Excellent
I think it shows just how much we take theme parks and rides for granted these days. That was just as the concept was really starting to take off, but long before the likes of DMP, LWV CWoE, etc really got to grips with the idea of being a theme park (though they rapidly got the hang of it
). A day at Alton Towers was the most incredible treat and this is why most people class this as it's most magical period (well those old enough to remember it
). It was just like nothing else you could do in the country, we've left that treat status long behind.
It also shows how our concept of a thrill rides altered very rapidly. This is what? 6 years before Nemesis, Shockwave, PMBO and The Ultimate opened? About that, but you can see the shock in their reaction to both Corkscrew and Black Hole - even though looking at it, we can see how tame they really are.
I think the biggest shock is how much Katanga Canyon and the area around the rapids changed once Tussauds took over. You can see around the area that is was very bland, bare and open. Compare that to today where you have an entire area over and around the Rapids, large trees obscuring the Flume, etc. The path used to cut from the edge of Merry England around the back of the Flume, just to the left of where the large Flume lake and queue is now (it's still an employee path and is opened on late nights too for guests). The path cuts between the rapids and flume and ends in Gloomy Wood (which didn't exist back then) - it used to end at the top (or was it middle?) mini-railway station. The path tyhat goes to Katanga Canyon never used to be there and that section of the park ended at the Cine 360 (now the Sea Life Centre and shop).
Of course, X-Sector was very different too, but the Pirate ship was roughly where Submission is now (I think). It changed massively because of Oblivion, but it's still very similar to how it was.
