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Alton Towers' Next Big Thing?

Serena said:
The caption on the ParkCast post itself did make me chuckle. Imagine thinking that a short Straddle coaster themed to an old Jet Star 2 from the 80s would have been a "spectacular addition" 😂 Talk about low standards!

If and when Alton Towers add a new coaster, I'd love it to have an entirely new theme and story. No clumsy, winky old references. Not another ride that harks back to the parks glory years.

Building all these new / re-tracked rides filled with references to their old rides just serves as a reminder that Alton will never be what it once was in the 90s.

The main thing I notice when I visit Alton now is that all the ride hardware feels kinda outdated. There's very little modern thrilling elements or sensations on offer.

So with that in mind, I'd love for their next coaster to be something unique, extreme and innovative. Preferably with a dark theme, I don't care what everyone else says, Alton does dark / horror themes SO WELL and they should continue to play to that strength!
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Alton Towers theme a new ride without harking back to prior rides. Challenge Impossible
 
I've not done an Intamin Multidimension Coaster (except Thirteen, which I really like, but I think Project Horizon wouldn't have the drop like Thirteen has) - are they really that enjoyable? If that rumour is true, I'd feel rather disappointed. The big projects of Nemesis, Oblivion, Air, Rita, Thirteen, Smiler and Wicker Man (which I haven't ridden unfortunately) all had the 'wow factor', which I don't feel that the Intamin model has. It probably would be a nice ride, but I just wouldn't see it as an 'outstanding' addition.

I know this wouldn't happen, but many of the proposed layouts for the S&S Axis Coaster are quite low to the ground, so it's a concept that could fit into the Horizon building. It wouldn't work because the concept on a full scale layout is not yet proven, capacity could be a concern, reliability could be an issue and costs could be prohibitive - the only known models sold are to FECs in Saudi Arabia, where budgets are a lot higher. But it does have the 'first' concept that many other attractions at AT are known for, unlike the Intamin.
 
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I agree they need a "wow factor" and yes, i dont think a multidimension will sort it.

If i was in charge of Alton however, i would not know where to start especially with Universal coming it rases their need of quality in their future investments. With that site they are stuck to its constraints but the area around it also needs a sort out and really they should do something with the dungeon while they are at it. These costs add up, an Axis would be cool but like you say S&S have their issues.

I would not want to be running Alton at the mo, especially when i understand the money going to Chessington & Legoland. I can easily see Thorpe getting a "wow factor" coaster before Alton also🫤
 
Niles said:
I agree they need a "wow factor" and yes, i dont think a multidimension will sort it.

If i was in charge of Alton however, i would not know where to start especially with Universal coming it rases their need of quality in their future investments. With that site they are stuck to its constraints but the area around it also needs a sort out and really they should do something with the dungeon while they are at it. These costs add up, an Axis would be cool but like you say S&S have their issues.

I would not want to be running Alton at the mo, especially when i understand the money going to Chessington & Legoland. I can easily see Thorpe getting a "wow factor" coaster before Alton also🫤
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The obvious move for them if they want a proven wow factor is Intamin single rail. We don't have one in the UK and they're good rides that can launch. The problem with them is capacity but will Merlin give a crap about that? A racing version would give them a 2nd wow factor too and something unique for the country. But again that costs money and this is Merlin.
 
roomraider said:
The obvious move for them if they want a proven wow factor is Intamin single rail. We don't have one in the UK and they're good rides that can launch. The problem with them is capacity but will Merlin give a crap about that? A racing version would give them a 2nd wow factor too and something unique for the country. But again that costs money and this is Merlin.
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An indoor single rail would be a great, theming could be tight around the train to make it feel faster than it really is, also have it dueling, yes please 😁
 
I would lovvee the indoor coaster to be a high capacity black hole type ride. A super fun dark coaster with multiple launches and a banging soundtrack.

Alternatively a terrain Mack spinner in the valley.
 
If it’s like Uncharted a multidimension coaster could absolutely be a big hit at Alton, provided Merlin actually bothers to theme it well. The problem with that coaster is not the underlying hardware, I think.
 
It needs something with length, ideally. The Smiler is a decent length, but a lot of Alton's big rides are notably short. I don't think it's unreasonable to compare Rita to modern launch coasters with much longer layouts, Thirteen I always thought needed about double the track length on the outdoor section, Oblivion is one drop and done.
 
cookie said:
If it’s like Uncharted a multidimension coaster could absolutely be a big hit at Alton, provided Merlin actually bothers to theme it well. The problem with that coaster is not the underlying hardware, I think.
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The issue is there's one opening at Chessington next year with a budget unlikely to be replicated at AT so rather than "wow factor" it would likely be a lesser version.
 
cookie said:
If it’s like Uncharted a multidimension coaster could absolutely be a big hit at Alton, provided Merlin actually bothers to theme it well. The problem with that coaster is not the underlying hardware, I think.
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It's too similar to Chessington - it needs to be something different.
 
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