2010: Sonic Spinball

General discussion regarding the UK's No.1 Theme Park. Talk about anything and everything Alton Towers here.
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CoasterCrazyChris
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[quote=""spleenharvester""]Depends on the price though, Spinball was £3.5m whereas installations such as Rita are about £10m IIRC.[/quote]

Installations such as Rita...are disappointments.

TBH Rita is about as thriling as Spinball Whizzer.
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aru
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Maybe AT have made a bulk order on green and brown paint for both SW6 and Spinball :lol: ?

The Beastie was rumoured to be exiting the park last season, could it be possible that Adventure Land will be improved, including a possible retheme? - we all know that management dislike Spinball, and the rest of the area is very poor for a park like AT.
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taker316
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[quote=""Johno""]Anyone else thinking they're removing it due to SW6 being a 'replacement' for it, in the respect that its a family coaster?[/quote]
SW6 is the replacment for corkscrew, not spinball.

Anyway i think they should get rid of spinball whizzer.Theres always massive ques because its the 1st thing people see and it also ruins the view you get of the towers( which has already been said before). Also it just isn't themed good.
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D-Man
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It cant remember seeing Spinball interrupting the view of the Towers. It is away to the side and doesn't really come into view of the towers from towers street. Or anywhere for that matter!
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DomB
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[quote=""CoasterCrazyChris""][quote=""spleenharvester""]Depends on the price though, Spinball was £3.5m whereas installations such as Rita are about £10m IIRC.[/quote]

Installations such as Rita...are disappointments.

TBH Rita is about as thriling as Spinball Whizzer.[/quote]

Rita just as thrilling as Spinball. I'd argue Rita is the most thrilling ride in the park. Different people, different opinions. :|
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spleenharvester
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I don't really understand this "destroying the view" thing - FFS, you're in a theme park, expect to see rides ;)
I think it adds colour to the place anyway.

Side note: In my opinion, AT could do with a Gravity Group coaster :)
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D-Man
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exactly what I was thinking! You don't go to Alton Towers just for the view of the towers but for the rides. If you dont like the fact that the rides interrupt the view of the towers ( even though they don't ), don't go then! Simple as that really! :lol:
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Chris W
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Spinball Whizzer doesn't just ruin the view of the towers, its totally not in-keeping with Alton Towers unique evironment. Its the first thing you see as you reach the bottom of Towers street.

Most people aren't against the ride but its location and colour choice is awful.

If Disney put a brightly coloured ride in the sightline of the castle Disney fans would be livid, its the same situation here.
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DiogoJ42

But one of Altons best features is the way that most rides are hidden from view until you are right next to them. Alton is about creating a magical atmosphere, and the view down Towers Street to the Towers is a big part of creating that magic.

If you want to be confronted with a mass of steel when you arrive, go to Thorpe Park! :P
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spleenharvester
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The colour choice is pretty good imo, and it's not exactly obstructing the view is it? It's a hell of a lot smaller and most of it's hidden.

I'll just leave this here:
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mattbailey
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[quote=""spleenharvester""]The colour choice is pretty good imo, and it's not exactly obstructing the view is it? It's a hell of a lot smaller and most of it's hidden.

I'll just leave this here:
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I don't understand what that picture is meant to show #-o
Anonymous

not sure if anyone has mentioned this already, but was at towers tuesday just gone... whilst there over heard 2 suits discussing something about spinball being rethemed as sonic spinball, as in sonic the hedgehog?!

supposedly all being in place for the new season, didnt catch anything more than that, but it wouldnt be the first ride at Towers to have a Sonic themed section to it!
AstroDan

I agree. Although Spinball can be exciting, it just doesn't have anyway the G Force, speed or airtime as Rita.
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Matt.C
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[quote=""mattbailey""][quote=""spleenharvester""]The colour choice is pretty good imo, and it's not exactly obstructing the view is it? It's a hell of a lot smaller and most of it's hidden.

