Alton Towers - what would you do next?

[nadroJ]

Inspiration taken from spicy's topic on Thorpe and from looking at the 2010 Alton Towers map, I got a bit curious, what would you do next?

This would be my plan of actions:
- Sort out the X-Sector, give it some nice new theming, up the paint jobs a little bit, maybe add a shiny new flat (S&S Screaming Swing or Huss Giant Frisbee for example), something thrilling but family friendly. I'd get rid of the stupid Black Hole tent of emptiness too, probably to make room for the new flat.

- Re-name Rita, just to complete the consistency in the Dark Forest. Let's face it, the name has always been crap and the newly themed land it now finds itself in is a perfect excuse to update it.

- Re-theme The Flume. Got to be pirates hasn't it, come on? Stupid ducks...

- Do up Towers Street. I've always found it to look extremely 90s, it needs something more than just a new coat of paint every season. Re-do some of the architecture, and I'd try and make sure Hall of the Mountain King was always playing somewhere.

- Katanga Canyon has always annoyed me, I'd give that a complete re-haul along with Duel, again just to try and make the theme consistent.

- Air, I love the ride but the theme is once again, inconsistent and stupid and it really detracts from the whole 'badass' feel Forbidden Valley gives off. Air just needs to learnt to be a bit meaner, maybe a darker paint job, something not so airy-fairy.

Then I feel the park would be complete <3 For the time being.

 

[Smithy]

Build that damn Woodie. Not matter how many loopholes and hoops that needed to be jumped through. It would then pretty much complete the park in my opinion.

Air retheme would be good, possibly add in a tunnel for it on the last tight curve and theme it darker to go with Nemesis. X Sector could use a shot n drop tower. Built into the floor though, so you launch the first half from underground and then pop out and up through the floor.

 

[Ingested Banjo]

This would be my plan of actions:
- Sort out the X-Sector, give it some nice new theming, up the paint jobs a little bit, maybe add a shiny new flat (S&S Screaming Swing or Huss Giant Frisbee for example), something thrilling but family friendly. I'd get rid of the stupid Black Hole tent of emptiness too, probably to make room for the new flat.

- Re-theme The Flume. Got to be pirates hasn't it, come on? Stupid ducks...

- Do up Towers Street. I've always found it to look extremely 90s, it needs something more than just a new coat of paint every season. Re-do some of the architecture, and I'd try and make sure Hall of the Mountain King was always playing somewhere.

- Katanga Canyon has always annoyed me, I'd give that a complete re-haul along with Duel, again just to try and make the theme consistent.

These points I don't agree on. X sector, IMO has one of the best themes of any park I've ever been to or read about, same with nemesis. The flume, whilst it's a silly theme, I think gives it a playful family feel, which is good because it's not meant to be a scary ride.

Towers street, again, I think it's good the way it is (if Towers street is the entrance?) it reflects the park logo and has a bit of adventure mixed with a bit of craziness. Maybe make the buildings bigger and 'loomier' though.

And katanga canyon doesn't annoy me, although I think it feels a bit out of place with spookiness and forbidden valley on one side and pirates on t'other. What annoys me more is just the fact that you can wander into that land without really knowing it. It needs to have bolder borders, like X sector and forbidden valley, so you know 'this is where katanga canyon is'.

I agree with you and smithy about an Air retheme, it needs to fit in with the whole 'forbidden valley' thing. However, regarding smithy's point about the wooden coaster, I assume this is trying to look at changes which would benefit the park? Wasting time and money waiting for planning permission, chopping down lots of trees in the beautiful valley, spoiling all the features to build a huge wooden coaster, given that they aren't actually so popular here in england, that's not benifitting the park much.

Saying that, it would be nice to see a woodie or mega lite.

I don't think X sector should get a drop tower, because it already has one freefall ride, the most famous one in the country (probably). I think alton should get a couple more decent flat rides, the largest flat at the moment being... probably ripsaw. Thorpe has lots of big flat rides, alton has hardly any, so adding a nice big (hopefully unusual) flat ride in might be beneficial, but they'd have to get permission for anything big.

On that note, I'd like to mention that I think it's a really good thing that they're not allowed to build above the treeline, for the reason that it gives a welcome break from other parks which advertise their rides so you can see the park from miles. It secludes the park from view, and so make it feel like more of an escape from real life.

 

[A-Kid]

I would try and restore X-Sector to its former self. As it was, as new. Not sure with the black hole tent. I would have all the ride theme the same for sure. I'd probally have a similar ride to what the black hole was. Maybe a Gerstlauer launch similar to Lynet to be like a mini "Rock 'n' Roller Coaster" / Space Mountain type thing.

