Alton Towers Resort General Discussion

[Justin]

While the effects of last year can still be seen within the resort, it is slowly returning to normal with some of the usual food outlets reopening and visitor numbers on the up. Rides are currently closed due to 'Towers Loving Care', so this does remove some of the ride offerings, although you make the most of your day as you can.
Improvements are being made to the resort, so it does give you an impression that things are on the up. New audio has been installed in X-Sector, along with general improvements across the resort.

I've had many enjoyable visits to Towers this year, although I do miss some of the closed attractions!

[Nickolai]

I haven't heard new audio in X Sector, but I have heard some tranquil audio between walking from Gloomy Wood to Forbidden Valley and in Forbidden Valley (which personally in my opinion dosen't fit Forbidden Valley). What is the new audio like?

[Justin]

I actually like the new audio. It is hard to explain, but it is very retro. I do like the announcements which say that you have been selected for Oblivion, so it fits in with the Government secret testing facility theme.

[Altontowersbarlow]

I actually like the new audio. It is hard to explain, but it is very retro. I do like the announcements which say that you have been selected for Oblivion, so it fits in with the Government secret testing facility theme.

Thanks for that description, I've only recently said that the attractions in x-sector need to be tied tighter together and it sounds like that the audio does so? Hopefully this is the start of a more lengthy process, and if not, small improvements are better than nothing.

[Liam.W]

The Alton Towers Resort app has recently been updated! It now features an very detailed and interactive park map, the ability to pay for individual ride fasttracks when aproaching the ride via Apple Pay, and a page which has links to buying tickets, booking a short break, and restaurant reservations!

Here are some screenshots:

[Nickolai]

I'm lovin' it!
Do do do, do do!

The map seems like the highlight of this update as everything looks so detailed which is great to see, and the old version was getting a bit boring.

[Nickolai]

Sorry to double post.
(please forgive me!)
But I have noticed they have gone the extra mile to add the extension queue lines for the rides and I swear that inspiration was taken from Ride Sims. Lastly, you can see in the Duel warehouse the used Towers Nerd's simulation. (and even used lighting to jazz up the Maintenance Bay!)

[Tom170499]

Hopefully we will see a similar style gate map for next year. The current ones are good visually but terrible for navigational purposes.

[118hazaman]

Now to wait for the Android update...

[Justin]

An interesting article posted by the Independent a few weeks ago, which we seem to have missed...

What the future may hold for rollercoasters, according to the people who design them
Planning the thrills and spills of rollercoaster rides can be a heady business, as Kashmira Gander finds out

Palms clammy with fear, nails digging into the harness, you come to a grinding halt and inhale sharply before the carriage creeps slowly upwards. A pause. Then a sharp drop and your stomach is suspended in the air. Teeth gritted, you hurtle quickly forwards, sharply left, then upside down. Your senses a blur, you let out roar of fear that comes from the pit of your gut. But you only have yourself to blame: after all, like hundreds of millions of others each year, you paid to get into this theme park.

Somewhat bafflingly, amusement parks with hair-raising rides to pull in crowds are a huge industry. To deliver the thrills and ultimate-escape-from-reality that guests seek, behind the scenes there are huge teams of highly inventive, and arguably a little sadistic, structural, mechanical, industrial and electrical engineers, as well as designers and marketing experts. And now one of them is about to be promoted. Merlin Entertainments, the company behind some of the UK’s most popular attractions, is currently hiring a “creative magic maker” to think up new rides and attractions at resorts including Britain’s Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, and Gardaland in Italy. The perfect candidate, says Merlin, needs a big imagination to dream up groundbreaking new rides.

Continue reading...http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 44971.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[NEONTOWERS]

Just an Idea but...
Could Alton Towers make escape rooms?
Maybe they could add a house escape room based off the smile.always videos where you have ventured into the house of (I forgot what the name was of the boy and girl :/) But you have been trapped and you have 1 hour before a deadly green gas gets sprayed into the rooms. And sometimes the TV will glitch and show hints. Also you have to look in books and maybe even behind posters

That's Just an Idea

(Hope I have out this on the right page)

[Liam.W]

Just an Idea but...
Could Alton Towers make escape rooms?
Maybe they could add a house escape room based off the smile.always videos where you have ventured into the house of (I forgot what the name was of the boy and girl :/) But you have been trapped and you have 1 hour before a deadly green gas gets sprayed into the rooms. And sometimes the TV will glitch and show hints. Also you have to look in books and maybe even behind posters

That's Just an Idea

(Hope I have out this on the right page)

I have done an escape room before and it is a great experience! Although I don't think this would fit at Alton Towers. It might fit in the resort side of things at a push, but for it to work effectively there would need to be quite a few rooms, and a theme that is family orientated.

[ThemeParkEwan]

Forgot to take a photo but on queue boards in the theme park there is advertisements for february half term which is happening from 17th to the 26th i believe (no description literally just the dates). it could just be about the resort half term event like this year, but why would they advertise it in the theme park so early?

[DeadJack5]

I don't know if this has been asked or not, but how come Rita now has the structure built along its launch straight and now has the building there? How come it wasn't like before where it was exposed?

[Tom170499]

I don't know if this has been asked or not, but how come Rita now has the structure built along its launch straight and now has the building there? How come it wasn't like before where it was exposed?

In 2012, the scaffolding was put up after the launch cable snapped. It was for health and safety.

The current structure was installed as part of TLC this year.

If you are referring to the building at the end of the launch section, that building houses the hydraulic launch system for the ride so it has always been there since 2005.

[Justin]

I believe it was placed there a few seasons back by Alton Towers Health and Safety department. It offers protection should anything happen to the launch cable/catch.

As Tom170499 says, it has been improved aesthetically as part of Alton TLC.

[MakoMania]

Interesting how Nemesis Sub-Terra remains on the new map on the Alton Towers app whereas all other closed attractions have been removed. (When I say remains I mean when you click on it it still says Nemesis Sub-Terra)

Hmmmmmmmm :sus:

[Kraken]

Really like the new Resort App - only thing worth noting was that it would not update from the "old" App on my iPhone - I had to delete the old and download the new from the App Store. So a slight mess-up from whoever coded the App for Towers/Merlin.

[Liam.W]

Really like the new Resort App - only thing worth noting was that it would not update from the "old" App on my iPhone - I had to delete the old and download the new from the App Store. So a slight mess-up from whoever coded the App for Towers/Merlin.

I never had that problem. And anyway wouldn't that be the app stores problem?

[Liam.W]

This doesn't seem to have been noticed on here before...




Photo credit goes to Paul Jones

Nemesis now has an enclosed operator booth! Apparently it was installed a couple of weeks ago.