Th13teen - General Discussion

General discussion regarding the UK's No.1 Theme Park. Talk about anything and everything Alton Towers here.
Benjsh

Apologises if a similar thread already exists.

We're now 3 years on from Thirteen being added to the park and I think it's fair to say it was met with a very mixed reaction when it first opened. It received massive abuse from all sides.

However after riding it today, I realised just how much it is enjoyed by all. The train I was on was particularly vocal (in a good way), especially at the drop section and backwards part. And the buzz when everybody got off was class.

And it's fair to say that during scarefest, it's even better with the wraiths added to it and the tinge of darkness when you ride it.

I'm starting to really like Thirteen and I thought I never would.

Anyone else feel the same?
Last edited by Benjsh on Tue Jun 04, 2013 4:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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SpecyBeast
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I have always loved TH13TEEN i never really understood the hate it gets; it is a really fun ride that seems to be a slightly different experience everytime you ride it mainly because of your fellow passengers and how they react ;)
Last edited by SpecyBeast on Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Heisenberg96
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I found my favourite year to ride Thirteen was late 2010-summer 2011. The ride seemed to run so smoothly and I can't remember having much of an issue with it. However, I was furious with the ride when I went in mid-July. Not only was it packed and like a Monsoon, but the ride delayed for 45 minutes and I wasn't standing under any cover! It meant that the next time I visited at the end of July, when it was empty, I only went on it once. So I guess I've always had mixed feelings towards Thirteen.

The ride itself though is great. Fantastic themeing and I love the fact that there isn't a direct storyline so you sort of interpret it to your own accord. Plus, the first hill gets me every time! Always steeper than I think! And the drop...magical.
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Benb
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I think it's a great ride, however it was completely mis-marketed. Anyone remember the adverts and the fact that they were so 'scary' that they were banned from pre-watershed TV? Really they should have aimed the adverts at a much younger audience; expectations would have been very different and the ride would not have got the 'meh' stigma that it did.
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Rob
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So much better now and will get better as the surroundings and trees ect overgrow and age. 
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tallicay2k
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Always love thirteen, I don't know why people didn't like it.
I love the sound the train makes when you have just dropped and started to go backwards,
At first I thought it was some kind of music.
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Benjsh

I've always thought it's been a good addition but only now am I starting to really REALLY appreciate just how good it is.

Sure.....it could be a tad higher, faster and a bit more thrilling in the first part but you could argue that the tameish start leads you into a false sense of security too.

There's so much they could do to it as well at minimal cost to make it even better. The wraiths for scarefest are great but they could put more theming in the woods too which would highten the experience for me as well.

Not a big fan of it's neighbour in the dark forest though. Not one bit.
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RCandrew
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I see thirteen as another type of mine train, different theme and experience, because it is a family coaster! So I don't think it needs to be that more thrilling! The drop is obviously the best part and is scary but that's what the ride leads up to, people can't hate it for being boring, it's like saying you want a loop on RMT.
And I think it fits in better with the naturally grown landscape now that it's had time to blend :)
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GigaSurimi
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I think Thirteen is great.
And it clearly is better now that trees and bushes have had time to grow a bit.

I went on it on its opening year and it I really liked it, but I was absolutely amazed last autumn to see how much better things got. It is literally impossible to know what to expect from the queue line (or any other parts of the park) now that vegetation has developed. You literally have no idea what the ride is about, what the track will be like, etc. And this really fits great with the whole Thirteen theming.

It clearly did suffer from a very wrongly executed advertisement campaign, and this is a shame because this ride is an amazing addition to AT.
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Jason oblivions boy :)
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i think its a great ride just they try and make it seem like a thrill ride when its a all round family ride and ive loved th13teen from the start just stop saying its what its not !  8)

if you go down to the woods today  :shock:
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Justin
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Th13teen
If you go down to the woods today you'd better not go alone... Dip and dive through the Dark Forest, enter the ancient crypt and face the horror that lies within.

The dark and mysterious TH13TEEN is the world’s first freefall drop rollercoaster.

With the closed season upon us, how would you review Th13teen at the Alton Towers Resort?

[youtube]vijg7eWUs4[/youtube]
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Robert.W
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Th13teen. Well, what can I say? The reason I love this ride so much is because of how unique it is. The out door section is by no means a thrilling ride, but the crypt really creates the experience. The theming is also very strong in my opinion, with the entire station and queue being very well themed, not to mention the crypt! 
Another thing is just how smooth it is. In the dark during Scarefest, it actually felt as if you were floating through the darkness, it felt that smooth!
Overall it is a great, unique ride and is definitely one of my favourite coasters I've ridden for these reasons!   
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ROYJESS
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It's still surprising that when I still ride 13 even in the last day of this last season that there are first time riders on the ride that have absolutely no idea what is about to happen in the crypt  :twisted:
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Dom
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I think this has been an interesting one. It was advertised as something that unfortunately never delivered, yet the older it has got, the better it has got. I have come to adore this coaster so much. Its also got my favourite, accidental theming. When the trees and bushes grow back and it adds to the ride, like Nemesis Inferno. I love it when that happens. 
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Ladyofthelake
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Whilst Th13teen isn't the most thrilling of rides, I do still enjoy going on it, especially in the dark during Scarefest and Fireworks. It has been a little frustrating this season as it seemed to have a lot of downtime - it seemed every time I tried to ride it in the first half of the season it was down! I always love riding with people who haven't yet experienced the ride, especially as many just have no clue as to what's coming. Seeing their reaction to the enclosed section is always a great thing to see!
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Justin
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Th13teen is underrated and as others said, it is a coaster which has got better with age. It is a solid family attraction with small thrills; ideal for bridging the gap between the smaller coasters and bigger ones. The drop packs a punch for many and the backwards indoor section throws many off guard. It is great seeing and hearing other people's reactions to the ride, which has been very reliable lately!  For me. I absolutely love the first drop and outdoor section. It is a great ride, especially at night!
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Wagstaff04
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Th13teen is maybe the smoothest ride at AT. It’s pacing is great, and the drop is insane, however I prefer the first drop off the lift hill. If you’re in the back row, that drop is an experience like no other. 
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wakey1512
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Wagstaff04 wrote:Th13teen is maybe the smoothest ride at AT. It’s pacing is great, and the drop is insane, however I prefer the first drop off the lift hill. If you’re in the back row, that drop is an experience like no other. 
With that in mind wouldn’t you find the whole experience better if the drop wasn’t trimmed? Heck they could have done away with the second lift hill if they took the trims out. Let’s build a coaster with a fast, pacey layout and then make it slower because it’ll wear the wheels out too quickly.
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Dan
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wakey1512 wrote:
With that in mind wouldn’t you find the whole experience better if the drop wasn’t trimmed? Heck they could have done away with the second lift hill if they took the trims out. Let’s build a coaster with a fast, pacey layout and then make it slower because it’ll wear the wheels out too quickly.
The reason for the trims is that the train was reaching the second lift hill too quickly (before the crypt sequence had fully reset) and causing the ride to shut down. The second lift hill is a necessity for that reason as it acts as a safety mechanism in the event of a problem with the indoor section.
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Wagstaff04
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So the second hill acts as a block brake, and I don’t really feel the change in pacing with the trims. 
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