10 Top Tips for the Perfect Visit to the CBeebies Land Hotel

Suggestions and essential advice to help you to successfully plan and best experience a family mini-break at the CBeebies Land Hotel, located at the Alton Towers theme park, in Staffordshire, U.K.

Introduction

Alton Towers is without doubt the U.K.’s premier Theme Park, making for a great family day out in Staffordshire. Boasting an excellent variety of world-class rides and attractions, as well as themed hotels and a water park, there is something for everyone. For thrill seekers, slick modern rollercoasters propel, twist and plummet riders at incredible speeds. Those looking for a more gentle pace are also well looked after, including children at an area dedicated to them, CBeebies Land. This contains cute, themed rides based on the U.K., BBC TV channel of the same name, as well as a timetable of live kids shows to watch.

I have grown up locally, visiting Alton Towers on most years, for over 30 years. In that time I have witnessed many changes and developments. Consequently, it is fair to say that I know my way around the park pretty well. One thing I had never done before though, until last year, is stay in one of the themed, onsite hotels.

Rather than find ourselves overloaded with a sackful of plastic presents (that nobody really wanted) for my 2 daughter’s last birthdays, we instead asked for money from party guests, with the intention of spending it on an experience for them instead (with 20% of it also going to their chosen charity). If you like the sound of this as an idea, check out some of our other alternative gift ideas for children.

For their experience, they chose a visit to Alton Towers. We used their money as a contribution towards splashing out on a stay at the CBeebies Land Hotel. If you’re considering doing the same, here are my top tips to help you make the most of your visit, when planning a stay at the CBeebies Land Hotel, Alton Towers.

My Top Tips

#1 Choose Your Date Carefully

Alton Towers, just like theme parks anywhere, experiences both peak and quiet times. Visitor numbers can vary enormously. It goes without saying that fewer visitors usually means a better time for all, with reduced queue times and improved ease of movement. If you can, it is always best to try and visit on a weekday in term time. Weekends and school holidays are understandably busier. Weekdays during the last few weeks of the summer term can also be very busy, as the park is swamped by school coach trips.

Reflecting these changes in demand, prices and availability at the hotels also varies throughout the year. Try to plan and book a long time in advance if you can to get the best prices. Times when the hotels are cheapest are also likely to be when the park is quietest, so it’s a win-win. Staying a night in a hotel includes 2-day park entrance tickets for all, valid for the days either side.

The resort also hosts special themed events throughout the year, such as Halloween and a fireworks spectacular, as well as a Santa experience at Christmas (though it’s worth noting that not all of the park rides are open at Christmas). These are great fun times to visit, although their popularity brings with them higher hotel prices, as well as longer ride queues inside the park.

#2 Arrive Early

One of the top perks of a stay in an Alton Towers hotel, including at the CBeebies Land Hotel, is that you have exclusive access into the park before the general opening time in the morning. This means you can get on some of the busier rides before the queues build up. Only a selection of the high-profile, white-knuckle rides are open at this time, but all the rides inside the CBeebies Land for small children are open, meaning it’s well worth getting in as early as you’re allowed with kids.

If heading into the CBeebies Land early, I’d recommend heading to the rides that utilise single group vehicles first, as they get the longer queues later on. This is the Postman Pat ride, the Night Garden Magic Boat Ride, and the Get Set Go Treetop Adventure.

Another thing to note is that this perk of early entrance is valid on both days, so on your day of arrival, try to get there early to take advantage of this. Your luggage can be left at the hotel reception, before heading into the park.

#3 Stay Somewhere Local the Night Before

As mentioned above, a stay in the CBeebies Land Hotel comes with early entrance into the park for both of your 2 days. The road traffic can get bad on the approach to Alton Towers, with long queues at peak times. Therefore, to be able to arrive early (and avoid a horribly early start), it is a good idea to try and stay locally. If you’re not fortunate enough to live locally (or know someone who does to stay with), there are plenty of options for accommodation nearby, often at a fraction of the cost of what your night in the CBeebies Land Hotel is going to be costing you. Some good, family-friendly options nearby include the Meadows Way Guest House or the Olive Tree Guest House. Why spend all that money and then not be able to take full advantage of both of your 2 days?

#4 Plan The Structure of Your Days

If you’ve done as I’ve advised so far, you’ve managed to get into the park early. The plan is now to hit as many rides as you can before the queues build up. If, however, for whatever reason you’ve not managed to get in early, you’ll find that usually by the end of the day the queues start to lessen again as people begin to make their way home. At peak times, it is sometimes worth enjoying some of the other attractions through the middle of the day, while you wait until later on to tackle the rides.

Providing you have managed to get in early, when the kids inevitably get tired in the afternoon, you can always then head back to the hotel, get allocated your room (if you’ve left luggage it should have been delivered to your room), then they can even nap if required (safe in the knowledge that you’ve not missed out). Hopefully, they can then be fresh again for the evening.

When we visited, we aimed to get as many rides done as we could on the first day. That way, we could just do a few early on the second day (when there are no queues), while mainly concentrating on watching a few kids shows and taking things at a more relaxed pace for the rest of that day. You could also use this day to explore some of the rest of the park and resort (see #8 below).

#5 Make the Most of the Hotel Entertainment

One of the best things about a stay in the CBeebies Land Hotel, is the dedicated programme of children’s entertainment that takes place inside of the hotel itself (and is exclusively for hotel guests). This starts from mid-afternoon and goes on into the evening (another reason to have got your rides in early at the park). There are plenty of opportunities for children to meet large, costumed characters from all of their favourite CBeebies TV programs. It is all presented in a fun and engaging way and it’s safe to say our kids were mesmerised by it throughout. A hotel bar ensures that adults are also catered for!

