to get him to use #mastodon more.

#Smiler at #altontowers has the most memorable music.

Don't forget to follow @live for all stream updates:

Here's my updated schedule (correct as of 12th of March)

15/03 - 6pm to 9pm I'll be playing The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker on GameCube
17/03 - 7pm to 9pm is more Windwaker
22/03 - Currently TBA but likely Windwaker
24/03 - No Stream - my first #altontowers trip of 2026 although there will be regular updates here

Don't forget, #valheim fans, I'm on the #valcon team and the main event is 17th to 19th of April.

You can watch *** all *** broadcasts at https://nomenloony.tv with no apps or accounts required. You can, if you wish, validate your chat to your mastodon though.

I'm very aware I'll be needing a new photo soon as I've now lost a little weight.

#owncast #zelda #windwaker #gamecube #streamer #nintendo #valcon2026

Alton Towers launches £29 family tickets as Hey Duggee themed hotel rooms revealed

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/alton-towers-launches-29-family-33527223

Alton Towers makes 'world first' Hey Duggee addition for spring 2026

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/alton-towers-makes-world-first-33527711

Alton Towers makes 'world first' Hey Duggee addition for spring 2026

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/alton-towers-makes-world-first-33527711

Hours left to book £95 stay at Alton Towers, Cbeebies or Cadbury and get unlimited free entry all year

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/money-saving/hours-left-book-95-stay-33494346

Alton Towers reveals opening date new Bluey ride in 2026 ahead of school holidays

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/alton-towers-reveals-opening-date-36778997

Alton Towers announces opening date for new Bluey rollercoaster

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/alton-towers-announces-opening-date-33486629

Mother Achieves Significant Weight Loss Following Theme Park Incident

Michelle Stokes lost 12 stone after an embarrassing moment at Alton Towers. Learn how she changed her diet and exercise to lose weight.

#WeightLossJourney, #AltonTowers, #HealthyLifestyle, #SlimmingWorld, #Inspiration

https://newsletter.tf/how-a-theme-park-incident-helped-a-mother-lose-12-stone/

Michelle Stokes lost 12 stone and 4.5 pounds, going from a size 30 to a size 12 after a difficult experience at Alton Towers.

#WeightLossJourney, #AltonTowers, #HealthyLifestyle, #SlimmingWorld, #Inspiration

https://newsletter.tf/how-a-theme-park-incident-helped-a-mother-lose-12-stone/

I wonder if this spells the end for World of David Williams at #altontowers ?

After all, #MerlinEntertainments are absolutely skint at the moment and will do anything to reduce costs.

All this just as the Epstein files start appearing too (if rather redacted)

#davidwalliams #inappropriate #paedophiles #epsteinfiles

David Walliams denies inappropriate behaviour after HarperCollins drops him - BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cev8p7d0gmgo

I miss rollercoasters already. Another few months before I'm back at #altontowers again.

My favourite? Always Nemesis... Reborn is good but the roar isn't the same.

#nemesis #nemesisreborn #rollercoasters

UK theme parks' best Christmas events including one less than an hour from Manchester

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/trips-and-breaks/uk-theme-parks-best-christmas-32791313

UK theme parks' best Christmas events including one less than an hour from Manchester

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/trips-and-breaks/uk-theme-parks-best-christmas-32791313

https://www.europesays.com/uk/370987/ Discover Affordable Travel Across England with the Three Pound Bus Fare Cap #AltonTowers #BlackpoolPleasureBeach #Britain #England #EnglandBusFareCap #Europe #GreatBritain #LatestTravelNewsOfUk #PublicTransportAttractions #UK #UnitedKingdom

https://www.europesays.com/uk/336151/ Alton Towers is evacuated after ‘small’ fire broke out inside toilet block in Forbidden Valley #AltonTowers #dailymail #News #UK #UnitedKingdom

