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Alton Towers | The Smiler | Gerstlauer Infinity

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They haven't had something that was designed to be terrifying on an industrial scale since 1998 - I think they are going down the route of Oblivion/Nemesis (if people my age+ can remember how those rides were perceived back in the day) with this one. I think we should take a leap of faith and say it's going to be something awesome. :D
 
Bottom_Feeder_13 said:
It will be the first woodie with a beyond vertical drop and an outside loop, or it will be a wooden flyer.

oh god no. lol.

i want a launched woodie please. get on it alton.
 
I know some of you are not fond of Th13teen but it's thanks to Th13teen that AT are giving a large budget for this coaster since it brought in the largest crowds since Nemesis. (Th13teen is still a tad dissapointing)
 
Coastermaniac94 said:
it's thanks to Th13teen that AT are giving a large budget for this coaster since it brought in the largest crowds since Nemesis
Source?
 
Nic said:
Coastermaniac94 said:
it's thanks to Th13teen that AT are giving a large budget for this coaster since it brought in the largest crowds since Nemesis
Source?
thisisStaffordshire site with an interview of general manager of the park Ian Crabbe ,"Last year was the most successful year we have had since 1994 when Nemesis was launched" and apparently in the article it said 2.7 million came to the park which was a record in terms of annual increases..........
 
Fair enough. It's a bit surprising, and I doubt is entirely down to THonethreeTEEN, but there we go.

Oh, and also noted in that article (and FAR more exciting than the promise of a new cred) is this:

the aforementioned article said:
An entertainment show devised by Mike Stock, of Stock, Aitken and Waterman fame
OMG! Can't wait!

Edit: Oh, ffs. Serves me right for not reading Ian's opening post properly. Sorry.
 
I have yet to ride Th13teen so maybe Im not the best to judge on if it draws in crowds although I have heard mixed reviews of the ride some admiring it for what it is (family ride with a worlds first and decent theming plus the fact it fits in well with the park) and those who dissaprove claiming it is a dissapointment regarding the hype
 
I fit into both of those camps. It's a great family coaster. Yes, the outside section is trimmed to buggery (although, if you sit in the back row, it's still pretty good), but the drop is great, as is the rest of the indoor section.

However, they royally ****ed up on the theme/advertising for it. There's young kids who I know would love it, that are running away from the entrance practically in tears because they've been led to believe its really scary. Conversely, there's regularly bunches of chavs hanging around slagging it off for being so lame when they were told it was going to be the world's most thrilling ride experience or whatever.

In short, everyone loses.

That article refers to how they've experienced growth over a period of 2 1/2 years. A lot of that is to do with the state of the economy and the fact that more people are staying in the UK for holidays rather than going abroad. Or not going on holiday at all, and just doing a few day trips instead. The weakening of the £ has also led to an increase in the number of foreign visitors to the UK. Therefore, I'd be very dubious as to how much of that growth is directly related to thOMGONEELEVENteen.
 
Oh this has annoyed me. WHY can't Alton go for something conventional for once?! I'm fed up of all these "world's firsts" because you know it's going to be gimmicky and ridiculous.

All this talk about backwards Big Apples in the dark really questions, what is there left that they can do?

[/cynicalbastard]
 
A spinning wildmouse where you're actually upside-down for the entire thing. But launched. And backwards. In the dark.
 
Can I be open and honest and say that I'd HAPPILY have a new big apple at Alton. I mean, Beastie is SBNO and likely to be either moved or scrapped, and that only really leaves RMT for the littlest of children. At least with a Big Apple you know what you get and we'll probably welcome it with open arms :lol:

But yeah, I can't actually think of anything majorly "new" to brig to coasters as this moment at time. Having said that, Alton do plans coasters many, many years in advance...
 
Its going to be the worlds first 4d cinema coaster. The entire cinema will be put on rails, and will spin and loop, and oh...it'll have lasers. And sharks. Which'll have lasers. It' what I heard, anyway.... :shock:
 
Is Beastie really SBNO? When did that happen? That's news to me.

Oh well, I've got the cred. Meh.

OMG! Sharks with lasers! Sounds amazing! I heard there are going to be squid with light sabres too! I can't wait!
 
I have high hopes for this ride and put my faith into a great designer John Wardley who has done such an fantastic job for the industry, so what he made a overhyped ride, people make mistakes and John Wardley will produce a top world class world first :D
 
Nic said:
Is there any kind of confirmation that he's involved?
well he spoke at the Alton Towers conference in the black hole tent indicating he was planning for AT new world first coaster back in feb I tink so its not 100% but he worrks on everything to do with Merlin including LC12 at Thorpe
 
John Wardley is the ride consultant for Merlin Entertainments and semi-retired. So he didn’t design Thirteen at all really. He just provides his years of industry experience in dealing with ride manufacturers to Merlin’s advantage (see Raptor, Krake and Thirteen).

Candy Holland is the Creative Director of Merlin Entertainment’s Park Development Team. She is responsible for overseeing the creative design of all Merlin’s latest attractions and has been working with Merlin/Tussauds since Oblivion.

There are still many more members of the Park Development Team that deserve the credit for their involvement with Merlin’s latest attractions I’m sure. But they are the two main professionals that often find themselves in the lime light.
 
I'll read through this topic, but I'm probably just gonna wait and see what happens.

To be fair, Oblivion (whilst it WAS a world first) it was still, essentially a gimmick. Yes, we got a new coaster type, but it didn't do MUCH compared to what most coasters do, just a steeper angle.

I'm not slating Blivvy, it's my favourite, but it annoys me when people say Alton should have 'real' world firsts like they used to. They've all been gimmicks.
 
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