Now that midday has come and gone it’s time to own up! The below story is in fact an April Fool. Rest assured there are no plans for Alton Towers Resort to change their parking system. Well done to those of you who guessed what we were up to.
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TowersTimes has learnt that from this summer guests will no longer be able to park on site at Alton Towers Resort.
In place of the on-site parking the resort will offer a new park and ride system from a number of sites situated between Stoke-on-Trent and Uttoxeter. The new system will charge per person, rather than per car with fares varying depending on how far away the site is from the resort. Discounts will be available to Premium Merlin Annual Pass holders – initially this will be 50%, however TowersTimes sources suggest that this discount will reduce to 20% later on in the season. In conjunction with the current discount offered on park tickets when booked online, guests will also be able to pre-book their park and ride tickets and receive a discount on the on the day fare. Hotel guests will still be able to park on site, however parking will need to be booked at the same time as any room booking and will be subject to a charge of £10 per car.
One of the possible Park and Ride sites off the A50 in Uttoxeter
The plans seen by TowersTimes suggest the scheme will be a way of easing congestion in the surrounding villages, as well as having a positive impact on the environment through the reduction in mileage covered by visitors to the resort, something welcomed by Robert Green of the Alton Wildlife Conservation Society “This scheme will not only help the environment, but also save those countless creatures who end up as roadkill needlessly each year.” The new buses will stop right by the main entrance to the park, therefore allowing guests to maximize their time in the park without having to worry about the long wait for the monorail or walk back to the car park at the end of the day.
Residents in the local area have been complaining for many years about the disruption caused by the constant flow of traffic through local villages during the main season. Many have welcomed the move with a spokesperson for ‘The Friends of Alton Community Group’ commenting “We welcome this new scheme from Alton Towers Resort and look forward to the reduction in traffic it will bring. A number of our community have had previous experiences with guests causing disturbances on their way home from the park. After one event, one resident found a guest fast asleep in her porch.”
The new scheme will leave the resort with a large area of land which could open up a number of possibilities. TowersTimes sources suggest that the space mad available will be utilised to expand the theme park over the next few years. Many enthusiasts suspect that part of the land made available could be used for a significant new addition to the thrill ride line up at the park, with some suspecting this could be paving the way for the next Secret Weapon.
The current car parking area which will is rumoured to be earmarked for future expansion
As the resort makes preparations to implement this new scheme, TowersTimes will bring you all the latest developments on these plans. Why not head over to our dedicated topic in the TowersTimes Forum to discuss these plans?
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