Alton Towers Trip Reports

[Mer]

I don't know, Josh, I have a feeling that Marc would be up for it...

[Kerfuffle]

That darn beggar women causing havoc again :<

There was actually a thunderstorm last night!

"FOR EVERY BRANCH OF THE OLD OAK TREE THAT FALLS!"

[Mark9]

Report of day 1:

Nemesis: x2

Air: x1

Oblivion: x2 (walk-on both times )

Hex: x1

TH13TEEN: x4 (3x consecutive rides via single rider while waiting for family to get off Rita )

Sonic Spinball: x1

Skyride: x1

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: x1 (total waste of time)

Pros:

- Consecutive rides on TH13TEEN were nice. (The single rider queue was literally empty)

- Hex's new effects were cool.

- Starting the day on Nemesis was great.

- Oblivion's queue was walk-on

Cons:

- Sub-Terra won't be open this weekend.

- The Smiler was a rather sorry sight...although it'll always look amazing as just a twisted torrent of track.

- Air opened later than usual due to some apparent fallen trees in one of the ride areas.

- CatCF's existence

I do have a lot of pictures from today, but I will blog this once I'm home.

 

Congrats on surviving Coasterdude, could you send this trip report to the national media. =)

[MachoMachine]

I went for the first time (yes the FIRST time how dare I) on the 27th of August and it was lovely. Got there at half 9 and after a struggle managed to get our bags put away.

Sonic spinball x1

Oblivion x2

Hex x1

Th13teen x2

Rita x1

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory x1

Air x1

Nemesis x2

Duel x1

River Rapids x1

I loved Oblivion and Nemesis. I liked Oblivion so much that when someone's spit hit my face I didn't even mind (also that funky music)

Hex was spooky and was really cool! Definitely gave me a weird feeling which I liked. Also curse the Rapids, "you won't get wet" says Ryan as I get my side of the boat under the waterfall and he comes off bone dry.

We went to the woodcutters Bar and grill for food and it was amazing, I recommend the maple and chilli chicken skewers!

It was a lovely trip and I can't wait for my next trip up there (whenever it might be). The amount of wasps were off the scale though, heard a lovely story of someone getting one up their top during Air...

[Han30]

Wait, what?  Someones spit hit your face?! What were queues like?  Sounds like you had a good day - and I agree about Woodcutters - love it in there.  Ugh wasps - think I burnt off about 1000 calories running away from the stripey sods (and I never run!)

 

Just realised I didn't do a trip report from my visit to Towers a couple of weeks ago -  was a last minute thing but went up with my sister, both of our partners and my 11 year old niece.

Couldn't believe how quiet it was in comparison to last year - I really hope things pick up for Towers next season (if not before).  Although upside to it being quiet was hardly any queues so managed -

 

Rita x 2

Th13teen x 3

Nemesis x 2

Air x 3

Ripsaw x 1

Runaway Train x 1

Rapids x 1

The Flume x 1

Spinball x 1 (the only ride I screamed on)

Hex x 1

Duel x 1

 

- Still prefer Nemesis to Inferno

- Ripsaw was on a decent setting for a change - managed to get several flips - whenever Ive been on it before it seems to just swing!

- Smiler made me feel sad - it looked so lonely sat there with its screen switched off - also the track looks filthy

 

and finally

 

Skyride is the most terrifying ride at Towers

[MachoMachine]

Wait, what?  Someones spit hit your face?! What were queues like?  Sounds like you had a good day - and I agree about Woodcutters - love it in there.  Ugh wasps - think I burnt off about 1000 calories running away from the stripey sods (and I never run!)

Yeah! I thought it was a wasp at first then I realised it was wet but wasn't sick like (luckily!) the queues were non existent, only one we queued for was Charlie and that was... Not the best. The only time I saw loads of people was when it started to rain so everyone ran into woodcutters!! I was honestly preparing myself to be stung, saw a lot of people get hounded by wasps because they had those unlimited refill drinks- bad idea!

