Official Alton Towers & Drayton Manor Meet 20-21/06/2015

[AJ]

Good Morning all of you wonderful people!   I'm very excited to officially announce plans for our Official Alton Towers & Drayton Manor Meet 2015!   The date of the event is the Weekend of Saturday 20th (Alton Towers) - Sunday 21st (Drayton Manor) June 2015! A date you managed to change it too due to your votes. As you can see it's the whole weekend! Which gives you a choice - come on the Saturday, come on the Sunday or stay the whole weekend! Please take note if you plan to stay with us overnight, it will be your responsibility to book your own rooms and unfortunately if your under 18 we cannot help you with this! If you were to stay the night - under no circumstances will TPM get involved and take responsibility with how you stay overnight, as for the overnight section of the trip will be an over 18's event.. We will however like to see you during the day at the park. Also this meet Towers Nerds & Tower Street are more than welcome to join us for the event. This is a fantastic opportunity to socialise with our northern counterparts and to show that the enthusiast community spreads further than one forum.

 

The Outline of the day/s will be as follows: 

 

Alton Towers Day

Meet by the frog jumping fountains at 09:00 am just inside the entrance if you wish to take advantage of the park's ERT. We will hover for 5 minutes whilst everyone gets together but then going off for ERT, if by any chance you happen to miss this meet point due to travel arrangements/ Cannot participate in ERT or just plain lateness you can either a) phone or text so we can arrange to meet you or     meet up at the second meeting point later in the day. This first part of the morning we will make the most of the quiet park and churn out those rides. Once the park starts to fill up a little we will get to the Nemesis Egg outside Sub-Terra in Forbidden Valley, so if for whatever reason you could not get there for opening you can meet us at 10:30 am if you had not arranged to meet beforehand via phone. Please bear in mind we will leave without you if you are late as it’s not fair on time keepers! As members have found out! We will then continue visiting the attractions and it will be arranged beforehand that we will try our best to get on all the attractions.. I know not everyone will want to do some of the rides at Alton Towers. If you decide to not come on please be polite and wait for everyone to come off and chat to other members whilst you are waiting. Or go off and do another attraction as long as you’ll be back after the group has finished riding the attraction. Please respect other people’s wishes who wish to ride certain things that you yourself may not be too keen with. During the day, around half 1, we will stop for a bite to eat where you can go and eat where you like and we will arrange where to meet after everyone has finished eating. (Who knows we might all want to eat the same thing anyway     ) After lunch we will group together for the Official Group Photo for the day and continue going round the park and riding the attractions people want to do until the park closes.   

 

Drayton Manor Day

Meet by the Drayon Manor hotel at 09:30 am jso we can sort ourselves out for when the rides open at half 10 and we can explore the park to start off with. If by any chance you happen to miss this meet point due to travel arrangements, or just plain lateness you can either a) phone or text so we can arrange to meet you or     meet up at the second meeting point later in the day. This first part of the morning we will make the most of the quiet park and churn out those rides. Once the park starts to fill up a little we will get to Thomas the Tank Engine Train Station, so if for whatever reason you could not get there for opening you can meet us at 12:30 pm if you had not arranged to meet beforehand via phone. Please bear in mind we will leave without you if you are late as it’s not fair on time keepers! As members have found out! We will then continue visiting the attractions and it will be arranged beforehand that we will try our best to get on all the attractions.. I know not everyone will want to do some of the rides at Drayton Manor. If you decide to not come on please be polite and wait for everyone to come off and chat to other members whilst you are waiting. Or go off and do another attraction as long as you’ll be back after the group has finished riding the attraction. Please respect other people’s wishes who wish to ride certain things that you yourself may not be too keen with. During the day, around half 1, we will stop for a bite to eat where you can go and eat where you like and we will arrange where to meet after everyone has finished eating. (Who knows we might all want to eat the same thing anyway     ) After lunch we will group together for the Official Group Photo for the day and continue going round the park and riding the attractions people want to do until the park closes.   

