Alton Towers Discussion Thread

[jarmor]

^Which are all in parks only open for several months a year. . . kumba is on the same caliber of operation schedule as the 3 beemers at universal, even Montu and they are still going strong.

[thrillseeker4552]

17 hours ago, boldikus said:

Kumba says hi.

Exactly, and it kind of blows my mind that Kumba is still going strong after running year round for close to 30 years. I mean it isn't cycled as much as Hulk (just slower and less rigorous operations day-to-day) but it's still very impressive. So I guess who even really knows.

[Swat]

Planning application has been submitted to carry out track and support replacments for Nemesis. Source - Towers Times

 

[KarlaKoaster]

And filling the track with sand 

[SharkTums]

Is this for this season or next? Trying to decide if we should try to get over there and ride original Nemesis one more time if we have time!

[Swat]

7 minutes ago, SharkTums said:

Is this for this season or next? Trying to decide if we should try to get over there and ride original Nemesis one more time if we have time!

Nothing confirmed just yet but they could time it to close at the end of 2022 and reopen in 2024 for its 30 year celebration. 

[KarlaKoaster]

Hopefully it will be open for at least the first part of the season. I agree that they're probably planning on completing for the anniversary.

Another thing I thought, I wonder if the trains are going to be replaced too? 

Hopefully it will be a like-for-like track replacement, worried that they might smooth out the inline twist a bit which is probably my favourite part on the ride. 

[southpuddle]

Well this is exciting and scary. I hope the vast majority of the landscaping that has grown in around the ride over the last 25+ years can be retained. I know it’s going to be very challenging for them to get equipment into the area. I hope the land clearing will be minimal to get cranes placed where they need to be. But also exciting because we’re essentially going to be getting a brand new Nemesis that’ll last at least another 30 years! 

[KarlaKoaster]

Exciting and scary sums up my thoughts too. Nemesis still runs great and is glass smooth, but Incredible Hulk 2.0 is running great too so that puts my mind at rest.

I never even thought about access. I'm sure they would have had to talk about material changes to the landscaping, and the 'what won't change' section mentions no trees will be removed. It will be fascinating to see how they do it though.

[Baffles]

I have written an article which looks into the application of lawfulness in depth, along with the planning documents, associate images, and speculative details on what improvements we may see.

https://www.towerstimes.co.uk/blog/2022/01/25/alton-towers-resort-planning-nemesis-track-replacement/

It will be sad to not experience the classic Nemesis roar - can only hope it is reduced like Incredible Hulk, rather than muted completely.

[coasterbill]

I’m glad that they’re taking care of it, just don’t mess it up.

[KarlaKoaster]

Nice write-up @Baffles. I wonder if a couple of bits of old track will be incorporated into the surrounding area as monoliths? I was thinking maybe the legs of the station might get upgraded to be actual real track but that would probably be a lot of work to replace the lightweight replica track with actual track. Maybe doing that would require planning permission, so maybe not.

[Baffles]

If the appearance is maintained, then I don't see why there would be any harm in replacing faux track with the real thing! Would be good, like Universal did with Hulk's new entrance.

At a minimum I would expect them to chop up the old track and sell it online, whether that be in the form of whole track sections or pieces of the running rail - Pleasure Beach have shown there is demand for it with the Big One. I know what I would rather own though, haha.

[coasterbill]

Some of the “retro squad” rides will apparently be returning. Funk’n’Fly is a blast. They should keep it forever.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Hey Everyone! I am heading to the UK this summer, and wanted to see if there is any update on the current transportation options for getting to Alton. I'll be coming from/to the Manchester area, staying near Piccadilly. 

I know the usual options listed on their website, but what might the BEST way be? Or any other updated suggestions? 

 

Additionally, I saw that Yazoo Milk has a 2 for 1 offer for Alton and Thorpe. Anyone drink this, that has some codes they won't be using? I'm hoping to use this for Thorpe as well.

 

FInally, I haven't been back to Alton since the ORIGINAL TPR 2006 UK Trip!  Any thoughts or info on the park are appreciated. We will be getting the Fast Track Gold four our day there. 

 

Thanks! 

[Garet]

There'll be a new Retro Squad ride coming in 2022 to replace Mixtape called Spinjam. Rumor is due to there being 10 names related to the Retro Squad, and with this new ride matching as well, it seems rotating in and out temporary rides as the new attractions could be around a while.

Also in Alton Tower news the teenage couple in the Smiler Accident back in 2005, recently got engaged. The injuries were obviously horrific and life-changing so let's focus on the good news, and not the greatly exaggerated reporting of the accident speed.

