If you owned ATR, what would you do with it?

Got an idea of how the Alton Towers Resort may develop over the coming seasons? Discuss it here.
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ThatGalacticaFan02
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Stan.H wrote:Close Nemesis? [-X

Secondly, why would IMAscore re-write Air's Soundtrack? As the Galactica soundtrack is the best soundtrack on park imo.
Nemesis would be 30 years old at that point

I did say I'd revert Galactica back to Air, and imagine what IMAScore would do for Air...
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Still, even if it is 30 years old for its 22nd running year last year it's still really really smooth and still regarded as one of the best rides in the world - for Alton Towers to remove, it'd cause a massive uproar, considering in 5 years I doubt it'll get that rough, Nemesis was made to stay!!

To be honest, the Galactica soundtrack is great, and I think instead of Merlin paying for IMAscore to do another track, Merlin should pay out to paint the track and really theme up the ride as well, and keep it as Galactica.
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If they re tracked Nemesis and (possibly) give it a new saftey envelope with the new restraints I would still be happy. I would probably be more happy if they kept the restraints the same because from when I have heard they aren't all that great... :)
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I tend to get a Merlin pass (which I more than get the use out of in those 12 months), but I feel that people who go in on a day ticket get charged quite a significant amount for entry these days, I'm not sure if I'd pay that tbh, especially for a busy day when you might not actually get to do everything.

So I would separate it out a bit more into different parks (similar to how Disneyland Paris is two separate theme parks, even though they are located on the same piece of land and operated by the same company). You could pay a cheaper rate to go to just one of the parks. Each park would have a slightly different demographic of age and / or thrill-seeker.

I'd have an entrance at the bottom of Forbidden Valley, and have Nemesis & Subterra, Air (I can't bring myself to refer to it as Galactica, yuk), Thirteen and Hex in one park, connected by the Sky Ride. I'd extend the Dark Forest to include all the area that is currently the Sky Ride, the fast food place, Charlie, and Cloud Cuckoo Land, and I believe there is also a plot of land behind where the Twirling Toadstool is that they used to have rides on, I'd include that too. I'd have all the facades similar to how the Thirteen show building is done, so they would look like parts of the Towers themselves. I've always fancied the idea of a roller coaster that goes in and out of the window frames of the Towers, but I'm guessing that that isn't practical, so I'd have a ride that goes through fake ruins, similar to The Swarm. Since the Dark Forest really isn't that dark, I'd have some forest-themed indoor attractions too making use of the show buildings that currently house Charlie, Wobble World, and whatever other indoor things they have at the back of Cloud Cuckoo Land (I don't go to that corner of the park very often lol). A crypt-themed dark mirror-maze with actors would be great.

I'd completely re-do the Dark Forest theming from the ground looking up, so that Rita is 'invisible', it could easily be obscured with well-placed bits of 'scafolding', fake trees and leaf canopies.

My second park would basically be X-Sector, and it would have it's entrance where the current park entrance is, but the Towers Street facades would be totally re-themed to look post apocalytic, the rooms would be sort of pre-shows of 'experiments', leading round to The Smiler and Oblivion. This X- Sector would include Rita, which would have a queue that starts where that hill-side tunnel near The Smiler, and then go through the towers themselves (you can already get from one end to the other in this way and most of those passages are in need of some tlc and a proper purpose) and the rest of the queue and ride would be flanked in such a way where it does not appear to be slap in the middle of the Dark Forest. X-sector is the only place that I'd allow generic flat-rides.

The third park would be aimed at much younger groups, and would include the mine train, the rapids and the Duel show building. It would have a Pirates theme though-out; the outdoor bits being fun and the indoor bits being mildly scary. The entrance / exit would be at the storage area by the side of the show building.

CBBC land (or whatever the heck it's called) would be it's own park, but would also include the Sonic ride, the Driving School (relocated) and also the Toadstool.

I'd also have a ticket where you could enter just the Gardens.

I'd get rid of anything that is reminiscent of an end-of-the-pier fairground; no games or 'cuddly toys'.

