Old Rehydrator

Sat Jul 09, 2011 2:06 pm

I never realised that the Rehydrator in X-Sector used to be an indoor cafe, not until i saw footage on The Story of Alton Towers DVD with people walking in and out...I wonder why they closed it and turned it into a kiosk?

Thu Jul 14, 2011 4:01 pm

The changeover happened in the 2002/3 closed season. There were a couple of outlets in Ug Land that changed in a similar fashion around the same time.

I believe it was a cost-saving measure, as it cuts down on the amount of cleaning.

Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:08 pm

[quote=""WillPS""]I believe it was a cost-saving measure, as it cuts down on the amount of cleaning.[/quote]

Well that's pleasing to know. Typical.

So i'm guessing they did actually use the video of the Lord of Darkness inside?

Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:24 pm

You know, I never noticed. And I suppose it has further changed now with the Fanta repaint. The other side of the Rehydrator, backing on to Oblivion's drop pit, has a large Fanta ad on the wall. It looks like this used to be a second entrance to the cafe, making it a walkthrough outlet, and is now boarded up. Or maybe it has always been a wall...

One reason for me thinking the Oblivion side also used to have an entrance is the fact that the "ride car haz gonn missing" video used to play in the cafe, and it would make more sense if it played to those standing around Oblivion's drop.

Typical.

It just isn't Alton Towers without that cafe. Dispair.

Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:26 pm

Anyone have any pictures of inside?

Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:11 pm

I would love to hope some pictures exist, but I doubt it.

Anyway, the first of the following images shows a screenshot from AT DVD with people walking in and out, you can see that there is some themed centrepiece in the middle and a second entrance from the drop side. More interestingly, you can see that on the roof of the Rehydrator there is no door like there is now, which means that there wasnt origially a kiosk there.

Therefore, it is likely that this concept image below taken from the moodboard in the hotel actually existed, with the centrepiece in the middle rising all the way up to what is now the kiosk. Sadly, I would imagine it was all ripped out when they converted it into two floors and created a new entrance on the roof.

For most of you, that's a little bit of X-Sector you never knew existed eh?!

Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:17 pm

You know, I actualy prefer it how it is now, but not with the fanta sponsorship!

I can imagine it was a bit dark & dingy in there, & very cramped. And people would use it as a shorcut to get from the outdoor seating area to the drop spectating area. It actualy looks good how it is now, as if it were always like that.

Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:25 pm

It was really cool.

Never busy though, and mostly people just went through to get to the drop area.

Here's a picture of the similar works going on in Ug Land over the 2002/3 closed season.

Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:52 pm

If anyone has pictures they would be greatly appreciated.

oldgitBEN · Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:15 pm

oh wow, excellent find!

I genuinely didnt know that existed, I do remember the old kiosk in the oblivion queue but that didnt last long either.

djtruefitt · Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:20 pm

Where was the kiosk in the Oblivion queue? Im surprised there isnt one, most of the other rides have got them or have had them added during the past year.

oldgitBEN · Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:34 pm

there was, as you first went through the underground station bit at the lowest level, you came out and it was there.

There is still a random large 'lump' in the queue, and if you look on the floor you can see the circular shape of the old building.

It would never get used these days tho

Tue Jul 19, 2011 11:47 pm

[quote=""oldgitBEN""] there was, as you first went through the underground station bit at the lowest level, you came out and it was there.

There is still a random large 'lump' in the queue, and if you look on the floor you can see the circular shape of the old building.

It would never get used these days tho [/quote]

Cool - yet more original theming I never knew about.

Was it similar to the one in the Black Hole queue (which still stands today redundant) and the one shown on the moodboards?

Oblivion's theming has well and truly been decimated over the years...why?

Sadly, the only themed part which survives intact now is "Queue Line Building One" with the flashing projector.

oldgitBEN · Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:26 pm

From what I remember Black Holes faced the queue, and this was smack in the middle so you could queue and get served from either side of it, then meet up the queue again afterwards.
I remember it rather vividly after having a row with some kids about queue jumping.

Infact looking on the 1998 map, you can see the building in the queue!
ClicketyClick

and did you also know the flashing projector is also the projector from the original 360 Cinema in (what is now Mutiny Bay and the Sea Life).

Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:40 pm

It's disappointing that Oblivion's /X Sector's theme is slowly getting left to decay - little touches like these are easy to rectify and could really strengthen the theme again. It's not like it's even an expensive one to do... just involves lots of concrete and faux barbed wire etc. It works so well but just needs attention. Let's hope the Black Hole tent sorts this all out next year?

Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:23 pm

The original themed Meltdown outlet...

http://towersnerd.com/gallery/?image=871

This has now been refurbished to a standard high street KFC outlet.

Thu Jul 28, 2011 5:17 pm

I remember the part underneath the rehydrator vaguely. It was basically just an extra bit of theming. From what I remember they never sold anything in there. There was just a central column and round the edges there were those electricity plate things where you put your hand on and it attracted the 'lightning'. A bit like a plasma ball I suppose. There were a couple of TVs in the ceiling which would play the lord of darkness every now and again.

I use to go in there while I waited for everyone else to go on Oblivion as I was too small. It would have been 1999 I think, so it had only been open a year. There was already chewing gum stuck to the lightning plates and it just generally felt grotty. With no staff anywhere to keep an eye on it it was an easy target for vandalism and the like. Sad really as it was a nice addition and gave a bit of mystery to the theme like the old projector in the queue does.

Thu Jul 28, 2011 6:26 pm

[quote=""Mi-Nigle""]electricity plate things where you put your hand on and it attracted the 'lightning'. [/quote]

Like this one?

djtruefitt · Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:18 pm

I was looking at them ride boards they currently have in the splash landings hotel and on the Oblivion one it has an artists impression of the rehydrator at the top fo the image then it has some proper photos of it at the bottom of the image. By the looks of things it did go right up into the top building and you could walk all the way through it. Im not sure if there was a shop there or not as in the artists impression there is pictures of the Coke logo.

Sam93s photo

Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:22 pm

[quote=""CoasterCrazyChris""][quote=""Mi-Nigle""]electricity plate things where you put your hand on and it attracted the 'lightning'. [/quote]

Like this one?

[/quote]

No more like these

Like others have said before, you could walk straight through it and use it as a way of getting to Enterprise and Energiser from the hole.