Alton towers blog 2017
After a long drive we arrived at Alton Towers at around 9:00. We'd bought tickets online, so could get in early for some early ride time. I'd really recommend doing this as several attractions are open and you can join queues before the ride opens, therefore getting on pretty much straight away when the park opens. First we headed to Oblivion, one of the few rides open before 10 o'clock. For those who don't know, Oblivion was the world's first dive coaster, however doesn't feature a 90° drop. Non the less, it's a great ride which is short but packs alot of punch. There's some great force on this ride and it has a great theme. I purchased an onride photo, and I have to say, they are well worth the money. (£10 to be exact). They come with a fact file on the ride and a brief history of the park. The great thing about Oblivion is that it is a brilliant ride to watch. There are some great photo opportunities too.
Next up was the world's first 14 inversion coaster The Smiler. Opening in 2013 it's still one of my favourite attractions at the resort and is a highlight of the trip. The Smiler unfortunately wasn't available for early ride time, however we joined the queue and ended up near the front. 15 minutes later... The park opened and it was pretty much walk on. We got the back row, and apart from a faint rattle throughout, I always find it a great experience. It plays with your senses and it is very comfortable. On the way out I bought a unique 'Smiler garden gnome'. They were on sale and it's a great addition to my merchandise collection.
After this, we started to head over to Hex, one of my personal favourite dark rides. For those who haven't experienced Hex, it is essentially a Vekoma Mad house, however with the edition of excellent theming and a brilliant soundtrack, it is an amazing experience for the entire family. The pre show and story line are phenomenal and the final ride is an unforgettable moment. It was 11 o'clock now, so headed to Rita, an Intamin Accelerator coaster. If you didn't know, the Dark Forest section of the park doesn't open straight away. We chose to ride on the front row, which added a few more minutes on however it was worth it. It isn't an amazing ride, even though it claims to be voted the best coaster ever in 2004, however it's a fun and enjoyable additional to the park. The launch is pretty forceful and it's an ok layout. I wouldn't wait any longer than an hour though.
As Thirteen was next to the exit we chose to ride that next. The queue was about 30 minutes long so we decided to enter the single rider queue. I am always impressed with how good this coaster is considering it is aimed at families. The freefall always catches me out, the theming is excellent It's lots of fun and maybe more parks should make coasters like it. Next we made are way to Duel via SW8. The new edition to the park is progressing well. It looks really good. The overbanks at the bottom of the site look awesome and I think I saw some airtime hills. In a recent interview John Wardley said that 'it will be a well themed experiance'. I really hope this is true and that we get a ride with a storyline.
Now it's time for Duel. I love Duel and enjoy a good friendly competition but many people don't like Duel as they believe the laser guns ruined it. However I believe they add an element of fun and competition. (My high score was 25,400). It is in need of refurbishment though and I would love to see the Haunted House return, with some really good theming.
We walked further along the path to Katanga Canyon, home to the park's Mack powered coaster and Intamin river rapids. First up was the Runaway mine train. This ride may not be amazing however is fun to ride with all the family. It is not too fast however is a pleasant and smooth ride. Next to the mine train is the river rapids. This attraction has speed and some amazing waves. Unfortunately when we went, the waterfalls weren't working, however it still proved to be an enjoyable experience. After getting slightly wet we headed to Nemesis, my favourite ride of the park. On route we had a re-ride of Duel, and for £33 bought the Resort Resin and a Nemesis Resin. They are high quality models and I would recommend buying one if you get the chance.
Next up was my favourite part of the day: Nemesis. It's such a great coaster, and for me remains the best coaster I have ridden. It has brilliant pacing, it's terrain interaction is cool, the force is unbelievable and the theming is good too. It maybe short but it backs a real punch. I rode it three times in total, two at the back. This ride never gets old and has some great opportunities for interesting photos and videos.
At this point Galactica, formally Air, was shut, however we waited a few minutes and it soon opened. We rode this twice, once with VR and once without. I wasn't a fan of VR as it made me feel unwell and it took away from the feeling of the coaster. However as a coaster it was a cool experience. I know it's not forceful or the best in the world, however the theming is really good and it's a fun attraction. On the way out I purchased a really cool Galactica portal mug for just £8! Its really unique and a brilliant item to own.
We next had re-rides on Duel, the Runaway mine train, the Smiler and Oblivion. They were all really good and the queues were short. The final rides of the day were on Spinball whizzer, a Maurer Sohne Spinning Coaster. It's a fun family ride, however I wouldn't be surprised to see it go and be replaced with more CBeebies rides. It's getting old and rough, and at some points it was painful. However, as we used the Single rider queue, we had time to fit in 3 goes. By this point the park was closing, and we had been there all day.
So was it worth the drive and the money? Yes. It's a brilliant park with high quality rides and coasters. The merchandise was really good and the queues were short. Alton Towers is a great park and I look forward to returning in the near future.
So was it worth the drive and the money? Yes. It's a brilliant park with high quality rides and coasters. The merchandise was really good and the queues were short. Alton Towers is a great park and I look forward to returning in the near future.