I'll just leave this here:
Image[/quote]

I don't understand what that picture is meant to show #-o[/quote]
I think he means he wants spinball over the lake.
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bradpeet
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I always thought the the biggest problem with spinball was due to the combination that it is the first ride that most people see as they enter the park and a comparatively low throughput. Hence, too many people head straight for it and experience bad queue lines straight away. (Even worse if they have been held being the rope at the bottom of Towers Street first)

But it definitely does appear as if it has just been 'plonked' in place, with no real thought for its surroundings. It does seem typical of Tussauds in the latter days. And although it doesn't really spoil the view of the Towers themselves, it is too obvious in my opinion.

I am sure that I am not alone in believing that part of the magic / uniqueness of Alton Towers is the way that the themed areas and rides work with the features that pre-date it becoming a theme park. I do know that I am unusual in not having a problem with the distance between these areas though.

I'm still mystified by it getting a re-theme at this time though, unless adventureland is getting a make over. Although if it is going to remain where it is for even 4 years (say) I guess it is worthwhile.
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AWTSW90
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[quote=""deek92""]exactly what I was thinking! You don't go to Alton Towers just for the view of the towers but for the rides. If you dont like the fact that the rides interrupt the view of the towers ( even though they don't ), don't go then! Simple as that really! :lol:[/quote]

Who says I don't go to Alton Towers just for the view?
I think some people underestimate how much of an attraction the towers and the gardens actually are, and I still believe they'd prove pretty popular if the theme park was never built.
Obviously I do enjoy the rides, but this is because it's part of the all round experience of Alton Towers. Sometimes I will go for a quiet walk around the towers, gardens and woodland walk, and maybe jump on a couple of rides at the end as an afterthought, so just because the views are worthless to one person, doesn't mean everyone agrees.
Alton Towers has always had a sort of formula in which they build attractions that appeal to the audience waiting for the next big thing, without upsetting the audience enjoying what was already there, and I believe Spinball doesn't quite fit in with this formula (Although it's not causing any huge problems by any means, I just think it is a weak link in the overall experience of Alton Towers)

Jake
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NickT04
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[quote=""blue.light""]not sure if anyone has mentioned this already, but was at towers tuesday just gone... whilst there over heard 2 suits discussing something about spinball being rethemed as sonic spinball, as in sonic the hedgehog?!

supposedly all being in place for the new season, didnt catch anything more than that, but it wouldnt be the first ride at Towers to have a Sonic themed section to it![/quote]

Oh my days. Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games per-lease!
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Meat Pie
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[quote=""NickT04""][quote=""blue.light""]not sure if anyone has mentioned this already, but was at towers tuesday just gone... whilst there over heard 2 suits discussing something about spinball being rethemed as sonic spinball, as in sonic the hedgehog?!

supposedly all being in place for the new season, didnt catch anything more than that, but it wouldnt be the first ride at Towers to have a Sonic themed section to it![/quote]

Oh my days. Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games per-lease![/quote]

Does that make the beastie, Mario? :P

I can just see the tunnel being rethemed into a large a green pipe... 8-[
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Evostance
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[quote=""Meat Pie""][quote=""NickT04""][quote=""blue.light""]not sure if anyone has mentioned this already, but was at towers tuesday just gone... whilst there over heard 2 suits discussing something about spinball being rethemed as sonic spinball, as in sonic the hedgehog?!

supposedly all being in place for the new season, didnt catch anything more than that, but it wouldnt be the first ride at Towers to have a Sonic themed section to it![/quote]

Oh my days. Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games per-lease![/quote]

Does that make the beastie, Mario? :P

I can just see the tunnel being rethemed into a large a green pipe... 8-[[/quote]

Tunnel?
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Meat Pie
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[quote=""Evostance""][quote=""Meat Pie""][quote=""NickT04""][quote=""blue.light""]not sure if anyone has mentioned this already, but was at towers tuesday just gone... whilst there over heard 2 suits discussing something about spinball being rethemed as sonic spinball, as in sonic the hedgehog?!

supposedly all being in place for the new season, didnt catch anything more than that, but it wouldnt be the first ride at Towers to have a Sonic themed section to it![/quote]

Oh my days. Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games per-lease![/quote]

Does that make the beastie, Mario? :P

I can just see the tunnel being rethemed into a large a green pipe... 8-[[/quote]

Tunnel?[/quote]

Yeah the beastie tunnel... as seen in this picture:
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(Photo borrowed from the Towers Times Beastie Gallery)
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AKA the vocal minority.
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