Alton Towers to partially reopen this weekend but with limited capacity and no rides or rollercoasters
ALTON Towers is beginning to reopen from this weekend - but don't expect to ride any rollercoasters any time soon.
The attraction is partially opening its outdoor spaces ahead of plans to open the park itself, although no dates for the latter have been confirmed.
Guests will be able to visit the grounds from June 6, with pre-booking mandatory.
Tickets cost £12 for adults and £3 for kids, or £1 for Alton Towers passholders.
In a statement on its website, Alton Towers said: "We are reopening our Gardens on June 6 in line with Government guidance. Tickets will need to be pre-booked before visiting.
"The health and safety of our guests and staff is always our number one priority and we have therefore introduced a number of additional hygiene and safety measures which you’ll see in place when you visit."
Rides and rollercoasters won't be open to guests, but takeaway food and drink services will be on offer.
Social distancing markers and signs will also be throughout the park.
Alton Towers has also revealed the changes coming to the park when it eventually reopens.
These include:
- Temperature checks at the gates, with anyone who has a temperature too high turned away.
- Spatial markers at queue lines and communal areas, while one-way system enforced at shops.
- Riders only allowed on rollercoasters and rides within their groups, with a row between each family.
- Additional hygiene stations across the park
- Face masks not to be mandatory.
Health, Safety & Security Director, Jonathan Ellis. said "Once it is safe to reopen, we ask you to please support us in the simple steps of respecting each other when you visit; in terms of giving each other sufficient space, in keeping the resort clean and most of all in washing your hands.
"We see these not as short-term measures, but as the ‘new normal’ way that we will operate until such time as the health risks of Covid-19 are fully addressed."
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While guests can expect emptier parks and shorter queues, there are also strict rules on masks and limited ride choices.
Theme parks in Europe have also already opened, with the Netherlands Efteling and Germany's Europa-Land operating again.