So the cat was out of the bag, we would be spending the night at the Alton Towers Enchanted Village in a Woodland Lodge. Exciting times. Jumping in the car from the monorail car park we followed the signs and found ourselves parking in a big mud field. Very random considering the rest of the area is well landscaped. Thankfully the ground was dry at this time of the year. Maybe the car park was next on the redevelopment list? Bags unloaded we headed up to the reception to check-in. At this point, we booked our breakfast slot at the Crooked Spoon for 8.30 am the next morning. With our electronic key cards and map of the village, we were soon on our way to find the accommodation.
Alton Towers Enchanted Village
First impressions of the Enchanted Village were good. Hanging fairy string lights, crooked chimneys and toadstools all gave that enchanted touch.
Luxury Treehouses Woodland Lodges are arranged in spacious cul-de-sacs with lots of green space around them. Perfectly safe for children as completely pedestrianised putting parents with small ones at ease. The girls loved all the play equipment dotted around the lodges and went off to play before we even had the bags in. Outside our lodge was some monkey bars, but further along, was a basket swing and slide. Our lodge was situated behind the reception but really I don’t think there is a bad location. All in close proximity to the amenities and most importantly the on-site pub The Crooked Spoon!
Woodland Lodge
Our accomodation for the night was a two-bedroomed Woodland Lodge. The details inside lodge were very cute with log cushions, fairy doors, and cute gingham curtains.
A double bed led to a bathroom (the bath was on the small side) with a shower overhead. All modern and clean with touches such as a Plasma TV and tea and coffee making facilities.
A price list informed us what we would be charged if we decided to take the log cushion home for a souvenir.
Errr for £60 you can keep your cushion Alton Towers.
As the girls went in and out of the room the lodge floor became quite grimy quick as you literally step from outside into the bedroom onto a little veranda. We are used to camping though so this didn’t bother us too much.
The girls were in bunk beds in the children’s room and we noticed a pull out bed underneath for those with 3 kids. Nice little touches like reading lights next to the bunkbeds and ‘grass’ printed vinyl flooring were lovely. We already loved our little hobbit house!
Chilling in the Woodland Lodge
At this point, the 6 am start and theme park day was taking its toll. This called for a ‘Nanna Nap’ and I can confirm the beds are very comfortable! The girls were happy running around for an hour. Alan went off to take some photos of the site. As the sun hit the veranda outside it really was a pleasant location and I could have definitely stayed longer than one night. You really would not have known we were next to the UK’s biggest theme park the spot was idyllic and so quiet! Bliss.
I went to relax in the bath, which was a 3/4 length bath tub. It was either knees or shoulders in the water. However Alton Towers do set out a nice collection of shower gels. There little woodland critters have a nozzle on the back to release the gel. The kids loved them and predictably fought over who had which one.
Alton Towers Hotel
We’ve been to and stopped at the Alton Towers Hotel several times. We fell in love with the family entertainment very early on. There isn’t many places where adults can relax in a real hotel environment with quality entertainment for the kids. Theming is key here and it pulls the whole immersive environment together perfectly.
In the Centre of the main hotel is Sir Algernon’s flying ship, which plays host to all sorts of entertainment. There is a pirate based magician / entertainer that really engages the kids.
This is followed by a live band. Although you can’t see him on the photo there is a bass player behind the mast too.
Every time we’ve come here there is a photo must that you have to do. Sitting upon the giant regency chair. We have photos of Imogen aged 2 years old sitting in it. I should dig them out and show the changes through the years.
Finally for a bit of dare devil action. There is a lovely lake / pond in just outside the bar area. With several whimsical stone carvings dotted around. The main draw for our kids is the stepping stones.
Back and forth they leaped the stones. By the fifth time I called it a day and said it was time to go for dinner. In reality I really didn’t want to fish them out of the pond. We returned to the bar and finished off our drinks, when a child walked in. Sobbing her eyes out, drenched in a “party dress”. Clearly I could see this happening for our kids and possibly took the right actions.
Crooked Spoon Breakfast
After a brilliant night of Alton Tower entertainment and a great meal in the Rollercoaster restaurant, we were looking forward to our breakfast in the Crooked Spoon. A 5 hour trip to Great Yarmouth awaited us so we were going to fill up! Breakfast was a buffet affair, with cereal, fruit. toast, muffins and hot breakfast options. Coffee and tea were help yourself from a machine and the girls enjoyed their apple juice. The breakfast wasn’t anything remarkable but was filling and the pub itself was pleasant.
Overall, we really loved our little stay at the Enchanted Village in our Woodland Lodge. The girls were at the perfect age to enjoy the play areas and loved the freedom to roam in the pretty grounds. Having stayed at the Alton Towers Resort and Splash Landings on previous visits, the Enchanted Village is by far my favourite due to the excellent theming and peaceful location.
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