[Kerfuffle]

saw a lot of people get hounded by wasps because they had those unlimited refill drinks- bad idea!

Yup. Wasps go crazy for those capsules. When your capsule gets really sticky, it's time to throw it away and get as far away from it as possible!

 

 

and finally

 

Skyride is the most terrifying ride at Towers

I always cringe whenever I go over the lake...

[Han30]

I've never bothered doing Charlie and the chocolate factory - take it I've not missed anything massively exciting?!

 

Yup I bet the wasps love those refill cups - eww I just hate wasps so much

 

 

Yup. Wasps go crazy for those capsules. When your capsule gets really sticky, it's time to throw it away and get as far away from it as possible!

 

 

I always cringe whenever I go over the lake...

 

Throw it away? - I would be throwing it at the wasps like a grenade!    And ewww the lake - :excl: :unsure:

[pognoi]

Last time I went towers Ripsaw was great. I was a ninja and did my duty for the day and killed 7 wasps with just my feet. 

 

Th13teen is simply the bestist.

[Coaster]

Alton Towers - 2nd & 3rd June 2016

 

PARK OPEN: 10am - 5pm (Both days)
RIDES CLOSED: Hex, Sub Terra, CATCF, Driving School, Wobble World, The Flume (SBNO) and Ripsaw (Removed)

 

Having not been to Alton Towers for over a year, and hearing of how the park has changed, I wasn't really sure what to expect.

 

Firstly, the Monorail wasn't open when we arrived at 8:30am on the first day; I'm not sure if this is a change, or if it simply wasn't ready on this occasion.  After walking to the entrance we headed to Oblivion for the ERT, a few rides on this were then followed by The Smiler.

 

Ride operations were a mixed bag this time.  Thirteen and Nemesis were running three/two trains efficiently (stacking, but not for long) which was good, and kept queues moving well.  Oblivion was only running one station both days; fortunately we made use of the ERT to get straight on, however when in the area later it had a horrible queue on both days and going by dispatch times it was still only on one station (four cars) - really not good.  In addition, Galactica's throughput has been destroyed with the googles.  It was running two stations with three trains, however they were all stacking; even with three, they were all stationary in the station/stacking on the break run nearly every time.  Furthermore, several seats were closed due to broken googles, and on some trains whole rows were closed which really doesn't help.  Obviously The Smiler was also on low capacity but this is understandable for the time being, and we made use of the SRQ!

 

The biggest surprise for me was that the park was reasonably busy on both days.  With that said, the lack of open rides meant that crowds built up on rides and areas which previously wouldn't have been the case, and I saw lots of families "milling around" looking for open rides they could go on which was a sad sight.  In addition, the lower throughputs on existing coasters didn't help with crowd control.
I would however like to say that they had it spot on with managing Fastrack over the two days.  The price is higher than at other parks, therefore they sell less so it has a smaller effect on the main queues.  As well as this, they have dedicated queues rather than having people queue up at the exit.  BPB and Thorpe, take note!

 

There have been lots of audio changes parkwide which really help to improve the atmosphere, for example new entrance music and new music on some of the rides, as well as last year's entrance music being used in the Fountain Square area near Hex.  Galactica had new music which was nice.
I was however not impressed to hear the Hex theme in the Monorail station, almost like they were going out of their way to remind people that one of their best rides is closed!

 

Nemesis has had a complete track repaint which looks good, however it is a shame that the surrounding area hasn't been tidied up a bit (cutting weeds etc).  Aesthetically the rest of the park looked good in areas, and uncared for in others, and although there were some improvements I didn't see much in terms of revitalisation.

 

Most people have probably been to Alton, so I'll just review a few of the rides.

 

It was great to get back on The Smiler, it's still a fantastic coaster with force, intensity and just the right amount of bumpiness to add to the enjoyment of the ride.  I was glad to hear that the music was playing loudly in the area, however it is a shame that they felt the need to cut some parts of the audio out.

 

Likewise, Nemesis was also running really well, and it is still my favourite coaster at Towers with Smiler coming in a close second.

