Coaster Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 For the so called "UK's leading theme park" that is just laughable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt 236 Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 Alton towers do it right in most situations, but this is just poor, lazy and ruins the area and theme as a whole. If towers can't get rid of this petty excuse for theming and over safety then please just get a Mack launch instead. You don't see thorpe doing this with Stealth or Flamingo do this with velocity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 Rita's spot would be just perfect for a woodie. Shame that won't ever happen... Kerfuffle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 Likely to be visiting on the week before half term but not sure yet. How long do you think queues will peak at(considering it's off peak but scarefest) and is there a particularly way to tackle the park? Haven't been since I was little and we may not be getting there for opening time as it's a long way but want to queue as little as possible. I looked at the map and it looks like spinball is the closet coaster, however from what I've heard the lands are actually much further away than shown on the map. For instance I'd much rather take the sky ride than having to walk an hour from the entrance over to the forbidden valley! Anyone got any tips on how far the distances are and the ways to tackle the park etc, considering its off peak. Would be really appreciated, Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyMoo Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 I'm going on the 21st and fully expect the park to be pretty empty from past experience  Last year we headed straight for the Smiler, purely because it was unreliable so wanted to make sure we got to ride it I wouldn't recommend the "short cut" from Forbidden Valley to X Sector across the gardens unless you fancy killing some time. It's very picturesque but takes some time - and energy Longest queue last year was the Smiler in the morning, at around 30 minutes - other than that, it was 5/10 minute queues for everything.  I'd now probably advise heading to Nemesis and Air first as everyone is likely to head to X Sector first for The Smiler. TPJames 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 Thank you, this I really helpful. Hopefully visiting on the same day or the Thursday however if not will be on the Monday. Is the Monday likely to be more busy or around the same busyness? Don't mind waiting up to 30 mins for something, as never been on anything before so it will all be worth it! Just hope that nothing gets any longer, I take it rides were on one train op/reduced car operation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyMoo Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 As I say - it's not half term week, and it's not a weekend - so really you should expect everything to be 0-15 minute queues, 30 at a push! Â I don't think there would be much difference between Monday/Tuesday, except I guess with Monday there is more chance of people taking it off to make a long weekend from work. Either way - I would anticipate it being quiet! Â Air was only using one station from memory - Smiler was full capacity... I can't honestly comment on anything else unfortunately. Â What I have found though, is a screen cap of queue times from 22nd October last year at around 11am when we were there. Spinball must've had some downtime or something... Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 Thanks, I hope that queues don't peak that long when I am visiting seeing as it is my first trip in over ten years and hope to ride everything multiple times . Good to see that most things were around 5-10mins, will be happy to wait that long for any of the rides Out of interest, I've ridden dragons fury so hope to wait no more than around 15mins for spinball but which is better? Heard mixed reviews on both of them so would be nice to have opinions from someone who had ridden both! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 Thanks, I hope that queues don't peak that long when I am visiting seeing as it is my first trip in over ten years and hope to ride everything multiple times . Good to see that most things were around 5-10mins, will be happy to wait that long for any of the rides Out of interest, I've ridden dragons fury so hope to wait no more than around 15mins for spinball but which is better? Heard mixed reviews on both of them so would be nice to have opinions from someone who had ridden both! I prefer Fury personally. Â But Spinball always has at least a 30 minute queue, even on dead days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyMoo Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 I prefer Fury too - they are both rough to me, but Spinball seems rougher! Not my kind of ride to be honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 I prefer Fury personally. Â But Spinball always has at least a 30 minute queue, even on dead days.Sorry I don't exactly know much about alton towers, why is it always so popular? Is it due to low throughput or the fact it's close to the entrance, or it's a combination of both?I got given free tickets by the social media manager due to a previous incident and we may get given some ride passes to use as well! Are these valid on the smiler and if not, what ride do you reccomend using them for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted September 17, 2014 Report Share Posted September 17, 2014 Sorry I don't exactly know much about alton towers, why is it always so popular? Is it due to low throughput or the fact it's close to the entrance, or it's a combination of both? Both really, as well as the fact that it is enjoyed by both families and thrillseekers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Also as it's the first ride people see at the beginning of the day and the ride they see at the end.  