I like Air's contrasting colours and theme. It just needs to be expanded on as currently there is nothing to it. I would like to see it blend better. Air's lift hill with the rustic styling, slowly having less and less rustyness as it moves further into its own area. I would add some rockary around the concrete tunnel in the fly-to-lie bit. I'd create tunnel themeing much like its TV advert. All futuristic. Rustic, yet futuristic. Like its been slightly damage by the events of the FV. I'd also add a few tools around the area like Nemesis' drill up the top end.

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Build a wooden coaster.

That is all.

 

[nealbie]

What annoys me more is just the fact that you can wander into that land without really knowing it. It needs to have bolder borders, like X sector and forbidden valley, so you know 'this is where katanga canyon is'.

The giant rock sign right infront of you not bold enough eh?

 

[tks]

Katanga Canyon is screaming out for a decent flat ride. Oh and get rid of Blade. It's crap.

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

Alton Towers is screaming out for a decent flat ride.

EFA...

Basically if I was in charge, the next few years would involve flats being added to a few places and removing the poorer ones (Submission and Enterprise for example)...

Renovating X-Sector would be a major thing... Two new flats, and a large indoor attraction where Black Hole was...

Dark Forest would also get 2 flats...

Air's tunnel would actually be themed...

That's all I can think of atm...

 

[Martyn B]

Definitely replace the Flume with a Woodie. By far the best location for one. Planning permission would be eased a bit too, with it being in the middle of the park. I can just see it now, thundering through them woods....!

Half pipe coaster or something similar to replace Black Hole tent...?

 

[Gazza]

TBH, I'd go the other direction, and work more to make Air sit in its own area rather than try and make it part of Forbidden Valley (So you'd build some sort of "portal" to mark the start of this area, contrasting ground material, change in music etc)...Hasn't it been proposed to stuff develop on the car park...This could be a good place to expand the park out to, since it wouldn't require any tree removal, and it is far away from the village, so Air would mark the beginning of this area.

In terms of major attractions...I think Alton would be a great candidate for a 4D Dark ride / Multi Motion Dark ride. The park gets the attendance and has the budgets to do something like this.

If it were to be a 4D dark ride, then build it where the Black hole used to be (The replacement building would need a bit more floor area) Some sort of futuristic adventure would fit well here.

If it were a Multi Motion Dark ride then go down the Lotte World/Disney/Leofoo route and make themed to jeeps through some hidden temple in the African jungle...Obviously building it in Katanga Canyon, with the show builidng on the coach parking area, and a queue with a bridge across the rapids and up through the trees to get there (There appears to be two coach parking areas from what I can see on Google Earth...I'm talking about the one further east)

The woodie is something I'd like to see happen. Given the low height limits, it would be cool if it started off with a conventional lift hill, but later in the layout featured sets of LSMs or kicker wheels (Eg like on Jet Rescue) to boost the speed up halfway through the ride. It could be a way to get this long awaited ride, have a world first ("first woodie with a launch")

 

[Ingested Banjo]

The woodie is something I'd like to see happen. Given the low height limits, it would be cool if it started off with a conventional lift hill, but later in the layout featured sets of LSMs or kicker wheels (Eg like on Jet Rescue) to boost the speed up halfway through the ride. It could be a way to get this long awaited ride, have a world first ("first woodie with a launch")

Dang it, you just nicked the idea I had for a my new NL (non comp) woodie! Have a lift and then boost it to about 30mph at the top of the lift...

What do you mean by a multi motion dark ride? Like that jusrassic park themed tidal wave kind of thing? Can't remember the name of it.

I like the idea of a new area in the car park, like, instead of having car park coasters, maybe have something like Hades wooden coaster, but it dips in and out of the car park, giving an insight into what lies in store for guests later on in the day.

And no, in all my visits to alton towers, I've never noticed a 'katanga canyon' sign. Katanga canyon seems to be composed entirely of a rapids ride, a mine train, 1 shop and 2 small paths, as in, once you've walked 50m, you've gone straight through without really noticing you were there.

 

[Gazza]

What do you mean by a multi motion dark ride? Like that jusrassic park themed tidal wave kind of thing? Can't remember the name of it.

Multi Motion Dark Ride:
http://www.ridetrade.com/rti/index.php? ... &Itemid=36
So Nah, not like Jurassic Park River Adventure, basically you ride in big, rubber tyred Jeep type vehicles. The vehicles have hydraulics under the chassis, so they can do cool stuff like bounce up and down to simulate a rough ride, tilt outwards on corners so it feels like you are going to roll over, tilt backwards when accelerating etc.

