Alton Towers vs Thorpe Park — Which Is Better Under 120cm?

Two Big Parks, Very Different Experiences

Alton Towers and Thorpe Park are two of the UK's best-known theme parks. Both are run by Merlin Entertainments and both have headline coasters, but for families with children under 120cm they offer very different days out.

We compared every ride and attraction at both parks, broken down by height requirement. A ride counts at a given height when a child can board it either alone or with an adult riding alongside.

The Numbers

These figures are calculated from our current ride data for each park.

Ticket prices at both parks change by date, so check the official sites when you book.

Under 100cm: Alton Towers, Easily

If your child is under 100cm, Alton Towers is the clear choice.

Alton Towers has 23 rides and attractions for a child under 100cm. Even under 90cm there's plenty: In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride, Bugbie-Go-Round and Get! Set! Go! Tree Top Adventure take any height with an adult, and the Skyride, Sharkbait Reef by SEALIFE and several CBeebies Land activities have no height rule at all. From 90cm with an adult, a big batch opens up: Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure, Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies!, Raj's Bouncy Bottom Burp, Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom Ride, Gangsta Granny: The Ride and Hex, among others.

Thorpe Park has 7. Every ride at Thorpe Park has a height restriction; the only attractions without one are the Sunset Cinema, Amity Beach and The Playground. The lowest rides start at 90cm with an adult: Flying Fish, Mr Monkey's Banana Ride, High Striker and the Depth Charge slides. A child under 90cm has no rides to go on.

Verdict at under 100cm: Alton Towers. CBeebies Land exists specifically for this age group and it shows.

100cm to 120cm: Alton Towers Still Leads

Alton Towers adds Cuckoo Cars Driving School at 100cm, then Runaway Mine Train, Congo River Rapids and Marauder's Mayhem at 110cm with an adult. Total for a child just under 120cm: 27 (73% of the park).

Thorpe Park adds Storm Surge, Zodiac and Big Easy Bumpers at 110cm with an adult, plus Dobble Tea Party at 110cm. Total for a child just under 120cm: 11 (44% of the park).

At this height a child can ride most of Alton Towers but under half of Thorpe Park, and the "locked out" feeling is stronger at Thorpe because so many big rides are visible but off-limits.

Verdict at 100-120cm: Alton Towers, by a wide margin. For every 110cm ride across the UK, see our 110cm milestone guide.

120cm and Above: Thorpe Park Comes Into Its Own

At 120cm, Alton Towers opens Wicker Man, TH13TEEN and Spinball Whizzer, while Thorpe Park opens Tidal Wave and Quantum. Thorpe's big steps come later:

• 130cm: Hyperia, Detonator, Rush and Ghost Train.
• 140cm: Stealth, The Swarm, SAW - The Ride, Colossus, Nemesis Inferno, The Walking Dead: The Ride, Samurai and Vortex.

After 120cm, Alton Towers adds nothing new until 140cm, where Nemesis Reborn, The Smiler, Oblivion, Galactica, Rita, Toxicator and Nemesis: Sub-Terra open.

Alton Towers still has more rides overall at every height, but Thorpe Park's line-up is concentrated in exactly these 130cm and 140cm thrill rides.

Verdict at 120cm+: Both deliver. Thorpe Park is built for teenagers and thrill-seekers; Alton Towers has a comparable set of 140cm coasters plus far more for younger siblings.

Visiting With Children of Different Heights

Plenty of families going to either park have a small child and an older one. This is where the two parks feel most different.

At Alton Towers, a 95cm child can go on 23 rides and attractions and a 130cm sibling 30. Everything open to the younger child is open to the older one too, so you can spend a good part of the day in CBeebies Land and the family areas together, then split up for the bigger rides.

At Thorpe Park, the same 95cm child has 7, against 17 for the 130cm sibling. The rides the older child really wants start at 130cm and 140cm, so expect to spend much of the day apart. Many parks offer a rider switch, where one adult waits with the younger child while the others ride and then swaps over without queuing again; ask at the ride entrance how it works on the day.

One detail to watch at Alton Towers: Cuckoo Cars Driving School has a 140cm maximum, so a tall older child may be too big for it. Our guide to maximum height limits lists rides like this across the UK.

