Benjsh
TS Member
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My only ride was 3rd row from back on RHS and it was wild.
I can't wait for after the Easter Hols. I'm planning a visit just to ride WM and Nemmy all day and not bothering with any of the others.
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Wicker Man - General Discussion - Part Two
My only ride was 3rd row from back on RHS and it was wild.
I can't wait for after the Easter Hols. I'm planning a visit just to ride WM and Nemmy all day and not bothering with any of the others.
Croftybaby
TS Member
Yes, it's ultimately down to budget cuts. If WM has a problem then thats fair enough but the park should mitigate this by opening the other rides earlier. The poor "ERT" lineup means that they are relying heavily on WM to actually be operational which it is not, leaving guests with no other real options of rides until 11/12pm.
Croftybaby
TS Member
Wicker Man just set a new record of being open for an entire 15 minutes before going down again
Even Big Bob is surprised!
Benjsh
TS Member
Couldn't be at a worse time either with it being Easter.
They may even have to close it for a week or two if this goes on. Clearly something fundamentally wrong. I don't remember any other GCI having these issues when first opened.
The park can't catch a break right now if you excuse the pun.
They may even have to close it for a week or two if this goes on. Clearly something fundamentally wrong. I don't remember any other GCI having these issues when first opened.
The park can't catch a break right now if you excuse the pun.
You were 3 rows from the back on Rocky Horror Show and you got a wild ride?
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Error
TS Member
Traveller weekend, they’ll grab the wicker set pieces to use as brooms..
Sam-Wise
TS Member
Getting into the park today was abysmal, every man for himself, queued for nearly 40 mins to scan my pass at the turnstiles. Joined Wicker Man queue at 9:30, 4.5 hours later at 2pm we were cleared out.
Luckily I got on the first train yesterday, but it was a shame to see today, lots of unhappy customers.
Luckily I got on the first train yesterday, but it was a shame to see today, lots of unhappy customers.
I've just fixed that for you
If you wan't to avoid the leaking pipes then sit on the left
Benjsh
TS Member
I was saying this all week.
New ride + original weekend guests + lots of weekend guests from previous week returning because of the snow was always going to be crazy.
Error
TS Member
So why wasn’t Towers prepared for this? Like I said, they’ve plastered everywhere that yesterday was the official opening of Wicker dude and look what the customers got...Im not surprised box office got a good queue mid afternoon.
Poopoohead
TS Member
Towers getting absolutely slated on Twitter/ trip advisor. Such a shame (albeit it thoroughly deserved on my experience last weekend and reading about this weekend) when this season could / should have been so good with better organisation.
Rob
TS Team
Despite thinking that it was never going to happen, I finally got on Wicker Man yesterday (twice actually).
Let's get the negatives out of the way first. It is such a pity that Alton Towers' big day went so badly wrong. It all started with the farce of getting in to the theme park, and then Wicker Man was up and down like a yoyo all day long. Whatever the problems are they need rectifying as soon as possible, I suspect that GCI will be traveling back out to the park this week. By the end of the day it was running 3 trains, one of these trains was being sent round empty every time and the other trains had 4 rows out.
There were also issues with the restraints, far more re-checking going on of people who have ridden GCI woodies all over the world with no issues whatsoever.
Anyway. Let's hope that all gets sorted as Wicker Man is such a brilliant experience.
The entrance plaza for the ride is very nice indeed, so much more inviting and thought through than that for The Smiler or Thirteen. The queue is another step in the right direction, it provides some stunning views of the ride, flows in a logical manner and is not one big cattle pen. It is just unfortunate that I spent a grand total of 7 hours in that queue overall yesterday!
Once you reach the batching point, you put your bags in the baggage hold and wait in the very nicely themed pre-show batching room. Then it is on to the pre-show which is another wonderfully themed room. I won't say too much about the pre-show but it is impressive and works well; it really builds up the excitement for the ride ahead!
