Latest news with #themepark
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Alton Towers launches new ‘Disney style' dining plans in UK first with themed meals and snacks
ALTON Towers has launched new dining plan packages for visitors - the first of its kind in the UK. The theme park in Stoke-on-Trent is offering hotel and lodge guests the chance to buy Disney-style dining packages to include food and drinks and snacks in the park and the on-site hotels on short breaks. 7 7 Alton Towers is offering four different dining plans which are available to anyone staying at one of the on-site hotels. This is something that has been done before by Disney, but not UK-based theme parks. The very first Alton Towers dining plan is called 'The Standard Dining Plan'. It costs £50pp and is described as providing all the 'daily dining essentials'. With this package, you get a regular lunch and soft drink from either the Burger Kitchen or Just Chicken outlet in the park. And it also includes five mini doughnuts and a drink while you're enjoying the park delights as well as a two-course evening meal at one of the hotels' themed restaurants. Flambo's Jambo in the Splash Landings Hotel has views over the indoor waterpark. Or you could dine at the Secret Garden Restaurant in the Alton Towers Hotel, which looks like an English garden. Plus there's the colourful, child-friendly Windmill Restaurant in the Cbeebies Land Hotel. Or families can choose to dine at the quirky Crooked Spoon restaurant by the Woodland Lodges and Treehouses. I was the first to ride Alton Towers' newest ride Toxicator - it was a topsy-turvy spinning explosion 7 7 Children get a unique package called 'The Kids Dining Plan'. This is for children between three and 12, and costs £20pp. This dining plan is only available when bought alongside an adult plan. This includes lunch and a two- or three-course evening meal, which will match the location of the accompanying adult's dining location. Sweet treats and drinks are also included in this plan. For anyone wanting a little more, you can pick 'The Deluxe Dining Plan' for £70pp. This plan includes lunch at either the Burger Kitchen, Just Chicken, Explorer's Pizza Pasta, Generator Refuelling Company and Cbeebies Lunchbox. You can grab a sweet treat from selected snack outlets, and have an evening meal at one of the four accommodation restaurants including a soft or house-brand alcoholic drink. The most indulgent plan is called 'The Ultimate Resort Experience' and is priced at £90pp. With this, you can get lunch at any of the theme park restaurants and enjoy snacks like bubble waffles, doughnuts and signature Freak Shakes. You can get an evening meal at any of the resort restaurants, plus extra drink vouchers and a Costa Coffee. For an extra special touch, you'll also find a bottle of fizz in your hotel room. For anyone on the Ultimate Resort Experience package who is still hungry can get an extra 20 per cent off any other food and drink across the park. 7 Anyone booking a short break with Alton Towers can choose to have a dining plan if staying throughout summer up to August 30, 2025. On arrival at the restaurant or outlet at Alton Towers, visitors need to let the staff know they're on a dining plan and show their barcode at the point of payment. It's recommended to book an evening meal beforehand to avoid long wait times. Anyone with 'The Ultimate Dining Plan' will be guaranteed a dining time slot. You can buy a dining package when booking a short break online - just add it to your basket. These plans are very similar to those that Disney brought back for its World resort in Florida. Disney Dining Plans are a pre-paid option for guests to enjoy meals and snacks at Walt Disney World. These are only available to guests staying at a Disney Resort Hotels as part of a package. Of course, Alton Towers is not all about the food, but rather the rides. One writer was the first to try out the new Toxicator ride when it opened in March 2025. It's the tallest Top Spin ride of its kind and tips those on it upside down. He described it as being 'stomach-fluttering' and 'dizzying' as it whisks you 80 feet into the air. The ride is in the theme park's Forbidden Valley and is flanked by Nemesis Reborn, which was revamped last year. Dramatic green-lit water fountains on both sides of the ride shoot up around the attraction to represent toxic terror. This new UK roller coaster was crowned best in the world, beating rides at bucket list theme parks in America. In June, Alton Towers closed a popular ride for good after more than a decade in the park. 7
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Adult Disney fans may find their match on the new Single Rider dating app
Single rider rides at Disney could get more interesting thanks to a new dating app aimed at adult Disney fans A new dating app is on the horizon for adults who feel most at home among churros, coasters, and costumed characters. Single Riders aims to bring together theme park enthusiasts—both romantically and platonically—whether their happy place is Disneyland, Universal Studios, or a lesser-known local favorite. Slated for release in late 2025 or early 2026, Single Riders was announced this week by the app's creator, a Disney content creator known as Joe the Bearded Nerd. The concept was born two years ago after Joe was stood up on a date and decided to lift his spirits with a solo trip to Disney World. Somewhere between popcorn carts and parade floats, inspiration struck. Named after the 'single rider' lines that offer faster entry to rides for solo guests, the app will connect users over a shared love of theme parks. While Disney fans will no doubt flock to it, Joe emphasizes that the app won't be limited to the House of Mouse—it will include Universal Studios, Knott's Berry Farm, King's Island, and other parks across the U.S. 'There's definitely interest,' Joe shared in a follow-up video, 'but we're still early in the process.' This isn't the first effort to unite theme park lovers. A decade ago, debuted with a similar mission and remains online today. But Single Riders is designed to be broader and more inclusive, welcoming fans of all parks and all types of connections. Beta sign-ups will be opening soon. At launch, the app will be U.S.-only and English-language exclusive. It's currently being developed by a two-person team—both of whom are juggling full-time jobs—so progress is steady, if not lightning-fast. Joe says potential investors have already reached out via TikTok, though fundraising decisions are still up in the air. For now, theme park romantics will have to hang tight—but the queue for Single Riders is officially open. This story was originally broken by Fortune. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Upcoming dating app Single Riders looks to match up adult theme park enthusiasts
