What facilities are available for disabled visitors at Alton Towers?

Welcome to Alton Towers; a theme park that prides itself on being inclusive and accessible to all its guests. With a plethora of rides, attractions, and facilities, Alton Towers boasts the ability to cater to a variety of needs, ensuring all guests have a memorable experience. A key part of this is the park’s commitment to providing accessibility for disabled guests.

From free wheelchair hire to accessible hotel rooms, Alton Towers goes above and beyond to ensure that all of its guests will enjoy their time amidst the mesmerizing rides and enchanting towers.

Accessible Rides and Attractions

Your experience at Alton Towers should be nothing short of magical, and that includes the excitement of the park's rides. The resort has made significant strides to ensure the accessibility of a majority of their rides for disabled guests.

Upon arrival, disabled guests are provided with an Access Pass. This pass allows you and up to three additional members of your party to bypass the standard queue lines at certain rides and attractions, making the park experience significantly more pleasurable. It is a true reflection of Alton Tower's dedication to providing effortless access to its enthralling rides.

Additionally, ride information boards located at the entrance of each attraction clearly display the accessibility features of the ride. The resort aims to provide accurate information about each ride's access points, allowing guests to decide which rides are suitable for them.

Wheelchair Accessibility

Alton Towers is fully equipped to accommodate wheelchair users. The park offers free wheelchair hire to guests, subject to availability. It's recommended that guests reserve a wheelchair ahead of their visit to ensure availability.

Most of the paths around the park are flat and smooth, making them suitable for wheelchair use. Elevators and ramps are available at various points around the park, providing easy access to all areas. The accessibility of Alton Towers extends to the towers themselves, with lifts available for wheelchair users to experience the breathtaking views.

Accessible Accommodation

For those planning an overnight stay, the Alton Towers Hotel provides accessible rooms designed specifically for disabled guests. These rooms are spacious, making it easy for wheelchair users to move around comfortably.

In these rooms, you'll find an array of accessibility features such as handrails in the bathrooms, accessible showers, and lowered facilities. These subtle, yet essential modifications ensure that you can enjoy your stay in a safe and comfortable environment.

In addition to the room features, the hotel itself boasts a variety of accessible facilities. From wheelchair-friendly restaurants to accessible leisure facilities, this hotel ensures that your stay will be as enjoyable as your day spent in the park.

Additional Services

Besides the facilities mentioned, Alton Towers offers a range of additional services to further support guests with disabilities. For instance, assistance dogs are welcome in most areas of the theme park and resort. However, they must be kept on a lead at all times and are not permitted on the rides.

In addition, for guests who are deaf or hard of hearing, the park offers British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation services for shows and attractions. Simply contact the resort in advance to arrange these services.

Furthermore, Alton Towers provides a comprehensive Disabled Guide, which can be downloaded from their website. This guide provides detailed information on all the park’s facilities and access points, and it is highly recommended for all disabled guests to review this guide before their visit.

Overall, Alton Towers demonstrates a strong commitment to providing a fun and inclusive experience for all guests. They have made significant strides to ensure the park is accessible and inviting to disabled guests, allowing everyone to enjoy the magic of their theme park resort.

Parking and Transportation Facilities

Alton Towers understands that the journey to the theme park is just as important as the time spent within it. As such, they have put in place robust measures to ensure that transportation to, from, and within the park is made convenient for disabled guests.

Disabled parking is available close to the theme park entrance, making it easy for guests with mobility issues to access the park. For those holding a Blue Badge, the resort provides accessible parking bays which are wider and conveniently located near the park entrance. The proximity of these parking bays to the entrance minimises the distance that guests need to cover to join the fun.

Additionally, the park operates a monorail service from the car park to the park entrance. The monorail carriages are wheelchair accessible, enabling guests with mobility issues to effortlessly reach the park entrance.

Those staying at the resort will find that the transport facilities extend to the Thorpe Park and Splash Landings area. Here, guests can enjoy the water park and hotel facilities, with transportation provided to ensure seamless movement between areas of the resort.

Changing Places Facilities

Alton Towers is one of the leading theme parks in implementing Changing Places toilets. These facilities are specially designed to meet the needs of people who cannot use standard accessible toilets.

Changing Places toilets are more spacious and equipped with additional equipment such as a height-adjustable changing bench and a hoist system. The resort offers a few of these facilities throughout the park, ensuring easy access for those who may need them.

To use the Changing Places facilities, guests are advised to bring their own sling as the park does not provide one. However, the park's trained staff are always ready to assist with the use of the hoist and other equipment.

Conclusion

Alton Towers theme park is the epitome of an inclusive and accessible resort. With the provision of an Access Pass, wheelchair accessible rides, accessible accommodation facilities, and additional services such as BSL interpretation, the resort ensures that all guests can have a memorable experience. The theme park also demonstrates its commitment to accessibility by providing Changing Places toilets and accessible transportation facilities.

In a nutshell, Alton Towers goes the extra mile to cater to the needs of its disabled guests. Guests with disabilities can rest assured that their visit to the resort will be as exciting and enjoyable as for any other visitor. From the moment they arrive at the resort, every aspect of their visit is designed to be accessible and effortless. The park truly lives up to its promise of creating memorable experiences for everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Despite the strides made in ensuring accessibility, Alton Towers continues to strive for improvement. They encourage feedback from guests to enhance the accessibility of the theme park and hotel facilities, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the magic of Alton Towers.