I love the station for Wicker Man, it is so visually impressive and by far the best station interior at Alton Towers (well in the UK actually). Overall the theming on Wicker Man, in terms of what there is and the quality of it, would not be out of place at Europa-Park or Phantasialand.
You are batched in to the bays, and I was fortunate enough to get row 12 for my first ride. The ride itself is very good; it is no Wodan but it was never going to be. However it is fast, thrilling and really does throw you around in places (there are quite a few laterals). Boring corner isn't the best but it is a nice break mid-ride, and it does pick up speed again afterwards. The airtime at the back is great in places, but you do not get this anywhere near as much towards the front of the train (my second ride was on row 5).
Wicker Man really comes in to its own in the dark. Hurtling around the track in the darkness, with the flames of the Wicker Man lighting up the whole area. When you turn back on yourself to go through the Wicker Man for the second time, and the flames go off just as your are approaching, wow, it is quite something!
For me as a coaster, track and train, it is very similar to Joris at Efteling. And this is exactly what I expected from it so count me satisfied!
The overall experience is sublime though; it is easily one of the most immersive rollercoaster experiences outside of a Disney theme park. There are still some effects to be tweaked but the quality of everything is unlike anything we have seen from a UK Merlin addition. I pray that Alton Towers are allowed to maintain Wicker Man and its effects over the coming years, I really do.
In terms of the IMAscore soundtrack, it is very nice when you hear it but not at all memorable. Most of it is nice background music but the real highlights are in the pre-show and the dispatch music in the station.
I'll finish where I started. Alton Towers had a lot of problems with Wicker Man yesterday. However they did keep the queue line open until 6pm and ensured that everyone who was in the queue got to ride. The last guests did not get off until after 8.30pm, and management were on hand to inform us all that the monorail had been kept open for us to get back to the car parks, a full 2 and a half hours after ride close. You could say it's the least that they could do, but it was a nice little touch. And with that I must say thanks to the staff on Wicker Man and the Monorail who had to work what was probably a 12 hour day.
Let's get the negatives out of the way first. It is such a pity that Alton Towers' big day went so badly wrong. It all started with the farce of getting in to the theme park, and then Wicker Man was up and down like a yoyo all day long. Whatever the problems are they need rectifying as soon as possible, I suspect that GCI will be traveling back out to the park this week. By the end of the day it was running 3 trains, one of these trains was being sent round empty every time and the other trains had 4 rows out.
There were also issues with the restraints, far more re-checking going on of people who have ridden GCI woodies all over the world with no issues whatsoever.
Anyway. Let's hope that all gets sorted as Wicker Man is such a brilliant experience.
The entrance plaza for the ride is very nice indeed, so much more inviting and thought through than that for The Smiler or Thirteen. The queue is another step in the right direction, it provides some stunning views of the ride, flows in a logical manner and is not one big cattle pen. It is just unfortunate that I spent a grand total of 7 hours in that queue overall yesterday!
Once you reach the batching point, you put your bags in the baggage hold and wait in the very nicely themed pre-show batching room. Then it is on to the pre-show which is another wonderfully themed room. I won't say too much about the pre-show but it is impressive and works well; it really builds up the excitement for the ride ahead!
I love the station for Wicker Man, it is so visually impressive and by far the best station interior at Alton Towers (well in the UK actually). Overall the theming on Wicker Man, in terms of what there is and the quality of it, would not be out of place at Europa-Park or Phantasialand.
You are batched in to the bays, and I was fortunate enough to get row 12 for my first ride. The ride itself is very good; it is no Wodan but it was never going to be. However it is fast, thrilling and really does throw you around in places (there are quite a few laterals). Boring corner isn't the best but it is a nice break mid-ride, and it does pick up speed again afterwards. The airtime at the back is great in places, but you do not get this anywhere near as much towards the front of the train (my second ride was on row 5).
