Are Alton Towers and Thorpe Park open and what are the new safety rules?

Coronavirus lockdown measures have now been lifted on many more businesses and venues across England, as the country slowly readjusts to its ‘new normal’.

This weekend’s Super Saturday saw pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas allowed to reopen their doors once more – while other leisure and entertainment places which have been closed since March were also allowed to open up again, with new safety measures in place.

And with outdoor venues largely considered safer, the question of theme parks raises its head – have the likes of Thorpe Park and Alton Towers been allowed to reopen, and what measures are they taking to keep Covid at bay?

Here’s what you need to know…

Are Alton Towers and Thorpe Park open?

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Both Alton Towers and Thorpe Park are once again open for business, with both parks having reopened on Saturday 4 July.

Alton Towers has confirmed on its website that as well as the park its accommodation is now also open, saying: ‘In line with the latest Government guidance, we are delighted to confirm that Alton Towers Resort will reopen on 4 July 2020. We can’t wait to welcome you back!’

Thorpe Park has also reopened its park and resort hotel, saying: ‘As the first step of a phased reopening of Thorpe Park Resort, we will be resuming operations on 4 July with a number of rides, activities and experiences open.’

What are Alton Towers and Thorpe Park’s new safety measures?

Alton Towers have said on their website that they are operating at reduced capacity in order to maintain social distancing measures in the resort – and that all visitors to the park must book in advance

Temperature checks are in operation, while empty rows and seats are being left on rides for social distancing purposes.

Some of the indoor rides and experiences are non-operational, while enhanced cleaning is taking place on site and hand sanitiser is available for guests to use.

Visitors are also asked to bring a suitable face mask with them and are required to wear it on selected rides and in the resort, while staff will be wearing appropriate PPE in the park.

Thorpe Park, meanwhile, is also limiting visitors to the park and its resort hotel, and all tickets must be booked in advance.

Guests are required to wear a face mask on some of the rides and rollercoasters at the park, and should bring one with them – although the park recommends not wearing them on water rides, while children under six are exempt, as are those with certain health conditions or disabilities.

Temperature checks are also in operation at the park, while seats will be left empty on rides and also at the park’s live shows to allow for social distancing.

Some experiences and facilities – including some indoor attractions and play areas – will remain closed for now, while dining areas are also being rearranged for social distancing purposes.

The park’s staff will also be wearing PPE, and enhanced cleaning is in operation, as well as hand sanitiser available throughout the park for guests.

In the case of both Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, they request that anyone displaying symptoms of Covid-19 does not visit – while anyone who is found to have a temperature of 37.8 celsius or higher will not be permitted to enter.

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