There are also three other things I'd do that aren't specifically attraction-related. I'd really have much more specialist 'Education Centres' on site for the school parties, I'd have a far better Corporate Centre than that god-awful marquee (or just the hotels), and I'd have a sort of Guest Services Centre which would include not only all the usual stuff such as lockers, lost and found, tickets etc, but would also be a sort of recognised Customer Service Excellence academy similar to 'Disney University' (I'm not sure if they still do that), and how great would the 'smile always' moniker be for that lol.
Last edited by lewis97 on Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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FLAT RIDESwe need more of them, one to replace ripsaw one in the dark forest one to replace submission(sad story:when i was a kid submission was my first upside down ride and it was my favourite i one went on it 8 times in a row with my sister when it went i was so sad i asked a manager if it will come back and he said in two years time i promise...
two years later i built up so much hope and joy i cried and ruined my day when it wasnt there :c.) they need one in dark forest. gloomy wood (doubt it) and i want a tower of terror sought of ride and a b and m winged coaster in FV.
and more :lol
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Bert
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We need more flat ride at Alton Towers, for example a Zamperla Disko in CCL/DF or a Intamin Gyroscope using the terrian to it's advance. The GP seem to love flat rides and we haven't gotten a new thrill ride since 2013 and we've lost 2 thrill rides since then. I wouldn't expect anything from Gerst/Huss as I've heard the park has a bad reputation with them, maybe we'll even get a big flat from Garmendale one day....

I can only hope though....
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I doubt they would want to work with Garmendale too with the amount of downtime Go Jetters has had.
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2018 -

- Open SW8 as Europe's first launched wooden coaster, though still keeping it family friendly-ish, as a step up between Thirteen and the rest of the coasters

- Refurbished Kantanga Canyon to fit with the coaster - could be cursed if going with the Wickerman theme


2019 -

- Move spinball to CCL. Minor expansion of Cbeebies land


2020 -

- Further expansion of Cbeebies land - new, highish capacity family coaster

- X-Sector refurbishment

- Blade moved to mutiny bay and a new thrilling flat in its place (don't know much about flats so not sure what'd be suitable)


2021 -

- Replace Duel with a new family dark ride themed to a new area

- Reopen a refurbished nemesis sub-terra

- Close and demolish Rita

- Planning application for SW9 - Mack multi-launch utilising Thirteen's woods and themed to DF with tunnels and heavy landscaping to allow for significant drops and inversions


2022 -

- Open SW9


2023 -

- Further expansion of family areas inc new CCL family flats and dark ride

- Waterpark and hotel area expansion with emphasis on non theme park activities to make it more of a mini centre parcs type experience


2024 -

- Nemesis and FV refurbishment for Nemmie's 30th - lots of promotion and teasing of SW10

- Replace enterprise with a more thrilling flat


2025 -

- Removal of Air and landscaping of overflow car park

- Submit plans for SW10 - Intamin cross valley mega/hyper :lol with lots of floater air through the valley (track pained green of course..) and a twisty/overbank/ejector section around Air's site, themed to FV and nemmie, could maybe be another monster or a force for good fighting the monster..


Not too sure what I'd do after that, replacing Oblivion with a new generation dive coaster could be an option but probably not achievable cost/planning permission wise. Blivvy would definitely be next to go though to be replaced with a compact RMC T-Rex maybe.. although that may not work so close to Smiler.

I also liked what someone in the thread said earlier about creating a generally happier vibe around the park. I think random free fast tracks would work well, although it's Merlin so would never happen, and more in park experiences for those not into the rides.

Also, in keeping with true Merlin spirit, prices would most likely be in the triple figures by this point. :D
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Robert.W
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2017
The Alton TLC programme would be extended and would last until 50th Anniversary.

2018
The opening of SW8, continued TLC on Towers Street, TLC on the Monorail trains and stations.

2019
Continued TLC on Towers Street with the completion of the facades repaint. Nemesis: Sub-Terra reopen.

2020
Gloomy Wood TLC, Duel interior would have a refit, it would still be Duel but would have more of a Disney quality. The exterior would remain the same.

2021
New flat ride in X-Sector on Submissions former location. Possibly a top spin or techno jump type of ride.

2022
Cloud Cuckoo Land refurbishment, including new dark ride, possibly having a toy factory theme, remodelling of facades to make them more ornate, intricate and have more detail, also a new junior/children's coaster to open behind Twirling Toadstool, next to the theatre which would have a fantasy garden theme with oversized plants and flowers and garden bugs etc., extended facade right around the theatre and a new show in the theatre which would also mean that Frog Hopper would be removed.