 

Oblivion isn't a ride I rate, however I was disappointed to see that the theme has been unceremoniously "cropped" out in places in the most unprofessional manner.  Things such as cutting out a line in the station preshow are completely unnecessary, and the way that it has been done is frankly awful and a disgrace to the creative team behind the original concept.

 

Spinball Whizzer is one of the better coasters at Alton IMO, and it was running well with a shorter queue (and SRQ) than usual.

 

Galactica didn't impress me at all.  I found that the VR removed the sensation of actually being on a rollercoaster, making it feel like I was on a simulator.  The quality of the VR footage was poor, and the way it just cuts off at the end is unprofessional.  In addition to this, the headsets are too heavy which make it uncomfortable, and they cannot be worn with glasses which alienates a large number of people.
The fact that they have put money into this, which destroys the throughput in two ways (operations and broken seats) as well as having high running costs due to a large number of staff rather than investing in getting existing rides in the park open is a shame, and yet again it seems like a short term investment (even though the last example of such an investment is sitting SBNO in the same area!)

 

Duel was unfortunately in a poor state, with awful lighting in places such as a strobe lighting up the entire mechanism in the bat section - WHY?!  Elsewhere there were several effects broken including sounds and lighting, as well as other lighting being left on permanently rather than using a sensor.  With that said, some areas looked good such as the Spider scene.

RIDECOUNTS:
Thursday 2nd June 2016
Nemesis x6
The Smiler x6
Duel x4
Spinball Whizzer x2
Oblivion x2
Thirteen x1
Rita x1
Galactica x1
(Sky Ride x1)

 

TOTAL: 24

 

Friday 3rd June 2016
The Smiler x5
Nemesis x3
Thirteen x3
Duel x2
Spinball Whizzer x1
Congo River Rapids x1
(Monorail x1)
(Sky Ride x2)

 

TOTAL: 18

 

Highlights:
- Great to get back on The Smiler and Nemesis!
- Glad to see the park getting busier again
- Nice new park audio
- Reliability on open rides was generally good

 

Lowlights:
- Too many ride closures
- Lower throughputs than in previous years despite ride closures
- Galactica
- Awful lighting in Duel
- Random taller fences around the park
- Courtyard BBQ closed
- Several shops closed/boarded up
- 5pm close was too early
- Dire ridecount on Friday

Photos

 

The Smiler;

 

 

 

Nemesis, still brilliant;

 

 

Oblivion;

 

Galactica;

 

It didn't come out well on camera, but this sort-of highlights the bad lighting in Duel;

 

Spinball Whizzer;

 

Apologies that the photos aren't great, I didn't have much time with the park only being open from 10am - 5pm so just took a few from in the queues.

 

Thanks for reading

[pognoi]

49 minutes ago, Coaster Jamie said:

 

The biggest surprise for me

 

 

The biggest surprise for me is the fact you still went to Alton Towers despite boldly protesting you weren't going if the ride closures were to take place. Which they did. And you go anyway. You are the ultimate embodiment of the things you so boldly protest against. Fright nights fee.. This.. you still go, and at the end of the day if you can't stop yourself who are you to tell others to.

 

I am glad for you that you seemed to enjoy your day, but the fact you continue to complain about something you said would stop you from visiting entirely is quite immature.

 

Boy am I glad my signature still exists.

 

PS: Of course I'm immature; my avatar is pingu.

[Coaster]

9 minutes ago, wegloo said:

 

The biggest surprise for me is the fact you still went to Alton Towers despite boldly protesting you weren't going if the ride closures were to take place. Which they did. And you go anyway. You are the ultimate embodiment of the things you so boldly protest against. Fright nights fee.. This.. you still go, and at the end of the day if you can't stop yourself who are you to tell others to.

 

I am glad for you that you seemed to enjoy your day, but the fact you continue to complain about something you said would stop you from visiting entirely is quite immature.

 

Boy am I glad my signature still exists.

