Attraction Source Forum

I was just wondering this because the smiler to me looks like one of the best ride shops at Alton towers but looking at past ride shop the oldest one I can find or what is still open is air, so I was just wondering did Nemesis or Oblivion have a shop or not?

Well nemesis has a shop but its only a very small one and oblivion does have a shop but one half is an arcade and the oldest shop i think is the nemesis one but i think it is i'm not 100% sure.

rapids, haunted house / duel shops were way before nemesis and air

Actually as far as I am aware the first rides in the park to get their own shop were the Runaway Mine Train, Congo River Rapids and Haunted House all in the same year. Two shops were build for these rides back in 1992, one in each area.

The first major rollercoaster however with it's own retail outlet was Nemesis in 1994. It was a highly themed building located where the Fresh Fish and Chips outlet is now in Forbidden Valley. When Air was built with its large store it was converted into a food outlet before being demolished.

Every coaster built since bar Spinball has its own shop.

CoasterCrazyChris wrote: Every coaster built since bar Spinball has its own shop.

Does Rita have a shop then? I didn't realise it had one.

tharrison4815 wrote:

CoasterCrazyChris wrote: Every coaster built since bar Spinball has its own shop.

Does Rita have a shop then? I didn't realise it had one.

Yeah it's on the left hand side of Dark Forest, opposite the Rita exit.

If you blink you miss Rita's shop.

CoasterCrazyChris wrote: Every coaster built since bar Spinball has its own shop.

Spinball has noodles... jk jk :P x

CoasterCrazyChris wrote: Actually as far as I am aware the first rides in the park to get their own shop were the Runaway Mine Train, Congo River Rapids and Haunted House all in the same year. Two shops were build for these rides back in 1992, one in each area.

The first major rollercoaster however with it's own retail outlet was Nemesis in 1994. It was a highly themed building located where the Fresh Fish and Chips outlet is now in Forbidden Valley. When Air was built with its large store it was converted into a food outlet before being demolished.

Every coaster built since bar Spinball has its own shop.

Yep, I back this up and pretty sure the conversion of the Rapids and new Runaway Mine Train in 1992 were the first rides to have a shop at Alton Towers, but I don't think the merchandise sold there was themed to the 2 rides. I could be wrong here.

The Haunted House obviously had its own shop in the same year, and from what I can recall this was actually the first one to have branded merchandise.

Interestingly, I cannot recall the Nemesis shop despite clear memories of the ride when it was new in 1994. It's shame they removed it (if it even existed).  What I would love to see is when they eventually do a full refurb on Nemesis/FV they should demolish Fish & Craps and the ride photography building, build a new shop with ride photography combined and actually have the exit from Nemesis leading into it like all the other rides. Sub Terra merchandise could be combined with original nemesis stuff which would be great I think.

PeteB wrote:Interestingly, I cannot recall the Nemesis shop despite clear memories of the ride when it was new in 1994. It's shame they removed it (if it even existed). 

I managed to find this image of the original Nemesis shop.



Ultimately it was just a corrugated shed surrounded by rusty 'junk' and was not as impressive as the photography building, but it still looked good. Surprisingly, I quite like the new Fresh Fish & Chips building with its slanty roof but it needs to be aged up and have more theming on it.

Nemesis does need work to bring it up to scratch but Merlin/Alton Towers have proven they are incapable at doing what would be required so personally I think they should leave it alone.

Wow! It looks great but I honestly can't remember it.

Having said that. That photo can't be of the original shop because it's using the new Nemesis logo. Didn't that logo only come into existence when Inferno was built at Thorpe, so around 2003? It's definitely not pre 2000.

The orignal Nemesis shop in 1994 can be seen in this picture (Just under Thunder Looper's Loop)


And in this picture in the background next to the Nemesis Nosh bus


Best pictures I could find sorry!