Alton Towers Pirate Takeover Review: A Fun Winter Weekend In February Half Term

Note: This post has been updated on 22/1/2026 to share the most recent information about the Pirates Takeover at Alton Towers for February half term in 2026.

If you’re looking for a magical family day out, the Alton Towers Pirate Takeover is one of the park’s most charming seasonal events, especially if you’re visiting with younger children.

We visited during the original Pirate Takeover back in 2021 (for our youngest’s 5th birthday: this year he’s turning 10!) and with the event returning again this year, it’s the perfect time to revisit whether it’s worth planning a trip (and how to get the most out of it). This year the event takes place from 14th to 22nd February. And it’s a great way to break up what is my least-favourite school holiday!

Here’s everything you need to know about Alton Towers Pirate Takeover covering what to expect, what’s included, and whether it’s good value for families.

Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!

What Is the Alton Towers Pirate Takeover?

The Pirate Takeover is a themed event designed especially for younger visitors, transforming parts of Alton Towers, and particularly the hotels, into a swashbuckling, storybook-style adventure.

Instead of focusing on thrill rides, the event leans into:

• Live entertainment, including incredible pirate-themed shows
• Character meet-and-greets
• Interactive activities
• Family-friendly atmosphere

It’s ideal for families with preschool and primary-age children who may not yet be ready for the park’s bigger coasters. (Only selected rides are open during this event, so if it’s the biggest thrill rides that teens love that you’re looking for, this probably isn’t the right event for you!)

So what’s included in the Alton Towers Pirate Takeover break? Expect:

• An overnight stay at the Alton Towers Resort
• A scrumptious buccaneering breakfast
• Exclusive live entertainment
• Theme Park entry to Mutiny Bay, CBeebies Land and Towers Street with a selection of family rides and attractions (note the bigger rides ARE NOT open)
• Entry to our splashtastic Waterpark (We love this waterpark! It’s worth visiting for this alone!)
• 9 holes of Extraordinary Golf 

🏴‍☠️ You can only book the Alton Towers Pirate Takeover directly with Alton Towers
👉 Short breaks start from £64 per person. Day tickets are available for £18 per person

Pirate-Themed Entertainment & Shows

One of the highlights of the event is the pirate live shows, featuring energetic performers, storytelling, music, and playful audience participation.

Expect:

• High-energy pirate performances
• Comedy and adventure themes
• Opportunities for kids to join in
• A lively, theatrical atmosphere

These shows are a great break from queueing for the rides in CBeebies land, and add a more immersive, “event-style” feel to your visit.

Pirate shows in a theme park hotel? Honestly, we weren’t expecting much, but we were very pleasantly surprised! But for parents of tiny buccaneers, the entertainment was definitely not to be missed. There were two huge theatre shows, focused on the crew of buccaneer bay, held in the conference centre and then smaller entertainment in the hotel bars and reception areas each evening too. On top of this there were various pirates and princesses dotted around both hotels at random intervals offering meet and greets throughout the day.

Our Review: Why We Loved The Alton Towers Pirate Takeover

We loved so many aspects of the Alton Towers Pirate Takeover, so I thought it would be helpful for you if I broke down some of the highlightls.

The Room

First things, first: the room! We opted for a moon voyage room, which was a slight upgrade from the standard room, but for the nominal extra amount we paid (around £30) this was well worth it. The theming of the room was great: a steampunk, nautical vibe and there was a giant 4ft tall teddy bear in the middle of the bed that the kids went crazy for! The best thing though were the children’s bunk beds, which were in their own ‘zone’ away from the parent area, and which had small wall mounted and receded TVs at the foot of each bed: the boys thought all their birthdays had come at once! There was even a playstation and a couple of age-appropiate games, meaning the oldest didn’t actually want to leave the room: well played, Alton Towers, well played.

Our room was centrally located, meaning that we could be back in the main atrium in just a couple of minutes, but despite this convenience the sound-proofed doors meant that the room was still very quite both day and night.

