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Controversial Alton Towers Opinions

I agree reference the Graham Smart Towers Street track. Although I loved the era it was a part of, it would be foolish to say everything was better back then. The current 2016 track on Towers Street is number one for me too.
 
The Graham Smart tracks also have a *lot* of nostalgia attached to them, because Towers was a very different place back them. I listen to these tunes a lot myself for that very reason.

I dislike the new Gloomy Woods track, but the music I’ve heard on Towers Street is pretty good.
 
I have a new controversial opinion.

Rip out Thirteen, because it’s rubbish.

Keep Rita, turn the Dark Forest into a new themed area and add a couple of good fun well themed family coasters.

Thirteen should be a metaphor for style over substance.
 
I have another controversial take; I don’t really “get” Smiler, or at least, I don’t enjoy it as much as most.

It’s a shame; Smiler’s the coaster that got me into the hobby, and I did used to love it, but I’ve increasingly gone off it as the years have gone by. I initially thought that this was because the ride was getting rougher, but even lately, where my rides have seemed a bit smoother (albeit still not as smooth as the ride’s early years), I still haven’t enjoyed it anywhere near as much as I used to. I know that many people love it, and rate it as one of their favourites at the park, but something about the ride rubs me over the wrong way, and I’m struggling to put my finger on what.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike the ride by any means; it’s a good coaster, it’s in my top 50% (albeit only narrowly), and as a pure piece of engineering, I think it’s both insane and admirable! However, I don’t rate it anywhere near as highly as most; I really want to love it, and I hope to love it every time I ride it, but I never seem to be overly enamoured by it; to be honest, I’d be inclined to say it’s in contention for my least favourite of the big 7 (alongside Galactica), whereas I get the impression that it’s towards the top for most.
 
Poisson said:
Rita is a perfectly solid if slightly uninspiring offering in the coaster line up. If only it had a theme it'd be much better.
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See, I really like Rita too! It's not quite my favourite on park, but it's a really good, fun coaster, in my opinion; solidly in my top 20 and solidly in my top 5 on park! The launch is great, the airtime is excellent, and the raw sense of speed is just amazing! Controversially, I'd actually take it over Stealth, and by a fair way!

To further that point, I also like Rita's Dark Forest buddy Thirteen more than most!
 
Skyscraper said:
Glad I'm not the only one who likes Thirteen so much Matt! :)
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I know not many people like it that much, but I think it's a really fun ride! It's solidly in my top 20, and for someone who's ridden 79 coasters, that's no mean feat!

I often have trouble deciding whether I prefer Thirteen or Rita... they're right next to each other in my top 20, and I think they're both really fun rides!
 
I've got another controversial take; based on what I know about it, the cross-valley wooden coaster looked inferior to Wicker Man.

I know that statement probably makes some of you give me very strange looks, but my reasoning is; Wicker Man has much more of a layout, with a lot more going on. Yes, the cross-valley coaster would have been much bigger, but it would literally just have been two drops.
 
We truly don't know exactly what the cross valley woodie would have been Matt, it never got to the full planning stage, did it?
I wandered round the old footpaths at the Dark Forest side of the garden valley yesterday, there is a huge amount of land, flat and with clear lines between the old trees, suitable for a tracked ride.
 
The one we don't know the full details of is the 2015 coaster that was rumoured to go on the Blade site (as thirteen already took the site of the old cross-valley plan). Due to the Smiler incident that plan didn't get any further.
 
Ah, sorry Rob; I thought you were talking about the 2003 proposal. I was referring to the 2003 proposal in my original controversial opinion.

As @jon81uk says, it’s the 2015 proposal that didn’t reach the full planning stage. Lots of rumours were swirling about what it could have been, but we only ever got an environmental impact survey that revealed very limited details for that proposal.
 
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