Tell others to what?  Where have I told anyone not to go??  Also, who are you to comment on what parks I visit?  I wanted to go to Alton, therefore I went.  I didn't think "oh, but I can't because of a quote someone is keeping from February" 

 

You have a somewhat strange view of what is immature, personally I class keeping something someone said in a signature as immature.

 

Quote

Boy am I glad my signature still exists.

Completely pathetic and childish 

[Mitchada04]

I think the point is, you say these points that what the parks do annoys you so you don't want to visit. That's fine, like Benin and many others do, they don't visit as every little effect in attendance will have an effect that Merlin see and may realise something is up. No one is saying you can't be annoyed by these changes,  no one is happy by them at all. I'm not happy there's no hex or Sub Terra, but I went because I still like the rides at Towers. If the changes are that much of an issue to you then don't visit. If you still want to visit, then do but don't make such bold claims. 

[Coaster]

7 minutes ago, Mitchada04 said:

I think the point is, you say these points that what the parks do annoys you so you don't want to visit. That's fine, like Benin and many others do, they don't visit as every little effect in attendance will have an effect that Merlin see and may realise something is up. No one is saying you can't be annoyed by these changes,  no one is happy by them at all. I'm not happy there's no hex or Sub Terra, but I went because I still like the rides at Towers. If the changes are that much of an issue to you then don't visit. If you still want to visit, then do but don't make such bold claims. 

Yes, in hindsight it was foolish to flat-out state that I wouldn't visit, but I stand by the view that keeping it in a signature is a completely petty-minded act.

 

I went to Alton because I wanted to go on The Smiler and Nemesis again, as well as the fact that it's on the Merlin pass so didn't cost me anything to get in - I did enjoy the visit despite the closures however wouldn't have been impressed if I had paid for entry.

[JoshC.]

Nice to see you had a good enough time despite your previous uncertainties about the park this season.  

 

However, a couple of points...

 

1 hour ago, Coaster Jamie said:

Alton Towers - 2nd & 3rd June 2016

 

PARK OPEN: 10am - 5pm (Both days)
RIDES CLOSED: Hex, Sub Terra, CATCF, Driving School, Wobble World, The Flume (SBNO) and Ripsaw (Removed)

 

 

The way you word the closed rides makes it sound so bad.  But the majority of members on this forum will know that all of those rides are meant to be closed anyway.  So you had perfect ride avaliability during your visit.  And, to be honest, listing Ripsaw as a closed ride when it's been removed is just stupid really - it's not a ride at the park any more, so how's it a closed ride.  And if you're listing rides which are closed since you're last visit, then doesn't that take away the point of the mentioning them (as rides can be closed for the odd day here and there for technical problems)?  

 

1 hour ago, Coaster Jamie said:

I didn't have much time with the park only being open from 10am - 5pm so just took a few from in the queues.

 

I get that the 10-5 opening is naff, and you said it a couple of times.  But this feels like a cheap shot at the park - assuming you spent all day at the park both days, and did ERT, you had 16 hours at the park over two days.  Given your high ride count, it doesn't seem you were particularly rushed either.  So you can hardly say you didn't have much time with the park in that respect.  Maybe it's just humour on your part which I've misread, but it just reads as you trying to slip in another cheap shot.

 

And that's the thing with some of your trip reports.  I find that sometimes when you write them, it's like you're just looking for things to complain about, or just trying to put a negative spin on everything.  It just feels like a bit of a shame at times, as it's clear you've enjoyed your visit, but reading your report it feels like there's just way more negatives then there actually were

[Coaster]

1 hour ago, BaronC. said:

Nice to see you had a good enough time despite your previous uncertainties about the park this season.  

 

However, a couple of points...

 

 

The way you word the closed rides makes it sound so bad.  But the majority of members on this forum will know that all of those rides are meant to be closed anyway.  So you had perfect ride avaliability during your visit.  And, to be honest, listing Ripsaw as a closed ride when it's been removed is just stupid really - it's not a ride at the park any more, so how's it a closed ride.  And if you're listing rides which are closed since you're last visit, then doesn't that take away the point of the mentioning them (as rides can be closed for the odd day here and there for technical problems)?  

