The big new Bluey rollercoaster has officially swung into action at CBeebies Land at Alton Towers, and our reporter was there to give it a try for real life.
Bluey the Ride has opened at CBeebies Land at Alton Towers, and MEN reporter Dianne Bourne and her children were there on opening day(Image: MEN)
We are being hurtled through the sky, driven by two Australian dogs dressed up as grannies, as techno beats are pumping in our ears. It’s as bonkers as you can get on the new, world-first Bluey rollercoaster ride unveiled at Alton Towers for the first time this weekend.
It was a surreal Saturday for me that’s for sure, as I headed on to the colourful, and actually quite fast, rollercoaster with my Bluey-obsessed kids aged 10 and 6.
Naturally, a lot of it only makes any sense if you’e a fan of Bluey, Bingo and all their animated puppy escapades. But given Bluey is now CBeebies most popular show, and indeed a worldwide phenomenon, that’s a massive fanbase to target.
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It’s called Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! And is themed on the fan-favourite episode from the multi-award-winning TV show following the Aussie pups and their family and friends.
As fans of the show will tell you, and my kids on repeat, the Here Come The Grannies episode sees siblings Bluey and Bingo play dress-up as mischievous grannies Janet and Rita. Ahead of trying the ride I did ponder to my ten-year-old exactly how this could possibly play out on a rollercoaster.
His suggestion was that “we all travel on giant baked bean cans on a rollercoaster and have baked beans squirted at us”, which probably is a good idea for a theme park ride to be fair (and makes sense if you’ve seen the episode apparently).
However, theme park bosses must have decided against a beans motif. Instead, the ride moves through “Bluey’s backyard” – a bright green setting, with a large tree at the centre.
The rollercoaster circles all around it, with plenty of daring up and down circuits that will keep adults as thrilled as the youngsters. I’m not a fan of scary rollercoasters, and I’d say this one was just about my limit in terms of speed – it was actually much faster than I thought it would be.
My kids aboslutely loved it though. Indeed, my six-year-old, who was sat next to me was laughing his head off the whole way round, punctuated every now and again by a squeal of “I love it”, “I really love it”.
Bluey and Bingo characters are at the front of the carriage dressed up as Janet and Rita, which you only really see when you get off. But while on the ride you can spot Muffin dressed as an angry grannie on a mobility scooter, Dad Bandit mowing the lawn, and Mum Chilli raking leaves.
Just to add to the bonkers nature of it all, after the ride starts off with the Bluey theme, before too long the techno pump from fan favourite episode Dance Mode then kicks in.
We were among the very first to try out the ride on Saturday morning at a media and VIP preview, heading into CBeebies Land an hour before the public got to go inside.
Stars of CBeebies were also there, including George Webster and Evie Pickerill, to officially “push the button” to herald the Bluey ride now open for business.
Famous faces were also among those getting a first look at the ride – we spotted the likes of Emmerdale star Matthew Wolfenden, Coronation Street’s Catherine Tyldesley, Traitors winner Leanne Quigley and TOWIE stars Lydia Bright, Georgia Kousoulou, Mario Falcone and Amy Childs.
But as soon as the doors officially opened at 10am, my goodness was there a queue to get into CBeebies Land to see the Bluey ride – so it has clearly captured public imagination already.
The good thing is, bosses here have factored in the likely queue time for this in the weeks ahead – by creating lots of cool little Bluey play areas and photo opportunities all along the winding queue to get to the coaster carriages.
They include some themed bouncers, a play ramp and “fairy rings” on the ground that kids will love NOT stepping on, for fear of having to dance forever. Again, another nod to a fan favourite episode I was reliably informed by my kids.
The ride is specifically designed for pre-schoolers and young families, with a height restriction of 0.9 metres, so depending on the height of your youngsters I’d imagine suitable from around 4 or 5 upwards.
Bluey fans will also get the chance after the ride to explore the wider CBeebies Land, where you can do a meet-and-great with the larger than life version of Bluey and Bingo at timed intervals for photos, as well as the live experience within Big Fun Showtime.
And for those wanting to really push out the boat, there’s also a host of new Bluey-themed rooms at the CBeebies Land Hotel on the resort too.
It has clearly been a big investment from theme park bosses on this major new attraction inside the park, as they gear up for the 2026 season.
Howard Ebison, Vice President of Alton Towers Resort said: “Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! is all about celebrating energy, play and those everyday moments families love about the show.
“Alongside even more bespoke Bluey-themed hotel rooms, we’re delighted that fans can now enjoy the new attraction and immerse themselves in the mayhem of the Grannies.”
Natasha Spence, Events Director, Live Entertainment at BBC Studios said: “We know that whenever the Grannies come out to play, it is a fan-favourite moment for those that love the show.
“We are excited that the energy of these much-loved characters is being brought to life in Bluey’s first-ever coaster at Alton Towers Resort – home to CBeebies Land.”
Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies is open now at CBeebies Land at Alton Towers Resort. Entry to CBeebies Land is included with all tickets to Alton Towers, where day passes are priced from £32 per person when booked in advance online to get the best deals.