If you want a park where children of different heights can ride more together, these UK parks have the most rides that a 95cm and a 130cm child can both go on:

Our guide to visiting with siblings of different heights covers this in more detail, including other height combinations.

Indoor Rides and Water Rides

For a wet day, Alton Towers is far better for small children. It has 11 indoor rides and attractions, including Hex - The Legend of the Towers, Gangsta Granny: The Ride and The Curse at Alton Manor (all from 90cm with an adult), In the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride (any height with an adult) and Justin's House Pie-O-Matic Factory (from 90cm). Thorpe Park has 4: SAW - The Ride and The Walking Dead: The Ride need 140cm, Ghost Train needs 130cm, and the Sunset Cinema is the only indoor option for a small child. Our guide to rainy-day indoor theme park rides has more parks with plenty under cover.

Both parks have water rides from 90cm. These are the water rides at each park, with their lowest heights:

Battle Galleons at Alton Towers and Depth Charge at Thorpe Park both take a 90cm child with an adult, so even a small rider can get soaked. Pack a change of clothes. Our guide to water ride height requirements compares water rides at other UK parks too.

The Real Question: What Age Is Your Child?

The height comparison shows what each park is designed for:

Alton Towers is a family park with thrill rides. CBeebies Land caters to toddlers, rides like Runaway Mine Train and Congo River Rapids bridge the middle heights, and the headline coasters (Nemesis Reborn, The Smiler, Oblivion) are for 140cm+ riders. Every family member has something to do.

Thorpe Park is a thrill park with some family rides. There's no dedicated children's land. The family rides (Flying Fish, Dobble Tea Party, Big Easy Bumpers) exist but aren't the focus. The park comes alive at 130cm and 140cm, when most of its rides unlock.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Alton Towers if:

• Your child is under 120cm, and especially under 100cm (CBeebies Land makes the trip worthwhile)
• You have children of mixed ages (everyone finds something to ride)
• You want a full day with themed areas to explore

Choose Thorpe Park if:

• Your child is 130cm or taller and wants maximum thrills
• You have teenagers who want Hyperia, Stealth and SAW
• Thorpe Park is the easier trip for you (it's in Surrey; Alton Towers is in Staffordshire)

Skip both if your child is under 100cm and you want the most to ride:

• Paultons Park: 33 rides and attractions for under-100cm visitors, including Peppa Pig World
• Drayton Manor: 28, mostly in Thomas Land
• Twinlakes Park: 38, with lots of indoor play

See our full under-100cm ranking of UK parks for more.

Check the Exact Rides

Enter your child's height on either park page to see their specific ride breakdown:

• Alton Towers — all rides by height →
• Thorpe Park — all rides by height →

Or use the height planner to compare both parks side by side.

Frequently asked questions

How tall do you need to be for The Smiler and Nemesis Reborn?

Both need 140cm, and there's no lower height with an adult. The same goes for Oblivion and Galactica at Alton Towers, and for Stealth, The Swarm and Colossus at Thorpe Park. Our list of the UK's tallest height requirements covers every 140cm ride.

What height is Hyperia at Thorpe Park?

Hyperia needs 130cm, with no lower height with an adult. Detonator and Rush also open at 130cm, so it's a big milestone at Thorpe Park.

Is there anything at Thorpe Park for a child under 90cm?

Only the attractions without a height rule: the Sunset Cinema, Amity Beach and The Playground. Every ride at Thorpe Park has a height restriction, and the lowest start at 90cm with an adult. Alton Towers is a far better choice at this height.

When can my child ride without an adult?

At Alton Towers, many of the CBeebies Land rides, such as Octonauts Rollercoaster Adventure and Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies!, can be ridden alone from 110cm, while Runaway Mine Train and Congo River Rapids need 130cm to ride alone. At Thorpe Park, Flying Fish, High Striker and Dobble Tea Party can be ridden alone from 110cm. Our guide to riding with an adult vs alone explains the two rules.

Which park is better for a 110cm child?

Alton Towers. At 110cm a child can go on 27 rides and attractions at Alton Towers, against 11 at Thorpe Park.

Are children measured with shoes on?

Parks usually measure children with their shoes on, so measure your child at home in the shoes they'll wear on the day. If they're within a centimetre or two of a limit, read our article on the last 2cm before a height limit before you go.