 

Rides that were closed were listed, explanation for The Flume and Ripsaw included in brackets. Ride availability was good elsewhere as mentioned in TR.

 

With that said I do not agree with the phrase "perfect ride availability" - their resources can't exactly be stretched with the closures and there were a few minor breakdowns hence the use of the word "generally".

 

1 hour ago, BaronC. said:

I get that the 10-5 opening is naff, and you said it a couple of times.  But this feels like a cheap shot at the park - assuming you spent all day at the park both days, and did ERT, you had 16 hours at the park over two days.  Given your high ride count, it doesn't seem you were particularly rushed either.  So you can hardly say you didn't have much time with the park in that respect.  Maybe it's just humour on your part which I've misread, but it just reads as you trying to slip in another cheap shot.

 

And that's the thing with some of your trip reports.  I find that sometimes when you write them, it's like you're just looking for things to complain about, or just trying to put a negative spin on everything.  It just feels like a bit of a shame at times, as it's clear you've enjoyed your visit, but reading your report it feels like there's just way more negatives then there actually were

 

Nope, it was an explanation as to why the photos weren't very good - with the short opening hours + walking time between rides I didn't want to waste time standing around taking photos, this has nothing to do with making a "cheap shot."

19 rides in a day isn't exactly what I would call a high Ridecount.

[Matt 236]

The solution to everything towers?

 

Mark

 

Mark throughputs 

 

Contraptions manufactured by Mark. 

[JoshC.]

^^ I guess it's just a case of different perspectives.  Flume and Ripsaw are confirmed goners; essentially they don't exist as rides at the park now.  So I wouldn't see it as a 'closed ride' in the same fashion I wouldn't see CCR or CEC at Thorpe as closed rides.  My phrase "perfect ride availability" was more referring to no rides being outright closed for your visit; there were no rides that were closed that are meant to be open for 2016.

 

Again, I guess it comes to different perspective.  You had multiple rides on the two most popular coasters at the park, did the other major coasters and a few fillers.  Certainly a high ride count in my books, especially for the tail end of half term. 

[CharlieN]

8 hours ago, BaronC. said:

And that's the thing with some of your trip reports.  I find that sometimes when you write them, it's like you're just looking for things to complain about

And I often find with various replys to Jamie's posts, that people look for things to criticise him on. I don't believe that you would have posted that as a reply to any other members of TPM.

[Benin]

Doesn't help with the poster is over critical and hypocritical though...

 

Could've spent that money going to Towers going to a different park, especially after spending the start of the year being adamant that they wouldn't visit at all...

[Ian-S]

Could loosen your knickers a bit a cut him some slack, at least he was man enough to post a report knowing full well he was going to get a bit of a ribbing over what he said previously about not going, and didn't just keep the trip details to himself.

[Marc]

Indeed - can we move on please - any further posts will be removed  

[Mark9]

15 hours ago, Matt Creek said:

The solution to everything towers?

 

Mark

 

Mark throughputs 

 

Contraptions manufactured by Mark. 

 

I'm good but I'm not that good Matt.

[Whatever]

I don't really know if this is the topic for it but I had a generally great day trip to towers. I haven't been for nearly two years and not much has changed but the place is great! I didn't see a single breakdown while I was there and rides were being run on high capacity meaning not very long queues (well, except probably Galactica). The staff there were so much more friendly than I had experienced at any other Merlin park, all of them were lovely, chatty people who knew their stuff about rides. The man working on the RAP for Nemesis was talking to my nervous brother about the ride because it was his first time on the ride and it helped him quite a lot! Overall it was a great day out and definitely (even though I do love Thorpe) the best Merlin park in the country. 

[Ian-S]

Can't disagree, my son said today he'd rather suffer the four hour trip and sleeping in a tent than half hour up the road to Thorpe if there was a 'choice' (we were discussing which park to goto Saturday with some friends).