Alton Towers Stargazing Pods — Review

Alton Towers Stargazing Pods

This weekend, to mark “Look Up at the Sky Day” Alton Towers Resort’s opened their brand new Stargazing Pods for the summer season and we were invited to see them for ourselves.  Sadly I couldn’t make it but Caity and Dan were all too happy to travel up to Derbyshire and try them out for us.

How many Stargazing Pods are there at Alton Towers?

There are 102 of the these pods, all offering comfortable accommodation with direct access to the park.

How many people can sleep in the Stargazing Pods at Alton Towers?

Four people can sleep in them (a double bed and two singles) and they even come with all the bedding supplied too.   They even come with plug sockets for hair dryers and charging phones!

Shower blocks, as with all glamping, are communal but spotless and plentiful just a short stroll from the Pods.

We got a sneak peek this week and can see them being a HUGE hit with families this summer.

Alton Towers Resort’s Stargazing Pods  aim to encourage families to embrace the Great British outdoors, reconnect with nature, each other and to feel inspired by the world around them.

New research from Alton Towers found that one in four Brits (25 per cent) do not regularly gaze at the stars with half (50 per cent) admitting they are unable to identify the Milky Way. Despite this, 86 per cent of Brits believe spending time in the fresh air or looking up at the stars can help them relax and over three quarters (77 per cent) say it makes them feel in awe of the universe.

The study also found 70 per cent of Brits claim that looking up at the stars stimulates their imagination, however more than a quarter of Brits don’t regularly stargaze, with over 52 per cent say they would if they knew more about astronomy. One in five (22 per cent) Brits say that lack of understanding of the night sky is one of the barriers to stargazing.

Mark Thompson has over 20 years of experience in observational astronomy and is a strong advocate of getting families outside looking up at the night sky. He champions the benefits of looking up at the night sky and shares his top 5 tips to get us all gazing up:

1. Get the gear – the secret is to use a torch that gives off a dim red light
2. Get a star chart – stargazing apps can show you the night sky from your location, any time of year, day or night.   We use one called Night Sky.  You simply open the app and then hold it up to the sky, it then identifies stars, planets and satellites for you.
3. Look Up – armed with your torch and star chart you can look up and start learning your way around the night sky
4. Join a stargazing gang – a fun way to boost your new hobby and make lots of new friends
5. Buy a telescope or binoculars – take it to the next level for the best way to view the moon and stars

Priced from just £88 for up to four people, the Stargazing Pods offer a unique, great value experience that all the family can enjoy.

If we stay in a Stargazing pod can you get in early to Alton Towers?

Staying in the Pods also allows you access to Alton Towers the following day and a complimentary take away breakfast and hot drink to enjoy as you head towards the entrance.   There is also evening entertainment provided to keep everybody amused, and large telescopes on the central green so you can look up and see if you can spot well known constellations.

Yes the Pods are “cosy” but actually for a mini break at your favourite theme park what else do you need?  They are pretty darn perfect.

To book and for further information, click here: Alton Towers Stargazing Pods

We received complimentary overnight accommodation  and tickets to Alton Towers