Benin Posted March 20, 2010 Report Share Posted March 20, 2010 My review... Thirteen is a ride of two halves would be the simple answer... First of all the throughput I think may have just shocked everyone... A full queue resulted in just over an hour long wait... This is with 3 trains with 20 people each for those who wanted to know... And I was really really happy to see that instead of a poor capacity ride that this really is great... The area's themeing and music is just right in my opinion, very atmospheric and slightly eerie, although Rita's new voice is AWFUL... Thirteen's short indoor queue is very well themed, as is the station and the main two indoor sections... The drop is actually great fun... I had a feeling this ride would enter into the 'fun' category of things, and the drop isn't too slow nor too quick... Just right and had the train highly entertained by it... The following helix is also fun, but the best part of the ride is the AWESOME launch off the transfer track, it's really silly how quick you go off it, but a really amusing end... On the other hand... The outdoor section lacks basically... Everything... There's not much to do about it at all really, apart from the first drop providing some rather epic airtime if you're in the back... But it's not really anything to write home about... Maybe if it were faster then it would provide a lot more fun times... In addition, there's not a lot linking you to an actual story or the theme... You just seem to end up in a crypt and fall through the floor... Maybe if some of the statues located in there moved as the little drop went off it would add something, and indeed on the bottom floor there wasn't a lot to look at unless you were at the front... But since I didn't do that, don't know what it was... It needed some voices or alternative noises inside the crypt as well, simple stuff like 'you shouldn't have come here' or similar would have added a few points... To describe this in one word, it would be 'average'... The indoor section I found superior to the outdoor section, and as always it would seem that the back row is the best place to sit... Out of 10, I'd give it 6... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted March 20, 2010 Report Share Posted March 20, 2010 What, no topic for Alton's new rollercoaster? Well here we are erm. Well basically in my opinion it was a pretty average ride. It wasn't terrible and it wasn't the second Nemesis. It was just a solid ride for the park with a very high throughput. In some ways th13teen ans Saw are very similar rides and are polar opposites to which is interesting. I genuinly think that if you had Saws beginning section and th13teens ending you would have an absolutely perfect ride. As it stands you have two rides with some excellent theming, some crap theming and two rides with very little actual story. I would give it 5/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted March 20, 2010 Report Share Posted March 20, 2010 I'll post my review in this topic as well... Thirteen is a ride of two halves would be the simple answer... First of all the throughput I think may have just shocked everyone... A full queue resulted in just over an hour long wait... This is with 3 trains with 20 people each for those who wanted to know... And I was really really happy to see that instead of a poor capacity ride that this really is great... The area's themeing and music is just right in my opinion, very atmospheric and slightly eerie, although Rita's new voice is AWFUL... Thirteen's short indoor queue is very well themed, as is the station and the main two indoor sections... The drop is actually great fun... I had a feeling this ride would enter into the 'fun' category of things, and the drop isn't too slow nor too quick... Just right and had the train highly entertained by it... The following helix is also fun, but the best part of the ride is the AWESOME launch off the transfer track, it's really silly how quick you go off it, but a really amusing end... On the other hand... The outdoor section lacks basically... Everything... There's not much to do about it at all really, apart from the first drop providing some rather epic airtime if you're in the back... But it's not really anything to write home about... Maybe if it were faster then it would provide a lot more fun times... In addition, there's not a lot linking you to an actual story or the theme... You just seem to end up in a crypt and fall through the floor... Maybe if some of the statues located in there moved as the little drop went off it would add something, and indeed on the bottom floor there wasn't a lot to look at unless you were at the front... But since I didn't do that, don't know what it was... It needed some voices or alternative noises inside the crypt as well, simple stuff like 'you shouldn't have come here' or similar would have added a few points... To describe this in one word, it would be 'average'... The indoor section I found superior to the outdoor section, and as always it would seem that the back row is the best place to sit... Out of 10, I'd give it 6... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James6 Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 Wow, I honestly loved the ride. The first section is just "fun" and in the back you get quite a bit of airtime, and it has lots of exciting twisty sections.You then go into the building, which for my first time was quite scary, not the drop itself, the theming around you once you had dropped. And then the actually quite thrilling backwards section.I really, really did love the ride. Only gripe is I think how much airtime you'd have and how much more thrilling the first section would be without those trims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste193 Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 I was thinking of going to Alton this year and seeing what the ride is like after I haven't visited for five years this year, however I have become really confused as some the reviews for TH13teen are great and other are really bad and it seems to be that most people felt the ride was average, so I'm really stuck on what to do know, I've seen photo's of some of the theming and theming and some of it sounds great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James6 Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 It's definitely worth a trip!People who are saying it's disappointing were expecting the next Nemesis, which it was never going to be. In my opinion, it's almost as good as Nemesis purely because it brings something new to the park and UK, is really unique and a lot of fun. After the "Secret" section, it is quite scary and thrilling.Also take into account the majority of effects weren't working yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electricBlll Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 The large majority of reviews have so far been positive, saying the ride is a good addition to the park. I personally think it sounds great! Judging from the reports, the pros and cons are like this:GoodNice queueline with good touches of scenery and theming;Immersive station atmosphere with sound effects and lighting;Good, comfortable and themed trains with room to move thanks to lap bars;Speedy first turn out of station and quick lift hill;Fun first drop and speedy turns in forest area;Good airtime in some positions;Impressive crypt section, with well designed theming and perfect drop secquence;Fast backwards launch into pitch black helix;A ride with a mysterious, sometimes scary and often fun experience;Good throughput.BadOutdoor section could be faster and longer;Not much of a relation to wraiths/possesed