If you get an exit pass I'm pretty sure it would discount Smiler and in that case I would use it for Spinball  Do the park in this order - Oblivion, Rita, Th13teen, Skyride to Air, Nemesis, and save Smiler for late afternoon as everyone heads there first and the queues get shorter later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 I'd do differently - start in Dark Forest, skyride over to Valley, then head around the park from there. Oblivion is quietest mid-afternoon, same as The Smiler. Â All rides are on full capacity during Scarefest, even on the quiet period. Air would go onto two stations once it gets a 10min queue. Â Though.. rides remain on full capacity throughout the year. Air runs on one station until a 10-15min queue, and Oblivion runs single Shuttle operation (only one of the two station bays) when it's really quiet. Other than that, everything remains at full capacity, even on a stupidly quiet day like this week. This isn't Thorpe Park! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Great to hear, really looking forward to this now as sounds like there are good operations! A question though, I know the mazes are inside the towers during scarefest but can you still go up to the viewing platforms at the top? Not the end of the world if we can't but would be nice! Is air on one station 2 or 1 trains, I'm not certain but heard it runs 3 on 2 stations if I remember correctly, would be nice to see a 2 train op even if it's only one station open Edit: sorry got a lot of questions, was looking at videos of ripsaw and none of them actually get you wet like rameses revenge does! If you ask are you able to get a soaking because this was the only one video I found where anyone got wet at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFarmerDean Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 I've heard the viewing platforms close, although I've never actually been up them... Â and ripsaw it depends as they can get you wet, as near the end of the day at scarefest last year we had a ride which you'd experience on the first half of rameses 2 cycles... and some people were shouting is that it, so the ops sent us around again, but asked if people wanted to get wet, we were on the back and said no, but the people on the front wanted to... so we had an amazing cycle with 4 flips, and they got the front row absolutely soaked and avoided us so ripsaw is normally a really poor cycle and doesn't really get you wet... unless you're lucky. Â (without ERT) I usually go to dark forest... then walk accross the valley to forbidden valley, then make my way back around through gloomy wood, katanga canyon and mutiny bay, stop for something to eat, and then head to hex, and cloud cuckoo land, and then onto x-sector and then spinball - generally I can get that done by 2/3pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Found another vid(last one I promise!)'they are getting really drenched this time on the last ride of the day, the op is even soaking the queueline! Really would want to be on this one as love getting soaked on rameses so hoping for a wet ride on ripsaw. Seeing as it's not meant to be too busy when I visit, I think I'll just do whatever but save smiler and spinball towards late afternoon/middle of the day. Hopefully all queues will be under 15minutes so won't really matter what rides I head to first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Towers are closed so you can't wander around...  Air runs two crafts on one station... Again, it's not Thorpe Park (Oblivion on 1 shuttle operation is still 4 shuttles at a minimum).  Ripsaw - it'll depend entirely on the operator and if the fountains can reach (as they change the height of them from time to time). In scarefest they're more likely to soak you, particularly as it gets dark cos they can't see the fountains as well  If you make the full use of your 11 hours during Scarefest, then you'll be bound to get on pretty much all rides, particularly on the first week of the event. OldFarmerDean and TPJames 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJames Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 It sounds so great! Was utterly expecting them to do a 'thorpe park' and be on reduced operations for everything! Really looking forward to this now, thank you for all your help! Will be asking for a soaking on ripsaw but hopefully will have time to ride it a couple of times to get soaked So excited, doing all three halloween events in the merlin parks this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFarmerDean Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 There's a chance I might be going now, after my first one last year it was amazing, gutted to see carnival of screams going as that was my favourite... But as I visited in the first week last year, the queues for most of the rides never exceeded 15 mins besides smiler and sonic, and there was no queues for the paid mazes, so if I go it will be the first week again, so I expect it to be relatively quiet (although clearly not that quiet that it's not worth the park opening) as they've been doing these 2 weeks for many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFarmerDean Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 So almost 11am and no ripsaw and nemesis sub Terra!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC. Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 So almost 11am and no ripsaw and nemesis sub Terra!? I believe they don't open till 11 because of lack of popularity. OldFarmerDean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benin Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 I believe they don't open till 11 because of lack of popularity. Â These and Hex I think it was when it got announced at the start of the season... Plus Skyride but I think that's been changed since? That'll be the only thing that gets complaints if it doesn't open... OldFarmerDean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFarmerDean Posted September 23, 2014 Report Share Posted September 23, 2014 Got on sky ride about 5 to 11 which was good park pretty quiet today... Rita on 2 trains, 13 on 3 trains, so besides nemesis all on full capacity really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Users Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Hey Fred, what's going to be quieter: the 18th or 19th? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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