More on 'Chocolate Towers' event
Park News
Friday, 3rd February 2006
• By Dan Ketteringham
We've obtained some more details about the upcoming Easter event at the park.
The event, called Chocolate Towers, is looking more and more interesting the more we hear. It really does sound like a lot of effort will be put in to it.
Here are the new details - bear in mind that these are all proposals, and as such we can't be held responsible if none of the following actually happens…
On Park
First of all, there will be entertainers in Towers Street (which we've already reported will be themed as a 'massive chocolate box' during the course of the event), but these entertainers will be on stilts and dressed up as giant sweets or 'chocolate men'.
It seems the idea to rename Cariba Creek to Cocoa Creek may have disappeared, and in its place, Cred Street will now become
Cocoa Street. As reported, there will be a stage in Chocolate Square (formerly Fountain Square), which we now know will be decorated as if made from chocolate bars and sweet wrappers.
This area will be the centre of events, and the stage will be the focus. Appearing on stage could well be some Generation Game/Nickelodeon style games - including cake decorating, and maybe even a chocolate gunge tank! As well as the "Chocoholic Follies" we described in the previous news piece, there may also be not only TV Chefs, but - wait for it - chocolate wrestling!
Other proposals include:
- Interactive Activities:
Decorate your own eggs
Chocolate making demonstrations
Character meet n' greets
3D photo opportunities
- Milk Tray Man:
Ride a zip wire from the ruins dressed as The Milk Tray Man!
- Chocolate Grotto:
Meet "Father Chocolate" in his very own Chocolate Grotto
- It's A Chocout!
Collect purple tickets hidden around the park or win them from activities, then claim a prize at the end of the day
- Chocolatiers:
A team of 20 "Coat Style" entertainers would facilitate all of the above activities including entertainment on the Chocolate Stage
Proposed theming changes to the park include: the entrance plaza being decorated in the same style as Towers Street, welcome banners, chocolate uniform for all permanent staff, Mini Egg cars and chocolate stops, chocolate smells, chocolate bar benches, candy sticks & oversized sweets from trees and buildings, chocolate falling snow, and three stand-alone photo opportunities. Music across the park will also change to suit the theme.
At the end of the day, there will be a carnival in Towers Street. Nothing unusual about that, right? Well no, apart from the fact that there'll be a giant inflatable supported by a tripod structure, dubbed the 'Chocolate Drop'. An aerial act will be able to perform underneath said inflatable, and as the name suggests, chocolate will be dropped onto the audience below (presumably Cadbury's Heroes).
The rest of the end-of-day entertainment in Towers Street will be provided by the Chocolate Men, the Chocolate Follies, Father Chocolate, etc.
At The Hotels
There will be two shows on at the Alton Towers Hotel: the previously mentioned
Candy Pops, described as a "brightly coloured up-beat show featuring funky song and dance" - think the Sugababes and you're on vaguely the right lines.
The other show will feature hotel entertainer extraordinaire, Dickie Hart, presenting
Dickie's Chocolate Box. Dickie will be performing various classic hits, and there will be an appearance by the Chocoholic Follies once more.
Over at Splash Landings, as well as the Chocolate Casino, there will be chocolate-related entertainment in Ma Garrita's bar throughout the night courtesy of the 'Chocolatiers'.
The adults-only "Time Out" Lounge seems to be going ahead, with Alton Towers
now advertising for male and female models to have chocolate licked off their bodies. Another casino here, this time called the 'Chocolate Chip' Casino (groan).
Other hotel activities will include the world's biggest dessert, a chocolate Priory at the Spa, and apparently a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory suite (we assume this means the conversion of the current Celebration Suite), as well as "Willy Wonka rooms". Just what that means, we'll have to wait and see…
Planned theming changes at the hotels include the slated roof areas of both hotels being 'wrapped' in the same style as Towers Street. There will be lots of chocolate-related decorations throughout both hotels.
Sweet-tooths should be in their element by the sounds of things, though all this chocolate may leave a few feeling distinctly queasy by the end of the day…!