Planning a trip to Alton Towers with your family for Scarefest? Excellent, unlike some other theme park based Halloween events, Scarefest has lots to do for young visitors. Have a read of this guide to help you make the best of your visit.
Park Hours:
The park is open 10am – 9pm – there is no Early Ride Time during the event (if you are staying in the hotels an alternative perk is provided), if you are visiting with small children remember that an 11 hour day may be a little much for little legs to cope with.
CBeebies Land closes at 7pm during Scarefest, so make sure to visit earlier in the day and plan around doing other attractions after dark, such as The World of David Walliams.
Be aware that although the park aims to offer a family friendly atmosphere, once night falls the majority of the park takes on a more adult tone and on busy days this time of day is popular with teenagers and young adults.
Weather:
There is no denying that in general October is a when autumn takes a deep grip on the UK, and although temperatures can be mild during the day, you will often find the weather brisk at best. It is also worth remembering that even mild days turn into cold nights. Make sure you wrap everyone up warm and consider a change of clothes if you fancy doing any of the water rides (we recommend the Rapids as the most suitable winter water ride)
Getting around:
The park is big, so plan to spend your time in certain areas before hand and maybe even think about where you would like to eat and drink to prevent racing around the park all day. Be aware The Skyride will close as dusk approaches for safety reasons, which will mean you need to be more aware of travelling around after this time.
Scarefest Special Events:
The park’s family offerings have plenty of shows and activities for families, starting from the moment you walk through the turnstyles – watch out for the Alton Ancestors flashmob as you enter the park in the morning (or catch them later in the day outside Hex).
All the family will love the shows on the main stage on the front lawns – all five Scarefest characters star in musical and fun interactive shows, the playful characters are also around after the show for pictures and to meet everyone. The shows don’t last long but it is nice to have a break from running around in the chaos of the park.
Eating and Drinking
Plan well – if you are staying all day its a long day!
This year the park are offering a range of extra food kiosks on the front lawn but as the day is long and chilly you’ll probably want to eat indoors; all of the following normally offer indoor seating.
- The Burger Kitchen (Fountain Square)
- Little Explorers Lunch Box (CBeebies Land)
- Rollercoaster Restaurant (Forbidden Valley)
- Coffee Lounge (Forbidden Valley)
- Explorers Pizza and Pasta Buffet (Katanga Canyon)
- Eastern Express (Mutiny Bay)
- Just Chicken (X-Sector)
- Woodcutter’s Bar and Grill (Fountain Square)
- Corner Coffee (Towers Street)
Many of the restaurants around the park offer special menus during Scarefest, past favourites have included the ‘Rollercoaster Devil Firecracker Pulled Pork Burger’ at the Rollercoaster Restaurant, Vampire Steaks at Woodcutter’s or the infamous green donuts, available at kiosks around the park.
Hot drinks are available at most venues and are sure to warm you up a little bit too, especially when the evening starts to set in. For all your Pumpkin Spice needs, be sure to check out Corner Coffee!
Scare Attractions
While the main scaremazes are not suitable for younger audiences, if you’re hoping to go on a Scaremaze as a family Darkest Depths tends to the tamest of the mazes, and is recommended for ages 12+. As ever, if you’re unsure if it will be suitable for your child, perhaps try a run through without them first to gage if you think it will be suitable.
And don’t forget to check out the family friendly Garden Lights: Whispering Soul walk through the garden, which will bathe the historic gardens in a whole new light from dusk.
