Alton Towers gets a German twist as Oktoberfest returns - review
The delicious smell of German sausages, lederhosen-clad hosts and oomptastic live entertainment – welcome to Oktoberfest at Alton Towers.
The Bavarian themed takeover has returned to the popular Staffordshire theme park and offers much to explore between riding the adrenaline-fuelled rollercoasters and other attractions.
We visited the resort on Saturday and after a brief stroll down Towers Street a huge inflatable Oktoberfest archway greeted us along with a board advertising the traditional German entertainment throughout the day.
Across the lawn, there was a huge stage set up for singers, dancers and other entertainers, all of which had visitors clapping and singing along to familiar tunes while they tucked into an array of German street food.
Stalls were set up selling traditional wursts, hog roast sandwiches, German meatballs, giant toasted marshmallows and speciality coffees.
My partner and I sampled a couple of the German sausage hotdogs followed by some churros with a melted Belgian chocolate dip – all absolutely delicious.
The green was also decorated with huge inflatable steins, which we later found out lit up at night.
Speaking of the drinks on offer, there was a double-decker Alpine themed Wunderbar where guests could decide whether to sit upstairs to watch the stage shows and were waved to by the entertainers.
A second bar located in the Bierkeller, in Mutiny Bay’s courtyard, was also a popular spot with people relaxing and enjoying a beer, along with entertainment on a second stage.
The whole area acted as a nice place to relax and unwind between rides, with plenty of seating available.
The resort was also kind enough to give us free gold fast track passes while we were there, so we could explore as we wished without the need to face long queues for some of the rollercoasters.
After the rides closed at 7pm, the entertainment continued for another hour at the main stage in the Oktoberfest arena and visitors sat on picnic benches to enjoy music from oompah band the German Jukebox.
Belting our tunes from It's Raining Men to a Mamma Mia medley, they were definitely crowd pleasers.
As well as providing fun for the whole family, Alton Towers always seems to have that ability to bring out the inner child in adults.
The resort's staff, dressed in lederhosen and other Bavarian themed outfits, seemed to always be full of energy and enthusiastically got people onto their feet singing along – at one point they were even joined by visitors as they lined up to dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller.
Oktoberfest is taking place at Alton Towers until October 3.
To find out more and book tickets, visit altontowers.com/explore/events/oktoberfest
