Alton Towers Stargazing Pods

Reviews

• MM

  MrPokadopolis

  Aug 19, 2026
  3.0
  My wife and I go to alton towers quite often as it's one of our favourite theme parks, so we thought to try out the stargazing pods. As you drive in you head the same way as all accommodation and following the signs you end up in a car park next to the pods and the reception, most pods aren't ready untill after 3 so you can head into the park and enjoy your day. Don't forget if your staying in the accommodation you can use the walk in entrance to the park which let's you out by Galatica and Nemesis in the Forbidden valley. But the pods themselves are very basic with one double bed and 2 single beds which are essentially rubber mattresses on a plywood base, so if you need a softer bed then you may struggle, they have a radiator in the pod to dry your towels on, though I do need to say that the pods do not come with towels so you would need to bring your own or you can rent them for £2.50. There is a ablutions block which has plenty of toilets and showers which you can close n lock as well as water stations too. The pods are pretty central between the other accommodation so you can utilise the various restaurants if you wish, as well as the entertainment in the splash landings or main hotel. You get a breakfast in the morning which you can retrieve from the reception desk of a breakfast bap, with either sausage, bacon or a vegan option along with a drink (teas, coffee, juices). Overall the vibe of the pods and they themselves on the website do preface these as "budget" and they dont let you forget it, it's essentially a semi fancy camp site, with the pods looking dilapidated, our pods door didn't close and had to lock it just so we could close it. The breakfast if you dont go early you end up queuing up with everyone to have a warmish bap to which again will have to que for condiments, essentially it feels like convenience is a after thought, and could be better set out. In my opinion it's definitely worth the extra cash to stay in the enchanted forest as the whole experience is far nicer. All in all you get what you pay for and not a thing more.
• MD

  Max Daley

  Aug 8, 2026
  3.0
  Bring food for the stars.
• CB

  Claire Beech

  Aug 1, 2026
  5.0
  Really good
• RN

  Ray Nichols

  Aug 1, 2026
  5.0
  I've just spent two days at the park and I thought I would write some notes about answers to questions I now know but didn't before I went. The (pods) parking is really easy and straightforward. You just follow the signs for the star gazing pod and you end up in a giant car park above the pods accommodation. You simply need to park near the bottom to end up quite close to where your pod is going to be. I arrived before 09:00 and went straight for the small queue in to the park by Gate 13 - Galactica - Forbidden Valley. There is nothing to do about the parking. When I left the park there was a guy at a gate in the road and I explained I had been staying in accommodation. I carried a piece of paper with my booking but I don't think he looked in to the details too much once I'd explained and waved me through. As I stayed in the park until 18:00 the pods reception was closed (in my case) and I needed to go to the reception for the Enchanted Village instead to check-in. When you are staying in accommodation you are allowed in at 09:00 instead of 10:00 but it is not a huge bonus. There is a gate near Nemesis so you can't really get too far in to the park until after 09:30. On the first day I tried to get to Wicker Man but loads of people had made it before me. And no ride starts until 10:00 anyway. Still, it was a smaller queue than normal. It is no doubt worth going in at 09:00 if you want to queue for a ride in the Forbidden valley. Get a coffee for the queue. On my first day I got breakfast and lunch from M&S Foodhall in Ashbourne, which is great, and opens at 08:00 and has a toilet. I had a cool box in the car. I went back to the car to collect the stuff for lunch, you can leave the park with a stamp on your hand. After this point I was spending a fortune on resort food. The food I had was pretty good, just expensive. I had an evening meal in the roller coaster restaurant which was a genuinely nice experience. I had lunch on the festival-like CARGO Global Eats field. Lots of people use the soda pop refill for 17 pounds but this had zero appeal to me. I was buying a few drinks in cafes and trying to use the water foundations. They are tricky to find, have queues and are very slow at dispensing. I wish there was a map of them. They are not at the soda stations but more commonly at toilet blocks. There is one at the golf. As I was carrying everyone's water in my party of four - it was a pretty heavy bag. The rucksack situation on rides is perfect. You either leave your bag by the exit on a rack or hand it in to a human run, efficient system and are given a band. There was no crap with paying for lockers and using codes I've seen else where at other parks. They do have those lockers if you did want one at the park. I personally think going for a day without a bag is mental. The pods accommodation was pretty good. It was very warm. I don't think everyone would be happy with doing this - but I just the left the door open during the night and that kept things cool. My shower pole was broken in the toilet block and the head had to be held - but no big deal. Anyone used to camping, and the need to manage your space, will be absolutely fine. Anyone who needs luxuries and space, will not. There are USB A sockets next to the plugs. The toilet block had a fast drinking water tap (for bottles, etc). There are plenty of picnic tables about the site. The breakfast wraps were good but allow time to queue for them. I visited the bar in the main hotel while there. Initially, it had all the appeal of an airport lounge but then some live entertainment came on with an alternating man and woman singing - admittedly to a backing tape. He was bolder with: 1975s, The Killers, she was doing classics e.g. Elton John, Sophie Ellis-Bextor. My teenage kids found it quite engaging. There were lots of young kids bopping away - but rather unsure of Mr Brightside! Overall - a great two day break.
• FB

  Freddie Bingham

  Jul 27, 2026
  4.0
  Good clean simple but good rooms would recommend if your going to alton towers, there is also a park for kids.