Wicker Man really comes in to its own in the dark. Hurtling around the track in the darkness, with the flames of the Wicker Man lighting up the whole area. When you turn back on yourself to go through the Wicker Man for the second time, and the flames go off just as your are approaching, wow, it is quite something!
For me as a coaster, track and train, it is very similar to Joris at Efteling. And this is exactly what I expected from it so count me satisfied!
The overall experience is sublime though; it is easily one of the most immersive rollercoaster experiences outside of a Disney theme park. There are still some effects to be tweaked but the quality of everything is unlike anything we have seen from a UK Merlin addition. I pray that Alton Towers are allowed to maintain Wicker Man and its effects over the coming years, I really do.
In terms of the IMAscore soundtrack, it is very nice when you hear it but not at all memorable. Most of it is nice background music but the real highlights are in the pre-show and the dispatch music in the station.
I'll finish where I started. Alton Towers had a lot of problems with Wicker Man yesterday. However they did keep the queue line open until 6pm and ensured that everyone who was in the queue got to ride. The last guests did not get off until after 8.30pm, and management were on hand to inform us all that the monorail had been kept open for us to get back to the car parks, a full 2 and a half hours after ride close. You could say it's the least that they could do, but it was a nice little touch. And with that I must say thanks to the staff on Wicker Man and the Monorail who had to work what was probably a 12 hour day.
bluesonichd
TS Member
Well I’m not riding wicker man again until it’s more reliable.
Queues from ERT 9:30 until it opened at around 11am
They kept telling us to go and ride others rides
What others rides. Nothing was open !
No I don’t want to walk around CBeebies.
Anyway got on the first train, arrived back at the station and it broke down.
Came back latter in the day.
Another ride. Back at the station.
Broke down.
Had to be evac from the brakerun.
It’s ok was given a priority pass
I know it’s a new ride but it should be more reliable than this.
Queues from ERT 9:30 until it opened at around 11am
They kept telling us to go and ride others rides
What others rides. Nothing was open !
No I don’t want to walk around CBeebies.
Anyway got on the first train, arrived back at the station and it broke down.
Came back latter in the day.
Another ride. Back at the station.
Broke down.
Had to be evac from the brakerun.
It’s ok was given a priority pass
I know it’s a new ride but it should be more reliable than this.
Sam-Wise
TS Member
You make it sound like it’s the guests fault for bad operations
Well I’m not riding wicker man again until it’s more reliable.
Queues from ERT 9:30 until it opened at around 11am
They kept telling us to go and ride others rides
What others rides. Nothing was open !
No I don’t want to walk around CBeebies.
Anyway got on the first train, arrived back at the station and it broke down.
Came back latter in the day.
Another ride. Back at the station.
Broke down.
Had to be evac from the brakerun.
It’s ok was given a priority pass
I know it’s a new ride but it should be more reliable than this.
I was given a priority pass, didn’t ask if it had to be used today? Or can be used whenever?
Rob
TS Team
bluesonichd
TS Member
BarryZola
TS Member
I'm really glad that most of the reviews coming in are very positive overall. The ride was a bit of a blur for me in places as I was just really excited to be trying it out for the first time on Tuesday (first train, lol). All I can remember is that it was just really good fun and looked great. The positive reviews serve to confirm what I felt on the day, as opposed to me thinking it was really good just because it was the 'next new thing'. I didn't have time to wait around for a second ride as I had to leave immediately after my ride to beat some of the traffic as I had work very early the next morning. I don't have experience of European parks etc so it is good to hear that it compares well as a whole experience to other similar rides. Just a shame that AT are getting these teething problems or whatever they are. Keep the reviews coming
P.S - I personally thought that the Smiler was a very good addition too, but there are a couple of pretty bad jolts that spoil it for me now. Still an enjoyable ride though, overall.
P.S - I personally thought that the Smiler was a very good addition too, but there are a couple of pretty bad jolts that spoil it for me now. Still an enjoyable ride though, overall.