The best day despite being a complete washout!

Our eldest daughter, Erin, turned 5 last July and we decided that instead of a party, we would book a stay at the CBeebies hotel at Alton Towers. We had been to Drayton Manor as a family a couple of times the year before and so decided it might be nice to visit Alton Towers, specifically CBeebies Land as the girls loved to watch many shows from it. We thought we would make a whole day and evening of it and stay over in the hotel as the prices were quite reasonable for a family of four.

We planned it for the day after her birthday which was a Friday, to stay over and return home on the Saturday. We thought, July 19th, sunshine weather, ice creams, shorts and tees, loving life...

Wrong!

The day could not have been more of a washout HAHA! Now, looking back, it is actually quite funny how bad the weather was but at the time we were so disappointed. It poured from the second we got there until the minute we came home. I say pour, I mean torrentially hammered! Of course, we were all full of adrenaline and we were not going to let the miserable weather ruin our day there. We wanted Erin to have an amazing birthday so we sucked it up and got on with it. We couldn't check into the hotel until later in the day so we just locked our things in the boot of the car at the hotel and headed for the park.

Not all of my photos have smiley faces like these, as you can imagine. It was so hard to get excited about the rides when you were having to queue out in the pouring rain but to be fair, we didn't have to queue particularly long times as I think the weather had actually put some people off. The staff looking after the attractions were amazing. They were all so friendly and always had time to talk to people waiting to have photos or get on rides. It was also spotlessly clean. I always notice how clean places are and the whole park was pristine.

We had a good few hours around CBeebies Land and grabbed a hot meal there while we were out and about. Later in the afternoon we decided we had had enough rain and headed to the hotel. I could not fault the hotel if I tried. We checked in and were given a free upgrade to a huge room with a pirate theme. When we entered we realised that there was no partitioning between where the adults slept, away from the children. We wouldn't mind but as the girls are usually asleep by 7pm, we didn't want to disturb them by watching TV after they'd gone to sleep.

So we went down to reception and asked if we could just keep the CBeebies bugs themed room we had originally booked as it had a separate sleeping area for the children. They quickly changed our room and we headed up in the lift. Well, Erin about fell over as she walked in the door of the room. It was so wonderfully themed and the kids sleeping area was ace. They had their own TV and bunk beds. It was all in one room but the 2 sleeping areas are separated by a small corridor and a bathroom.

We decided to try out the Splash Landings Hotel for dinner that evening and had already pre booked our time a couple of weeks before our visit. It was still lashing it down with rain and I stupidly, had forgotten my umbrella! We got ready for dinner and headed down to the gift shop near check in to look for a brolly. Of course, they didn't have any brollies because EVERYONE had bought them! FAIL! However, the lady running the shop asked me if I just needed it to walk to SL Hotel for dinner and I answered yes. She told me to wait right there and dashed off. She only came back with her own umbrella didn't she! She said "there you go, you can borrow mine, you won't get wet now will you!" and I thought, what a kind thing to do.

The food at SL was amazing. It was like a buffet style restaurant where you take a plate and put whatever you fancy on. They had everything really, plenty of choice for adults and kids. They also have the most amazing pudding station... shhhh!!!

After filling our tummies full of lovely food and puds, we headed back to CBeebies Land Hotel for the kids evening entertainment. It was incredible. It was made all the more special because our girls were really familiar with all of the characters from watching them on TV. It was really interactive with little games, disco, meeting characters and was just generally good fun. There's also a cheeky little bar for parents to enjoy a couple of drinks while watching the kids having fun. Winner!

If you have never been and stayed over, I would 100% recommend it. The value for money is exceptional. You even get breakfast included in the morning I think and the park ticket is valid for 2 consecutive days. One park day was enough for us though after that bucket load of rain on day 1 - hahaha!

So there you have it, a day in the life of a Tamworth newborn photographer. Hmmm, where to next? I'd love to hear your suggestions for good days out with the kids. You can use the contact page here on my website or message me through Facebook or Instagram. Stay safe and take care!