An upcoming dating app will match adult theme park enthusiasts. Single Riders will match Disney adults, as well as fans of other parks, both romantically and platonically. The founder says it should be released at the end of this year or possibly early in 2026. Being a theme park enthusiast as an adult can carry a stigma, but an upcoming dating app is looking to help those park goers come together, just like Mickey and Minnie. The app's called Single Riders, but you're going to have to wait a few months before you can download it. Announced this week by the Disney content creator who goes by the name Joe the Bearded Nerd, the idea behind the app was born two years when he was stood up by a date. To console himself, the Orlando resident went to Disney World – and inspiration struck. Taking its name from the lane available to solo guests who are willing to ride alone in exchange for a shorter wait, the app will pair people together both platonically and romantically. And in a follow-up video, its creator emphasized that it won't be purely Disney-centric. It will also incorporate Universal, King's Island, Knott's Berry Farm and other theme parks. 'It's for all theme park enthusiasts,' he said. Beta sign-ups will start soon, according to Joe the Bearded Nerd (who has managed to keep his real name hidden). The app itself, however, is probably not 'going to happen until the end of this year, maybe early next year, based off of our current development cycle.' The app will be only for U.S. parks initially and will only be offered in English when it launches. It's being created, currently, by a two-person team, both of whom have full-time jobs. Joe says he has had potential investors reach out to him via TikTok, but they haven't decided yet whether they'll be looking to fundraise. 'We're thinking about it, but we're not there yet,' he says. Single Riders isn't the first attempt to bring Disney fans together. Ten years ago, launched. The site is still active today. This story was originally featured on Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I'm a theme park ‘fat tester' – I spent my day squeezing into seats at Thorpe Park & these are the rides you can't go on
A PLUS-SIZE woman has been dubbed a 'theme park fat tester' after spending the day seeing which rollercoasters she could fit into and which ones left her sat on the sidelines. Posting under Team Topsy on TikTok, the woman headed to Thorpe Park in Surrey to put ride restraints to the test and her viral video has had thousands of fellow thrill-seekers hooked. 2 2 Wearing leggings, trainers and a positive attitude, she spent the day climbing into test seats, checking harness space and asking staff for tips on how larger guests could still enjoy the park. She joked that she was '72 miles off' from fitting into Colossus but gave a full, no-nonsense review of what each ride was like for people in bigger bodies. Some rides like The Walking Dead and Detonator were surprisingly comfy, with wide seats and space to spare. Others, like Stealth, were a definite no as she couldn't even pull the harness down. She rated Nemesis Inferno as one of the best for plus-size riders, calling it an 'easy fit' and revealing that certain rows even have double seat belts designed for bigger bodies. She also praised the helpful staff who moved queues around to help her access special seats. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. On Hyperia, one of Thorpe Park 's most popular rides, she couldn't get the restraint to click, so her mate Susan had to ride alone. Susan, who rode several rides solo when her friend didn't fit, described Hyperia as 'the best ride ever' but admitted the airtime was so intense she felt like she might fly out of her seat. Samurai, Colossus and Saw were all marked as too tight for guests over a size 18. We Spent the Day at Thorpe Park and Rode EVERY Rollercoaster with the Family And she highlighted that rides with chest restraints could be especially tricky for those with larger busts. She explained that Samurai's locking system wouldn't close over her 63-inch chest and recommended others check out test seats first to avoid embarrassment at the front of the queue. The TikToker didn't sugar-coat it, saying that while Thorpe Park 's accessibility for mobility needs is great, with lifts, ramps and helpful staff but it's still hit or miss for plus-size guests. She summed it up by saying the park was 'not completely accessible for full-size bodies,' despite fitting on more rides than she did at Alton Towers. The key, she said, is to ask for the bigger seats and not be afraid to speak up. Fans praised her honesty in the comments, with one saying: 'As a plus-size person, I love this. Thanks for being real.' But others were cruel, calling her names and telling her not to bother going. One even wrote: 'Anything but a calorie deficit.' Still, she's not letting the trolls stop her and she's already planning to try more parks soon. As she put it: 'If I die, I die — but at least I had a laugh.' Use these tips on your next theme park trip Next time you visit a theme park, you may want to use our top tips to make the most of your adrenaline-inducing day out. Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens. Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer - this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest. Download the park's app to track which rides have the shortest queues. Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out "birthday badges" that can get you freebies. If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return.
Fox News
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Kennedy: Disney Adults Are Weird, Man
'Disney adults', for the most part, get a bad rap (rightfully so), and now they are getting their own dating app. The app is designed for like-minded singles to hang out in a theme park made for kids, without kids. Kennedy has many, many opinions on the whole thing and shares why these people need to grow up. Follow Kennedy on Twitter: @KennedyNation Kennedy Now Available on YouTube: Follow on TikTok: Join Kennedy for Happy Hour on Fridays! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