2023
New flat ride in Forbidden Valley on the Ripsaw site. Blade would be replaced with a newer model if it was still popular enough.

2024
Alton Towers Hotel renovations which would include new Rainforest Explorer Rooms and Saharan Explorer Rooms to go with the Arctic Explorer Rooms.

2025
Finally, SW9, would be located at the bottom of Cloud Cuckoo Land and would mean the closure and removal of the Cuckoo Cars Driving School, and would be a darkride themed to the Towers and would be accessible via Fountain Square. It could possibly be an extension of the Hex experience so guests would enter straight after leaving the Hex vault.

2026
New Disk O Coaster to be installed next to Galactica near the Rollercoaster Restaurant Path. The Coaster would have a space theme. The back end of Forbidden Valley would now be a subland of Forbidden Valley.

2027
Spinball Whizzer given some TLC. Possibly a small flat ride on the Spinball Noodles site, maybe a mini drop tower. Also possible Cebeebies Land expansion behind Octonauts Rollercoaster.

2028
New flat ride in the Dark Forest on the Boneshaker site.

2029
Runaway Mintrain overhaul including new track and new tunnel theming, Katanga Canyon TLC including repaint of roofs and new wood cladding. Also, a small spruce up in Mutiny Bay.

2030
Alton Towers 50th Anniversary. SW10, an entire new Land in the former Coaster Corner wihich would include a B&M Wing Rider coaster, log flume and two new flat rides. And finally the biggest ever fireworks spectacular the resort has ever had and would be comparable in size to the London New Year fireworks. The show would have fireworks, lasers, projections on to the Towers and fire cannons by the lake and would be for the entire last week of the season

And that's it! My Alton Towers master plan until the 50th Anniversary! Let me know what you think.
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My Plan

2018
Open SW8 with Tlc around MB and KC
Nemesis sub Terra reopened

2019
Continue Tlc around the park
Open the new and improved CCL
Open a star shape in April in dark forest
Open a new flat in CBeebies land
Close Spinball
Celebrate Nemmy's 25th

2020
Open a Short indoor coaster themed as an extension to Hex for the 40th Anniversary it would be called Hex-treme
Close the Blade

2021
SW9 is in the process of being built, it is a gerstlaurer that is themed around Phobias and Killer Clowns
It is 2/3 indoors and has the steepest drop of 130-150 degrees which is achieved by a rotating price of track that switches from horizontal
Continue Tlc
Open new pirate ship in MB
Open dark ride in Spinball space (CBeebies)

2022
SW9 opens

2023
Open new screaming swing in blade pit
Close Oblivion in the last week of August to replace the last section
Open a medium sized family coaster on the rest of the Spinball place (CBeebies)

2024
Re-open Oblivion in April with a new ending: Immelmann, Helix & a banked turn. Reverse the back row as well.
Air closes at the end of the season.

2025
Throttle is being built. It is SW10 and uses the air station, brake run, queue line and some supports. It is a launched flying coaster that because of the utilisation of air the extra money was able to be spent on Oblivion.

2026
Open Throttle

2027
Open a new flat in CBeebies
Open a gyro swing in X-Sector

2028
Open a short water coaster in MB
Close Rita

2029
Work begins on SW11 a launch coaster in DF. It will be a mack mega or an intangible Lsm with a family lsm coaster duelling by the same manufacturer
Could be a B&M launch like Hulk

2030
SW11 opens and 50th birthday celebrations

2033
Preparation begins. A giant Wing coaster is placed in the air car park and is called Nemesis Alpha. It is themed around the larger male being discovered and having a strong more intense force.
Phalanx operatives patrol the area and every 3/4 of an hour evacuate the area for 5 minutes whilst soil is then flung across the fence and the ground vibrates.