#6 Plan Your Meals

Having already splurged on a stay at the CBeebies Land Hotel, you may be looking to keep costs down as much as possible. It is a great idea to bring a picnic lunch and a lot of snacks from home (at least for the first day), rather than having to buy food inside. There are no restrictions on taking food into the park (other than alcohol and glass containers I believe), and also no shortage of pleasant places to sit and eat it.

For an evening meal, hotel guests are not restricted to staying in their chosen hotel. Guests are free to use the facilities at any of the other resort hotels. We opted to eat (what turned out to be pretty decent burgers) at the main Alton Towers Hotel in the evening, rather than stay at the CBeebies Land Hotel. We fancied a change of scene and the food options looked a lot better.

#7 Make Reservations for Meals

Once you’ve decided where you want to eat on the evening of your stay, it is advisable to make a reservation in advance. This allows you complete control over where and (importantly for little ones), what time you get to eat.

It is also essential to make a reservation for your included breakfast at the CBeebies Land Hotel, as far in advance as you possibly can. Breakfast slots in the hotel have limited capacity. If you don’t book early enough, you’ll end up having no choice but to eat breakfast at the exact time that you should be enjoying early access to the park.

#8 Visit all of the Resort

When visiting inside the Theme Park, be sure to explore to all corners. Entertainment for kids isn’t exclusive to CBeebies Land only. There are other areas inside the park that also cater specifically to children. Cloud Cuckoo Land is one such place. The aquarium is also great fun. Be sure to check out some of the larger, more extreme rides as well. They’re exciting to stand and watch as they zoom past (and I promise you, even better to ride!). If you’re needing a rest from it all, make use of the extensive green spaces that are available to relax in, including the beautiful landscaped gardens – a unique feature that really sets Alton Towers apart from other theme parks around the world. The park map indicates which paths are wheelchair (or pushchair) accessible.

Outside of the core park itself, within the resort there are other attractions that hotel guests can enjoy. A hotel stay includes a game of mini golf. For when the weather is hot, there is also the excellent Splash Landings; Alton Towers’ very own Water Park (though this does come at an additional cost). Don’t forget, you are not confined to the CBeebies Land Hotel only – you are free to explore or dine in the communal areas of the other resort hotels.

#9 Parent Swap Pass

This is a little gem (one that not many people seem to know about). If you’ve come with another adult and looking at all those rollercoasters has got you wanting a ride (but you can’t leave the kids alone or spare the time to queue up individually), be sure to make use of the Parent Swap Pass. One adult can queue as normal for any of the top rides, getting their Parent Swap Pass card stamped on the way into the queue. Once ridden, another adult is able to use this pass card to fast-track past the queue and onto the ride. This means you only queue once but all adults can ride. This is perfect for allowing you to sneak at least a few decent rides in, on what is otherwise an experience that is based all around the children. It also means only half as much queuing in total for each person, as adults can take it in turns to be the one who waits in line.

Parent Swap Passes are available from the main box office as you enter. In addition, sometimes the park staff who control access to the ride queues also carry some with them. It’s such a good perk, it almost turns bringing kids with you into an advantage!

#10 Priority Parking when you Check Out

A stay in the CBeebies Land Hotel already guarantees preferential (and free) parking for visiting Alton Towers, as you get to park right outside the hotel. A good trick when you check out of the hotel in the morning, is to ask the reception staff for a priority parking pass for the day (they will be happy to oblige). This allows you to drive your car to the small car park that is right next to the main park gates. This enables both easy and quick access getting in, but also, more importantly, a speedy exit when you want to leave at the end of the day. There can be long queues to board the monorail back to the main car parks, as well as queues to get out of these in your car. By getting to park in the priority parking (for no additional cost), you get the true VIP experience with only a short walk to your car and smooth exit.

Conclusion

Alton Towers is a truly world-class theme park for visitors of all ages. Where it can sometimes feel difficult to squeeze everything into a single day visit (especially when it is busy and ride queues are long), a stay in a hotel comes with the advantage of 2-day entrance tickets, as well as early access into the park on both days. For small kids, there is no better place to stay than at the CBeebies Land Hotel. The themed rooms and onsite entertainment programme are second to none.

I won’t lie, a hotel stay comes at a high price (hence why in all the years of visiting it is something I’ve never done before). That said, it turned out to far exceed my expectations. Early access into the park, with a chance to get on some of the busier rides before the queues build, really makes a big difference in helping to provide a pleasant experience for all. There is little in life I hate more than having to queue for something with small children. If mine are anything to go by, patience is not something they are blessed with. My children also loved every minute of their hotel stay, from the excitement of sleeping in an ‘Octonauts’ bed, to meeting all the colourful, costumed characters in the hotel in the evening. The exclusivity of the hotel entertainment (for guests only) ensures that it is presented in intimate and uncrowded surroundings. Gifts of VIP-style lanyards and branded snap bracelets to take away, have also left my kids with some cherished momentos by which to remember their stay.

If you’re planning a similar stay, I hope that you’ll find some of these hints and tips useful. Following these simple recommendations should help turn your good family mini-break into a truly amazing and unforgettable one. At least I hope so, anyway.

Ultimately, along with my husband, we do a lot of travel with our kids as a family (we have even been living full-time in a motorhome for this last year, touring Europe and Morocco). Consequently, there are inevitably not too many things that our children are able to remember in a lot of detail, in the long term, from amongst all of these experiences. Ask my 3 year old about staying in the ‘Octonauts’ room at the CBeebies Land Hotel though, and even over a year later she can recall almost everything about it immediately. Say no more…

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