Rita: Should AT should of took more time with it?

General discussion regarding the UK's No.1 Theme Park. Talk about anything and everything Alton Towers here.
Post Reply
User avatar
TDL
New Member
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue May 26, 2009 8:13 pm

Rita Queen of Speed is a popular ride at Alton Towers, but some people say that the building of the ride was rushed. It took less that a year to finish Rita, and alot of people say this shows. What do you think? Should they of took more time?
TDL
User avatar
Chris W
Member
Member
Posts: 3079
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:42 pm
Location: Liverpool

The point of Rita was so the ride was built quickly. If Rita wasn't built something else of the same budget would have been built somewhere else in the park.

Maybe with a bigger budget and more time taken it would have been done better.
But then again if Alton Towers had more time and money we might not have seen Rita at all.
Image
Image
User avatar
leighhills
New Member
New Member
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:41 pm

I personally think they shouldn't of bothered with Rita. It screwed a nice area and its probally going to make the new area wierd.

Plus it was a complete bodge job. Last year talking with an engineer on Stealth, he says the two rides were ment to be one at Thorpe. Something to do with the local council not allow it. Pretty much split the layout, shrunk the "Rita half" to fit in Ugland. Done. I don't know the full story, but it just seems too rushed if thats true.

And the ride is one of a very few I don't like. Corkscrew was more enjoyable.
Image
User avatar
stigzy
Member
Member
Posts: 1742
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:18 pm
Location: Eastwood, Nottingham
Contact:

Maybe with a bigger budget and more time taken it would have been done better.
But then again if Alton Towers had more time and money we might not have seen Rita at all.
Agreed! My understanding is that Alton Towers were basically told they needed a new ride ASAP because of falling gate figures. Thus along comes Rita – The Lack Of Speed When It Works, squished and squeezed into an already crowded area which belonged to the legend that is Corkscrew! There’s no doubting the fact that Rita is the end result of a rushed, plan-less, effortless and heartless project.

But who’s really to blame for the installment of such a mediocre ride at a theme park which claims to be the UK’s best? Tussauds, or Alton Towers? I’m not too sure, so don’t quote me, but I’m almost certain the cross valley woody project (something on the scale of Nemesis, but much bigger) was going to be the next biggest thing after Air/Spinball Whizzer? If is the case, Towers must of known about the dropping gate figures and that they needed a new ride soonish. Looking back at the amazing cross valley woody plans, the heart and effort required for the next biggest thing was most definitely there and so must of been the budget for such a huge project because the plan was actually submitted.

But it seems when Alton towers got the project rejected and then rejected again, they lost all hope and just simply couldn’t be bothered with anything thereafter. So thus they got a ticking off from Mr Big Tussauds big cheese for the dropping gate figures and nothing being done about it. So then along comes rushed, effortless and heartless mediocre Rita – The Lack Of Speed When It Works, erected within a few months! I’d say Rita is the pure result of Alton Towers’ own park management (at the time), whom seemed to just give up the fight against the council!

Of course all that based on the cross valley woody project in the pipeline before Rita came along! Anobody clarify? But even with that anything is possible, there is no such thing as “can’t” and there is no reason for Rita other than incompetence! Luckily the incompetent park management of that era has now long gone, and those that remain seemed to have learnt a valuable lesson in the proper planning of projects. Take for example Mutiny Bay, in terms of quality heart & soul it’s almost right at the other end of the scale when compared to Rita. SW6 seems to be heading pretty much the same way too, let’s hope so anyway and that Rita remains the only ‘blip’ in the parks history.

And on top of all that, I don’t actually think Rita is all that bad, because it isn’t! But it is true, in that it is very mediocre, but then I’m comparing it to the likes Nemesis, Air, Oblivion, Spinball Whizzer even. For a theme park, said to be the UK’s favourite, which brings us such amazing rides (and world firsts) Rita is only 2nd best and something you’d expect to find at Light Water Valley, Flamingo Land, American Adventure, Chessington World Of Adventures etc. Not, however at the land of all things fantastical - Alton Towers!
User avatar
rightbackgranty
Member
Member
Posts: 484
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:23 pm
Location: Stoke

Im going to agree with Stigzy - when its compared to Nemesis, Air and Oblivion it wasnt very well thought out at all. It was installed rapidly as a way to increase a fall in visitor numbers, and because of that it has always seemed "incomplete" to me.

That said, its been a huge hit for the park - it has been voted the most popular ride on the park by the public for a few years running now, and I think the reason for that is that its just something very different to the rest of the rides on the park. Despite its simplistic layout, its a very fun ride with a few good sections of airtime. In a strange way its lack of theme has helped it - theres no fancy backstory to remember, you just get what you see.

That said, it does have its problems - the queueline, the way that it was just squashed in... It hasnt mattered up to now, but with SW6 arriving in the area, changes to the ride need to be made.
User avatar
Volans
New Member
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 9:17 am
Location: Rugby

I think Rita was rushed, but it's still a pretty good ride that I always go on when we go Alton Towers. And it's definately better than nothing. Alton Towers did need a launch coaster of some kind, but I think they could've done better.

