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World Firsts @ Alton !

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
I like Air and Thirteen. Not as much as Oblivion or Nemesis, granted, but I still think they are fantastic concepts that were executed to a high standard. They just weren't executed to as high standard as Oblivion and Nemesis, which are frankly exceptional, especially Oblivion, which may well be the best branded and marketed thrill ride in the world.

The reason Air and Thirteen are not so fantastic is that once their gimmick is bettered, they have nothing left. Air I think, like Gavin says, does what it does very well and really people overlook the magnificent concept and design of it. But the execution of it could have been better.
 

TjChapperz

Mega Poster
Don't Alton only have 2 worlds first? oblivion and thirteen.

Oblivion is good and still enjoy it when i go on it now but thirteen is the biggest pile of crap in the park.


And wasnt the worlds first flying coaster skytrak at granada studios, i know b&m's version is so different but granada took a greater risk installing their flying coaster.
 

Nemesis Inferno

Strata Poster
G-force said:
but thirteen is the biggest pile of crap in the park.

Though this is an arguement for another time, considering the job it's meant to do, Thirteen is good...

Especially as it noms through queues better than Rita, Air or Spinball...
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
G-force said:
Don't Alton only have 2 worlds first? oblivion and thirteen.

Oblivion is good and still enjoy it when i go on it now but thirteen is the biggest pile of crap in the park.


And wasnt the worlds first flying coaster skytrak at granada studios, i know b&m's version is so different but granada took a greater risk installing their flying coaster.

B&M class those and the Vekomas as somethnig different. Lying down coasters, or whatever they class the Vekomas as.

It's all to do with the way you're brought into a flying position in the station and remain that way through the ride. Yeah, it's a very shaky claim...
 

Enicomb

Mega Poster
Having seen the Granada Sky coaster thing, I would say it;s a fair claim really. Air is completely different and even though it's a prototype, it's less of a prototype than that thing.
 

T0M

Hyper Poster
In response to the original post, what you basically mean is that Alton Towers (or typically John Wardley in many cases) come up with an awesome idea and it's then stolen and expanded upon by America who have more liberal planning laws.
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
^Well done for reading the opening post and obviously nothing else since.

The only real "world first" Alton can claim is Oblivion. Air wasn't the first flyer, and even if it was, the "stolen" American version was being built at exactly the same time and just opened slightly later.
 

Ben

CF Legend
But Oblivion isn't even vertical... And Superman The Escape was open with a vertical drop!
 

T0M

Hyper Poster
gavin said:
^Well done for reading the opening post and obviously nothing else since.

The only real "world first" Alton can claim is Oblivion. Air wasn't the first flyer, and even if it was, the "stolen" American version was being built at exactly the same time and just opened slightly later.

I've read the entire thread. Just because I made it clear that I was addressing the original post, doesn't mean I haven't read anything else and it certainly doesn't make it appear 'obvious' that I haven't - even if what I said might have been put across already.
 

Benson1997

Roller Poster
I think that Alton are building world first's because they want to attract a wider audience, obviously they are going to be built elsewhere unless there a complete fail (Thi3teen). They are trying to attract attention not just for the UK but for Europe, not many of us can afford a trip to America every year so they are giving us the oppertunity to try things that we wouldent normal get to try.

I havent been to Alton myself since 2002 and i was 5 so i havent ridden Thi3teen, Nemisis, Oblivion, Rita or Air but i bet if i had ridden them, i wouldent be complaining. Oblivion isnt a one of a kind anymore but for us UK folk it must of been. Air may have been built while something of the same kind was being built in America but would we have been able to go over there just to ride that??

Answer that question for yourself....
 

T0M

Hyper Poster
Thirteen is no fail, it's been the biggest draw to the park since 1998, or at the very least 2002. You're just disappointed with it. It won't have the lastability of the B&M trio but it's been a worthwhile investment.
 

furie

SBOPD
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Yeah, he's saying it's the biggest draw into the park since Oblivion or air, not that it was introduced to the park in 2002.

I doubt there's anyone in the world who doesn't know about the "THE WORLD'S MOST PANT WETTING EXPERIENCE since that photo of Vadge EVER!!!" opening last year.
 

Treeis

Mega Poster
Even though there are bigger inverts than Nemesis in the world, I still think Nemesis is the greatest rollercoaster of all time. I havent been on many inverts though, and Im sure Alpengeist will be almost as good.
 

chessychase

Roller Poster
Thirteen is a scarefest ride. The ride in the dark makes it.. the track turns invisible and gives a genuine feel of being dragged into the forest.
I personally love the ride- fun during normal season, fantastic at halloween :D
 

T0M

Hyper Poster
furie said:
Yeah, he's saying it's the biggest draw into the park since Oblivion or air, not that it was introduced to the park in 2002.

I doubt there's anyone in the world who doesn't know about the "THE WORLD'S MOST PANT WETTING EXPERIENCE since that photo of Vadge EVER!!!" opening last year.

Thank you furie, and may I say after watching your appearance on BBC News (via YouTube), I feel honoured to speak to you...as for Mark, I bet he feels somewhat daft after bigging up what was coming now :lol:
 
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