Today we had a wonderful day at Alton Towers. I had used a year's worth of accumulated Tesco Clubcard Points to exchange for six Merlin Annual Passes that will give us access to all the Merlin attractions for 12 months. It also gave each of us a drinks capsule that comes with unlimited refills. So we were all set to kick off our year of fun with a day out in the sun!
It was blissfully hot meaning we could go on the water rides without worrying about getting wet. Always a bonus! I did get my Fitflops a bit soggy which is a hideous experience. Slipping around inside wet shoes, garroting my big toe with the leather thong is grim whatever the weather!
Although there were lots of people in the park, the queues were not too bad meaning that we all got to go on the rides we wanted to. Freddy enjoyed the kiddies' rides which we literally walked straight onto. The girls went off to have their first experience of The Smiler, which had a 90 minute queue time. (It had been 3 hours earlier on in the day...in 30 degree temperatures!!) They said it was well worth the wait!
Alton Towers is my favourite theme park because it is just such a lovely place. The big old stately home, the beautiful gardens, the open green spaces and the magnificent lake complete with a mini menagerie of feathered friends are all an attraction in their own right. Add to that some world class roller coasters and some fun rides for little ones and you've got a place that it perfect for a family day out.
I was very pleased that Alton Towers have now got their own burger restaurant in the park, and it has a pretty decent bean burger on the menu. As a season ticket holder we got 20% of the price making a burger, fries and 16 oz drink meal deal just £4.80. Not bad at all for some convenient fast food on site. Plus it was efficient and friendly too.
Ian, Freddy and I went to the Sea Life Centre and enjoyed watching the multi-coloured fish swimming around in their tanks. Freddy loved finding out the names of the fish. He loved the Soldier Fish, the Lion Fish and the Puffer Fish!
We all met Sid from Ice Age for a photo op! We also saw the Ice Age 4D film, which was actually a bit scary for Freddy and very loud. He spent the entire time sat on my lap with his ears covered!
Freddy loved the Dung Heap playground and enjoyed climbing on the rope climbing frame.
Now we have our annual passes we fully intend on making the most out of our weekends and school holidays by visiting as many of the attractions as we can. I love the excellent value that the Merlin Annual Pass represents, especially when bought with Tesco Clubcard Vouchers. Just £52 buys the pass and unlimited drinks for a year. I won't have to think about the cost of days out or the added expense of buying drinks for a while!