 

I will be handing out my phone number for everyone who is attending the meet that day, should there be any problems. We aim to stay together as a group for the day, going from one activity to the next, enjoying getting to know people you share very similar interests with, the idea is to just go with the flow and enjoy the day with some awesome people. There will be many photo’s in the day being taken and the possibility of a few video clips. Whilst we cannot force you to stay with the group, it is the general purpose of these meets! You will have my number (and some of the senior teams) if you become split so by all means use it. The meets are a fantastic laugh and everyone is invited, even if you have never posted before or been to any kind of meet at all. If it's your first meet, I understand it can be nerve breaking - but we were all there at one point so know how it feels, please don't let this stop you from attending - Once there you'll be part of the group in no time! Just look at the past trips this year!

 

I will soon be posting up a separate post on possible accommodation locations which you can use to help you decide where to sleep (If your staying for the night.) If however you know where your going already by all means book it up when we confirm the dates this time next week. I know for example I will be staying at a Travelodge in Newcastle half hour away as it has some good night life around there  

 

Once again, everyone will have my phone number so please use it on the day     If anyone has any issues or concerns or even nervous about coming, feel free to post here, or PM myself and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you feel like my response is taking too long another member of the team will be more than happy to help. We will all try and help you out as much as we can.

 

Please PM me or post here to say if you’re attending. If you are bringing a mate along with you, please also include who they are so they are not known as ‘Plus 1.’ The events with TPM have been fantastic this year and this one will be no different!

 

Attended (16)

 

DeanGaryCox

EC!

J.S217

JoshC

LG95

Mer

Mr. Fish

Peaj

Phill Pritchard

RobF +1

Sawyer

ScaryCoasterBoy

Shinequa

Stretchy

Toofpikk

[AstroDan]

I might join you at Towers. Nice bit of TS/TPM bondage.

[Matt Creek]

I'm bit of a shaky maybe for this one

On the first weekend I'm supposed to be working on the Sunday (and have already taken one weekend off for chessie)

On the second weekend I'm having a 21st college reunion and I might be working again, but we shall have to see.

My preference would be week one,

Hopefully I can make one or both of the days as I've never done Drayton ever

[has not been Drayton Manor )

EDIT- Unvote 20-21st June please- It doesn't count now!

[Mark9]

In Florida. You suck Peaj.

[JoshC.]

First weekend is preferable for me, assuming I can get transport.

Also, I might be able to have some people stay round at my uni house, which is about 30 minutes from Drayton. Though I'll have to wait to let you guys know on that one..

[J.S217]

Neither for me sadly if it was a weekday then maybe

[EC!]

I could actually do this one! I won't have any exams left and, I will still be home because of the study leave period, put me down as maybe  I will deffo try and atleast make Drayton as I have never been there before

[MachoMachine]

Depends with work and how many body parts I'll have to sell for transport, but hopefully! My towers virginity shall be at last broken

[Celia Mae]

Nope can't make either of these They're both in the middle of my exams D:

[stretchy]

I will join you for at least the towers part on either of those days.
and I will also join you for the newcastle evening.



EDIT

if people want to group into 4s you can get a discount on tickets for drayton Manor
 
single advance ticket = £20

Family of 4*** £65.00

http://draytonmanor.co.uk/tickets-and-prices

 

***Only two family tickets can be bought per transaction. Any age combination is permitted.

Also - most drivers, ariving < 9.30, will be sent round to the bottom carpark by the main entrance, which is at the other end of the park to the hotel, which is at Entrance 1 (The old main entrance) or Entrance 2( The hotel/corporate entrance). You might want to have 2 meet points for this, Main entrance and Entrance 1. Then have both groups meeting up once the gates open by the lake/pirate ship (about half way).

[Doc]

Providing I can get there I should be able to attend this. Not sure if I can afford both days but we will see how that goes.