Hopefully Alton Towers will make up for it with SW6 :)
Science is explainable magic
AstroDan

Stigzy has it pretty much right. Although, from what I gather there weren't actually "falling" gate figures, Rita was merely to boost them for 2005.

Rita is a clear example, along with Spinball Whizzer, Flume, Duel, Air's lack of theming/experience and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that, post 2001, Tussauds care in the theme park (not the hotel resort, as this continued to develop nicely), really did take a turn for the worse.

Thankfully Merlin stepped in before we had a park full of Spinball-esque quality rides.

:)
Sazzle

I remember attending the Nemesis X event at Towers in 2004, where John Wardley gave a speech during the dinner. He stated that the SW6 (as was) woodie plans had been shelved for the 'foreseeable future' due to planning restraints. Then, lo and behold, in 2005 we see the slap on addition that is Rita: Queen of Speed. Don't get me wrong, I love the thing.. But not for the fact that it was hashed into an existing theme without due thought to the atmosphere and general theme of a perfectly good area.

The ride was indeed rushed, and wasn't intended for Alton Towers at all (as previously stated by other knowledgable members). It shows perfectly that the ride was rushed in that it has frequent technical problems - shoot me down if I'm wrong, but if you take your time with a machine such as Rita, I'm damn sure it wouldn't be half as bad for reliability as it is now (yes, I realise Stealth is awful but that's just Thorpe Park..).

Unfortunately it wasn't Towers who opted to have Rita installed - yay for Tussauds! They're stuck with a ride they now have to incorporate into one of the biggest area launches since, I dunno, Forbidden Valley? [<-- Referring to a coherant, dark, thrill theme]. How do you lose the 'Rita' tag, when its so fond in the hearts and minds of so many of the British public? Pretty hard task in all honesty.

Whatever Merlin/Towers pull out of the bag regards name change, area retheme and overall experience, I should imagine it'll be something of a relief. Let's hope it doesn't get changed to "Camilla: Queen of the Crypt" :roll:.
User avatar
shawnoc
Member
Member
Posts: 386
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:42 pm
Location: Sunny Brighton, When it wants to be!!!!!!
Contact:

I think they built Rita with the premiss that they would enhance the theming when a new project for the area was to be developed. We have that now in SW6, I can see them flowing the theme onto rita and surrounding area.

I do enjoy Rita, its a fun ride and it filled the gap for a new attraction on the scale of Nemesis etc.
Like I've just said, now we have SW6 I can see Rita getting the theme treatment it needs.
<img src="http://coaster-count.com/banner17072.png"
alt="Coaster-Count" style="width: 468px; height: 60px;" />
User avatar
Khanage
Member
Member
Posts: 1233
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:47 pm
Location: Suffolk
Contact:

As a coaster Rita is really good fun and I actually enjoy it more than Stealth. As has been said it was a rushed project and may not be as high quality as other installations in the park but I hope that is rectified when the new coaster is installed next to it. We'll have to wait and see for that.
Image
Thanks to Adzy for the sig & av.
       
Image
User avatar
jonathan leake
Member
Member
Posts: 314
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:59 pm
Location: In the bin
Contact:

Im hoping then retheme for next year to match the SW6 theme. Then send some of the raceing themeing down to Thorpe Park to go with stealth. That way Alton Towers get a ride that will match the rest of the area and Thorpe Park will get some more much needed themeing.
Image
User avatar
shawnoc
Member
Member
Posts: 386
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:42 pm
Location: Sunny Brighton, When it wants to be!!!!!!
Contact:

I agree with you there Khanage. Rita has more to it that Stealth. Yes Stealth has the height aspect, but its a one trick pony! Even the airtime hill has breaks on it. I do think Rita was built with more theming in mind for when they re done Ugland. As it is this year, they have taken all the buntin down that used to be hung between the ride supports.

I know this is being discussed in a topic within the SW6 sub forum. I can see Rita being overhauled in this closed season. I just hope they give the poor ride operators a cover over the station. It cant be fun in the rain.
<img src="http://coaster-count.com/banner17072.png"
alt="Coaster-Count" style="width: 468px; height: 60px;" />
User avatar
seanyboyuk
Member
Member
Posts: 1055
Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:40 pm

indeed it was poorly thought up the whole concept.
the only promise that it has a temporary looking so it could possibly be moved one day.
it should have gone in a wooded area section of the park. the fact of the boost start rushing
through trees would have been awsome.
User avatar
A Towers
New Member
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:15 pm

I hated it. A complete waste of time that (as agreed) wasn't thought about and should NOT been placed in Ug Land (the area it should have least likely been in).

All we can pray for, is that it does get revamped at the end of this season to fit in well for next year's SW6. Just make SW6 quite a lot better.
Post Reply