Alton Towers Discussion Thread

[robbalvey]

Hey everyone!

 

Looks like the guys over at http://www.hauntedattractions.co.uk/ got the scoop on what's going on this Halloween at Alton Towers!

 

Sounds like some cool mazes, attractions, and even a special room at the hotel!

 

Click the link above for more news.

 

--Robb

[Shockwave]

I miss the Halloween specials at Alton Towers, so hopefully this year the Halloween stuff will actaully go ahead. It's been cancelled three years running so far!

[dc006f5086]

Awesome Stuff!

 

The Alton Towers Halloween events were always fantastic and they put on a great event, it's a shame they have not had the event in three years although it seems this year will be making up for the all other years that have been missed!

 

Cannot wait to see how this all turns out....

[IceDragon]

damn... sounds amazing! i really need to encourage some friends to go there now... shame we live about 5 hours away from it...

 

 

walking is always an idea...

[AstroDan]

Hey!!! I'd already posted about this

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33316

 

How rude!

 

Anyway, this looks really good and I hope the park pull it off. There is no other park in Britain with the visual layout as Alton Towers that is more appropriate to Halloween!

[verticalzero]

I found some pic's of BH being taken apart and I hope it is ok to post them here for everyone to view.

 

It's sad when a ride has reached the end of it's life, but we have the memories it has given us over the years. Thank You BH RIP.

 

My fav parts were the "spiral lift hill" and the lovely station theaming.

 

Some Pic:s

 

http://gallery.towersalmanac.com/thumbnails.php?album=442

 

Did this coaster start out at AT as "The Beast" or "New Beast"..?

[Mushroom]

I assume most people already know about the coaster been taken down. The status of the coaster is currently un-known. Heard a little while back that they were finding a buyer for the coaster. And it is still a shame to see it in pieces

[cobra_roll06]

yeah i loved this ride Still can't believe its gone! What ever AT are doing it better be good! Any updates an what AT's plans are??????

[Dark Vampire]

I have seen the chained oak tree but who would have put the chains on the tree. Was it Alton Towers? Did Earl believed an old woman and died a family member by chance?

Is the known of the tree?

 

A second question.

Who is the storyteller of the preshow? Could it be I heard him in a National Geographic documentary once?

[AstroDan]

Jim Carter narrates on the Hex pre-shows. He also narrates on the 'Story of Alton Towers' DVD, which is available http://www.joylandbooks.com/video_new/altontowers.htm

 

The Earl chained the tree up in an effort to prevent further branches from falling if there were storms.

 

If you have further questions about Hex, I suggest you visit www.towerstimesforum.co.uk and ask there. There are some real experts on the history of the theme park and the historic grounds.

 

Unfortunately, I am no expert.

[Nrthwnd]

That was a very well done attraction, too.

 

I think it was actually my first 'haunted swing' attraction and it was really I think, one of The Best Ones to have first experienced.

 

The chained tree as part of the turn beam was amazing atmosphere, inside the 'room'.

 

One of my best memories of AT, from the TPR UK Tour last June.

 

 

(Edit: It was also the best one to start with; then, I experienced the smaller, more 'cheesy' ones in the tour? At Blackpool and Drayton Manor's. Both good though, in their own quaint ways, heh heh.

[alanjonesbath]

It was so long ago that I last got to ride the Black Hole Oblivion didn't even exist at the time! We were able to sneak a photo through the fence panels when we there mid-September last year, track/support pieces just sitting there in a pile I would have thought they would at least have taken the metal off-site once it was dismantelled, rather than leaving it piled up outside the tent.

[fictionalxxfiend]

Any reason why this ride was taken down??? Heh, so much for hoping for a ride on this if I ever make it out to A. T.

[BlackHole2005]

Any reason why this ride was taken down??? Heh, so much for hoping for a ride on this if I ever make it out to A. T.

 

The ride was taken down because of the low capacity and the queues were getting kind of too long. Also health and safety said they had to install a power thing or something in case the ride broke down and that would have cost way too much, so in the end they just thought oh screw it and took it down. I think It is a HUGE shame and a big loss to the park but in the end the park was running low on money due rita etc. so I can see why they did it.

[fictionalxxfiend]

wow...heh what a shame. I would have loved a chance to ride this one.

[Movieguy]

It's just a shame to see any indoor, space themed coaster fall by the wayside in any park. It seems like in the race for the tallest, fastest coasters on earth, these nice little themed indoor coasters are being forgotten and abandoned, right and left.

 

But who knows...maybe if there's enough support, and they get enough money, Alton Towers will build a new version someday, in whatever shape or form they see fit.

[Curley]

yeah i loved this ride Still can't believe its gone! What ever AT are doing it better be good! Any updates an what AT's plans are??????

 

Eeer.....No plans, nothing that's going to happen anytime soon anyway. The Main focus in 2008 is going to be a wooden rollercoaster about the same size as Megaphobia at Oakwood (apparently).

 

So for atleast one, probably two more seasons the tent will stand idle.

[acetcw]

I have already heard the plans for the Woody have been rejected and they need to resubmit them.

I think it was a shame the blackhole went as this was a good ride. Though I must say the queues were huge for this ride as such low through put. Shame but in this day and age you need higher through put for a ride. Look at the mistake with Spinball. The queues for this are so massive. I refuse to ride it unless as a single rider now.

[crazyrider06]

What a shame, I’ve never been on it, but from what I hear it was a decent ride

[BlackHole2005]

I have already heard the plans for the Woody have been rejected and they need to resubmit them.

 

Well they could be building a woodie a shoot-the-chutes ride for 2008.No artwork has been posted yet and I don't even know what part it could be put in. They could put it in the old "coaster corner" where the 4 man bobs used to be although I actuallly heared they will be putting it in the old car park (parking lot) for busses and it will be a bit like megaphobia. as for the water ride It may go in KC so that would be very nice or as I said before coaster corner.

[larrygator]

Although I never rode Black Hole, it appears similar to the City Jet that used to be at Gillians in Ocean City, NJ. If BH is similar to City Jet I don't see what the big deal is about people longing for the ride or professing its' greatness.

 

Spinball Whizzer is a lot of fun, even if the queues are a little longer it is a far superior ride to what I think the Black Hole was.

[Fisherman]

This site also has some great info on the attraction...as well as other Vekoma Mad Houses:

 

www.madhouse-guide.com/?s=1&lang=EN

 

-Derek

[IceDragon]

This was my first Haunted Swing ride too, and it sure did freak me out.

 

i knew the legend, how it works (not very well though) and the overall effect, but i didnt expect it to be that realistic!!! it actually at one point had me believe that we were actually upside down!

 

Ice 'thank God for Sensory Deprivation' Dragon

[cfc]

Hex was the first Haunted Swing for me, too, and I thought it was great--a beautifully realized attraction. Drayton's Haunting was much cheesier, but also a lot of fun (best thing there, along with Apocalypse).

[Menghini]

Hex is a nice madhouse, when I arrived at Alton I thought that the castle should have a ride like that, and that was the case!

 

But it was a bit too dark and a bit vague why the room would have to turn upside down... The first madhouse of this type is still the best for me: "Villa Volta" at the Efteling.