Under £10
3 hr
Ages 4+
Charity shop challenge
A fiver each, one charity shop, and a mission to find the best games. That's a whole weekend sorted.
Days out
Alton Towers with the kids
Sharks, a cable car over the treetops, a castle that looks borrowed from a fairy tale, and a rollercoaster we rode EIGHT times in a row. Here's how we did it, what we'd do again, and where we slept it off.
Ages3+
Time8 hr
CostTickets
MessLow mess
WhereOutdoors
“We got there on Friday evening and stayed till the park closed, so we kept jumping back on the Runaway Mine Train. We went on it about 8 times in a row! Mummy felt sick but it was brilliant. My favourite ride was the Spinball Whizzer. It was fun using the app to see which rides had the shortest queues and following the directions.”
Our junior reviewer
- 8goes on the Runaway Mine Train, in a row
- 1favourite ride, the Spinball Whizzer
- 1slightly green mummy
What to sort
How we'd do it
Get there before the gates open. The first hour is gold, so leg it to whichever ride will have the longest queue later.
Give each child one "must ride" and one wildcard pick, then hand over the app and let them navigate. Your job is snacks, sun cream and saying yes.
Ride the Skyride. The cable car floats right over the gardens and the old Towers. Great views, a sit-down for tired legs, and the quickest way across the park.
Visit the sharks at Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE. Ours spent ages nose-to-glass. It's a lovely calm breather between screams.
Take the little ones to CBeebies Land for gentle rides and character meet-and-greets. Check the times when you arrive.
Don't rush past the gardens and the Towers. The castle across the lake is something else on a sunny day, and it's all included in your ticket.
Picnic by the lake, then head back for the favourites while the queues drop in the late afternoon.
Stay right to the very end. In the last hour the queues melt away and you can jump straight back on your favourite again… and again… and again.
Real talk
- The best trick we found: if you're staying nearby, go for the evening. We got there on a Friday evening, stayed till closing, and the queues were so short we went on the Runaway Mine Train eight times in a row. I felt sick. Worth it.
- In autumn it's Scarefest. In the daytime that means pumpkins, spooky-silly decorations and a giant waving mummy, so it's fine for little ones. Some extras are aimed at older kids and grown-ups, so check the age guide before you queue.
- Opening and show times change through the season. Check them on the morning you go.
- The car park is a long walk or a monorail ride from the gates. Build it into your timings, both ways, and save some legs for the end.
- If you're doing a few Merlin days a year (theme parks, LEGOLAND, SEA LIFE), an annual pass can work out cheaper than day tickets. Compare them on our Days out page.
Where we stayed
Dove Meadow B&B
Quixhill, near Denstone. About three miles from the park, ten minutes in the car.
We stayed at Dove Meadow, a family-run B&B in a tiny countryside hamlet, and honestly it was one of the best bits. After a day of screaming, a quiet field and a proper bed is exactly what we needed.
- Two comfy guest rooms you can book together as a family wing, plus Apple Tree Chalet, a self-contained cabin next to the house that suits a small family
- A proper breakfast of fruit, yoghurt and homemade jam, then a full cooked breakfast with local bacon and farm eggs. Fuel for 20,000 steps (ask me how I know)
- Quiet, lovely views, and handy for a second day in the Peak District. The Dovedale stepping stones are about 20 minutes away
Got a Merlin pass?
Theme parks, LEGOLAND and aquariums all on one pass. See how the passes compare, plus the brilliant days out that cost nothing at all.
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