What’s the wurst that can happen?
IT’S that time of year when all the lederhosen stores in Staffordshire really make their money.
Yes, Oktoberfest has returned to Alton Towers, adding Bavarian songsters, dances, sausages and beer to the festivities at the giant theme park.
Oktoberfest is taking place at Alton Towers until October 3 and brings with it a real change in atmosphere with the central lawn entirely taken over with German entertainment.
I headed down with my family, who are fairly used to the theme park, and we all felt a very different vibe.
I should front-load this. I love Germany. Berlin is probably my second favourite city (have you been to Birmingham? It’s ace) and the soul of German hospitality has really been captured here.
The entertainers, interspersed between bars and stalls selling an array of German street food get the crowds singing along – and up and dancing.
We arrived shortly before lunchtime, so hit a ride or two then got straight in there.
The large green, bordering CBeebies Land, is very different, with inflatable steins and long tables arranged around a huge stage, setting the noisy tone. I went straight in for a hog roast sandwich, which hit the spot perfectly, while the kids (girls, aged six and nine) tucked into some meatballs.
There were also sizeable hotdogs, to match the enormous Bavarian beers, on offer.
We didn’t stop for one of those – we had rides to hit too – but I could tell from our two visits to the Oktoberfest area there were one or two people so taken by it, they opted to forgo the high octane stuff and focus more on the booze.
I later learned the music was from Alton Towers’ very own oompah band, called German Juke Box.
They generated a lively, friendly atmosphere, the spirit of which was ensured by bouncy staff circulating with huge beers (I am sure plastic) and a ready smile.
There were also places more set back to chill out – the Alpine-themed Wunderbar looked the best place to go to avoid noisy children like, erm, mine.
The park was pretty busy on the day we visited – a Saturday, so to be expected – but with the help of the app you can navigate better these days. We managed to avoid any queues longer than 30 minutes or so by trying to time it well.
The Wicker Man was a favourite of mine while my nine-year-old loved Th13teen.
We headed home, weary and sleepy, at around 6pm – but the park was still very much buzzing.
The lads in lederhosen, German Jukebox, keep going into the evening as families continue in the spirit of things.
All in all, this is a great addition to the park. You feel a completely different vibe in the Oktoberfest area. If there’s a problem, it’s that there’s too much to do. You’ve paid entry into the theme park – it can be tricky to balance out time spent in the festivities with hitting the rides. I guess that’s why there are hotels.
For this reason, I think it is a great time to visit.