Halloween's popularity in the UK has been rapidly rising in recent years. Though as a child, I recall Halloween being a slight thing; it was really just a case of putting on a costume and knocking on my closest neighbours' doors. If we had three or four other children knock on our doors, then that was something major. Nowadays, it is massive. My children are always on countdown to one of their favourite times of the year. Their school has a pumpkin carving competition, and their trick-or-treat haul lasts them well into the new year. While we have done various pumpkin-picking activities and been to Halloween parties over the years, we had never ventured to Alton Towers' Scarefest. Launched back in 2007, it has an enviable reputation as one of the scariest affairs in the country. While some people might find the appeal in riding the big rides in the dark, others are drawn to the scare mazes. I have many friends who have talked for months after the event about how amazing it is. So when an invitation landed in my inbox for me and the children to sample the opening weekend, we simply could not resist.

Alton Towers is already a family favourite. My four-year-old daughter absolutely loves CBeebies Land and is finally tall enough to learn to drive at the Cuckoo Cars Driving School, while my eight-year-old son is very much a Battle Galleons addict who can't resist a bounce on Raj's Bouncy Bottom Burp. But quite what they would make for Scarefest was my big question. Would the scares just be too big for their growing minds? 

Having kept the big trip a secret, I collected them from school on Friday afternoon and drove to Alton Towers, warning them that if they paid attention, they would see where we were going. As we approached the final few miles, my son finally spotted a sign stating Alton Towers, and shrieks of sheer glee filled the car. The surprise element had paid off, and the delight that we weren't just going for a day but having a sleepover at the Alton Towers Hotel added to the excitement.

Scarefest is definitely no small deal at Alton Towers. From the moment we arrived, the seasonal decorations set the tone for the weekend ahead. With displays the children could climb in and let their imagination run wild, which was a true delight. As we moved from the foyer to the Moon Voyager's Room, our home for the night, the delight just grew. Brilliantly themed, complete with a bumper-sized teddy that received numerous excited hugs, bunk beds were allocated and activity books engaged in before the discovery of our Halloween treats in the room. With the pond visible from our room, a quick meander was had before an extended play in the small park and a brief visit to the arcades led us to dinner time at the Secret Garden Restaurant. A Halloween-themed menu accompanied the regular one, and we had soon eaten and headed into the bar to have a little musical interlude before a cosy night's sleep prepared us for the next day.

A very early wake-up was inevitable, but luckily cuddles were the initial order of the day before a return to the park, a very hearty breakfast in the Secret Garden Restaurant, check-out and the main theme park beckoned. To say Alton Towers knows how to decorate for festivities would be an understatement. The park was Halloween heaven from the moment we arrived. Colourful pumpkins, creative creatures and ecstatic children made it clear that the occasion would be a day to remember.

Having arrived early enough to make the most of CBeebies Land before the huge crowds descended, we easily made our way across all the rides before relocating to The World Of David Walliams. With the children thrilled, I was able to leave them with my boyfriend, Reb, to head over to be one of the very first guests invited to experience this year's new maze, Edge of The Forest. As I waited patiently alongside a plethora of far more exciting people than myself – Tyson Fury, Luke Littler, Ellis Collins, and Adele Silva, to name a few – the fear of the unexpected saw the adrenaline build in all of us. And it was worth the adrenaline. As we entered into the dark space to be greeted in the dining space by a haggard old lady, it was apparent we had to prepare ourselves for the unexpected. What unfolded was undoubtedly one of the most terrifying experiences I have ever encountered. As the twists and turns of the maze revealed fright after unpredictable fright, it was obvious that the rave reviews my friends had shared from prior years were very true.


With my big maze experience completed, hungry tummies took us to the Rollercoaster Restaurant, where thankfully the long wait for food was calmed by the thrill of watching the food ride the rollercoaster to different tables and trying to predict when ours would arrive. After dinner, it was time to part ways. Skye was longing for CBeebies Land, while it was time to take Calum to experience the bigger park – and most importantly, the Battle Galleons. 

A good couple of hours flew by, and before the rendezvous time for the family mazes arrived. We started with Trick O'Treat Town with HARIBO and MAOAM, which was littered with playful characters. While the costumes were outlandish, the performances were toned for the younger audience, and the lure of sweets with every knock on a door was very pleasing for the children. With the bar set high, we ventured into Amigos in the Afterlife, which was powerfully performed and engaged every audience member with its interactive nature. Once again on the lighter side of things, this wasn't a scary experience but rather a spiritual uplift.

With the day having breezed by, the night started to arrive, and two tired youngsters craved sleep, so before the ghouls could really come out to scare us, we headed home, having had, in my son's words, 'the best day ever!'

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