Review of Alton Towers Splash Landings Waterpark
Discover some top tips for a visit to Alton Towers Waterpark, along with our review of this indoor water park.
Alton Towers Splash Landings Waterpark is a tropical-themed indoor and outdoor water attraction located within the Alton Towers Resort in Staffordshire.
Promising something for all ages with a mix of high-energy thrills and relaxing features, it is popular with families and short-break visitors, especially as it is attached to the Splash Landings Hotel.
Our On The Go reviewer Gemma recently took her family to it with her husband, 14-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter to check it out.
Read on for their top tips and review of Alton Towers Splash Landings
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Booking and Ticket Prices
Like most larger attractions, it is advised to book for Splash Landings online before you go. They do accept walk-ins, but you are not guaranteed entry, and it gets very busy.
Booking online in advance is highly recommended, especially during weekends and school holidays.
Tickets cost:
Tickets to Waterworld Cost:
- From £18 to £24.00 for adults
- From £18 to £24.00 for adults
- Free for children under 90cm
- £23 for toddler and parent tickets available during term time on set days.
The tickets guarantee you at least 2 hours in the pool and longer in quieter times.
Parking
Parking is available at the Splash Landings Hotel, which has a large car park with plenty of spaces. To find it, you just need to follow the signs on entering the Alton Towers resort.
The car park is free if you have a valid ticket for the waterpark.
Alton Towers Waterpark Changing Rooms
The changing facilities at Splash Landings are family-friendly, with both family and individual cubicles and baby changing areas.
There are also plenty of lockers, and they cost just 20p each, and you can change at the reception.
Before you enter the pool, you are required to rinse off in the showers with a choice of open wall showers along with private shower cubicles. It was great to find that the showers were clean and lovely, and warm.<p>The changing rooms can get really crowded, so you may need to arrive early to get changed and leave the attraction a little earlier to make it easier.
Slides and Attractions
Like at any water park, the main reason for visiting Splash Landing is for the slides and the water attractions, and this is where it shines:
Here is what they have to offer:
Waterpark Slides
The waterpark has six main big slides, all of which were a hit with my kids.
The Master Blaster is a huge 208-meter-long water coaster. Travelling in an inflatable tube takes you both up and downhill using water jets. You can ride it solo or in pairs ( a combined weight restriction applies) and has a height restriction of 1.1m. This was my 11-year-old’s favourite slide from our visit, and even though it attracted a sizeable queue, she was more than happy to keep waiting.
Rush and Rampage are two slides side by side again, which you ride in an inflatable tube again. Although they are similar, Rush offers more of an interactive experience with different music, lights and funny signs. Rampage is more of a tunnel experience with lots of turns – think helter skelter. Both allow double and single rides, and riders must also be aged over 3, with children less than 1.1 metres must be accompanied by an adult
Finally, slide-wise, there is Flash Floods, which is a group of three slides that you enter on the inside but come out into an outdoor pool. From there, you have a choice of two slides to slide into the next pool down, and from that pool, a choice of three slides to get down to the bottom tropical pool.
Pools Other Attractions
Along with all the slides, Alton Towers’ Waterpark also has other fun water features and splash zones.
Lagoon Bay is the main pool area and has a lovely tropical feel. However, with its geysers, waterfalls, and water cannons, it is more of a pool for fun rather than doing laps. The kids loved this area as it was ideal for playing their favourite swimming game ‘shark’ (basically tig in the water).
For kids who love to climb, there’s Wacky Waterworks Treehouse. It has nets, tunnels and bridges to climb over and through, plus over 70 watery play features, including those you can aim at others, which, of course, was a big hit. Another highlight here was the giant bucket, which filled up with water over time before it turned upside down, drenching the whole area and anyone unlucky enough to be standing there.
Although the kids loved all the slides, it was the Calypso Creek that was the biggest hit of the day. A lazy river-style attraction where you can grab a rubber ring, lie back and enjoy as you drift along, sounds lovely, right – but you do have to watch out for dripping pipes, tipping buckets and waterfalls. Both my 11 and 14-year-olds spent ages chasing each other around here and playing in the water features.
If, after all the fun, you need a little relaxation time, Volcanic Springs is great. A giant jacuzzi pool with high volcanic walls it offer hot water and water jets. It was a great place to wait for the kids when they were busy in Calypso Creek. There is a minimum age of 5 years to enter this area.
There is also an outside jacuzzi-style area, Bubbly Wubbly Pool. This was not open on the day of our visit, but understand that it features hot steaming and bubbly water along with deckchairs on the side – great for chilling out on a hot day.
Alton Towers Water Park Toddler Zone
Little Leak is Splash Landings’ toddler area. It has a shallow pool with mini slides, water squirters, play taps which turn on water features and even a friendly pelican.
Being older, my children didn’t venture to this area, but the kids playing here seemed to be having lots of fun.
Cafe at Alton Towers Water Park
If your family is like mine, all the water fun will make them hungry. You will be glad to hear there are two cafes to choose from: Calypso Cafe (formerly Adventure Cafe) and the Ice Cream Shack. Plus, they are both located inside the waterpark, so you don’t have to leave the waterpark to eat.
Calpyso Cafe sells burgers from £6.50, hot dogs from £7.25, nachos from £5.50 and fries from £2.60. Plus, they have meal deal options which include a main, fries and a drink from £10.50. Kids’ meals are also available from £5.50. You can also purchase hot drinks from £2.65, cold drinks from £2.50, slushies at £4.25 and flavoured milk from £2.00. (Please note all prices were correct at the time of publishing.)
We just had some fries and hot chocolates, and both were nice and a decent size.
We didn’t try the Ice Cream shack, but understand they sell everything from ice cream, floats, and sundaes, all with a choice of lots of different toppings.
You are not allowed to take your food or drink into any part of the water park.
What We Thought About Splash Landings Water Park at Alton Towers
A visit to Splash Landings had been on our family bucket list for some time. However, when I realised that it was smaller and had fewer slides than other water parks that we have visited, I worried that it wouldn’t live up to expectations. I am pleased to say that it didn’t disappoint.
I loved the tropical theming was lovely and done well. There was plenty of options for both my aderanline junkie 14 year old and more cautious 11-year old. It was great that the ring rides had the option of solo riders or to double up. Giving options for both older and younger children who need to be accompanied.
The kids also enjoyed the variety of the other attractions and were happy to spend a fair amount of time in the climbing areas and the lazy river. This was great for giving us a break from waiting and climbing the steps for the slides.
The 2-hour time slot offered plenty of time to enjoy all the attractions. This was especially the case as the queues did get smaller towards the end of the afternoon session.
We would recommend Splash Landings for either a stand-alone visit or as part of a break at Alton Towers. We will definitely be returning.
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