Quote

A couple who were seriously injured in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers have got engaged.

Leah Washington and Joe Pugh had been dating for about a month when in 2015 they decided to go to Alton Towers and their rollercoaster carriage crashed into a stationary carriage on the same track at 90mph.

On Wednesday Washington posted pictures on Instagram showing her engagement ring during a trip to Venice. She wrote: “So this happened yesterday … I SAID YES.”

Pugh posted: “Venice 2022, the best city break so far, made even better by getting a yes from Leah.”

Washington, who was 17 at the time of the crash, had to have her leg amputated above the knee, and Pugh, then 18, also sustained serious injuries, including two shattered kneecaps. The pair, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, were among 16 people injured, five of them seriously, in the crash at the Staffordshire theme park on 2 June.

The passengers were left trapped more than 6 metres (20ft) from the ground at an angle of about 45 degrees before they were eventually freed by emergency workers and stretchered away.

Speaking after the incident in 2015, Washington told how she feared she would die in the moments afterwards and described the “blur” of waking up in hospital and being told her left leg had been amputated.

A 2016 investigation into the incident concluded that the crash was caused due to inadequate health and safety protocols. Merlin Attractions, the owner of Alton Towers, was fined £5m for health and safety failures.

The judge, Michael Chambers QC, said the safety procedures were “woefully inadequate” and a “shambles”, and that the crash was “a needless and avoidable accident in which those injured were fortunate not to have been killed or to have bled to death”.

The judge rejected Merlin Attractions’ claim that the crash was caused by human error, finding rather that it was caused by the company’s “catastrophic failure to assess risk and have a structured system of work”.

On top of the initial fine, Merlin Attractions made interim payments to cover medical and physiotherapy costs. Lawyers said the fine was believed to be the largest ever of its kind for a leisure industry company.

Washington, who has amassed over 27,000 followers on Instagram, uses her platform to share her experiences and progress as an amputee. She became the face of the lingerie brand Pour Moi in 2021.

Washington wrote about how the incident had “changed her life for ever” in a post marking five years since the incident. “I can’t believe how quick five years have gone and obstacles I have overcome since that day and the amazing opportunities that have arisen for me,” she wrote on Instagram. “I want to thank my friends, family and boyfriend for your continued support throughout everything.”

Source

[coasterbill]

I love the Retro Squad more than I should as a concept.

[Garet]

Here's the original trailer with the 10 names when the concept was first announced:

 

Nothing official from the park or the site that runs this ride but Twitter people seem to know the exact ride and owner of the travelling fair circuit because the name Wilmot's Air Raid seems to have been repeated a lot. The park opens on Monday so I'm assuming that someone's seen it or heard the news for everyone to be so confident about it.

[DJeXeL]

On 1/25/2022 at 4:52 AM, Baffles said:

I have written an article which looks into the application of lawfulness in depth, along with the planning documents, associate images, and speculative details on what improvements we may see.

https://www.towerstimes.co.uk/blog/2022/01/25/alton-towers-resort-planning-nemesis-track-replacement/

It will be sad to not experience the classic Nemesis roar - can only hope it is reduced like Incredible Hulk, rather than muted completely.

Excellent article. 

[grsupercity]

Anyone think they will ruin Nemesis with new Vest restraint trains?

[southpuddle]

I doubt it. The only invert to open since Banshee is Monster and it sports the standard trains. If this overhaul is anything like Hulk, it’s going to be an exact replacement taken from the original blueprints and wouldn’t be able to accommodate the wider trains anyway... I also think that parks have taken notice at how horribly jack-hammery Banshee is with that new train design. Why would any park want that when they could get the standard train? Still not sure why B&M insisted on messing with perfection with those trains. 

[coasterbill]

Yeah, I expect this ride to be exactly the same unless you haven't been on it yet and you ask a coaster dork about the refurbishment in which case the old version was way better and it's a shame that you didn't ride it before they ruined it.

[Baffles]

Haha too true.

And yeah, there are so many tunnels and tight clearances on Nemesis, the wider profile of the vest restraint trains would not fit in the current safety envelope.

Today, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have approved the issue of a certificate of lawfulness for the proposed retrack. This gives the green-light to proceed with the work.

[njcoasterguy34]

On June 11th, Tom Scott posted a video on his second YouTube channel of him getting over his phobia of coasters at Alton Towers.

 

[mikeykaise]

I love seeing a first timer's screams of terror turning into giggling like a child, it's fun to watch and hilarious all at the same time.