ARE you dreaming of a white Christmas? Well, maybe you should be dreaming of a wet Christmas . . . and by wet, I mean a thrilling flume like no other in the UK.
OK, a waterpark doesn’t sound that festive – but for my family a visit to Splash Landings was the surprise standout of our Santa Sleepover at Alton Towers.
Yes, the Staffordshire theme park has everything for a cool yule, but nothing topped a ride on Master Blaster – at 682ft, Britain’s longest water coaster.
My gang – sons Wilf, eight, Jasper, six, and dad Simon – agreed this was the best waterslide we’d been on.
And there’s so much to pack in, from lazy rivers and play areas to the steaming Bubbly Wubbly outdoor pool.
But of course we were there for some Santa magic, and we got a sackful.
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We’d arrived promptly on the first day as we knew a Santa Sleepover comes with a busy schedule and the festive wow factor kicked in immediately, with dozens of twinkling Christmas trees on the entrance plaza.
All of CBeebies Land is open and the boys loved the Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure and In The Night Garden Magical Boat Ride.
A theme park in December is not going to be warm and you’ll be outdoors a lot, so dress appropriately.
But not all attractions are open-air, including Andy’s Adventures Dinosaur Dig immersive dinosaur show and Justin’s Pie-O-Matic Factory play area.
You’ll also find ample places to stop for lunch, and the coffee corner offers warming drinks.
Soon, it was our turn to queue for Father Christmas in his charming North Pole wooden grotto. Every family will get their own special time with a friendly Santa who chatted to our shy children then gave us a little present each.
Next up was pirate-themed Mutiny Bay, where the boys and their dad enjoyed wildly spinning barrels on Marauder’s Mayhem and Heave Ho! – a rocking and twisting ship.
And don’t miss Alton Towers’ own SeaLife Centre, Sharkbait Reef. It was a resounding success, with an immersive starfish exhibition and a glass tunnel where huge sharks swim around you.
Then it was time to head to the hotel, which ticked all the Christmas boxes with beautiful decor.
Our awesome Arctic Explorer room added to the atmosphere with its polar mission theme and came with a single bed each for the boys and a double for mum and dad
Via the Dragon Bar, where singers performed Christmas tunes, we headed for dinner in the Secret Garden carvery, with the yule log a big family hit.
The action never stops and next up was The Tale of Cinderella and Prince Charming panto, which left the boys transfixed.
After posting a letter to Santa it was time to snuggle up in our room, waking up to a letter each for Wilf and Jasper from Father Christmas. Pure family joy.
Before heading home after our Splash Landings blast, we grabbed a delicious lunch at the Talbot Inn just outside the park and all agreed we’d had a flume-ing fabulous festive break.
- THE overnight Alton Towers Santa Sleepover costs from £91pp and is on until December 23. For more information or to book, see altontowers.com.