Indiana Jones Adventure is probably the best example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6lbONjQZCM

I like the idea of a new area in the car park, like, instead of having car park coasters, maybe have something like Hades wooden coaster, but it dips in and out of the car park, giving an insight into what lies in store for guests later on in the day.

The intention would be that as land was needed the car park would be jackhammered up.

And no, in all my visits to alton towers, I've never noticed a 'katanga canyon' sign.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/16/11726 ... 827ddd.jpg

 

[Ollie]

And no, in all my visits to alton towers, I've never noticed a 'katanga canyon' sign. Katanga canyon seems to be composed entirely of a rapids ride, a mine train, 1 shop and 2 small paths, as in, once you've walked 50m, you've gone straight through without really noticing you were there.

It's a big sign. Although the foliage around it needs to be cut a bit. And it does take a while to walk through Katanga Canyon as it's from that sign, then you have to walk all the way around the edge of the rapids which is a long walk, then into the main area with the Runaway Mine Train and Rapids Entrance. There's also that amazing Pizza & Pasta Buffet place there.
Then you've got that small section of path that leads onto Gloomy Woods.
So yeah it's a big area and I personally don't see anything wrong with it.

 

[Ingested Banjo]

^OOOH yeah! I remember that! I thought like an overhead path... I guess it's sort of its own area. Alton has the best area distinction of any park in the country... apart from possibly legoland or chessington.

That multi motion dark ride definitely looks cool, but it reminds me a lot of duel, so I dunno if the park would have both and being in katanga canyon, it's a bit close to duel. Can you get any cross between those rides and the shooter rides

What does the verb 'jackhammered' mean? As in, the car park would be demolished and relocated?

 

[Gazza]

^Apart from it being a dark ride, it is nothing like Duel.

Besides, Disney has Indiana Jones (Multi Motion), and Buzz Lighyear (Shooting) in the same park.

What does the verb 'jackhammered' mean?

For real?

 

[Nemesis Inferno]

^Chessington and good area distinction?

Maybe a little... But for the most part... No...


I wouldn't see a problem with an EMV in Katanga Canyon, Disney have EMV and shooters near each other... (Indy and Buzz)... Hell Disney get away with having multiple versions of the same ride :lol:

Would think an EMV or similar would be awesome in Black Hole's Tent though... Wouldn't have to worry about noise concerns, just building height... Which I think would be the main issue with that...

So dark ride and some awesome flats before the next coaster please Towers...

 

[Ingested Banjo]

Yeah sorry I knew what a jackhammer was, just didn't know what 'jackhammered' would mean.

I thought the indiana jones ride looked a lot like the tomb blaster ride at chessignton, and then I got mixed up between tomb blaster and duel! So, basically, my mind just went screwy

And NI, if the wooden coaster arrives next year, I'm not gonna complain

 

[EnigmaHyena]

It'd be brilliant if Alton got an S&S Screamin' Swing, but the only problem is that they make a LOT of noise (you can hear Rush clearly from the bus stop/entrance area at Thorpe, haha ) so the local villagers would probably complain...

 

[SaiyanHajime]

I'd focus on turning the towers themselves into an attraction with restoration work and one or two museum-like rooms, giving interesting and detailed history about the towers, whilst ensuring most of the towers kept it's falling-apart look. Possibly consider a restaurant "within" the towers, or meant to look like it is, like Hex.

I'd renovate the glass house in the gardens into some kind of "expensive" restaurant or corporate building.

Push for an attraction which utilizes the valley space.

Sonic Spinball will have it's sponsorship finished in 3 years, so a new theme for this land should be heavily considered which perhaps includes shifting current attractions in this area around and possibly making room for a new small attraction. I know they've just removed a medieval themed land, but I think a silly childrens medieval theme would work pretty well here. Maybe one of those rock and tug rides could be themed to jousting, or something.

Remove Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, replacing it with a worthwhile indoors attraction. A Spiderman style ride plz.

The Flume must be nearing the end of sponsorship? Retheme it to something relevant for Mutany Bay.

 

[Tony]

Well first I'd definitely do something with X-Sector. The whole area needs some sprucing up and give Oblivion it's much needed repaint. It would be great to see it black! Add a few decent flats to the area and remove Submission and Enterprise. Add some sort of family thrill coaster in the Black Hole tent.

Thankfully they are doing something with Ugland, hopefully somewhere down the road they will repaint Rita and theme it properly to fit the new area.

Air fits into it's area but it doesn't match the Forbidden Valley theme so probably retheme it to fit in with the rest of Forbidden Valley. Then just give other areas a little spruce up with new paint or some extra new theming etc..