2034
Open SW12 on Nemmy's 40th
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The Nemesis Fox
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2018
SW8 opens
Spinball closes end of season

2019
Zierer Starshape opens in Dark Forest

2020
New family coaster opens in Spinball place - CBeebies
Air Car park shut

2021
SW9 being built
Enchanted Village expansion

2022
SW9 opens, an intamin double rocket or lsm coaster. 2 launches at 100 & 125 mph themed around the bloodhound SSC
Blade shut

2023
A new flat ride in CBeebies
Pirate ship opens in MB

2024
Water coaster opens in MB
Enterprise shuts

2025
SW10 is being built

2026
SW10 opens. It is a pshycological themed coaster around phobias and Killer Clowns. It has the worlds steepest drop with a vertical rotating track
section. It is also the worlds first horizontally rotating coaster.

2027
New gyro swing in X-Sextor opens

2028
New Alton towers hotel opens which is themed very haughty and is 5 stars
Rita closes

2029
SW11 is being built
Dark ride added to CBeebies land

2030
SW11 opens. It is a lsm launch coaster either B&M, Intamin or Mack like train, hulk or helix. In addition to a family lsm (Intamin or Mack)

2031
Tlc is restarted
CBeebies flat is added

2032
Air is shut and preparations begin for SW12.
Tlc continues
Actors are added in each area
Every 45 minutes they perform a 5 - 10 minute performance they are the following:
Phalanx, dark forest witches, pirates, KC performers, towers street, Bloodhound ride team & Killer Clowns

2033
S&S screaming swing added in blade pit

2034
SW12 opens
It is called Nemesis Alpha and is themed around a male being found and the force produced from the screaming swing prevents mating calls. It is much bigger so needs more steel. Joyriders use wing cars to ride the steel.
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If I owned Alton Towers...Overall I'd make sure each part of the park delivers a magical experience:

Cloud Cookoo Land is the main area needing work. Charlie must reopen along with a new CCL theme and in terms of a theme, I was thinking of going with a Storybook Village theme. The ride would be called "Scary Tales" (Using the former scare attractions theme) and the whole area would become Scarybook Village, a family horror themed area. Scary Tales would be a lot more family orientated and I think that in the long run, scare attractions like House of Monsters would fit it because a few minor changes to the scare mazes story and it fits with the area. The other attractions would be given new themes too: Frog Hopper would become Poison Apple Tree, Gallopers Carousel would become Scarybook Gallopers and Cuckoo Cars Driving School would become Scarybook Road Driving School. As well as changes to the existing attractions, the rest of the area would be filled with extreme amounts of theming and 2 SBNO attractions would be given a new life; Twirling Toadstool would be completely removed to make way for Sea Fairies Tidal Twisters, a Mack Twist n Splash based on the fairytale the Sea Fairies and Wobble World's building would only be used for Scarefest to operate House of Monsters. The building for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Ride would be completely demolished and the ride system removed to make way for a new Intamin Family Launch Coaster. The ride is called The Nightingale and the coaster is themed to the story of the same name. The ride experience would be similar to Juvelen at Djurs Sommerland

Another attraction like Charlie that is personally coming to the end of its lifespan is Rita. I feel as if the retheme in 2010 for Dark Forest feels last minute and there isn't a specific theme that blends better with Th13teen. So my solution is to replace Rita with the World's First Launched Mack Big Dipper Coaster "Sleepy Hollow". Sleepy Hollow's addition would include an indoor queue line and station as well as new launch audio and new elements added. The ride would technically be a retracking of Rita with one of the hills being turned into a heartline roll to add an inversion to the attraction as well as a smooth ride experience.

The final area of the park that needs developing is Ripsaw's site. I feel like this could be a ABC Tourbillon that Six Flags are adding this year and is themed to twisted steel. The ride would be called The Rack.
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Justin
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Unfortunately, it all comes down to money at the end of the day!

I think now that Wicker Man has opened, which continues to receive high praise from many guests as a high quality themed attraction, I would revisit the other six rollercoaster and enhance the guest experience. Part of this would involve reworking attractions with new preshows, adding and/or replacing theming, along with continued TLC. It could be that one attraction is reworked each year, but this would allow each ride to be rejuvenated without actually changing the ride.
In addition, I'd like to rework CCL and introduce one or two flat rides around the park.
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Robert.W
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Justin wrote:Unfortunately,  it all comes down to money at the end of the day!  
That's why this topic exists – so we can dream up load of amazing ideas without any financial constraints! 
I think now that Wicker Man has opened, which continues to receive high praise from many guests as a high quality themed attraction, I would revisit the other six rollercoaster and enhance the guest experience.  Part of this would involve reworking attractions with new preshows, adding and/or replacing theming, along with continued TLC. It could be that one attraction is reworked each year, but this would allow each ride to be rejuvenated without actually changing the ride.