[AJ]

After 2 weeks of voting, I can confirm the dates of this meet is the 20th June to the 21st June 2015

[Mer]

Oh damn you, Peaj I was going to vote later on today as I might be able to find out at work today what my weekends off in June are...

Hopefully I can get it off if I need to. But if the polls are always going to close this early then I can't really vote accurately, as I only get my rota monthly and won't know what my days off are that far ahead, boo! I imagine this is the same for a lot of other particular members here Announcing early is great, but having only 2 weeks to vote feels a little short for those who can't plan that far ahead.

[AJ]

Oh damn you, Peaj I was going to vote later on today as I might be able to find out at work today what my weekends off in June are...

Hopefully I can get it off if I need to. But if the polls are always going to close this early then I can't really vote accurately, as I only get my rota monthly and won't know what my days off are that far ahead, boo! I imagine this is the same for a lot of other particular members here Announcing early is great, but having only 2 weeks to vote feels a little short for those who can't plan that far ahead.

 

Originally meets were given 3 months notice so people who needed to book time off who wanted to go, had enough time to do so. Being a weekend trip as well more notice is needed so rooms can be booked at cheaper rates and so people can get organised. 2 weeks is also plenty of notice in my opinion and the date has been a clear winner from the get go. It's also how it has worked the last 2 years. - originally the polls were open for less than a week. Even though we of course want as many people to go, we cannot unfortunately please everyone and personally I think this is a better system than just announcing a date and hoping for the best without giving any choice. I understand you have shifts so planning for yourself can be difficult but there are also many other members who prefer this system and was suggested by the members in the 'what do you expect' from a meet topic and until now other particular members are still yet to voice their concerns to me. So I have taken your comments on board and will address when necessary

[Sawyer]

10% chance I can make this if I pull some strings at work. If not then ironically I'm free weekends either side of these dates. Are you using same travelodge as last year? If so rooms are currently £68 a night at the one in Newcastle under Lyme.

[Matt Creek]

I'm 50-50 at the moment of attending.

 

Depends if I can sort out plans for the weekend and then find a lift.

 

I do want to get drayton done afterall

[J.S217]

put me as a maybe for now

[Ian-S]

We will be at the park on a family trip that weekend anyway, but if I see any faces I know, I'll try say hi if I'm not spending my time chasing after my son or begging the wife to go on a ride....

Just FYI, the alton hotel has a discount code going ATM, it covers that particular Friday night, and depending how you play things, you could get a really cheap b&b rate, 1-2 people, £99, 3 people £114 (£38 each), 4 people £129 (£32.25 each), 5 people £144 (£28.8 each). Booking more than 6 adults sends the rate through the roof, I don't know about sleeping arrangements, depends how friendly you all are with each other (hey don't be prudish, I slept in a hotel bathtub once) but it might offer a good alternative to the travel lodge or driving to the park on Saturday morning.

Code doesn't work for Saturday nights, just weeknights, the code is BIG6

[Project LC]

I wouldn't waste my time with the hotel. A load of far cheaper B&B's near by. If you're not a MAP then maybe its useful but otherwise it's just too expensive.

[Ian-S]

Normally I'd agree with you but sonny wanted to stay in the hotel and Grandad was willing to pay for it, so it was a no brainer for us

[Mer]

Hang on...I might be able to get staff discount at the resort hotels (I say might because I don't know if it excludes weekends, pretty sure this was the case years ago anyway)

Oh and the poll is still showing as open for me I won't try and vote obviously, but erm yeah, @Peaj, you might wanna fix that!

 

EDIT: @CoasterDude's reply below - haven't looked at that specifically yet, but I'll message you or something rather than discuss it here

[AJ]

Poll is still open at the moment for my reference of those who voted and therefore interested in going

That will be closed shortly

[Matt Creek]

If it's happening on 20-21st weekend you won't get the creakyness (as I'm working 2x Sunday and have a party Saturday)

[alexander]

Don't think I'll be there either as I start my new job early next day unfortunately!

[Mr. Fish]

I will be up for both these and hotel