Attraction Source Forum

I really like all these! The coverings of the concrete blocks are pretty good, and do seem to show that the resort are thinking of all the small details!

I'm a big fan of Leek Signs as they certainly seem to do a great job with signage around the park. It is most definitely the little finishing touches which add to the overall experience.

Having done Duel at the weekend have to say I have mixed feelings about what they've done to it. As good as it is that it has got some much needed attention, I really don't like how some of the neon and UV paint has been done - in places it's just too much, almost garish. There are a fair few elements which are working again, which is good to see, and hopefully the trommel will be working again soon as mentioned in a previous post. However, there still seems to be a significant number of targets not working - I would have hoped something as fundamental to the ride as the targets would have been something that would have been 100% working. I also can't get used to the new soundtrack. For some reason, for me, it just doesn't fit with Duel, but it may be that I'm so used to the old soundtrack that hearing something different is just a shock to the system, maybe it'll grow on me through the season.

I agree with you about the Duel soundtrack Lakey, it doesn't seem right to have different music and I'm not sure I like it but maybe I'll get used to it over time.

The start of season round-up article, published on TowersTimes News this evening, contains lots of photos covering some of the TLC work that has taken place as part of the programme's latest cycle.

Nemesis
I'm aware Justin has already posted a few of these shots in the Nemesis - General Discussion topic, however these copies are of better quality and hursty has now had the chance to work his magic on them to show the Nemesis Monster off in all its freshly-painted glory.















Duel
Here's a look at the works to the attraction's exterior and its interior queue area.















Entrance Plaza & Towers Street
The enhancements to these areas has obviously been well-documented now, but here's a few photos anyway.











Grand Conservatory
I think these photos really speak for themselves in terms of showing off how stunning the Conservatory now looks. You can check out the full collection of images, along with a couple of other updates from the restoration process on the respective page in the Restoration Archive.

The conservatories are crying out for a nice tea room or coffee shop inside. Would be so nice for them to be utlised in some way.

Yes I agree, it has also been thrown around that they are exploring heritage tours as a possibility too.

I don't know if I remember correctly, but wasn't the Monorail supposed to get TLC last closed season? I know they added the safety railings, but was that all they did? I didn't notice any changes to the trains or the stations (apart from the updated Resort map and Wicker Man video on the TVs), which is a shame really. I would have loved them to give the actual trains some proper TLC.

Agreed, them trains need a deep clean or to be totally replaced. There's algae on the windows, they leak and they're just not a nice way to start/end your day.

Theme Park Guide have documented that Twirling Toadstool, which has been closed under the guise of TLC in the past couple of years, appears to be in a state of disrepair.







In the above pictures, you can see various parts for the ride, including the Toadstool, chains for the chairs and the queue-line fence, seemingly abandoned on the site where the ride used to sit.

It is sad to see another Alton Towers flat ride go, but I’m not at all surprised, given its absence from the ride lineup.

Shocking... I do hope toadstool somehow makes a return, but the way it’s been left like that… I have so many childhood memories from that ride and can only hope I’ve not seen the last of the toadstool.

That's another flat ride gone. Honestly I don't see why Merlin hate flat rides, the general public love them. How many flats are left in the park now? 3? That's the same amount as Chessington. 

Drayton and Thorpe each have 6 flats in each park, and they are a fraction the size of Towers. I honestly want to know why Merlin are getting rid of all these rides, Surely flats can't be expensive if chains like Cedar Fair and Six Flags are buying them in bulks. 

The actual ride may still be intact. To be honest, it only looks like the fiberglass shell has deteriorated. There is the potential for it to return with a retheme or in a different position.

Justin wrote:The actual ride may still be intact. To be honest, it only looks like the fiberglass shell has deteriorated. There is the potential for it to return with a retheme or in a different position.

If they were planning on bringing the ride back, surely they would have dismantled and stored it away indoors where it wasn’t exposed to the elements?

Possibly, but it would be exposed if operating. It certainly isn't the best way to store it

I feel like right now it might be in limbo, people have been talking about CCL rethemes for a while and maybe Merlin are unsure if this ride will carry over or not.

Personally, I'd like to see it returned to Dark Forest where Ug Swingers was and rethemed to a tree.

Maybe leaving it out to get all dirty and weather-beaten is just Merlin retheming it for Dark Forest on the cheap ahaha.

Justin wrote:Personally, I'd like to see it returned to Dark Forest where Ug Swingers was and rethemed to a tree.

Well it seems to be only the main shell that is in serious disrepair so this could be a possibility. I can't imagine this part would be too difficult to replace, and a new one would be perfect if it was getting a retheme.

Didn't the park say on twitter a few weeks/moths ago that they intend to reopen Twirling Toadstool in 2019?