Queue lines?

General discussion regarding the UK's No.1 Theme Park. Talk about anything and everything Alton Towers here.
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Spike
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How difficult would it be for Alton to make some rides more immersive in queueing?

There's Hex which makes queueing interesting for the ride and no doubt SW6 will be similar we think. But what about the other rides? Why was nothing done about making them more tolerable at peak times.

There are queue TVs but who seriously wants to come to a theme park and watch adverts? :roll:

Nemesis should really be showing the story or at least play the full audio to help build tension and make the queue line more fun.

Other parks across the world go to great lengths to make queueing more tolerable Dueling Dragons is a good example and also Manta, which cleverly incorporates a Sealife style centre as the queue line so you have something to take you mind off the queue.

Is it really that difficult to create something to keep people occupied besides music whilst queueing? Let's find out...

Choose a ride at Alton and re-design the queue line to make it more immersive and involved for the customer, try and think clever and not go OTT with cost and you never know who could be reading this so keep it realistic if you can. :mrgreen:
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PeteB
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I totally agree and this is something I've always thought of even back in the early nineties when I was just a kid. Hex and Duel are by far the most interesting, although Duel always moves too fast in my opinion and you don't often get a chance to take it all in. I can remember back to the 90's it always seemed to move slower.

RMT was ok once upon a time, not great, but I think they should have added more equipment and perhaps more "mine-like" theming. Possible a character or two like Gold Mine at Blackpool.

Rapids - I was over the moon with the added theming last season, the tents and boxes and so on. Its not enough though, theres much potential. I think something similar to the queueline for Indiana Jones at Disneyland: [url=http://www.rcdb.com/ig957.htm?picture=14" target="_blank]http://www.rcdb.com/ig957.htm?picture=14[/url]

Oblivion tries to keep you entertained, but its mainly just those videos every time you pass through the tunnel.

Nemesis is one of the best rides on park but yet has very little queue line theming. Again I think they've missed a trick here because given the actual theme of FB, most of the stuff could be obtained from scrap yards - literally rusty old junk is all they need at virtually zero cost I bet.

Air is a real tricky one. How do you theme such a ride's queue? Perhaps the chilled out tranquil landscape as shown on the original plans would have been best. Water features are a must!

Rita should have the cattle pen ripped down, that's the only place to start but I cant really say much here because I personally want Rita re themed to match SW6 and its new area.

For me overall I'd say Spinball Whizzer has enormous potential - the whole area should be filled with lights, animatronics and games.


I can' t understand why bean counters at Alton Towers don't consider all this theming to be important. It is! Its adds greatly to your experience of every ride and takes you to a virtual world - of which people usually want to revisit. It makes sense to invest in customer experience.
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Joe Koopa
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Well, I think I might as well, do it for every ride's line, as each has so much potential-
Spinball Wizzer-Really missed out on the arcade-theming here. More arcade games, flashing light's & disco balls could all add to the effect. Oh and some disco lights in the station.
Oblivion-Keep the videos, maybe add more.
Rita-Queen Of Speed-Just definatley needs to be re-themed for SW6.
The Flume-Water effects in the queue line, quirky water-pipes, not to different to Cariba Creek.
Congo River Rapids & Runaway Mine Train-African exploprer's theming, and a storyline, which ties into the other ride.
Air-A calm oasis, more peaceful music playing. Palm-trees and benches in some places.
Nemesis-Just simply use the T.V's to tell the story, and more theming. Plus sort out the rusty alien.

That's all I can think of now. :)
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Rory
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I went on battle galleons on Tuesday for the first time and thought the queuing experience was fantastic :)

Nemesis queueline would be the easiest to touch up, as said get some scrap envolved and perhaps loop the queuline in and out of some rusty lorries in the queueline area to the left as you enter the queueline. The short queue linke (to right as you enter main queue) is fine as the the vistas of the ride are superb and help build tension.

RITA needs most attention an IMO only way of doing this is a retheme next year. I've always thought a queueline which declines underground and through a tunnel (only needs to be a few meters long) and then up again would be a good effect. If the rita queueline was extended more around the new area, this tunnel would allow a main path to go over the top of it and crypt sounds could be played in the tunnel (or few tunnels) and perhaps sinister green lighting.

Just a few thoughts :)
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Invie
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But Koopa, nemesis wouldn't be nemesis without the alien! D:!

I'm not at all bothered by queuing, actually. The only thing that pisses me right off is the crappy R&B music, it's not to everyones taste :/ It would be fine if they changed the songs, but the same 30 second Rihanna clip again and again? #-o
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xEmmax
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I have to agree having just got back from Orlando all their queue line really put the likes of Alton to shame.

I must admit though Dueling Dragons is a bit intense if your claustraphobic like me!

All it takes is some really good themed objects in and around the queues. Even varying it a bit like someone says going underground or a tunnel - it just brakes up the queue a bit (I must say I found Universals parks very good at it, many times the queue seemed to have different 'bits'' to it which makes you think it's going faster than it really is.
The new Simpsons ride is a good example
-First you queue like normal, bit boring here but they play Simpsons episodes and highlights to make it go faster!
-Then you get sent to one of the 3 boarding ramps, and queue a bit longer.
-Then you line up about 30 at a time and watch the first pre-show (very funny)
-Then individual groups of 6 go to to their 'boarding room' watch a further pre-show (again v. funny)
-Then you finally ride!

Okay so this is individual to this particular ride - but you get what I mean about splitting up the queue a bit.
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