Project Ocean Development

Plans & Concepts

The park submitted planning permission for a flat ride on the former site of Ripsaw, the Top Spin that operated on this site from 1997-2015. While the documents don’t directly reveal what sort of ride they are planning to install, it does give information about the immediate surrounding, with the ride itself described as:

“An attraction that sits atop a concrete structure that has an approximate overall height of 18m. The structure will house plant and storage on either side of an access tunnel that will maintain guest access within the Forbidden Valley area. Theming features will be situated to either side of the structure, with the queue line wrapping to the South and South-East.”

A new building will be installed straddling the existing path between the Coffee Lounge and the former Ripsaw site, with two tall theming structures on either side. The plans indicate that the existing path will become an underpass to Galactica, with the new ride installed on top of the new pedestal-style building.

Whilst this new addition will be a direct replacement for Ripsaw, the ride itself will only use a small portion of the original Ripsaw site, which will instead be largely used for the new ride’s queue line and one of the ride’s theming features. This means that the development is pulled away from the historic Deer Wall, which runs across the back of the site. The move reduces the risk of any disruption to the park’s heritage assets or the ancient woodland beyond.

A General Development Order that applies to this park of Forbidden Valley means the park were able to keep the ride type under wraps until right up to the point installation began. The plans did, however, include an indication of the scale of the ride, using a large cube in perspective views to demonstrate the extent of the area the ride will take up in comparison to the neighbouring structure.

Despite being shown as a large box in several of the planning documents, we know that the ride itself is an outdoor attraction, sitting atop the new building. 

The park did not confirm the actual type of ride throughout construction. However, there were some clues to be found in the planning documents, including the dimensions of the new ride, which will be 11.5m in length x 14.5m in width with a building height of 4.8m and an approximate overall height of 18m for the whole development. The site sections also contain some details of the rather complex inner structure of the building, which might suggest the sort of plant machinery that will be housed within.

For a more telling clue, the Noise Impact Assessment linked to the applications stated that the operational assessment is based on 'noise from a very similar “Topspin” style attraction'. This was a clear indication that we might be seeing the return of a Top Spin to Forbidden Valley, making this a direct like-for-like replacement for Ripsaw. Furthermore, the dimensions given for the new ride and foundations also directly line up with those required for a Top Spin.

Once the 2024 season was complete, it quickly became clear that all the clues were correct, when the parts for a brand-new Top Spin began appearing on site, with vertical construction for the ride swiftly getting under way.

Whilst the new ride is a Top Spin, we know for certain that the experience will be different to that of Ripsaw. Project Ocean will be a double-sided Suspended Top Spin, which sets it apart from the  classic model used for Ripsaw. The new ride will also be rotated by 90 degrees and given extra height by the plinth, which will likely offer a more thrilling experience.  It still remains to be see if additional effects will be in operation on the ride, such as the water fountains that were an intrinsic part of the Ripsaw experience.

For the past few seasons, the site in question has been home to Funk’n’Fly, one of the temporary Retro Squad rides, which left the park at the end of last season. The end of the Retro Squad leaves a large gap in the park’s ride line up after several significant ride removals over the past decade, including Ripsaw that stood on the proposed site until 2015.

Construction

The park were granted planning permission for the ride in April 2024, and construction began immediately. The planning documents estimated that the construction will take 15 weeks, so there was speculation that the park might be aiming to open the new ride as early as August 2024. As construction got underway, however, it quickly became apparent that the construction period would be much more drawn out.

During Scarefest, the construction walls were updated with green flashing lights and posters confirming that the new ride would open for the 2025 season, inviting guests to 'Submit to the Spin'.

By the end of the season, construction of the Project Ocean's foundations was complete, with landscaping work underway. During the annual Run Alton Towers event, the weekend after the main season, the underpass was open to the public for the first time, with the course taking runners through the construction site.

After the event wrapped up, construction moved on at a pace, with the frame of the Top Spin arriving during the week and was installed by the following Friday, as seen in a promotional image shared by the park. The main gondola arrived shortly afterwards, and by the end of November the main ride structure was complete.

Elsewhere, Merlin are also seeking a new trademark for 'Toxicator', which could indicate the name they would like to use for Project Ocean when it opens. But there is a question mark, on whether or not the ride will be allowed to use the name Toxicator, as there is potential oposition to the trademark, so Merlin will need to try and negotiate a way forward.