Se stai cercando i migliori parchi a tema in Inghilterra nel 2025, sei nel posto giusto. In questo articolo ti accompagno tra montagne russe da record, nuove attrazioni e parchi pensati per ogni tipo di viaggiatore: dai bambini alle famiglie, fino...
https://blodiario.wordpress.com/2025/07/27/parchi-a-tema-in-inghilterra-guida-completa-e-novita/

#ThemeParksUK #CoasterLovers #UKThemeParks2025 #Hyperia #AltonTowers #ThorpePark #LegolandWindsor #RollerCoasters #FamilyTravelUK #TravelWithKids #UKAttractions #ValhallaReimagined #NemesisReborn #Chessington #PaultonsPark

Where should we take the kids? These are the most expensive family days out from Alton Towers to Legoland – so where will YOU go?

Britain’s beloved family days out are under threat as high parking charges pile pressure on already cash-strapped parents.…
#NewsBeep #News #Technology #AltonTowers #dailymail #GB #Graphics #UK #UnitedKingdom
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/11335/

“ #Prefabsprout #scottishteevee #altontowers” / “Prefab Sprout - interview Manhatten 1988” (1 user) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVvjFQQ5FRI

Got to ride the "Curse At Alton Towers" for the first time yesterday. I really like this latest version of their haunted house. I quite like seeing the re-imagining of the old ride, with a lot of old elements recycled. Lot of good optical effects, especially in the pre-show. Laserists will be asking why is the lightning pink, and probably figuring it out too! 🤣 Excellent ride staff really set the mood! 👍 #altontowers #ukthemeparks #sonotmastadon

New improved #nemesis at #altontowers With the new track, new lighting, theming and effects. This might be the best night time #rollercoaster in the world! ❤️ Sorry that's not very #mastodon

Adulting. 🦊 #altontowers #cbeebiesland #bluey

#themepark #altontowers was so unreliable this year, I was in the park for 10 hours and got just 4 rides in. Nemesis Reborn (60m), Nemesis Subterra (35m) Wickerman (120m), Smiler (45m) and a brief aquarium visit... One coffee break, and a packed lunch, the rest was queuing for running rides, walking (13.5km) or turning around because of a closure like Galactica (65m), Also no one queuing 45 minutes for Hex.

Me and @louisa_ went to Alton Towers yesterday, a Thursday, during school term time, in October. The queue times were just how long it took to quickly walk along the empty queue channels, which sometimes took several minutes - a stark reminder of how long the queues can actually be. I couldn't queue that long for anything I didn't need to live.

The sign that defined queue jumping conspicuously didn't include paying extra to use the queue jumping lane (which they call "fast track")

#altontowers

So out of the events, which would I recommend? They're both great fun, and if you've never done either of them you'll find something to enjoy at both.

However, I have to say the quality of Thorpe's offering was significantly higher than that at Alton. It was obvious that they'd invested pretty heavily into the event and it really showed through. I really hope Alton can bounce back and improve for next year, when we'll also have Nemesis back.

#AltonTowers #ThorpePark #Scarefest #FrightNights

The only scare zone on offer was the new Burial Grounds walkthrough located next to Wicker Man. This was very nicely done, with some great effects and actors and very much worth a visit, plus it's free.

Over on the main lawn, the stage was used for various shows, mostly family-oriented, with some skewed more towards younger children. Our favourites are the Alton Ancestors who also pop up in flashmobs around the park.

#AltonTowers #Scarefest

We didn't do Trick'o'Treat Town, the family experience, which was Alton's much better version of Death's Doors, this time you get given sweets. The main reason we skipped it was that it's extremely expensive for what you get, though it's a good option for those too scared to do the main mazes.

Surprise of the night was Daz Games: Panic, which we hadn't heard amazing things about. I thought it was a lot of fun and more of a gentle game than something too horrific.

#AltonTowers #Scarefest

Also returning was Darkest Depths, a maze first introduced in 2019. This nautically-themed maze was innovative when first introduced but feels pretty stale now, plus the finale is more funny than scary.