In addition, I'd like to rework CCL and introduce one or two flat rides around the park.
That's definitely something I'd love to see. Some of the original concepts for The Smiler's station, as well a small some extra theming around the ride, and maybe even some thicker smoke in the tunnel before the lift hill, as well as more flashing lights would be really cool I think! 

Also, they have the Air Tunnel to think about.. last time I rode Galactica on Wednesday, they had a flashing coloured light in there. Not sure how long it had been in there though. But it was a laughable attempt to "theme" the tunnel really. Even if they just went along with some more smoke and flashing blue and white lights and pinated the walls black, to hide the concrete walls just enough, and might be better than what they've got now.

TH13TEEN would be great with some sort of pre show, and with the amount of queue that isn't used, I'm sure that they could make the space to fit in a new building to house one! As well, as that, some enhanced theming around the outside of the crypt building, so it's completely themed, as well as some new theming around the actual ride too! :)
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Robert.W wrote:
Justin wrote:Unfortunately,  it all comes down to money at the end of the day!  
That's why this topic exists – so we can dream up load of amazing ideas without any financial constraints! 
I think now that Wicker Man has opened, which continues to receive high praise from many guests as a high quality themed attraction, I would revisit the other six rollercoaster and enhance the guest experience.  Part of this would involve reworking attractions with new preshows, adding and/or replacing theming, along with continued TLC. It could be that one attraction is reworked each year, but this would allow each ride to be rejuvenated without actually changing the ride.

In addition, I'd like to rework CCL and introduce one or two flat rides around the park.
That's definitely something I'd love to see. Some of the original concepts for The Smiler's station, as well a small some extra theming around the ride, and maybe even some thicker smoke in the tunnel before the lift hill, as well as more flashing lights would be really cool I think! 

Also, they have the Air Tunnel to think about.. last time I rode Galactica on Wednesday, they had a flashing coloured light in there. Not sure how long it had been in there though. But it was a laughable attempt to "theme" the tunnel really. Even if they just went along with some more smoke and flashing blue and white lights and pinated the walls black, to hide the concrete walls just enough, and might be better than what they've got now.

TH13TEEN would be great with some sort of pre show, and with the amount of queue that isn't used, I'm sure that they could make the space to fit in a new building to house one! As well, as that, some enhanced theming around the outside of the crypt building, so it's completely themed, as well as some new theming around the actual ride too! :)
A few head-chopper near miss element would be really cool like an old archway you pass under or a big branch that hangs over the track (obviously it would be a fake tree for health and safety reasons.)
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Justin
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I do believe this would be a realistic way of "updating" Towers and it would be a direction I'd love to see Alton Towers and Merlin Magic Making investigate further.

We can see that the likes of The Gruffalo and Tiger Rock are a step forward at Chessington, and the refurbishment of Hex has really helped rejuvenate a classic at Towers. I'd even say that The Walking Dead: The Ride at Thorpe Park a good example of what can be done to a standard coaster with additional theming, preshow and sound/special effects. I'm in love with that ride now!
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I think one of the problems this could have is that some of the rides like Nemesis would be tough to add a pre-show to unless they spent lot of money extending the Nemesis monster or making Nemesis Sub-Terra lead directly into Nemesis which would be great but very expensive.

The other rides would be a lot easier like Oblivion has lots of spaces for a pre-show as well as The Smiler, Th13teen and Galactica.
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Justin
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I don't thing Nemesis needs too much at all. They could add a little more around the area or reinstall tv screens in the queue line to tell the story. Certainly on the other coasters, they could add preshow on the level of Wicker Man. It would even be nice to have music or sound effects added throughout the ride on some attractions!
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Robert.W
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Nemesis doesn't need a pre show to be honest. TH13TEEN and The Smiler would be really good with pre shows though.. possibly Galactica as well.
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I'm by no means saying Nemesis needs a pre-show I currently think it's a masterpiece and is looking better than ever this season but I agree with the pre-shows for The Smiler and the other SW's. Other than actual pre- shows even just adding little bits of extra themeing to the rides and the areas they are in. 
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