girl/storyline as was expected;Overhyped way too much;Unintense track layout for a 'secret weapon'.I am pretty excited about this because, whilst there are obvious let downs thanks to Morwenna Angove's crazy marketing campaigns, it sounds like an atmospheric and very fun ride experience. Most people who have been on it love it, but I can't judge how good it is until I have been on it. It sounds similar to Air in the fact that it is a good major ride but could be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste193 Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 The thing that annoys me the most is that they where silly enough to hype it up and enough and make it sound so scary and I think thats why people feel let down because its not really scary at all from many of the reviews I've read most people found it fun which isn't a bad thing but if you ask me it's a bad idea for parks to create all this hype for new rides because they create so much that its hard for the actual ride to live up to it's expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ste193 Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 I can't really speak for th13teen but for me I felt that saw did have a storyline to it because it's lucky enough to already have the storyline created by the films, however I liked the videos and the puppet billy on the bike at the start creating the story, s you said the start sections gd on saw. Also I can't speak about th13teen's indoor section but from what I can on see on the outside it's pretty average and I prefere Saw's outside as it's mean to have an industrial feel and mud everywhere where as dark forest should have lots of plants and tree's, I hope that they grow over time and add to the rides theming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tidear Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 Where's the photo on ride? Also I'm going in the Easter hols, which should I go for first, Rita or 13 because Rita has a crap throughput but you're all saying 13 has an excellent one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 Where's the photo on ride? Also I'm going in the Easter hols, which should I go for first, Rita or 13 because Rita has a crap throughput but you're all saying 13 has an excellent one?Photo is at the bottom of the first drop (outside)...Depends on how busy it is when you go... A full Thirteen queue with the 3 trains yesterday was only just over the hour mark... So it really depends on when you arrive, how big the queues are, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James6 Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 If your desperate to do Rita, do that first and then very quickly head to Thirteen. Thirteen's queue is SO much better than Rita's and in my opinion, I'd prefer to be queueing for that as it does move a lot quicker.Also, little tip when on the ride, if you want an on-ride photo, do NOT put your hands up as the angle the camera is at, yours and the person next you will have there face covered Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dummiguy Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 I went on it 17 times this weekend 14 times today, such a great ride!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 It's a great ride for families, nothing more I'm afraid.Queues today were epically short all day, should it really be like this for a SW even with good throughput?Was fun, also added lightening effects in the crypt today, can see that there is something inside the queue line that hasn't been finished yet, no idea what it is though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dummiguy Posted March 21, 2010 Report Share Posted March 21, 2010 Not all the effects are up and running yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark9 Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 If your desperate to do Rita, do that first and then very quickly head to Thirteen. Thirteen's queue is SO much better than Rita's and in my opinion, I'd prefer to be queueing for that as it does move a lot quicker.True, although the speed the Rita staff were going at on Saturday was awesome. No wonder I never saw Rita's queue above ten minutes. I've never understood why I never see Rita on one train, whereas Stealth with it's three train combo always without fail only has one train on.It's perplexing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayn Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 I've got a couple of friends that've been on it. Apparently, the only good thing about it was the throughput - the rest was very overhyped. I'll see for myself in april though, I guess.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James6 Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 ^^ Good point there, I remember the interview before Stealth was built saying how it would have 3 so it would always run at full capacity, whereas you are right, it is run on 1 more than Rita!(Woops, off-topic) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyT Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 Please continue all discussion on Th13teen in the main Alton forum.Locked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny boy :) Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 Dont know if this has already been posted but I have just found these new video's with john wardley in talking about the ride and also some public reviews http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/Alton-Towers-Thirteen-Rollercoaster-Tested-New-15m-Ride-Is-A-Big-Hit-Among-Thrill-Seekers/Article/201003315578574?lpos=Strange_News_First_Strange_News__Article_Teaser_Region__0&lid=ARTICLE_15578574_Alton_Towers_Thirteen_Rollercoaster_Tested%3A_New_%3F15m_Ride_Is_A_Big_Hit_Among_Thrill_Seekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyT Posted March 22, 2010 Report Share Posted March 22, 2010 Thanks for posting that Kenny :)Quality of these videos are shocking, although there can never be enough John Wardley interviews! He seems really proud of Th13teen actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraX Posted March 26, 2010 Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 I also did a Th13teen weekend too and was very suprised how quiet it was, they even had to take off one of the trains! I echo almost all of the current internet reviews. It IS a family coaster, something the park needs again and the marketing seems to be off mark. On the coaster, there is a fair bit of air time, which is great and the inside section is a great laugh too. I did however, find it odd that these talked about lightning effects inside the queueline, animated vines and more were not ready for opening day, but unlike Thorpe, they atleast had it open with no shut downs that I saw in three days. Infact, that is also resort wide. Had a blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted March 26, 2010 Report Share Posted March 26, 2010 It's dead...Down all day today and had some issues yesterday...Least it lasted through 5 days before it did this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Posted March 27, 2010 Report Share Posted March 27, 2010 Should be reopening this morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan9 Posted March 27, 2010 Report Share Posted March 27, 2010 Should be reopening this morning But if what Benin said is true then it's currently doing just as badly as Saw did. (And Thorpe haters, please don't interpret this post as me saying Saw had good reliability, because I don't believe that. Since I know you all love to do that nowadays.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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