The third returning maze is The Attic, which I actually enjoyed a lot more than I expected, despite having done it several years in a row. The actors did an amazing job bringing it new life and it was my favourite of the night.

#AltonTowers #Scarefest

Over at Alton Towers, the event isn't looking quite so fresh. Last year's offering was pretty lacklustre and sadly this year doesn't appear to have had much improvement.

A big surprise was that The Invitation returned. This odd attraction has you sat inside a shipping container in the dark wearing a pair of headphones, while various audio effects lead you to think you're being hunted by a vampire. Thorpe had a similar one last year but sensibly dumped it for this year.

#AltonTowers #Scarefest

Nemesis Inferno is a B&M custom inverted roller coaster that opened at @THORPEPARK in 2003. The roller coaster, themed around a volcano, was named such as an attempt to attract visitors to the park and away from the similarly-named Nemesis operating at Alton Towers.

Almost to a fault, coaster fans agree that this is the lesser of the two Nemesis roller coasters in the UK.

📷 Hywel Williams | c. 2003

#RollerCoasters #Coasters #ThemeParks #Nemesis #ThorpePark #AltonTowers

More photos are beginning to emerge of the new track for Nemesis, at Alton Towers.

https://www.towerstimes.co.uk/news/2023/04/27/new-look-for-nemesis-track-revealed-by-alton-towers-resort/

I can't say I like the new look, but I don't know if it's because I'm firmly attached to the previous, iconic look of one of my favourite UK rides, or whether I'm just unfairly mad at Merlin's creative team. This feels like they're pushing another gimmick, rather than respecting the original design.

#AltonTowers #Nemesis #Rollercoaster

Merlin Entertainments have released a video teaser for the re-imagined Nemesis at Alton Towers.

https://nitter.net/altontowers/status/1650839791494152196

The work on the track and footers is absolutely necessary, but John Wardley and his team really created a masterpiece in terms of design and atmosphere.

Unfortunately, Merlin seems to be run by the marketing team, and a CEO who is obsessed with "new" and "unique", so it seems they just couldn't leave well enough alone. This feels like a bad sign.

#AltonTowers #Nemesis

Won't lie, as I'm walking around #AltonTowers feeling pretty miffed about my life choices, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe I could do it better...

We need more cleaners. More mechanics. More umbrellas....

We need #RollerCoasterTycoon2

First impressions of #AltonTowers weren't great. 20 minute walk just to get into the park, then a 10 minute queue to access the in-park app/photo thing and then we spent 30 minutes queuing (with a five year old) for the first ride we tried to go on to break down and force everyone to leave the queue.

£300 all in and we spent 5 hours in the park and went on a total of two things; a Night Garden boat ride and the previously mentioned broken ride.

Kiddo had fun but shit....I feel robbed.

King Kobra was the legendary Schwarzkopf shuttle loop that operated at @KingsDominionVA from 1977 to 1986.

If you miss riding this, no worries, it's still operating. After leaving KD it had a short stay in OCMD before heading to @altontowers where it operated as Thunderlooper until 1996. Since 1999, though, it's been making daily appearances at Hopi Hari Park in Brazil, operating now as Katapul.

📷 Ric Turner | C. 1984

#RollerCoasters #Coasters #ThemeParks #AltonTowers #KingsDominion

My summary of #AltonTowers
Hex - better than I remembered. Let your brain be fooled!
Rita - faster than I remember
Thirteen - more time going backwards than I remember
Smiler - never been on before. Pretty intense
Oblivion - shorter hold time before the drop than I remembered. Then faster and shorter than I remember
Spinball Whizzer - more violent than I remembered
Wicker Man - more negative g than I remembered (I’m not a big fan of negative g). Still good though

New on my #YouTube channel: #altontowers Travel Vlog! The Wickerman! The Smiler! The Postman Pat!! #travelvlog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6wEdZmUQoA