Alton Towers Santa Sleepover 2024: 'I went to the most magical Christmas attraction and it was so good we didn't want to leave'

The Santa Sleepover at Alton Towers is now open for 2024 and we were overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of seasonal thrills waiting inside.

My own children are a little bit too big so I borrowed two younger relatives - aged 4 and 6 - and we headed over with our excitement bubbling over long before we saw the theme park's first twinkling lights.

Little did we know just how much was in store for us in what is best described as a rollercoaster journey through childhood dreams - cling on and just get carried away by the exhilaration.

It is easy to associate this enormous theme park with terrifying rides and ridiculously fast rollercoasters but it offers a whole different world to tiny human beings too. At Christmas it is out of this world.

The Alton Towers Hotel is beautifully decorated with enormous trees and thousands of lights. As always, the rooms are specially designed and decorated for children so just stepping into the bedroom prompted squeals of happiness.

Then there was the trip to Santa - you are guided by an elf through a forest of real pine trees towards the wooden grottos which are bursting with colour, warmth and magic. Of course, the man in red does not disappoint.

When you throw in all the joys of CBeebies Land - this festive trip is almost too much for little ones to take. That is also the beauty of going all in for one crazy weekend. You can compact everything into one fantasy-like weekend so you know the family gets the best of everything Christmas no matter what the rest of your December looks like.

If you need a tiny breather from the frivolities, The Reindeer Games offer wacky fun at a slightly slower pace. You solve puzzles with elfish help, collect stamps and solve the mystery of the missing reindeer.

This year's panto is Jack and the Beanstalk. It is full of all the colour and childish jokes you would expect as well as a generous sprinkling of music, dance and audience participation.

The very front rows are made up of bean bags so young children can get comfy in the best seats in the house. My two were transfixed from start to finish - so captivated by the show that they even forgot to eat the popcorn they were holding in their hands.

Our final adventure for the weekend was a trip to Splash Landings. I was sceptical that any swimming pool could be warm enough to chase away the chills from a winter's day exploring a theme park. I was delighted to be wrong and overjoyed to find there is even an outdoor area where the temperature is as warm as a hottub.

It was my first visit to Splash Landings and we all loved it. This is the best swimming attraction for young children that I have ever been to - and I've been to lots! It is overflowing with water guns, slides, splash areas, high areas to climb, fountains to splash through and enormous buckets of water that drop on your head when you least expect it.

Of course, even though it is Christmas, the tropical theme is maintained so we found ourselves splashing away to calypso versions of our favourite festive carols.

Swimming and theme parks might not top your list for things to do at Christmas but this is festive bliss

.Two words of caution. 1, food is expensive and there are lots of treats that children will desperately want - prepare in advance so you don't bust your budget too badly. 2, this level of Christmas is a lot for little children and most of it is outside - make sure you wrap them up and be prepared for when exhaustion hits.

We could have spent several days at Alton Towers to make sure our little group really got the most out of the whole extravaganza.

The little ones went home very happy, clutching their treats and cuddling their teddies from Santa. How on earth we'll find anything to compared to this before the big fella turns up on December 24, I have no idea.

Alton Towers has captured the magic of Christmas for those who appreciate it the most and it was absolutely joyful to watch them fizzle with joy.