The Alton Towers Waterpark

We have visited the Alton Towers waterpark (officially called Cariba Creek) before, and I honestly think it is one of the better water parks in the UK. It offers something for everyone: water slides and water roller coasters for the thrill seekers and big kids, play areas with water features for families, a wave pool, rapids, heated outside water play area, and so much more. Our weekend package included half a day here, which we had pre-booked for the morning of the second day of our stay. The pool was quiet, so this felt like plenty of time for us, giving us time to ride all of the slides and enjoy every activity available before we were too wrinkled and ready to get back out the water!

At this point we headed to Sharkbait Reef, the Sealife centre in the Alton Towers resort. Again, a visit here was included in our package and whilst it was an interesting walk, it was very small and took us less than an hour to enjoy fully (twice)! Perhaps because we live close to a much larger aquarium, and we visit it regularly, the boys were less excited about this minature version: but it was still a nice added bonus

The Food

On the first day of our stay (before we even checked into the hotel) we went into theme park and, despite being closed to guests, it was open to visitors with reservations for the roller coaster restaurant. I had seen pictures of this before, and always wanted to eat there: the concept is amazing!

You sit around large, family style tables, and each table is connected to the 3rd floor based kitchen by metal roller coaster tracks. You are given an iPad to order your food directly from your table (you can pay for it this way too) and then it arrives at your table in metal covered dishes on wheels, having ridden the full roller coaster gauntlet. Honestly, this was a dinner show in itself: we could have watched the food whizzing around all day, guessing which table each dish was going to!

And the food? It was OK! Nothing to write home about if i’m honest, but better than I was expecting and better than the average theme park food. Think TGI Fridays, but via rollercoaster. The desserts were excellent (I had a soft cookie dough) but the portions were so big that I didn’t finish all of any course. Would we recommend a visit? Yes, for the experience alone! But don’t expect Michelin starred dining.

Tips for Visiting Alton Towers Pirate Takeover

Arrive early
Shows and meet-and-greets can get busy. We started queuing a little before the scheduled time, and this worked perfectly for us.

Bring costumes
Kids love dressing up, and it enhances the whole experience. There were hundreds of kids dressed up when we visited, and the staff members were so great with them and helped to make them feel special!

Plan your show times
Check schedules on arrival so you don’t miss key performances.

Mix rides and event activities
Break up your day to avoid overtired children. Although not all the rides in the park are open, CBeebies land is, and this is such a great area of the park for younger children (aged 9 and under, I would suggest.)

Allow time for photos
There are lots of cute themed photo opportunities.

Is the Alton Towers Pirate Takeover Worth It?

It’s a great choice if:

 You have younger children
 Your kids love characters, costumes, and role-play
 You want a gentler, more relaxed Alton Towers day
 You prefer experiences over thrill rides
 You enjoy seasonal or themed events

It may be less ideal if:

 Your group mainly wants big thrill rides
 You’re travelling with teenagers only
 You’re expecting a full-park event takeover

Would I Visit Again?

Yes, absolutely. And especially with younger children.

The event brings extra magic, storytelling, and atmosphere that makes Alton Towers feel more like an immersive family experience rather than just a ride-based theme park.

Overall, this was one of the best value short weekend breaks we have taken to any UK theme park, and we were pleasantly surprised by the high-quality of entertainment on offer and the amount of fun we all had!

Although the theme park was closed, even if it had been open, we wouldn’t have been able to fit it in: we already missed the free mini golf on offer because the boys decided they would rather go to (another) pirate show!

If your children love pirates, CBeebies, and interactive fun, this is one of the best family-friendly seasonal events Alton Towers runs.

🏴‍☠️ You can only book the Alton Towers Pirate Takeover directly with Alton Towers
👉 Short breaks start from £64 per person. Day tickets are available for £18 per person

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Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!